Review – The 32nd Festival Of Fantastic Films – 28th To 30th October 2022 – The Pendulum Hotel, Manchester.

A Day By Day Look At My Festival Adventures And Viewings

Thursday 27th October 2022 – Arrival And Exploring Manchester 

Though I have attended the annual Festival Of Fantastic Films a few times in the past, I never stayed overnight at the Pendulum before as I was living in Manchester and able to commute in and out on public transport. Now I live in Preston staying over was essential. 

The Pendulum Hotel – Manchester

With the covid restrictions and my long disabling struggle with bowel cancer that is mercifully now in remission but leaves me sporting a stoma (it’s not just supermarkets that gave ‘bags for life’) getting out to anything has been a challenge for a while though I have managed to do my pub sign capturing photo walks and taken in a few Eastercons and made sporadic visits to Manchester where I have many friends and get to see my mum too. 

Sign logo for FAB Cafe, Manchester

I booked the festival some time in advance, and added an extra day to do some touring, drinking and social calls pre-festivities.  I was able to check into the hotel online before setting off. 

An uneventful train ride, a Metrolink tram trip to my Mum’s and back to the city centre ready for a mid-afternoon hotel check in saw me get to my 4th floor room by about 3.15pm. It was great to see the distinctive and hypnotically fascinating pendulum swinging like a silent metronome in the lobby. 

I headed out to see some local bars and take photos, including FAB Cafe, my old regular night out venue during my years in the city, and being a movie andTV theme bar it seemed all the more apt on the eve of a horror, SF and fantasy film fest. Everyone at FAB was lovely. 

I also called in The English Lounge, another great bar where they had a Halloween themed pub quiz in progress (I was just too late to participate) and it was a tough quiz, though a breeze compared to the questions to come in the festival’s closing night quiz. 

Post pub crawl I returned to The Pendulum where the Garden bar that would be the main R & R hang out over the weekend, closed surprisingly early.  I headed off up bed. 

Friday 28th October 2022 – More Exploring And Festival Day One 

The festival wasn’t starting until 4pm, so after an impressive buffet breakfast, I headed out to walk the city and get lots of photos before returning for festival registration, got my wristband and headed into the con bar. 

Now the day was to consist of convention-festival film screenings, talks and panel items, with a few surprises. Three films aired before the official opening ceremony where there was a very moving tribute to the late event runner behind the previous 31 of the 32  festivals, Gil Lane-Young,  a delightful man I met on my previous visits (I first learned of the festival through writer Charles Partington, who had been a lifelong pal of Gil’s along with Ramsey Campbell (the current festival president) and Harry Nadler).  

I will be reviewing the actual films and guest panels on separate pages. 

Book Cover – Nigel Kneale – Tomato Cain p promoted at the Festival.

Another tribute was made to the late great actress Elsa Lanchester, best known for her roles as Mary Shelley and the eponymous heroine of The Bride Of Frankenstein as her 120th birthday fell on the opening day of the festival and a cake was presented by M J Simpson in her honour (a very nice cake at that too, which was sadly sliced up before I got to photograph it). 

As I sometimes needed to slip out discreetly to check my stoma was behaving itself and be ready to change it if necessary, I made a point of sitting on the end of the front row of seats close to the door leading from the lecture halls used each day. Fortunately my equipment behaved itself so I had minimal disruption to my event viewings. 

The closing film of the night, Predator – The Quietus was introduced by Paul Flanagan who knew its now obscure late star, Cliff Twemlow, a British Chuck Norris action hero who by all accounts was a joy to know and work with,  limiting the budgets of his films but happily blowing over a £1,000 buying drinks for everyone in the bar afterwards.  Cliff was a pioneer in the use of video cinematography. 

The film finished after the bar had closed so off to bed it was again.  

Saturday 29th October 2022

No travels beyond the hotel today as the Festival events started at 10 am. I picked up a few books on the informal dealer and guest merchandice signing tables (there were no formal dealer arrangement this year) and settled down to enjoy the programme which included several guest of honour discussions (always with a lovely Q & A with the audience) and Ramsey Campbell ran the festival’s annual auction where many great books, DVD’s, posters and much other memorabilia changed hands often at great bidding levels.  

Again, events outran the bar opening times. 

Sunday 30th October 2022

The final day of programming, with many highlights including the launch of the reprint edition of Nigel (Quatermass, Stone Tapes) Kneale’s 1949 short story collection, Tomato Cain,  One story from the book, The Pond, in which frogs take ghastly revenge on a local taxidermist who has decimated their population was read out brilliantly for us.

