Entertainment Business 
Three Bad Men John Ford, John Wayne, Ward Bond by Scott Allen Nollen(16)
Growing up all three of these men were an integral part of my childhood. Specifically John “Pappy” Ford in the cinemas and of course John Wayne ‘Duke’ and Ward Bond as well, but Mr Bond had the added distinction of being in my folks’ living rooms each week as Major Seth Adams, in Wagon Train…. Read More ›
Ray Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) RIP
I remember seeing Jason and the Argonauts on television when I was young. The stop motion monsters and effects scared the bejeezus out of me. Years later when I was older and (I thought) more sophisticated, Clash of the Titans didn’t scare me, but it impressed the hell out of me. It was after a… Read More ›
Once Bitten, Twice Shy: Coming Back
Natasha Harmer is making an independent short film, I think we all know that by now; especially if you’ve been reading my blog. The film is called Once Bitten, Twice Shy and I have the lead role. This event has excited me beyond all measure. The profession I had turned my back on not once,… Read More ›
Movie Jail “Relay Race” & I’ve got the Baton. Oh Yeah!
Apart from my regular self-tasking, I decided that I did not have nearly enough to do so I accepted the baton of the Movie Jail “Relay Race” from my good friend Tyson over at Head In A Vice. I’ve not done a “blog-a-thon” before so I leapt at the chance to participate in this one…. Read More ›
Booze, Bullets & Broads: Martini Required
I first heard about the Matt Helm films after my parents had gone to the cinema to see Murderer’s Row. I was very excited about the whole thing because Dean Martin was a Smith household favourite. I was crushed when my parents returned and told me that the film was a bit too risqué” for someone of… Read More ›
If Chins Could Kill! By Bruce Campbell
First published in 2001 and later in 2009 in the United Kingdom, If Chin’s Could Kill is Bruce’s story of his early life and his involvement with wunderkind Sam Raimi and co. Written an awful lot like his acting style (not sure if that is actually a good thing or not) the book is entertaining… Read More ›
The Oscar’s: Ego’s “R” Us
With all the usual hype and build-up to the 85th Oscar Academy Awards, I suddenly realised that, unlike the ceremonies that I watched growing up, I did not care at all about the upcoming event. I used to love the Oscar ceremony. The Academy Awards with all its pomp and circumstance kept me glued to the telly… Read More ›
Sidney Sheldon: the other side of me
If you didn’t grow up through the 60′s and 70′s you can be excused for not knowing who Sidney Sheldon is. I mention those two decades because it was through that time period when he had not one, not two, but three hit television programs that he wrote and in some cases produced. In case… Read More ›
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey (2011): A Feel Good Documentary
Directed by Constance Marks Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey shows us the journey that puppeteer Kevin Clash undertook to ‘becoming’ Elmo, one of the most popular muppets ever created. That this is a ‘feel-good’ film is beyond question. I felt myself grinning like an idiot throughout the entire film and at the end felt such a sense of accomplishment for… Read More ›
Phyllis Diller (1917 — 2012): They Don’t Make em Like that Anymore
This incredibly funny woman started life as a housewife who dreamed of doing comedy. I saw her on a repeat of Groucho Marx‘s You Bet Your Life show from the 1950′s. As a contestant. Groucho interviewed her and she told of her dream. They used to show that program a lot. Phyllis Diller worked a… Read More ›
