*'ZINEWATCH* - CLARET | AN UNOFFICIAL HAMMER MAGAZINE #1 & #2

TITLE - CLARET | AN UNOFFICAL HAMMER MAGAZINE 

ISSUE NUMBERS - #1 & #2

76 PAGES 

PRICE - £7.50 each 

BOTH ISSUES AVAILABLE NOW FROM - https://claretzine.com/

"Claret" is a relative newcomer to the 'zine scene, and a welcome one, taking as its subject everyone's favourite '60s and '70s British horror movie studio, Hammer Films.

Tapping a nostalgic vein (you're welcome), everyone of a certain age can remember their first time watching a Hammer film, and there is a very good chance that it was late on a Saturday night with a dodged bedtime a distant memory. It is also likely that the film in question was one of the nine movies examined in issue 1 of Claret, namely a Dracula tale starring that legend of the screen, Christopher Lee. The nine Dracula/vampire films made by Hammer between 1958 and 1974 are assessed by writers who are clearly fans, and there are also supporting articles about various vampire myths and tropes. All articles are written with a healthy dose of irreverence as well as intelligence, and the failures as well as the successes of these movies are looked at equally. 

Issue 2, entitled "Devil Women" and with Ingrid Pitt herself in full Vampire Lovers mode, takes a welcome serious look at the ladies of Hammer who were very often the selling points of the movies, fair of face and heaving of bosom. But they weren't always the landlord's (played by Michael Ripper, natch) nubile daughter; they were often much deadlier than the male in surprisingly progressive films such as Countess Dracula, The Vampire Lovers, She and Twins of Evil. This issue has pieces by both male and female writers. 

Articles are generally about 3-4 pages long. To avoid copyright infringement and no doubt to keep costs down, the zines contain no photographs, relying instead on excellent original drawings of actors and scenes from the films. The glorious covers are an indication of the quality to expect. This accentuates the DIY aspect of zines and the publication is all the better for it. Each issue comes with a postcard and bookmark with artwork matching the covers, and there are also very funny fake ads at the back of the magazine. An open invitation for submissions for issue 3 informs the reader that the subject next time will be Hammer's mad scientists, and their often unsuccessful experiments. The issues are perfect bound and display the same high production values of many zines that are currently available; if you read publications like "Black Dog" and "Hellborezine" you'll know what to expect from the size and quality of "Claret". 

This is a fanzine made with skill, by fans who know and love the subject. Meticulously researched, honest and unbiased, "Claret" is highly recommended for Hammer fans (that's basically everybody) and deserves support. 

*'ZINEWATCH* - BEDABBLED! #6

TITLE - BEDABBLED! #6

EDITED BY - MARTIN JONES 

57 PAGES

AVAILABLE NOW FROM AMAZON 

Bedabbled! is an independent movie ‘zine examining British horror and cult cinema; right up my alley. The magazine is slim, but never mind that, feel the quality.

Each issue has an overarching theme with issue #6, subtitled “The Room Inside Your Head”, being a study of “inner spaces”, both physical and mental. The first article is a deep-dive into the themes of decadence and duplicity in the films “Performance” and “The Servant” by Rik Rawling. The piece is thought-provoking and vivid, a dense and stimulating read in two parts that demands close attention.

Next up is a brief yet evocative piece on “The Innocents” by Martin Jones written in the style of the poetry of Emily Dickinson’s poetry - an analysis of the film through its images, as fragile and haunting as the movie itself. This article has made me look at one of my favourite films in a totally different way.

Sarah Morgan examines the 1967 curio “Our Mother’s House”, touching on general themes of children in films, usually either angels or little devils, and how the kids in this film are often both. Morgan provides a lot of interesting behind the scenes information and having seen the film a long time ago, this article has made me want to watch it again. Sarah Morgan also covers Hammer Films oddity “Demons of the Mind”. This is another excellent and well-researched article on a criminally underrated film.

