HORROR IN THE YEAR 2026

Eventually all sub-genres of horror go mainstream. Zombies are part of modern language and regularly appear on small and large screens. There is even Zombie media aimed at children. Vampires are abundant in teen fiction and many of the actors playing them are heartthrobs. Frankenstein’s Monster’s latest big screen iteration is a rather tall and handsome chap with an eye for the ladies. Cannibals are now suburban couples with domestic problems and killer Aliens have a heart of gold.

Mad science has become a reality and can be seen in up market shopping malls and at the Golden Globes and the Met Gala, not to mention Trump’s cabinet.

Body Horror has gone from being possibly the most controversial horror sub-genre to receiving critical acclaim.

The old style Universal /Gothic Horror characters have also been making a comeback in recent years. We’ve already seen new versions of The Invisible Man, Nosferatu, Dracula, Frankenstein, Renfield, with The Bride and Werwulf to follow. 

The franchise Horror model rumbles on with Halloween, Scream, Predator, Final Destination, Alien and a number of other long running properties.

The horrors of the real world numb us to a great deal of content that we are exposed to. The world of fictional horror is perhaps the most imaginative of the arts and allows for expansive ideas and stories which can take us away from the grind of negative news.

Why is Horror in such a healthy state right now? It could be that in these unstable, dangerous, anxiety provoking and downright strange times, fictional horror is a light relief.

METEORITE HERE RIGHT NOW

 

 

WAITING FOR THE CHICXULUB IMPACTOR MARK II

The meteorite of stupidity is making its way across the solar system, its destination Earth. and we summoned it by our actions as a species. Its arrival has been foretold and there’s no exit strategy, no fleet of spaceships to whisk us off to a habitable planet in the Alpha Centauri system, no time machine to catapult us back in time and fix things.

What has led us to this denouement, apart from the centuries of us messing about with the planet and the denizens of the planet?

It might be that the richest (declared) man in the world is a creature with all the appeal of a shop window dummy, who is as uncomfortable in his own skin as we are looking at him. This is a man that makes the Alpha Zombie from Army Of The Dead look like a cuddly aunt. If Elon Musk was a fragrance, it would be called ‘Loathe’. If Musk was a pair of shoes, they would be caramel-coloured slip-ons. If he was a kitchen item, he would be a mug tree. This self-proclaimed richest man on the planet does nothing that aids humanity with his fortune. There are no Hospitals, Libraries or Charities in his name. He Zieg Heils and has the haircut of a Hitler acolyte all while dressing like an Undertaker who has had to dip in the bargain bin at Primark.

Maybe it’s the fact that the President of the USA is one of the most grotesque people that have ever held public office. Those that call him an Orangutan based on his Orangeness should be hauled before a judge for slander on the basis that this is a slander on Orangutans. Trump’s utterances are only matched in terms of stupidity by the ramblings of Charles Manson, but without the charm. Trump makes Genghis Khan seem like a diplomat, he is to leadership what Olly Murs is to charisma. His family and entourage are straight out of The Stepford Wives via Invasion Of The Body Snatches with a big dollop of SS experiment Camp. The sort of characters that speak up in his favour and take to stages to laud him definitely fit into a type, and that type is Ivy League Psychopath meets The Hills Have Eyes

Trump’s followers seem to have been hypnotised into a state of not being able to see the obvious. They are incapable of rational or strategic thinking and feel emboldened by Trump’s two terms to come out with the most ludicrous of world views. America has never been so close to its population being chased with giant butterfly nets than at any point in its questionable history.

Iv'e not mentioned the various wars based on ideology where stupid people are killing each other, nor have I mentioned the rise in right wing thinking and misogyny, but you get the idea

As we head towards another extinction level event, we have more insight than the dinosaurs who were the last victims back in the Cretaceous period but that counts for nothing as it would seem that those with the capacity for rationality are very much in the minority. I was thinking we could go underground but that's no good as that would lead to an era of Morlocks, the human race would devolve into, well into MAGAS!

