#Peter Crowther

[debutart]

Peter Crowther for a recent cover of The Telegraph Magazine.

[jhl1031973]

PS ARTBOOKS PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES PART 2

Horror Mike has had his second part of his look at PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES for about a month. I've been unable to promote it due to writing deadlines. If you're looking for both volumes of PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES which have introductions written by myself, they are still available at https://www.psartbooks.com/pcc-weird-mysteries.php for an economical price. Listings on eBay tend to be expensive for the books, but maybe you can find a bargain there, too.

Special thanks to Horror Mike for letting me ramble on via e-mail about my work on WEIRD MYSTERIES and for PS Artbooks. Extra special thanks to Peter and Nicky Crowther and all the PS Artbooks gang for giving me the opportunity to work on the WEIRD MYSTERIES essays. The greatest, most special thanks, dedication and love to my wife Laura. Without her inspiration and encouragement, none of this would be possible.

Until next Time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[anthromimicry]

peter crowther, armored heart | franz kafka, diaries | ernest hemingway, the garden of eden | chris mcgeown | 664, yag65 | morrissey, harukimuracallme | pat the bunny, i'm not a good person | fyodor dostoevsky, notes from underground

[celebrateeachnewday]

Artist Jane Crowther

My 2024 Booklist

Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson The Color Purple by Alice Walker Maskerade by Terry Pratchet (#18 of Discworld) The Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey The Rainbow Trail by Zane Grey The Great Gatzby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Coraline by Neil Gaiman The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman Always Running by Luis J. Rodriguez The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Murder Most Royal by Jean Plaidy A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall

[freakingoutthesquares]

Preaching From The Pulpit Words: Roy Wilkinson, Photographer: Karl Lang Taken from Sounds, 27 June 1987 Transcript: Acrylic Afternoons

Sheffield popsters Pulp are creating a haunting music which is virtually without peer in the Britain of 1987. We meet them on the eve of the release of their new LP 'Freaks'.

The album's called 'Freaks', for as the opening line proclaims, "Nature sometimes makes mistakes". There they are over there, and if you must avert your eyes, don't cover your ears because Pulp have a qualification for you. "These freaks we're talking about, they're just normal people gone a bit wrong. It's sad but don't bother crying: they still eat and drink and watch TV just like anyone else. And they smoke."

The freaks who populate this record's "ten stories about power, claustrophobia, suffocation and holding hands" are resolutely ordinary, characters you're far more likely to see through the front room windows than down at the fairground. In fact, far from being Pulp fictions, these blighted souls are very real: a lot of them play in the band, and if that sounds funny then that's alright, because Pulp are comic band. I know this because their singer and lyricist Jarvis Cocker told me: "A lot of our songs deal with fairly mundane things which are a bit over dramatised - it's a bit like a comic."

As well as being a bit like a comic, Pulp are a bit like a mixture of slapstick comedy and some understated macabre novels. I know this because I read it in a magazine. Then again, you should never believe what you read and in the light of Jarvis' claim that his namesake Joe once installed a gas fire at his house, it's difficult to know whether to believe him. The one thing you can safely say about Pulp is that they are out on a limb, one that may or may not be reconnected to a body with seven more and two heads.

Pulp are a Sheffield band and 'Freaks' is their second album, following 1983's long forgotten 'It' and a handful of singles, and houses their current 45, 'Master Of The Universe'. Pulp's core of Cocker and violinist/guitarist Russell Senior are creating a haunting music which is virtually without peer in the Britain of 1987, their nearest relatives being The Band Of Holy Joy. The similarities come with the way both have fostered a host of neglected styles (waltzes to crooning balladry), transmuted mundanity into a grotesque, projected an overriding mood of melancholy and drawn on a wealth of literary references.

Pulp have been compared to anything from Brecht to author Ian McEwan to Mills & Boon. Along with books they've been juxtaposed with buffoons, a pre-AIDS epidemic of jesters that includes Leslie Crowther, Peter Glaze and Charles Hawtrey. It's a curse the band have mixed feelings about. Jarvis: "All those references make us seem a bit contrived when hopefully it's quite raw, getting at emotional nerve endings. It's not as if we go, 'let's do a song about the latest novel we've read'. I don't mind people comparing us to Ian McEwan because I like his stuff (psycho sex dramas) but when someone says Charles Hawtrey (Carry On's bespectacled, ineffectual butt), you don't think 'cheers pal!'." Russell: "In Sheffield we get more 16-year-old kids at our concerts than we do post graduates in Cabaret Voltaire studies."