“What Became of Jack and Jill?” is succinctly analysed by Adam Parker-Edmondston who makes a little-known movie sound like a must-watch; no mean feat. I’m back on familiar ground with Matthew Callingham’s fun piece on Amicus’ portmanteau classic “The House That Dripped Blood”. There are also a couple of supporting articles on “Twinky” and “Erotic Inferno”; not films I’m familiar with but it’s good that lesser-known films are being reappraised, and I am tempted to seek them out.

Overall, Bedabbled! is a very well-written and competently produced publication, with intelligent articles by writers who really know their subject. The issue’s evocative cover by Derek Gray sets the tone and features, I believe, a recreation of a scene from “The Innocents”, tying-in with the article, featuring a candle-bearing lady ascending a creepy staircase, who may even be Emily Dickinson herself. All the articles are thematically very closely linked which is a good thing, and the magazine is illustrated throughout with original stills, all monochrome, but of an acceptable quality and welcome in an unofficial publication. On the strength of this issue, I will keep buying Bedabbled! and I can happily recommend it to enthusiasts of British horror and cult films as one of the best ‘zines of its kind currently available.

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SUPPER'S READY | MORE THAN 50 YEARS OF GENESIS

TITLE - SUPPER'S READY | MORE THAN 50 YEARS OF GENESIS 

WRITTEN BY - PETE CHRISP 

PUBLISHED BY - SONA BOOKS 

PUBLICATION DATE - AVAILABLE NOW 

 

Pete Chrisp’s “Supper’s Ready - More Than 50 Years of Genesis” offers a fun and concise history of the “posh rock” band, from early years in search of a record deal to their stadium-filling heyday, through reunions and beyond to the present day with the “Last Domino” tour.

Chrisp admits in his introduction that it’s difficult to find a fan of all eras of Genesis - infamously, the post-Peter Gabriel years, when Phil Collins took over the microphone, tend to have a different kind of admirer than that of the early years. As a fan myself, I find much to like from all of their albums.

The book is unofficial yet it still has a wealth of archive photos and memorabilia such as concert tickets, gig posters, promo ads and tour programmes. The photos especially are excellent, though I don’t think there are any unseen shots. Chrisp charts the Genesis timeline concisely and clearly, admittedly without any shocking revelations, but it is well-researched, taking in the band members’ solo careers too. Chrisp expands on each studio album later in the book.

At the back of the book is a detailed discography of their studio, live and compilation albums, and an interesting list of Genesis’ albums from worst to best - sorry, “Calling All Stations” fans! (Their last studio album from 1997…hard to believe). There are also short biographies of everyone who’s ever been in Genesis; more than you’d think, culminating with Phil’s son, Nick, on drums.

A short but packed read, with a chapter or so devoted to each phase/album, it is large format and looks like an annual that is unusually good value for money - this book is much more than the sum of its parts. Sadly, a couple of mistakes have crept in, most likely printing errors, in the discography - the first track on the band’s first album “From Genesis To Revelation” is entitled “Where the Sour Turns to Sweet” not “Where the Sweet Turns to Sour” as stated in the book, and the tracklisting for “Wind & Wuthering”’s first side repeats the first side tracklisting of “A Trick of the Tail” from the previous page.

Pete Chrisp writes well and knowledgeably, with humour (there are several laugh-out-loud moments in his analysis of the studio albums) and welcome candour about the band’s less successful moments. Overall, “Supper’s Ready” is an enjoyable and accessible read that delivers a brisk overview of Genesis’ career, and is recommended. Long term Genesis-heads will know every fact and photo in these pages and probably deem it inessential; however, the book is colourful, attractive, and very well put together (errors aside) and should please a casual fan or someone just discovering the band.

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FORTRESS LONDON - WHY WE NEED TO SAVE THE COUNTRY FROM ITS CAPITAL

TITLE - FORTRESS LONDON | WHY WE NEED TO SAVE THE COUNTRY FROM ITS CAPITAL

WRITTEN BY - SAM BRIGHT

PUBLISHED BY - HARPER NORTH 

PUBLICATION DATE - 28TH APRIL 2022 

London is big, and getting bigger, and it’s influence on the rest of the U.K., Sam Bright argues, is detrimental, even malign. 

