100 Film Reviews

Dario Argento's Inferno (1980) is forty years old and still seems fresh to me! So, I've written a retrospective review of what is one of my favourite horror films of all-time - which is only fitting to mark the 100th review I've penned for the online movie magazine, Frame Rated.

I can still clearly recall writing my first review for the (free to read) top-notch cinema and television review site... that was back in 2017 and it doesn't seem like nearly three years ago since I enjoyed a re-watch of John Woo's action movie game-changer, Face/Off (1997) ...fantastic fun watching Nicolas Cage and John Travolta trying to out-act each other!

I tend to write fairly in-depth, long-form reviews, usually around 2,000 words, though some are considerably longer... Which means they add up to over 200,000 words... That's equivalent to a few novel-length books! About three book's worth of writing in the time it's taken me to write... well, three books, as it happens!

(In case you didn't know - parts one, two and three of This are out now - scroll down previous posts ↓ to find out more and, during UK Schools Closure 2020, you can read part one as a Freebook on the Medium platform HERE.)

It's only when you look back on things as a writer, that you realise that every word set next to its neighbour to grow into a sentence that works with the next sentence to create mood, milieu or meaning, has almost alchemically combined to tell a story, to flow toward a conclusion, to build a body of work. Writing is certainly a kind of magic, a distillation of thoughts, memories and time...

So, perhaps, like me, you are in corona lockdown? Considering what movie to watch next? Have a scroll though my back-catalogue of film reviews at Frame Rated - there's a good range of classics, dating back to the 1920s, right up to current releases. If you love cinema, you may well enjoy them - I work quite hard at the research stage and endeavor to include info and observations you won't easily find elsewhere... Pretty much any genre you like will be at least touched upon - there are Westerns, Noir, War, Martial Arts, Mystery, Suspense, Action, Thriller, Comedy, Courtroom Drama, Historical Epic, Art-House, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror!

... and then, check-out all the other great film writing at Frame Rated... which celebrates its 5th online anniversary this year, in June.

...and here's my 100th review:

Since his directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), Dario Argento became known as a prominent proponent of the Italian giallo. Except for the historical satire, The Five Days (1973), his first five films and two television shorts all helped to define and consolidate this important new sub-genre. Their domestic box-office success earned him a degree of celebrity in his Italian homeland, where he also became known as a director who enjoyed challenging expectations and playing with established tropes—even those he’d established himself. But, it wasn’t until he broke away from giallo with his first full-blooded supernatural horror that he gained any substantial international traction.

On the strength of its Italian success, the US distribution rights for Suspiria (1977) were snapped-up by 20th Century Fox. They immediately ran into resistance from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), who refused it certification. It was unlike anything they’d seen before and the explicit, though artfully balletic, murder scenes were deemed gratuitously violent. Fox decided to distance themselves from it and resubmitted it through International Classics, their subsidiary company dealing with foreign and arthouse fare. After trimming eight-minutes of the more extreme gore, they were granted an R-rating and, although it wasn’t released until August, it ended up being Fox’s seventh highest-grossing release of 1977. Of course, their biggest movie that year was Star Wars!

...continue reading at Frame Rated


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Incidentally, my latest long-read article for Folklore Thursday also published this week and you can read that HERE :

THIS part 3 is OUT NOW - the fantastic adventures of Rietta and Carla continue!

This month This, part three is published by The Red Sparrow Press. 
You can catch up with parts one and two in this previous post HERE...

This That and the Other is imaginative fantasy, on an epic scale. The story follows the special friendship between two girls who embark on a magical adventure together, across the three realms. It is a modern fable inspired by fairy tales and folklore, in the tradition of children's classics like The Neverending Story, The Box of Delights, The Chronicles of Narnia… and suitable for all who love magical adventures.

This, the first three installments are now available from amazon, book shops and your local library

Here is the blurb from the back cover:

PART THREE : THIS CITADEL, WHEREIN THE ELFYN ROYAL RESIDE

The Elfyn Citadel is a place of magics and mysteries that Rietta and Carla are eager to explore.

The handsome young Prince takes a special interest in them as they begin to unlock their own magical powers using talismans, spells, wands and ancient books of stone that they alone can open. It all seems so much like a fairy tale, until the terrifying King of Bones pays a visit and the girls are coerced into hunting a unicorn.

As the Mumblebone menace grows, they discover that everyone seems to hide a secret. It becomes increasingly hard to tell friend from foe and soon the girls realise they are in far greater danger than they ever imagined.