Pulp songs are direct, stripping emotions down to a naked unsightliness and then coating them with a pervading sense of gloom. "I've never been a very carefree adolescent," says Jarvis. "I wouldn't go out with me if I were you. All those types of songs are basically about one girl who I went out with and unfortunately it went from being quite an innocent thing to being a very traumatic thing without either of us knowing why. The freaks thing is like getting divorced from the rest of the world through something like that relationship. The other reason we called it 'Freaks' was because we always get called freaks, the escape party from One Flew Over A Cuckoo's Nest, stuff like that. When we play live, everybody dwells on the fact that I'm thin with specs, he (Russell) looks like Count Dracula, Candida (keyboards) although she's 23 looks 14, while Pete (Bass) looks like a football hooligan. We were always getting called freaks so we thought let's call the LP 'Freaks' just to... put two fingers up."

As far as Jarvis is concerned he's not an eccentric. Throughout our conversation he maintained a slightly resigned blank faced jocularity but keeps his speech prosaically direct, miles away from the contrivance that Pulp's press might lead you to expect of this 23-year-old with his long limbs and disgusting brown crimplene 'slacks' which terminate six inches short of his ankles: as does Russell, a slight man of 26 with a ghastly pallor and a down at heel clerkish air.

Nonetheless this pair's conversation does dispel a lot of Pulpish preconceptions. It does, that is, until you ask them what they do in their spare time. It seems that this pair have a sideline which is Dickensian enough to fit in with their public image. Get down on that Davenport for these two Arthur Negus' of rock are heavily into... antiques. "Antiques Roadshow is our favourite programme," says Russell. "Our ambition is to see one of our records on there. If you want any 50's art deco then Jarvis is your man. I like Italian 17th century paintings but I haven't been able to get hold of anything yet. That's what I'd eventually like to deal in because I like beautiful things. At the moment I can only afford ugly things."

Frustrated sensualists priced outside paradise, that's Pulp for you.

[kwebtv]

Act of Will  -   ITV  -  September 15, 1989 - October 6, 1989

Drama / Miniseries (4 episodes)

Running Time: 200 minutes total

Stars:

Victoria Tennant as Audra Crowther

Kevin McNally as Vincent Crowther

Peter Coyote as Miles Sutherland

Elizabeth Hurley as Christina Crowther

Lynsey Baxter as Jane Sedgewick

Serena Gordon as Gwen Thornton

Jean Marsh as Eliza Crowther

Melanie Jessop as Laurette Crowther

Sheila Allen as Lady Dulcie Sedgewick

Richard Bebb as Sir Ralph Sedgewick

Judy Parfitt as Alicia Drummond

Simon Merrick as Percival Drummond

Stuart Milligan as Alex Newman

Gillian Bevan as Millie Arnold

Rebecca Callard as Maggie Crowther

Julian Gartside as Jeffery Freemantle

Andrew Castell as Mike Leslie

Ewan Hooper as Alfred Crowther

Ken Jones as Dr. Stalkey

Sheila Ruskin as Candida Sutherland

Fiona Walker as Matron Lennox

Sarah Winman as Kyle Newman

Rachel Robertson as Audra Aged 14

Jo Gabb as Christina Aged

Louisa Janes as Christina Aged 10

[byneddiedingo]