In the vivid preface to his excellent book, “Fortress London”, he describes England’s capitol city as a “towering, bulbous ant-hill”, home to virtually nine million people in the city itself and up to 14 million in the whole metropolitan area. London can be likened to a black hole that has sucked in politics, jobs, media attention, whose residents identify as Londoners before English or even British. To succeed in many modern careers, one is forced to go to London. 

He argues that London’s power needs to be curbed by encouraging Britain’s regions: the U.K. needs to be saved from its own capital. The focal point of a divided Britain, London is considered, mainly by those within it, to be a multicultural, progressive Mecca compared to the almost backward, xenophobic regions, made even worse by Brexit. Sam is fiercely proud of his Yorkshire roots and he admits this has coloured his writing and outlook, but that’s only to be expected. I know where he’s coming from, having had a similar background and upbringing: I like Sam as a narrator and guide. Bright examines his subject through the prism of the major talking points of our times - education, health, work, class divides etc to produce an accessible and powerful work for our times. 

Making use of statistics and interviews, there is much in the book that makes for sobering reading. I often found myself getting angry at the stark inequalities being laid bare, probably due to my background. In fact, how angry this book will make you will, I think, depend entirely on where and how you were born. 

Sam Bright writes with intelligence, erudition and occasional wit, producing the exact opposite of a dry, political diatribe. This is a very provocative book, very now: “Fortress London” is prescient, eye-opening (even eye-popping in parts) and vital, with a welcome strain of hopeful humour flowing through it.

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*'ZINEWATCH* - CINEMA OF THE '70s | ISSUE 5

TITLE - CINEMA OF THE '70s | ISSUE 5

EDITED BY - DAWN & JONATHON DABELL 

100 PAGES 

TWO VARIANT COVERS WITH IDENTICAL CONTENT, FEATURING OLIVER REED AND VANESSA REDGRAVE IN "THE DEVILS", ARE AVAILABLE NOW FROM AMAZON, ALONG WITH THE PREVIOUS FOUR ISSUES. 

Issue 5 of “Cinema of the “70s” is the first I’ve picked up and I’m very glad I took a punt. The magazine has a pleasing, DIY “zine” feel and is full of very intelligent and interesting articles, with highlights including an excellent piece on one of my favourite ‘70s films, the somewhat forgotten medical thriller “Coma” (in fact it was this article that prompted me to buy the mag), Ken Russell’s groundbreaking ‘70s output (including the brutal classic “The Devils”, the stars of which, Oliver Reed & Vanessa Redgrave, adorn this issue’s two full colour variant covers) and on the gritty and violent (even more so than the TV series) big-screen Sweeney films.

There are also several equally good articles on lesser-known ‘70s movies like “The Late Show”, “Punishment Park” and “Red Sun”. There is plenty of screenshots, publicity and original lobby cards even though it’s a small-scale publication. There is also some stunning original artwork depicting “The Devils”, caricatures and obituaries.

Definitely a labour of love, the magazine is perfect for film aficionados and fans of 1970s cinema. It’s not as glossy as a mainstream movie magazine, but it is honest, packed with content and very well put together; the writing team’s love of movies shines through to produce a varied, multi-genre celebration of a glorious and important decade in film. The quality of the writing means the magazine is more than the sum of its parts. Now I’m going to buy the rest of the issues!

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CARRY ON REGARDLESS

TITLE - CARRY ON REGARDLESS

WRITTEN BY - CAROLINE FROST 

PUBLISHED BY - WHITE OWL/PEN & SWORD BOOKS 

PUBLICATION DATE - 30TH APRIL 2022 
 

“I was once a weak man”. 

“Well, once a week’s enough for any man”. 

This and many other pearls of wisdom are to be found in the evergreen National Treasure that is the Carry On films. A phenomenally successful legend of British cinema, now a mainstay of Bank Holiday telly, no entendre was ever knowingly left undoubled by the likes of Sid James, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Williams. Many books have been written on them, but there’s always room for one more especially when they’re as good as Caroline Frost’s “Carry On Regardless”. (It takes its title from the fifth Carry On, which features Kenneth Williams taking a chimpanzee for a walk and attempting to hail a taxi only to be told by the driver -“I'll take you, but not your brother!”)