SUNDAY ROAST

Is there a more personal preference meal than Sunday Roast?

One thing most can agree on is roast potatoes, who doesn’t love a crispy roasted spud replete with a fluffy interior? Mashed potato is a strange option if you ask me but, strangely, eats well

Roast beef is the default however for some Lamb or Chicken tickles the tastebuds, and there is also the controversial Pork belly that comes with crackling that can range from the crunchy to the chewy.

Vegetables can be a minefield, cabbage, and if so what type of cabbage. Carrots, how do you like yours? orange wheels or orange strips. Broccoli and cauliflower can split the room, so similar but more cousins than siblings.

Swede mashed, and Parsnips roasted can result in noses being turned up and the question of peas, beans (runner or Green), Sugar snap and sprouts is a controversial one and is hard to call. And what about stuffing? Packet or homemade, sage & onion or sausage meat.

Gravy, ah gravy, this can be a deal breaker. I think we’ve gone beyond Bisto and many a TV chef has published a guide to making your own delicious sauce.

Condiments. Now condiments are possibly the most problematic choice when setting the table. Mustard, French, English or German? Mint sauce, Apple sauce, Bread sauce, Cranberry sauce, the choices are endless but surely Tomato Ketchup is a bridge too far.

Oh, I nearly forgot about Yorkshire Puddings, these are generally Aunt Bessie sized light and fluffy or the size of Devil’s Tower in Wyoming as featured in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, and crispy with a soft base.

“Would you like Red cabbage or Cauliflower cheese on the side” No, not for me thanks.

Let’s talk about plates or rather let’s talk about plate substitutes. Wooden boards, pieces of slate, terracotta slabs have all joined the party and I say “no, nay, never” Sunday roast should be served on a round plate, end of. 

The context of Sunday roast, for me, is the pub, the pub and a Sunday roast go together like Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel, they go hand in hand like Morecambe and Wise, like Bill and Ben.

I’ll not go on about dessert as in reality there should be a strict choice of a good crumble, sticky toffee pudding and something with chocolate. Keep it simple

Last weekend I had the delightful experience of a Sunday roast at the Three Horseshoes in Bruton with the family, a country pub that could be the template for the rather posh country pub. Good service, lovely ambience and quaffable ale. This is what got me thinking about this great British tradition.

The pub on a Sunday afternoon, preferably with a roaring fire in the winter and a long walk completed beforehand, rounded off by a hearty Sunday roast is part of what has made this country great. Just add the tipple of your choice and ‘bliss’.

Bottom line is everyone has their own version of Sunday roast and a bespoke service would be the dream, but, in lieu of that a visit to your regular pub of choice or a walk on the wild side to a new recommendation is a great way to spend a Sunday 

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE BLONDE BOMBSHELL?

Blonde:Adjective-(of hair) fair or pale yellow.

Bombshell:Noun-Informal

a very attractive person (typically used of a woman).

The original blonde bombshell was the vivacious and funny Jean Harlow who tragically died at a young age, but she was the template for what was to follow. Marilyn Monroe is the most well-known and is still, to this day one of the most recognisable people of the twentieth century, she like Harlow died at an early age. Marilyn spawned numerous imitators (or tribute acts, depending on your point of view), principal among them were Mamie Van Doren and of course Jayne Mansfield (another to tragically die early).

In Britain we had Diana Dors (Diana Mary Fluck) who had her own imitator, Sabrina (Norma Ann Sykes) and although Diana had reasonable success across the pond she remained in England and was a stalwart of the 50’s 60’s and 70’s UK showbiz scene along with appearances in Horror and sex comedies. Sabrina’s success was short lived she had a career in British comedy films, often appearing as herself and faded away from the public eye in the 70’s, going on to live to the ripe old age of 80.

But what really happened to the blonde bombshell?

Debbie Harry captured the imagination when she emerged as lead singer of Blondie in the early 70s New York music scene and in the public perception of the blonde bombshell Madonna, Anna Nicole Smith and Pamela Anderson are probably the last examples of the blonde bombshell.

