The Last Wave - Lobby Cards (1978)

Another odd film from childhood, discovered on late night TV.  There were a lot of good Australian films around at that time that made quite an impression.


Steve

Killer Crabs and School Kids (1980)

Night of the Crabs (1976)

 

Killer Crabs (1978)

 

The Origin of the Crabs (1979)

Crabs on the Rampage (1981)

 

Crabs' Moon (1984)

....and Crabs: The Human Sacrifice (1988) and Killer Crabs: The Return (2012) but the 1970's were over by 1985 so who cares about those two!

My introduction to the works of Guy N Smith was in the summer of 1980, when one of the first three books - I'm not sure which one - was passed around the boys dormitory of the residential outdoor education centre in Wales for five days of the summer holidays.  We were twelve at the time and overly keen to educate ourselves of the adult pleasures of sex and horror.  We didn't know that to begin with but when one of our number produced the lurid novel, "borrowed" from an older brother, the keenness with which we all demanded a read of certain pages, would have staggered our English teachers beyond belief.  Not being adverse to regular reading myself, I think I managed to read the whole thing, sexy bits and all, in one torch illuminated session.  Although, apart from the general memory of consuming the forbidden fruit and the "bloody stumps" of  hands being snipped off by giant pincers, I actually remember very little of the story itself.

I stumbled over the 3rd book in a charity shop a couple of days ago and at two quid for a near perfect copy, I snapped it up.  I found the 1st book, in similarly excellent condition, about a year before and for only half that price.  I'm going to read them over the next few months to see if and what memories they might shake free.  Could be interesting.  I might also have to invest in book 2

On reflection, that week away in North Wales turned out to be quite an education that I only came to recognised as such many years later.  I'll almost definitely write more about it here.  There were dead sheep discovered on the hillside.  A jukebox battle between Bowie and the theme from MASH, probably any number of ghosts lurking in the corridors and toilets and  kids being mean and horrible to each other almost every hour of the day.  Oh! and.I also proved that Déjà vu was a real thing, by blurting out the impending sequence of events just ahead of them actually happening.  Only my friend Mark heard me though so the rest of the world remains sceptical to this day.

But who cares what other people think!

Steve

Star Quest Roboworld (1979)

 

1979

1978                                            1981

Star Quest Roboworld was one of my first ever book purchases, chosen from the Bookworm book catalogue that they used to run through middle school. It's actually the second book in the series although I didn't know that at the time, I just fell in love with the cover and the promise of the story within. I seem to remember liking it a lot although I never did get round to reading the first or third books in the sequence. Pocket money was limited and I was in the early stages of putting together a collection of Doctor Who paperbacks which were far more captivating, even if the vast majority of them were also written by the prolific Terrance Dicks and published by Target Books.

Artwork, according to The Target Book by David J Howe is by either Jeff Cummins or Bill Donohoe although it doesn't clarify who did which ones.

 

I passed my first copy of Star Quest Roboworld on many years back, However I have since bought another copy, along with the rest of the trilogy.  Primarily I just want to own them again but I reckon they're a quick read so I might find the time to discover how it all started and where it all ends.

 

Steve

UFO books of the 70's

 1977                                                               1978

1976                                                             1976

SCI-FI NOW (1978) Part 1

As a kid, exploring the wealth of science fiction movies that were out there, this book became my bible.

I remember finding it in a branch of W H Smiths, in Hastings during a family holiday in 1978.  It cost £1.25, which seems very reasonable now although I remember a bit of a struggle negotiating its purchase with my elder sister who was temporarily my guardian while my parents were buying something somewhere else.  Despite wanting to spend my own holiday money, my sister wasn't prepared to sanction such a large purchase without my mother's approval and lead me out the store bookless and sulking.

A short time later, while walking back down the other side of the high-street, little Steve, persuaded his mum to cross back over and return to Smiths for the desperately needed book that would return the smile to his face.  Leaving the other two thirds of the family out on the street, I lead my mum to where this life changing book could be found.  She read the front, thumbed the pages and then hesitated. 

"I think its a bit old for you." she said, most probably having just clocked Valerie Perrine's boobs on page 39.
"Its not."  I insisted
"I think it is." Adrienne Corri getting her arse cheek pawed by a clown-faced Malcolm McDowell at the top of page 34.
"Its for children its got Star Wars on the front."
"Yes. Its quite expensive."
"I've got the money."
"You'll have none left for anything else."
"I don't want anything else."
"You can't have it and we need to go."  My sister!  I thought she was outside with the others.
"Shut up. What's it got to do with you."

And at this point my mum caved and took the line of least resistance and further bickering. "OK but don't ask for anything else.  Come on.  Your dad is waiting for us."
And off to the till we went. I'm fairly sure I thanked her and I'm fairly sure my sister stared daggers and mouthed an uncomplimentary name or two but I really didn't care.  I would be spending the rest of the evening ignoring her and everybody else while I studied each and every page of this magnificent new book and made a promise to see every film in it.

....I'm almost there.  Just one left to go.


Steve

Kate Bush (1978)

 

"People weren’t even generally aware that I wrote my own songs or played the piano. The media just promoted me as a female body. It’s like I’ve had to prove that I’m an artist entrapped in a female body"

 

I was only 9 years old in 1978 when Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights single came out and hit the number one spot in the music charts.  I was captivated by her, as was the rest of the country.  It seemed that she came from nowhere, appearing fully formed, an original artist that could do all of it.  Singer, writer, dancer and musician.  A Muse had manifested, beautiful, ethereal and magical

Documentaries and biographies will explain away that magic.  Kate grafted for her art.  She focused and committed and put the hours in from an early age.  She met fellow artists who nurtured her with time, allowing her to grow and learn at her own pace, to aim for perfection.

More singles, more albums, more videos followed.

The quality of the writing and musicianship just got better, the voice became more versatile and textured and the idea that Kate was some kind of Goddess never really lessened.

As an adult I remain ensnared by her lyrics and musical compositions.  I wish she produced more material but I also know that if not one more song was forthcoming then she will have already given us so much and of a quality bordering genius.

Do I love the 19 year old in the leotard, as was presented to us by the media all those years ago?   Of course I do, I always have, even when I was too young to know it.  But I also love the spirit and soul that lives in the songs.  I love the strangeness and the uniqueness of the woman, the story telling and the humour that was all there as well, right at the start.

Strange England is enriched and fed by your very being, Kate. - Thank You.


Steve.


And if you've never experienced the pleasure then these are three of my favourites:-