Frost takes a deep dive into the history of the Carry Ons from their genesis and early days in the late ‘50s, through its heyday in the ‘60s and it’s slow demise in the ‘70s, a decade which was certainly not the franchise’s golden age. She also examines the not-so-successful relaunch film “Carry On Columbus” and the many recent attempts to revive the series. Personally, I don’t think this should happen as a modern version could never match the sheer innocent fun of the originals. 

The Carry Ons rarely get any kind of serious appraisal as the general consensus has always been that they were and are very lightweight, offensive rubbish, guilty of every “ism” under the sun, that belongs in the unenlightened past and which have no place in the “woke” future. However, Caroline Frost discovers that the films were far more progressive than they are given credit for. 

There are many contemporary photographs and interviews with surviving cast members who offer a firsthand insight into what it was really like on the set of a Carry On. Part academic critique, part nostalgia-trip, this is a scholarly yet fun book, highly recommended.

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THE SAVOY AND OTHER STORIES

TITLE - THE SAVOY AND OTHER STORIES 

WRITTEN BY - STEPHEN MURPHY 

PUBLISHED BY - BLACKGATE MEDIA 

PUBLICATION DATE - AVAILABLE NOW 

Stephen Murphy’s “The Savoy and Other Stories” contains seventeen short adults-only stories, some only a little over a couple of pages in length, others longer. They are intriguing snapshots of the lives of people who go through profound changes, both good and bad.

None of the stories outstay their welcome and are just the right length to avoid becoming boring - Murphy has a good handle on how to construct a short, sharp (sort-of) shock. The tales are not really of any particular genre; there are various styles but some of the stories have a twist in the tale.

Characters in the stories often have dark thoughts, variously planning revenge or even murder, and there is a large amount of death and loss here, but usually the stories end on a hopeful, transformative, note. A second or third reread is recommended to wring every nuance of meaning out of these tales. There are funny stories too, including title story “The Savoy” about a quirky old cinema of the kind we all wish we could find.

Overall, “The Savoy and Other Stories” is a competent collection of character-driven stories that will take you through the gamut of emotions, and is highly recommended.

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BLOG TOUR - STRINGERS

TITLE - STRINGERS 

WRITTEN BY - CHRIS PANATIER 

PUBLISHED BY - ANGRY ROBOT BOOKS 

PUBLICATION DATE - 12TH APRIL 2022 

Page 20 of Chris Panatier’s “Stringers” contains this sentence - “She’d added muscle like a rutting brymlack on a torpgrub diet”. If that sentence appears perfectly normal to you, then you need to read this book.

I fear I may run out of adjectives to describe this extravagantly bonkers yet deeply profound book by the end of this review. The crazy plot involves Ben, an unwilling fount of amazing/pointless facts about natural science (and watches) which have appeared unbidden in his brain from an early age. Seeking out other sufferers on the Dark Web, he agrees to meet one of them who turns out to be an alien bounty hunter tasked with capturing Ben and others with the same gift, known as “stringers”. A galactic search for a devastating concept known only as The Chime ensues. Also, a stubborn jar of pickles plays a large part…

The supporting characters, especially the alien Naecia who has her own, more traditionally sci-fi narrative thread, are fully fleshed-out and individually interesting. Panatier juggles varied, exciting story strands which cleverly intersect whilst never dropping any of the narrative balls in what is quite an intricate and serious story, despite its humorous overtones. He takes a complex idea (people who can access the minds of dead people on the same “string” and their obscure and sometimes valuable knowledge) and creates a fun and accessible novel. “Stringers” is written very much in the same vein as Douglas Adams (there’s even a Babel Fish reference) or Jasper Fforde, the latter especially present in Panatier’s use of footnotes, which offer fascinating tidbits of Ben’s labyrinthine knowledge of the sex lives of bugs. The footnotes are actually highly relevant to the plot and shouldn’t be ignored.