The peak bombshell years were between the thirties and the beginning of the sixties, where they were prevalent as film studios got on the band wagon and bought out the hair dye for a number of starlets. 

There were of course disruptors, dark and sultry Rita Haywoth, Ava Gardner and of course Elizabeth Taylor but blondes, as the film title suggested, had more fun.

Diversity may have had a hand in their demise and of course that’s a welcome sign of changing times, and the emergence of Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and European cinema in general in the sixties, changed the landscape of what was considered beautiful. The European blondes of the sixties had very different persona’s and seemed to exhibit interesting, deeper personas. Bridgette Bardot, Catherine Deneuve and Juie Christie were the templates for the new Blonde, even the Americans in the form of Jane Fonda and Gena Rowlands embraced the new identity of the movie star blonde.

Today one of the last of the classic blonde bombshells has reinvented herself. Producing an excellent acting performance in The Last Showgirl, a far cry from her most famous film Barb Wire, and going "natural". Her appearance has been the subject of much scrutiny but what has been surprising and very much welcome, is the level of positivity directed towards her for eschewing the makeup and trappings associated with her previous identity. Pamela Anderson is a great example of just being yourself and owning it.She looks great and I look forward to more of her cinematic output.

The blonde bombshell is either a relic of another time when, more than ever, looks could take you a long way with the right set of circumstances or it simply evolved. The majority of those whose career was engineered around their blonde bombshell status were actually talented women and that has been somewhat lost in time. I guess trends in the business of beauty may change but what many of those women have showed is that talent will out.

ON THE DOUBLE

Double Trouble

The Great British double act, good, bad or indifferent is a peculiar entity. It goes back to the early days of music hall acts that transferred to radio and cinema and generally consists of a funny man and a straight man. It is a British invention and yes there have been American duos of note but the greatest double act of all time was 50% British. Here is a list of just some of the British comedy duos that have plied their trade on our screens and radios. 

• Clapham And Dwyer
• Murray And Mooney
• Cisie And Ada
• Flanagan And Allen
• Charters And Caldicott
• Cook And Moore 
• Morecombe And Wise
• Cannon And Ball
• Little And Large
• Hale And Pace
• Hinge And Brackett
• Smith And Jones
• French And Saunders
• Harry And Paul 
• Newman And Baddiel
• Lee And Herring
• Punt And Dennis
• Mel And Sue
• Trevor And Simon
• Reeves And Mortimer 
• Adam And Joe
• Mitchel And Web
• Pegg And Frost
• Horn And Corden

For many they could not survive when choosing to go it alone. For some a shot at the big time on the big screen ended in abject failure (Horne and Corden's excruciating Lesbian Vampire Killers) or tepid reception (Cannon And Ball's The Boys In Blue). The great Morecambe and Wise tried their hand at big screen outings that, while not great by any stretch of the imagination, had a certain charm. The Intelligence Men (1965), That Riviera Touch (1966), and The Magnificent Two (1967) saw the eponymous duo cast as secret agent types out of their depth and getting into scrapes.

An exception to the rule would have to be Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, their excursions into feature films were, by and large, very good. Bedazzled is an excellent comedy that focusses on the risk of temptation, in the form of Peter Cook's Satan, The Hound of The Baskerville saw them on good form and supporting parts in Monte Carlo Or Bust and The wrong Box suited their dark humour.

The great British double act has fallen upon fallow times recently. Whether that is due to public indifference or it being a dying art is unclear. What is clear is that this bastion of UK showbiz, at it's best was warm and welcoming. The duos playing out their own personal dynamic in full view.

Perhaps the last great example is Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Their 'Cornetto" trilogy is terrific and their relationship is key in each instalment. Much like Mitchell And Webb's Mark and Jeremy in Peep Show, theirs is a love/hate relationship with the emphasis on a fatal attraction.

So here's to the great British Double act and it's re-emergence from it's cocoon via Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett who embody the double act dynamic that we grew accustomed to. Maybe there will be a renaissance.