The Pendulum Hotel beer garden, Manchester

An impressive panel discussion on the decline of attendance at British fantasy, horror and SF cinema attendance in the cinemas in the 1970’s was included too

At the closing ceremony, we saw a montage reprising the opening ceremony clips of Fantastic film clips set around cinema audiences, a chance to show our appreciation to the very hard working event organisers, and the awards were given to the winners of the Delta and Norman J Warren Awards. The overall winning entry, Heart Of Gold, was rescreened. 

Then it was off to a side room for the dead dog party and annual festival quiz which was very entertaining and diabolically hard. The team I was on had some very knowledgeable players including authors of film theory literature but we were trounced by the winners.  It was a very cheery finale to a truly fantastic and action packed weekend of events. 

Book Cover to my Watch THe Signs! Watch The Signs! book.

Monday 31st October 2022

A pretty straight forward end to the awesome weekend – last minute packing, breakfast, goodbyes to various folk I saw as they prepared their own departures, a train ride to Preston, bus ride home, unpacking, and catching up on the World I left behind for the weekend.

In Gratitude 

All that remains is to thank many people who made the end of October so very special. The hard working FFF committee who made this festival as exceptional as it was, the staff of The Pendulum hotel,  the quiz team folk who were OK with me joining in, my Mum, who it was great to see on one of my all too rare visits to my roots, the staff and managers of FAB Cafe, Manchester, who it was such a joy to see again. Everyone who treated me to ale and food over the weekend, especially Martin Unsworth.  Countless people I have undoubtedly forgotten to include here. Roll on 2023’s festival.  

Links – My Bowel Cancer Struggle And Recovery https://arthurchappell.wordpress.com/2022/05/26/me-bowel-cancer-and-stoma-wearing/

My First pub signs book publication details – https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/product/watch-the-signs-watch-the-signs/

All photos taken by me. 

Arthur Chappell 

Panellists And Guests Of Honour – The Festival Of Fantastic Films Reviews 2022 Manchester

Listed in order of event appearance. 

David McGillivray – Apt for a festival celebrating cinema gold to have a guest who has worked in every area of the industry, actor, director, script writer, and movie critic.  David McGillivray is primarily associated with the rise of the British sex movie industry, as it rose from nudist camp documentary titilation to actually storyboarded features. He is rather proud to have been labelled ‘The Truffaut of Smut’ by one critic.  His later horror output was much maligned, unfairly given that it includes The House Of Whipcord which I really liked. David carries an air of cheery irascible irreverence and a genuine and much deserved pride in his part in the landscape of the cinema industry. 

The Pendulum Hotel, Manchester

Frazer Diamond (Interviewed by Stephen Laws). Frazer was talking about two legendary stunt men, the first being his own father, Peter Diamond, who doubled for such luminaries as Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn and the second great stuntman being himself, having worked on the Star Wars films among much more. 

Much of his talk was about the challenging detective work involved in tracking down all the scenes his father did as much of his activity was not recorded or credited.  He also helped coordinate and choreograph other stuntmen when working on ensemble events.  It’s clear that Frazer takes much delight in his dad’s work and undoubtedly his own output would make his father very proud of him too.  

Judi Matheson – An actress with lots of appearances but rarely in leading roles though she seems happy to settle for steady work on the big screen (in several Hammer Horror features including Lust For A Vampire and Twins Of Evil) and on TV in episodes of Z-Cars, The Sweeney, Citizen Smith and Blakes Seven. She also appeared in Confessions Of A Window Cleaner.  She has a charming and honest approach to her work, and she has been a welcome guest at the FFF before too (and hopefully she’ll return in future as should hopefully everyone who was involved this time), 

Dani Thompson – It was very apt for Dani Thompson to appear right after Judy Matheson as they not only represent the golden age of British Fantastic film features and the new era respectively, they were clearly bonded and inseparable as convention friends and their camaraderie was infectious to anyone around them.  I expect if they film together the results will be phenomenal. 

The Bar – The Pendulum Hotel, Manchester

Beginning her career as a glamour model in the tabloids, Dani went on to appear in the lad mags of the 90’s but she is far from being a bimbo. Recognizing that she may not endure for long in the glamour industry Dani moved towards an acting career. She took the challenge seriously, attending and graduating from the The International School Of Screen Acting, going on to roles in a remake of Brighton Rock, and Alan Bleasedale’s GBH. Her spoof horror comedy musical role in Powertool Cheerleaders VS The Boyband Of The Screeching Dead (screened at the Festival) has warmed her to many hearts.  