This is not hard sci-fi, just a ridiculously fun romp with believable characters and a surprising amount of depth amidst the jokes. “Stringers” is incredibly easy to read and the plot moves at a satisfying pace that never becomes boring, with moments of great poignancy on the theme of friendship. Fresh and inventive, “Stringers” is naughty, sweary, heartbreaking and brilliant - with great big dollops of nerdiness, pop culture references and sexy alien tech. If you’ve ever argued about an episode of Blake’s 7 in a comic shop, “Stringers” is the book you need right now.

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LIFE & DEATH ON THE EASTERN FRONT | THE RARE COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR

TITLE - LIFE & DEATH ON THE EASTERN FRONT | THE RARE COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR 

WRITTEN BY - ANTHONY TUCKER-JONES & IAN STEWART SPRING 

PUBLISHED BY - PEN & SWORD BOOKS 

PUBLICATION DATE - AVAILABLE NOW 

Anthony Tucker-Jones and Ian Spring’s gorgeous book is a meticulously researched and arresting visual history of life on the Eastern Front of World War II, featuring an archive of colour photographs which provide an unprecedented insight into everyday wartime life.

The book begins with biographical detail of the various official (and unofficial) German and Russian photographers who took the photos at the time. Most of the photographs were taken using film made by the then up and coming manufacturer Agfa, which became widely popular both during and after the war. The shots have an honest, imperfect charm due to the limitations of the film.

Ian Spring’s stunning collection of over 30,000 colour photographs taken by Germans on the Eastern Front forms the backbone of this excellent book. The photos have a moving realism to them as they are naturally-posed records of the soldiers’ war experiences. Many of them are lighthearted with German soldiers posing and smiling for the camera, while others are incredibly poignant. There are even some shots of Hitler himself visiting the battlefield to the delight of the troops. Be warned that, as the book’s title suggests, there are scenes of death, both human and animal. 

The book is split into three parts, exploring the conflict on the ground, in the air and behind the lines. Anthony Tucker-Jones’ captions are full and detailed with a huge amount of technical information about armoured vehicles, fighter planes and weapons to satisfy the enthusiast. 

This is a beautifully produced book which is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of WWII at a human level.

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YOUNG ELIOT - FROM ST. LOUIS TO "THE WASTE LAND"

TITLE - YOUNG ELIOT - FROM ST. LOUIS TO "THE WASTE LAND"

WRITTEN BY - ROBERT CRAWFORD 

PUBLISHED BY - JONATHAN CAPE 

PUBLICATION DATE - AVAILABLE NOW

A reluctant biographee, many of his personal papers and letters were destroyed at his own request, however “Young Eliot” examines the poet’s formative years in much more detail than previous biographers have devoted to them. Drawing on hitherto untapped sources and documents, Robert Crawford has written a definitive and personal, though unofficial, biography which reveals the human being behind the legend.

A seemingly ordinary, slightly timid young man stares out from the dust-jacket. Referred to as “Tom” throughout the book,  Crawford paints an unvarnished portrait of a young man, brilliant but human. Young Tom would’ve often displayed the casual racism and sexism of the time, but Crawford doesn’t ignore Eliot’s failings in favour of a hagiography. Nor does he gloss over the bawdy poetry Eliot wrote at Harvard, an university he was nearly thrown out of for “loafing”, achieving lacklustre grades in the process.

As expected in a two-volume work, the biographical detail is intensive. Crawford begins right at the beginning, examining Eliot’s birth into quite a large family with several much older siblings, his school life and early forays into poetry. Each chapter of Eliot’s life is vividly detailed as Crawford skilfully charts his development as a poet up to and including the publication of “The Waste Land”. There is much in this work that even the most dedicated Eliot scholar will find surprising and new.

Two sections of revealing photographs are included, each snapshot loaded with meaning and poignancy, along with notes and an index. Scholarly, intelligent and accessible, “Young Eliot” is a joy to read and must surely be hailed as the beginning of a definitive biography of T. S. Eliot.