Orson Welles and Alan Webb in Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles, 1965) Cast: Orson Welles, Keith Baxter, John Gielgud, Tony Beckley, Margaret Rutherford, Jeanne Moreau, Norman Rodway, Marina Vlady, Alan Webb, Walter Chiari, Michael Aldridge, Patrick Bedford, Beatrice Welles, Ralph Richardson (voice). Screenplay: Orson Welles, based on plays by William Shakespeare and the chronicles of Raphael Holinshed. Cinematography: Edmond Richard. Production design: Mariano Erdoiza. Film editing: Elena Jaumandreu, Frederick Muller, Peter Parasheles. Music: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino.  Costume design: Orson Welles Falstaff wasn't the role Orson Welles was born to play, it was the role he grew -- and grew -- into. He knew he wasn't the great actor he wanted to be: There are countless stories of Welles ducking out of rehearsing scenes in which he appeared, using stand-ins to avoid performing opposite actors he respected. According to Simon Callow's Orson Welles: One-Man Band, Jeanne Moreau recalled that she waited several days to play one of their scenes together in Chimes at Midnight, and when she asked Welles why he said that he had lost his makeup kit: "I can't do any scenes till it's found," he claimed. "We'll start with the reverse shots of you, the close-ups," a technique he often used in which someone else would feed his lines to the other actor, so that Welles could later do his side of the dialogue by himself. When Moreau found the makeup kit on the set, an assistant urged her not to tell Welles: "He has stage-fright. He hid it himself." It's likely, however, that once you've seen Chimes at Midnight, Welles's Falstaff is the image of Shakespeare's character that will always stick in your mind. Other actors have played him as reckless, destructive, self-deluding, foolish, slovenly, and even at heart malicious -- justifications for all of these interpretations and more are present in the text. Welles plays him as just one step ahead of everyone else, so that Prince Hal's final repudiation comes to Falstaff not as a surprise or a crushing blow, but rather as a fulfillment of something he has always suspected might happen. The close-up of Falstaff's face after Hal's dismissal reveals not so much shock or disappointment as a kind of hurt mixed with "I thought this might happen" and even a little pride at having played a role in Hal's evolution toward kingship. It's a tour de force of silent film acting on Welles's part: For once he's not relying on the familiar resonances of his voice. The film itself was a famous commercial disaster, abetted by hostile critics such as the always unreliable Bosley Crowther of the New York Times, who scared away many potential distributors. It was caught up in a squabble over rights that kept it from being shown theatrically in Welles's lifetime, and it came into its own after it was restored for video release, which is still the only way most of us have seen it. It's also probably the most successful interpretation of Shakespeare for the screen because Welles was not bound by slavish devotion to the source: He picked and chose lines and scenes from at least three Shakespeare plays (Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V) and arranged them in ways that suited the screen more than the stage. The Battle of Shrewsbury scene is a masterpiece of planning and editing, still endlessly imitated. But the film is also full of grand performances, including Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly, whose account of Falstaff's death is both funny and heartbreaking, and Keith Baxter as a lively but rather sinister Hal. Welles also showcases John Gielgud better than any filmmaker ever did, allowing him to deliver Henry IV's "uneasy lies the head" monologue in his richly poetic manner, even though the performance is somewhat at odds with the more naturalistic ones of the film's other actors. (It's telling, perhaps, that both Welles and Baxter briefly parody Gielgud's delivery when they come to their mock father-son scene.)

[vatt-world]

hi

Julia Alvarez Tahereh Mafi Diana Abu-Jaber Yasmin Crowther: Jenny Lawson ohn Kennedy Tool Dave Barry: Terry Pratchett Stephen Fry Spike Milligan Bill Bryson Maeve Higgins Christopher Moore Sloane Crosley "I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual" by Luvvie Ajayi: "Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations" Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess): Augusten Burroughs: "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood" P.G. Wodehouse Jonas Jonasson ( Amy Tan My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell: Born Confused" by Tanuja Desai Hidier "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation" by Lynne Truss: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" by Marina Lewycka: Jhumpa Lahiri: How to Be Black" by Baratunde Thurston Nora Ephron Erich Kästner

"The Tent, The Bucket and Me" by Emma Kennedy: Emma Kennedy's memoir offers a hilarious account of her family's disastrous camping trips in 1970s Britain, filled with mishaps, misadventures, and laugh-out-loud moments.

"Notes from a Small Island" by Bill Bryson: Bill Bryson's memoir recounts his journey through Britain, offering humorous observations on its quirks, customs, and idiosyncrasies as an American expatriate.

"Bridget Jones's Diary" by Helen Fielding: While technically a novel, Bridget Jones's diary-style memoir offers a humorous and relatable look at the life of a single woman in London, navigating relationships, career, and the quest for self-improvement.

"Don't Point That Thing at Me" by Kyril Bonfiglioli: This darkly humorous novel follows the exploits of Charlie Mortdecai, a charmingly roguish art dealer, as he gets embroiled in a series of absurd and comical misadventures.

"A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle: Peter Mayle's memoir chronicles his experiences living in the South of France, offering humorous anecdotes and charming insights into the joys and challenges of adapting to life in a new culture.

"The Great Railway Bazaar" by Paul Theroux: Paul Theroux's travel memoir offers a humorous and insightful account of his journey by train through Asia, capturing the sights, sounds, and eccentric characters he encounters along the way.

"The Outback House" by Leonie Norrington: This memoir follows Leonie Norrington's family as they leave city life behind to live in the Australian outback, offering humorous and heartwarming tales of their adventures and misadventures in the bush.

