Tuesday, July 15, 2008

NOTE:

If everyone buys two copies of "Sci-Fi Now" and writes to the editor and tells him that you bought it solely to read my piece on Doctor Who monsters, then I might get some more work.

Yes, I do know the difference between a Silurian and a Slitheen.

18 comments:

  1. I will be sure to look for it the next time I am in Hastings. By the way, is that a Dalek in your study, or are you just glad to see me?

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  2. Andrew, one hears rumours that a film based on one of CS Lewis's "Narnia" books has been, or aat any rate, soon will have been, released. Have you heard anything about this?

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  3. I don't know about Andrew, bu I have heard nothing of that film. Because I have been living on Mars. In a cave. With my fingers in my ears. Going "BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH"

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  4. It is too true. Word has it that the CG is boringly good, and Aslan appears to be not God, but the boring sort of Deux ex machina. And Caspian is good-looking, but dull.

    There is hope. Reepicheep is said to be the best thing in the movie.

    Is this magazine of which you speak only available in the UK, Andrew?

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  5. If truly a new Narnia film were to appear, the most gracious stars would be assembled in its honour.

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  6. Surely you jest, I can’t really be the only one here who has actually seen this film. (Looks at box-office receipts) Well maybe I am.
    I must say, I was looking forward to Lipstick on my Scholar, Part 2: The Kiss…
    But I guess it was not meant to be.

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  7. I imagine that Sci-Fi Now turns up in American comic-shop type places; whether it finds it's way into Borders I couldn't say.

    (Probably not worth knocking yourself out to track it down: I'm just doing short DVD reviews and so far one longish background feature. Keeps me out of mischief, though; and Bristol's local arts listings magazine is sending me to review bits of local theater, which is fun.)

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  8. "For review of Prince Caspian, please see review of Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, reading "mouse" for "beaver" throughout."

    I will put some more stuff up when I get a round tuit. In my metaphysical pile is the rest of Season 4 of Doctor Who, a wind-up to the Sim series, and a piece on Doug Gresham's amusing comedy biography of Lewis. And a piece about satire and the the slitheen. And an overdue obituary of Bary Morse. And possibly something on lady bishops and the montanist heresy. And a hardboiled egg. Make that two hardboiled eggs.

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  9. Make that two hardboiled eggs.

    HONK!

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  10. "For review of Prince Caspian, please see review of Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, reading "mouse" for "beaver" throughout."

    Umm, no. Perhaps the TTT revue (which incidentally does not seem to be accessible at the moment) but substituting “gung ho attack on Miraz his castle” for “Aragorn falling off a cliff”, would just about do it.

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  11. Jere's what I wrote:

    To: aaron.asadi@imagine-publishing.co.uk

    Dear Sir,

    I recently purchased a copy of your magazine for the sole and express purpose of reading Andrew Rilstone's article on Dr. Who monsters. The man is a genius. His comparison / contrast of the Siluian and Slitheen was incisive and nuanced. A milestone in the genre. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to read the work of such a fine mind. I hope we will see much more of him in the future.

    Sincerely,

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  12. Yes, but... The "Aragorn takes a long ride" addition acccomplished nothing dramatically (other than to show more beautiful NZ scenery and bring back my fading memories of the very last cinematic cigarette advertisements of 1980 or thereabouts.) It had no basis in the text at all.

    Whereas the "attack on Miraz's castle" interposition extrapolates from both (a) a plot point idea that crossed The Lewis's own mind (he mentions that Reepicheep & co were all for storming M's C that very night, and implies this was a rash and silly idea), and (b) something that CSL did include (the sorty that Wimbleweather botched).

    So I'd put it more in the "This is how Tolkien would've written Boromir and Faramir rejoicing after the retaking of Osgiliath" basket than in the "wolves on the melting ice" category.

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  13. What I don't understand is why they're jumping about in the Narnia sequence like this. First book 2 and now book 4? How are people supposed to understand what's going on?

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  14. Quote Adam's Son: "We needed to make all the Edmund films quickly before Skandar grows a beard or something."

    I suppose Miss Popplewell and Master Mosley are now functus officio, and can be played by David Wenham and Amy Winehouse respectively, if need be, should Walden get up its courage to make The Last Battle (with Mississippi-accented Calormenes).

    (Hmmm.... "Mosle"y... WWII... Nazis bombing Britain... appeasement versus just war... Further proof that the whole cast were just archetypes invented by Second Temple priests around 2047 CE.)

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  15. But no, I am not joking at all.

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  16. Andrew you were much more entertaining when you had broader interests than Dr. Who.

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  17. I say what it occurs to me to say.

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