You can preview and purchase This part three on amazon HERE
...also available as an e-book and free on Kindle Unlimited HERE

Part four is set to follow later this year and is expected to be released in both e-book and tree-book formats - watch this space... and if it is not too much to ask, do help to spread the word - you can tweet @RedSparrowPress and let them know that you enjoyed the books, and you could post a little review on amazon or on GoodReads. A really BIG "thank you" to those who have already done that! Those reviews really do help small indie publishers like The Red Sparrow and their authors, like me!

All the very best for 2020 !

UPDATE

This (part 3) is now available 

HERE - as an e-book

and as a paperback - HERE

2019 That Was...

...so, looking back on the year, it seemed a bit 'front-loaded', starting off with three major creative projects: YMYL-2-EDGE was already underway and bridged nicely from 2018 into 2019 with my mentoring of nine artist-makers as they innovated their practice by exploring cutting-edge tech at Pontio's fabLAB in Bangor, culminating in the exhibition and associated programme of events - you can remind yourself of all that entailed HERE...

Then there was the Lead Creative Schools Project at Rhos Street School, in Ruthin, which I helped to facilitate, mostly 'behind-the-scenes' this time as the Arts Council of Wales Creative Agent. I think it went really well and developed naturally from initial concept to final outcomes with the pupil group really taking ownership and steering it all to success with the expert guidance of our Creative Practitioner, Elfin Bow - if you want to see what I consider to be a great example of Creative Learning through the Arts watch the short video below, and if you want to know more about what the Lead Creative Schools initiative is achieving, then you can read all about it HERE...

Around the same time, I was also taking part in a major 'artists takeover' at Plas Bodfa (more on that HERE) and producing work for my solo exhibition INTER⁁VERBA as part of the BBC Get Creative Festival and incorporating a Pop-Up Museum with Storiel at Blaenau Ffestiniog Library and Oriel Maenofferen Gallery. Some of the work premiered as part of that exhibition is now featured in the selected archive of Art Projects HERE, or click on the thumbnails below for some examples...

 

The Red Sparrow Press published the first two parts of THIS in paperback and then the latter portions of the year were mostly consumed by writing and restructuring the 'final' installments (see top of this post). Illustrations for THIS were featured in the exhibition 'Folklore and Fairy Tales of North Wales' at Oriel Ty Meirion (see previous post HERE) and the books were a focus of several creative workshops and storytelling appearances at the wonderful RSPB Conwy... where there were badges!

...and talking of badges - I was chuffed to be recognised with a 'Top Writer in Art' virtual 'badge' for my work editing, and writing for, The Signifier, an arts publication for the Medium platform - you can check that out HERE 

Wales and its Fairy-tales at Oriel Ty Meirion

A selection of prints featuring my illustrations for This, That and The Other are currently on show in a mixed exhibition at Oriel Ty Meirion Gallery, Dyffryn Ardudwy, one of the most exciting small galleries in Wales. The show, which runs until 5 January 2020, has the theme of 'Folklore and Fairy Tales of North Wales'.

[Check gallery website for opening times and to plan your visit.]

Folklore and Fairy Tales of North Wales at Oriel Ty Meirion Gallery
a magical, mixed selection of superior quality art including prints and paperbacks by Remy Dean
...that lovely ceramic starling in the middle is by local potter, Jane Williams

My prints are a signed and numbered edition and you can also browse and purchase paperbacks of my current epic fairy-tale fantasy, This Part 1 and This Part 2, as well as my spooky short horror novel, Final Bough, a contemporary tale of the supernatural with a traditional twist, set against the legend-rich landscape of Snowdonia and inspired by local folklore.

You can read some of my relevant articles online at Folklore Thursday HERE

Folklore Talk, Storytelling and Book Signing Event

Oriel Ty Meirion, 21 November 2019

free event, but booking required

Event Programme

1. THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER - an introduction to the Folklore of the Three Realms 

"A lot of folklore is concerned with other realms. Worlds that exist apart, yet overlap or interact to varying degrees. It is this aspect that aligns many features of myth, folklore and religion around the terrestrial realm we all share… and the idea of the Three Realms has been repeatedly explored through stories, art, psychology, and now the existence of separate realities is widespread in scientific thought. Why does the belief in the Three Realms persist so prominently across multiple cultures spread far and wide, geographically and historically?"

2. THE FOUND HOUND - retelling a traditional Fairy-Story of Wales 

"How you care for any animal in need is one way the Fair Ones of Wales judge you & decide whether to bestow epic curses or life changing luck.