Dean Kilbey and Marc Coleman – Lead actor and director of Manfish both joined the festival to discuss the amazing feature and auction off the main shellbox featured in some crucial scenes (it sold for £50).  Fun discovery – Marc had to double up as the Manfish creature in a few aquatic scenes when the main actor in the role (Matty Noble) wasn’t available. 

The bar seen from The Beer Garden – The Pendulum Hotel, Manchester

Jeremy Dyson – The member of The League Of Gentlemen writing and production team who rarely appeared on screen (though he sometimes did), He was at the festival to help celebrate its screening of  his very spooky Ghost Stories movie which I have seen. A very nice chap, happy to agree with my thought that Pauline, the job club rep in the League series and film was just as scary as the more surreal characters as she echoes real life experiences – Jeremy indicated that much of her script was simply noted verbatim from life. I can well believe it. 

Adam Neville  – A novelist who has had two of his finest horror tales, The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive adapted into films. He described his awe and amazement at the number of trucks and equipment vehicles were on the locations he got to visit during filming of his work. 

All the guests were brilliant, and each was presented with a Maria statue (based on the robot in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis), as not only a thanks for attending the festival but in appreciation for the joys their achievements have brought to so many. 

All photos taken by me.

Arthur Chappell 

Novacon Day Two – Saturday 13th November 2021 Part 2

Novacon 50 Science Fiction Convention Buxton, Derbyshire 

Where Are The Competent Adults? The next event I attended had a frightfully ironic title given how my morning had panned out.  My stoma crisis had run right through the Guest of honour Fanghorn (writer and illustrator) event I’d hoped to attend. 

Statue in the Palace Hotel Entrance Way – taken by me

This panel reasoned that with many heroes being seen as brave, resourceful, dependable children and youngsters in an unsympathetic or hostile adult world, were wise, responsible adult protagonists in decline? Heroes like Harry Potter, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Lyta (His Dark Materials), dominate the genre for many. Young Adult (YA) literature seems to take up much of the market, so much of the discussion and accompanying Q & A, explored this subject.  Heroes of an older age cited included Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant, though he was seen as somewhat incompetent, with his wild unbelieving stance often generating the destructive forces he would face in consequence later on in his struggles with Lord Foul (a manifestation of his own struggle with leprosy).  Other older heroes sprang to mind during and after this lively presentation; Batman, Judge Dredd, Dan McGriz (The Stainless Steel Rat), various Alfred Bester characters, etc. It seems the young do not have all the fun. 

Elsewhen Book launch – A great launch for many attending writers from this publisher, some of them promoting books who’s sales were stalled by the Covid shutdown.  Free wine was available for those attending this. 

Poetry Open Mic – Right after the launch, in the same Off Piste room, I took part in the poetry circle of readings by about a dozen great poets, and one chap who sang songs and recited monologues. It was a very warm, friendly event. 

Me performing poetry – not at Novacon

One of my own contributions was a poem written without using the Letter E (which reappears in the closing lines). By an amazing coincidence, another writer revealed that she had also penned a poem in which the same letter was not used, and performed it.  We each felt the other’s work was the best. 

There was an exclusive screening of the fan film, The Stooge, inspired by a short story by Guest of honour, Christopher Priest. The film had a prestigious cast including Roberto Picardo, (The holographic Doctor in Star Trek Voyager), and it was an exceptional, beautifully filmed piece of surrealism worthy of multiple viewings. The closing lounge song alone was amazing. 

Ian Sorensen plays are often a con highlight, usually involving deliberately awful puns and jokes about fans, fandom and conventions.  This event’s podcast styled play was themed as a parody of a series of works that are themselves humorous science fiction masterworks, The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy books of Douglas Adams.  

The four players (one only in virtual form as she was unable to attend), worked valianty with the material, but it was not among Sorensen’s best. Some gags just fell flat and at times it looked under-prepared.  Making Boris Johnson the antagonist made too many aware of a political world we were at the con to escape from, a gatecrasher in our apolitical weekend utopian oasis. 

The night ended in the bar, no surprises there, though the early finish saw me, like many attendees in bed way before pumpkin hour, after a day that had not been without its troubles to put it mildly. 

Arthur Chappell

Further Thoughts on No Time To Die

Further Thoughts on No Time To Die 

A follow up to my review of the James Bond Movie. Still avoiding the big plot spoilers but minor spoilers apply. 

1/. Security doors, vaults and panic rooms are always useless. 

