Anne Billson

Are you wearing the...

...the red cabbage dress? Yeah I am.

Large tortoiseshell butterfly confirmed no longer extinct in UK Early spring sightings show colourful insect is a resident species for first time in decades, says conservation charity

A little good news.

Out on streaming already!

dammit not even scheduled for a Belgian cinema release. (Verbinski fan since Mouse Hunt.) Guess will have to improvise.

2/2 Even Egbert van der Poel’s ordinary buildings seem to have been struck by catastrophe, as with this farmyard. Today is his day.

oh yes, you should definitely see The Thing. On a big screen if you get the chance, but if not on the biggest screen you can find. (It's mind-blowing in 70mm!)

You might be able to "find" it on the internet, with a VPN.

Daniel Emilfork - Wikipedia

Emilfork has the weirdest, most eclectic filmography. I particularly like him in WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE? Obviously now need to track down THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR.

Just seeing a photo of me from my interview in the forthcoming THE THING EXPANDED documentary makes me think OMG WTF. Not that fussed about how I look on camera, but I really do look demented there, with the sort of 1000 yard stare I last saw on Roy Scheider in SORCERER, only less handsome.

Left message on office answering service asking for confirmation that a mail they sent was genuine (before I clicked on link & signed away my life savings etc) & their reply contained transcription of my message OMG I had NO idea I said "um" so much + transcription makes me sound like a mad stalker.

The title card for the film 'Devil's Nightmare'. The text is jagged and white over a night-time shot of a castle.

A shot from the film. Lisa is entering a dark dining room. It's a long shot and she's got big red hair and is wearing a long, black dress, which is cut low but also has a large cut out around her belly button.

The Baron in his alchemist's lab, holding an enormous test tube of bright blue liquid

A hand stretching out, in desperation, from a pit of gold.

Last night's watch, from 1971: Seven lost travellers (each corresponding to one of the deadly sins) seek shelter at a castle owned by a former Nazi & alchemist, whose family are cursed to produce a line of succubuses. Enter 'Lisa', who begins to murder them according to their sins. Lurid gothic fun.

YouTube video by Paolo Avico Giulia De Mutiis e Alessandro Alessandroni - La notte più lunga del diavolo

The Devil's Nightmare also makes repeated and varied use of its absolute ear-worm of a theme tune:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBNP...

Ah, this is that Belgian film La Plus longue nuit du diable with Erika Blanc and Daniel Emilfork, isn't it. Love it!

YouTube video by Roz Mehmet Let Your Cat Chill in These Magic Pants#life #hacks #smartereveryday

There's video

www.youtube.com/shorts/xVsJJ...

WIDE LOAD WARNING

Glasgow Central Fire Sparks Travel Chaos Across the UK A major fire beside Glasgow Central has shut Scotland’s busiest station, triggering nationwide disruption and raising urgent questions over UK rail resilience.

Awful news about Glasgow Central, I'm still hoping the station itself escaped serious damage.
But while we're here, can anyone spot the problem with the news photo below, from thetraveler.org/glasgow-cent...?
We've really got to STOP using AI to fake things.

Union street fire: support Haus of Hair Last month, my wonderful hairdresser and friend Gemma left her job to fulfil her dream of starting her own salon with fellow stylist Aimee. 'Haus of Hair' opened last week. I visited on Friday and wa...

My hairdresser and friend opened her business last week. Tonight it burned to the ground. This is devastating.

I’ve set up a fundraiser. If you haven’t done anything for international women’s day yet, here’s a chance to support a women-run business in need: www.paypal.com/pools/c/9nhn...

At last some good news.

Last night's late news.

Had a walk along the prom & met some hells angels.

Train in front of the city

Popular View - Poplar

Photo of a Docklands Light Railway train travelling towards Poplar station. This is one of my favourite places to watch the sun set over the city of London.

I’m thinking about starting a British version of the NYT connections puzzle designed to be unsolvable by Americans. Sample row: England players who missed a penalty.

Country Joe McDonald on stage

Joe McDonald, the sailor.

Country Joe McDonald has died at 84. Before his music career, McDonald was in the navy, and spent three years posted in Japan. He wanted to marry a girl called Toshie but the Navy refused permission, which was standard practice at the time. www.countryjoe.com/cabral.htm#2

Riggs is supposed to be the crazy one but at the start of Lethal Weapon 1, Murtaugh is shown having a morning bath on a workday. That is absolutely insane behaviour

Claire Trevor in Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939)

“Well you gotta live, no matter what happens.”

My favourite line in movies – a film and a scene I return to endlessly, an idea that echoes in my brain.

Spoken by Claire Trevor, born 116 years ago today. (Written by Dudley Nichols.)

A thing that’s shocking me about the lack of coverage is air safety info. Hi, Glasgow folk, from a Southern Californian transplant: ash from old buildings is super gnarly. Please wear a respirator if you need to be near the scene.

Queen Street is still available, but it goes different places!

Reddit screenshot from Glasgow thread. Bright flames rising out the side of a Victorian building.

Video screenshot from Reddit. Building is now a shell with flames visible in every window.

The roof has collapsed embers rise into the night sky.

The fire at Glasgow central station is utterly devastating. Shops, homes and our transport link to England are being wiped out.
I am amazed by the limited news coverage.

I enjoyed the over-luxuriant naffness! Suspect I'd have been very bored with yet another tasteful and/or naturalistic adaptation. Bu it was total kitsch! Utterly ridiculous. (As I think @johnnymains.co.uk said, Barbara Cartland meets John Waters)

Did once have studio interest in a short story I wrote, but since I already had plans to expand it into a full-length novel I refused. I don't think money was mentioned at that stage, but 15 years later, I finally finished the novel & don't regret it. Though I do sometimes wonder...

If you're going have issues with a film adaptation of your work then you shouldn't have sold the rights in the first place. I bet they don't have issues with the money they were paid for those rights, almost certainly a lot more than most writers can even dream of.