"Out of Africa" by Isak Dinesen: Isak Dinesen's memoir offers a lyrical and humorous account of her experiences living on a coffee plantation in colonial Kenya, capturing the beauty, romance, and challenges of life in Africa.

"Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China" by Rachel DeWoskin: Rachel DeWoskin's memoir offers a humorous and candid look at her experiences as a young American woman living and working in Beijing, navigating cultural differences, romance, and the complexities of modern China.

"Cider with Rosie" by Laurie Lee: Laurie Lee's memoir offers a humorous and nostalgic look at his childhood in a small English village, capturing the innocence, wonder, and mischief of youth in rural Britain. François Rabelais Azar Nafisi: Marjane Satrapi

[vtgbooks]

Vintage PETER CROWTHER Escardy Gap Vintage HORROR Fantasy Vintage Steampunk 1998

[fuzzysparrow]

Which British TV talent show featured the line: "Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be..."?

'Stars In Their Eyes' was a talent show that first aired in 1990. It was initially hosted by Leslie Crowther followed by Russ Abbott, Matthew Kelly, Cat Deeley and Harry Hill. Contestants would first appear as themselves then return dressed to perform as their chosen singer.

During Kelly's period as host (1993-2004), before contestants got changed into their outfits, they announced "Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be..." before walking through a set of sliding doors. Due to careful filming and prerecordings, it appeared as though the contestant disappeared and reappeared in a matter of seconds. Only the grand finals were broadcast live, during which the public could vote for their favourite singer.

Champions of the show include Maxine Barrie as Shirley Brassey (1990), Faye Dempsey as Olivia Newton-John (1997), Stewart Duff as Elvis Presley (2002) and Peter Sarsfield as Frankie Valli (2015).

Matthew Kelly (born 1950) is an English actor and presenter who came to prominence as a television presenter of entertainment shows such as 'Game for a Laugh' and 'You Bet!'. In the 2000s, he returned to acting, appearing in several theatre productions, while also acting in some television roles.

[fettesans]

Top, photograph by Yara Nardi, Pope Francis presides over a moment of prayer on the sagrato of St Peters Basilica, March 27, 2020. Via. Bottom, screen capture from Final Fantasy VII Remake, showing the gettyimages watermarked painting by John Crowther, Ludgate Circus, London, 1881, posted on Twitter by SchrodingersBBSeal, December 13, 2022.

--

Gluttonously, I am waiting for God.

Arthur Rimbaud, from A Season in Hell, 1873. Via.

--

We fear another man’s existence the way we fear apparitions, and only very rarely, when people glimpse each other in the gloaming, do we say of them: They’re in love. No wonder lovers seek out a nighttime hour, the better to envision each other, an hour when ghosts are abroad. It is amusing that the most optimistic of all philosophers, Leibniz, could see only a world of discrete monads, of ontological solitudes, none of which has windows. If one tries to be more optimistic than the optimist and avow that souls have windows and the ability to open them, then those windows and that ability will turn out to be nailed shut and boarded up as in an abandoned house. People-monads, too, have a bad name: They are full of ghosts. The most frightening of these is man.

Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky, from Autobiography of a Corpse, 1925. Via.

[debutart]

CGI belt buckle designed by Peter Crowther, featured alongside a review of Kacey Musgraves’ latest album in Entertainment Weekly.

[jhl1031973]

PS ARTBOOKS PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES PART I

Horror Mike has been diuscussing the incredible pre-code Golden Age horror comics on his YouTube channel, inclusing some of the editions PS Artbooks has published. This week, he's put up the first part of his look at the PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES. The second part should be out sometime next week. For those who may not recall, the WEIRD MYSTERIES hardcovers consisted of two volumes that collected the entire 1952-1954 Stanley Morse WEIRD MYSTERIES comic series. I wrote the the introductions to both PS Artbooks volumes that reprinted every issue in handy hardcover editions. Special thanks to Horror Mike for letting me ramble on via e-mail about my work on WEIRD MYSTERIES and for PS Artbooks. Extra special thanks to Peter and Nicky Crowther and all the PS Artbooks gang for giving me the opportunity to work on the WEIRD MYSTERIES essays. The greatest, most special thanks, dedication and love to my wife Laura. Without her inspiration and encouragemnt, none of this would be possible.

Until next Time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

𝔏𝔢𝔰 𝔈𝔡𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔰

[bryndeavour]