Pub sign – The Footage (former cinema) Manchester – taken by Arthur Chappell

a/. Madeleine as a child tries to run to her house panic room when the masked killer approaches but finds she can’t get in. A panic room that can’t be accessed by the very people it is supposed to protect is a waste of space.

b/. The raid on the Heracles Virus production centre amounts to getting an insider to point a gun at an access code bearer (Hugh Dennis) to force him to let the invaders in and grab the goods. For all the brilliantly staged SAS commando style rappelling down the windows this is a simple heist manoeuvre. 

c/. Blofeld is in a closely watched sealed maximum security cell but somehow sends his bionic eye to his birthday party from there and enjoys the party for quite a while before the guests are slaughtered. How could no human or CCTV observer fail to see that Blofeld was up to something even if not knowing exactly what?  Coincidentally, henchman Primo also has a bionic eye. This year’s must have villain’s fashion accessory. 

Pub sign for a former cinema, Bury, Manchester – taken by Arthur Chappell

d/.  Safin gets Madeleine to get Bond to attack Blofeld in his cell despite all the security precautions. Given the delays in getting the film out to the screens this still comes as a chilling echo of the conspiracy concerns that certain ‘interested parties’ needed to silence Jeffrey Epstein despite him being on constant suicide watch in a maximum security prison. 

e/. Bond & the other raiders easily penetrate Safin’s maximum security base.  Bond does face problems in opening blast shielding ceiling hatches but he does it.  Bizarrely, Safin, bitten by Mathide, just lets her go, so a pre-teen moppet ends up with freedom to roam around a major villain’s lair, and once reunited unchallenged with her mum, and Bond’s allies, they all practically walk out of the place with no obstructions to their departure. It is one of the most anti-climatic events in any action movie. Bond’s whole motive for going to the island before the missiles are fired is to rescue Madeleine and Mathide, and they just stroll out to the boat when they feel like it, leaving Bond as the only one in jeopardy. 

Former cinema – now a pub, Macclesfield – taken by Arthur Chappell

2/. Safin and Children – Twice, Safin softens his cold hard heart for a child. He saves Madeleine from drowning under ice and later gives in to Mathide too.  We never really see kids in other Bond movies. Maybe instead of sending Bond after villains they just send in Little Orphan Annie and a cute puppy. A few bars of The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow and Blofeld, Goldfinger, Reynard, etc will just give up their ambitions on the spot and open a school. 

3/. Viruses – The film facing delays in releasing due to a deadly global pandemic is chillingly ironic in that its plot pitches Bond against a deadly potential global virus (albeit one made in a lab). 

4/. Why Has M not been arrested and fired?  M proves to be instrumental in creating the Heracles Virus, thinking it would never fall into enemy hands or be used unethically.  (well duh!). M refuses to talk about it even to his own team even when the Heracles raid exposes the problem. The only one who seems to give a damn about investigating the case directly for a quarter of the film is Felix Leiter.  M then causes a diplomatic Cold War revival conflict through his raid on an Island in Japanese-Russian territories.  

5/. More on that raid –  Safin’s base is on an island caught in a sovereignty dispute between Russia & Japan, just like the Falklands are caught in a tug of war between Britain and Argentina.  Both countries are obviously justifiably concerned when British warships head for the island. Quite how they failed to notice Safin moving there or all the naval / air transport needed in building his base there is unclear.   M hears that the Russians and Japanese are sending their own ships in to investigate, but decides his best move is to ignore them until Bond’s rescue mission and the assault are over.  Why not just tell them the truth? There’s a rogue dude using the island to attack the World. Can you help us evict him?  M & Bond could have effectively helped unify the potentially conflicting superpowers rather than alienating them further.   M orders the missiles launched and pretty well destroys the island.  That is not solving the problem. M would actually have just started World War Three. 

6/. The False Countdown – Safin is the most laid back of the World destroyers. He is not actually in any hurry. Drax & Stromberg both unleashed missiles and virus-spheres that had to be stopped urgently. Safin is just waiting for various buyers sailing in to pick up the virus as cargo. How the Russians & Japanese watching British warships fail to see or worry about these other mercenary vessels (none of which we see on screen) is unclear.  MI6 should be asking who these buyers are and how they had all the intelligence on the virus itself and the shipment plans that the Brits and US had missed.  MI6 and Bond behave like Safin has a deadline but he hasn’t and the virus is useless until the countries buying it programme it as to who to attack with it. The warning that it could be set to take down anything from families to whole racial groups makes for worrying concerns that some government labs might well be willing to develop such bioweaponry. 

Youtube – The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow – from Annie – MI6’s new secret weapon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PtdpI-D6mM

Arthur Chappell