3. CHATS and BOOK SIGNINGS

Red Sparrow Writers : LIVE

I will be storytelling, chatting and hosting creative workshops at THIS live all-day event, alongside Zel Cariad, co-creator of This, That and the Other, and with fellow writer Kim Vertue, author of Welcome to the Dragon Café, which was illustrated by Zel!

Please note that the morning events and exhibition of fantasy illustrations are open to all visitors to the reserve (free for members) and the afternoon storytelling sessions and illustration workshops are ticketed events with limited places, so please book directly with RSPB Conwy

via e-mail : conwy@rspb.org.uk

by telephone : 01492 581025

event details at RSPB Conwy 

All of your ticket price goes directly to support the RSPB and the beautiful, essential RSPB Conwy Reserve!


🠔
click on flyer to enlarge


visit The Red Sparrow Press for info and updates

THIS parts 1 and 2 OUT NOW in Paperback

This week saw two new paperback editions of This, parts one and two, published by The Red Sparrow Press. This comes after much anticipation and slowly building sales of the exclusive e-books on Amazon. So, thank you to all who have already purchased the first two parts of This for Kindle, or read them on Kindle Unlimited, for making This possible...

This, That and the Other Book One: THIS (Parts One and Two)
 by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad 

This That and the Other is imaginative fantasy, on an epic scale. The story follows the special friendship between two girls who embark on a magical adventure together, across the three realms. It is a modern fable inspired by fairy tales and folklore, in the tradition of children's classics like The Neverending Story, The Box of Delights, The Chronicles of Narnia… and suitable for all who love magical adventures.

Here are the blurbs from the back covers:

PART ONE : THAT REALM, WHEREIN WE HUME DO DWELL

It began a long time ago, but for Rietta, it really began when she met Carla, another very special and extraordinary person, and realised that they shared the same dreams. Or perhaps it all started when Rietta and Carla found the severely injured dog in the woods, becoming firm friends as they tried to nurse it back to health and happiness. Then there was the 'thing' that they glimpsed watching them from the shadows, and the mystery of the missing standing-stone… but when they find the key to another realm, well, then things really start happening!

You can preview and buy This part one on amazon HERE

+ + UPDATE + +  

 for duration of schools closure 2020 

This part one is presented as a freebook at Medium 

via this special link HERE

PART TWO : THIS REALM, WHEREIN MAGIC YET FLOWS

Rietta and Carla have stepped into another realm. Now they are lost in a wonderful world of natural beauty, magical wonder and very real peril. They find reluctant allies among the spirits of the great Greenwood, before setting out to find Dreamers Dell in the hope of fulfilling their promise to help the Fair Ones. Along the way, they meet a mechanician, with his amazing mechanical animals, and fall-in with a band of Elfyn warriors.

When they are introduced to a mysterious and sinister mumblebone, they soon realise that things are getting much more dangerous than they ever expected. Though, as the girls discover more of This extraordinary realm, they also discover that they, themselves, may be even more extraordinary.

You can preview and buy This part two on amazon HERE


Part three is set to follow later this year and is expected to be released in both e-book and tree-book formats - watch this space... and if it is not too much to ask, do help to spread the word - you can tweet @RedSparrowPress and let them know that you enjoyed the books, and you could post a little review on amazon or on GoodReads. Those reviews really do help small indie publishers like The Red Sparrow and their authors, like me! Another BIG thank you for that!

The Red Sparrow have also asked me to contribute to an official This, That and The Other blog where I will answer readers' questions and write the occasional 'behind-the-scenes' post about the inspiration behind the books and hopefully share some insights about the background to the characters and events in the story - which you can check-out HERE and watch it grow...

INTER⁁VERBA

EXHIBITION OPENS 24 APRIL until 7 JUNE 2019

check HERE for details of private view, workshops, artist's talk,

at Oriel Maenofferen Gallery, Llyfrgell Blaenau Ffestiniog Library

part of

find out more about 

GET CREATIVE 2019 at BBC ARTS

also taking part in this 'artists takeover' in the run-up to the solo exhibition:

click image for more info

at the same time, you can also see my work in the Stable Block Gallery at Plas Tan y Bwlch

and a couple of pieces in the Open Exhibition at Storiel, Bangor Museum 13 April - 15 June 2019

all the above is mentioned in this interview feature for the Cambrian News

which you can read as a PDF by clicking the thumbnail image below