The story behind Michael Palin and Terry Jones’ comedy classic ‘Ripping Yarns’
Poor Terry Jones, what a fucking dreadful way to go. Dementia–which sick fucker came up with that one? Death’s a right evil bastard. My old…
Television
Down the Rabbit Hole: Watch Jonathan Miller’s Swinging Sixties ‘Alice in Wonderland’
Jonathan Miller first considered the possibility of making a film of Lewis Carroll‘s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland during a party in the early 1960s. Miller…
When William S. Burroughs met Francis Bacon: Uncut
When William Burroughs met Francis Bacon a lot of tea was drunk, cigarettes smoked, a few secrets shared but very little was revealed about the…
An Exclusive introduction to Book of Shame: Acerbic rock for those ‘who’ve been through shit’
What are you gonna do when you’re on the back slice of life wondering where the fuck your dreams have all gone? Are you still…
Goofy 1980s ‘Video Aspirin’ technique might just give you a headache
In the 1980s, the widespread availability of VCR technology represented a palpable opportunity for some. Porno peddlers, schlock horror directors, and innovating game designers all…
Listen up liberal loonies: Right-wing talk show host Wally George’s 1984 novelty record
America doesn’t need another Wally George. He was host of the Hot Seat – a reality talk show that ran locally on Southern California cable…
Brother Theodore, one of David Letterman’s all-time most memorable guests, lectures us on ‘Foodism’
“My name, as you may have guessed, is Theodore. I come from a strange stock. The members of my family were mostly epileptics, vegetarians, stutterers,…
Why Iggy Pop’s guest role on ‘Miami Vice’ never aired
Mid-1983 through 1985 are considered Iggy Pop’s “quiet years,” but he was still active and looking for ways to challenge himself. Acting was one such…
‘Qaeda, Quality, Question, Quickly, Quickly, Quiet’: Learning the alphabet with George W. Bush
I remember watching George W. Bush deliver the State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, on the TV of a tiny barroom in…
A Classic Ghost Story for Christmas: ‘Whistle and I’ll Come to You’
The sole object of a ghost story, wrote M. R. James, is to inspire “a pleasing terror in the reader”. James was an academic and…