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Showing posts from March, 2021

Confessions of a sporadic serial writer

Writer’s Block is not something I’ve ever been familiar with. When other writers talked about it I felt rather ashamed I’d not experienced it. My Muse is rarely silent. In fact there are times I cannot shut her up. She is a very vocal mini-me. She’s accomplished at all the things I’m not – sings in tune, imitates a plethora of accents, understands a wide range of foreign languages and customs, fits in anywhere, anytime. What a talent she is. What I find most difficult - is voicing my thoughts in the company of strangers. I’m a silent social stutterer, if you will. Instead, I listen. I watch. I record. Yes. I’m one of those writers. The result is that for many years my Muse has provided a range of characters rabbiting away, demanding I scribble down their every word.   I’m rarely alone. A veritable inner ear city of Babel. This has meant that on a day to day basis, I rise early and write, without fail, for a minimum of 2 hours. This has never been a chore. Since I left full-time t...

101 Must See Films

Take 4: The Foreign Collection I’ve never been averse to a bit of subtitle. For those of you who shy away from it, you’re missing out on some seriously top drawer films. So to ease you into what can sometimes be a difficult adjustment, here are my top 10 foreign favourites. Amelie – quirky, romantic & humourous Romauld et Juliette – You’ll never think of yogurt & caramel in the same way again Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdow n – Gazpacho can be deadly Volver – a truly brilliant performance by Penelope Cruz The Lives of Others – cemented my belief that European cinema totally rocks Jean de Florette – Gerard Depardieu is brilliant Manon des Sources – the sequel to the above and equally mesmerising Delicatessen – fabulously funny Cinema Paradiso – just beautiful Whale Rider – made me want to visit New Zealand way before Peter Jackson did the LOR trilogy Vive la Cinema