A bit like bonus tracks when you buy a CD, here are a few unseen extra pics from my recent visit to Sci-Fi Weekender.
Plus, it’s Star Wars Day – and a few of these photos count as a tribute. May the 4th Be With You!
The Top 5 Posts on the Virtual Hot Tub
Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub is now one year old!
Actually, the first anniversary was on March 24th. So I’m late, again. But I’ve been so busy capturing vital events like Sci-Fi Weekender, Kurt Cobain’s passing, Easter and all the other stuff that I just haven’t had time to get round to celebrating it.
So it was 24th March 2013 when I first welcomed you all to bathe in the soothing waters of the Virtual Hot Tub. Since then, I’ve posted all manner of weird and wonderful items on the blog. But which ones have been the most popular?
I checked out the stats; and here, in reverse order, are the most read posts in the first year of the Virtual Hot Tub’s existence:
5. Skateboard Museum: Variflex Joker
There’s obviously loads of people searching the interweb for old school skateboards. This post about my old Variflex skateboard has been constantly showing in blog results. Nice post – shame about the photo. I’ll remedy that soon. Take another look here.
4. Questions #2: Full English Breakfast Ingredients
All of the “Questions” posts fared well in the rankings, particularly the food related items. This one was the highest placed. Read it again here.
I went blog crazy in October with my Hallowe’en Horror Fest. This post, which counted down the top ten Hammer Horror babes, has been incredibly popular. Lots of people Googling sex and horror, I guess. Check it out here.
Over 150 people have read this post, commemorating the wedding of my friends Cathryn and Jarrod. It’s nice that this article has been read so many times. Have another look here.
So what’s the most read blog post on the Virtual Hot Tub, in the first year? It is:
1. A Letter to the New York Post
This piece, which recounted my experiences in New York on September 11th, caught people’s attention much more than I thought it would. I suppose it went “viral” – more than 475 views. It certainly received an amazing, and heart warming, response. Thanks to all who shared it. Read it again here.
There you go: the top 5 blog posts on Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub. Thanks for reading, thanks for sharing, thanks for being a part of it. Your contribution – and interest – has helped make this worthwhile.
Plenty more to come, so stay tuned.
Hope you’re all having a great Easter break. With plenty of chocolate and not much DIY.
To celebrate, here’s a picture of an Easter Egg I “helped” my three year old daughter make for a competition in school. As you can see, it’s one of the Minions from Despicable Me (which she’s a big fan of).
It was great fun getting creative and making this egg. It’s a ceramic egg that can be bought from a supermarket, along with suitable paints. I sketched the design first, then painted it, and finally used a Sharpie to give the detail. The hard part was coming up with the idea in the first place!
We think he looks pretty cool – hope you like him. 
Sci-Fi Weekender 28th – 30th March 2014
Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli
Day Two – and Adam, Greeny, Kurt and myself were up bright and early to see what the day would bring. LIE. We had a lie in, went to get s cooked breakfast, got some supplies at the Spar, and chilled out in the chalet for a while. We decided to wander down to see what was going just a little after the action began at midday. Although impressed with what we’d witnessed so far, we still didn’t know what to expect.
Exploring the set up, we soon found the events and had a good look around the merchandise area. I picked up a couple of cool items – a Star Wars figure I needed and a Countess Dracula t-shirt. I could’ve spent a fortune if I’d had the money. There was quite a buzz as fans scouted around for bargains and highly desirable paraphernalia.
There were numerous discussion panels, interviews and signings through out the afternoon. Luckily I caught a very interesting talk with 2000AD creator Pat Mills, refreshingly anti-authoritarian even after all these years. There was quite a 2000AD presence, with some of my favourite artists of all time – Glenn Fabry and Simon Bisley – in attendance. Somebody really should make a film version of Slaine…
I also caught a very entertaining chat with The Hobbit actor Graham McTavish. Although I’ve yet to see the film(s), his interview was still engaging; with many captivating stories from behind the scenes.
Of course, the main attraction for me (except for beer) was taking photos of all the various fans who’d taken the time and trouble to dress up as their favourite characters. There were some amazing costumes, as shown here and in the previous post. Again, fans were more than happy to pose for photos. The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming with no bad vibes on display anywhere.
The highlight of the evening was the Cosplay final – those who entered the competition were judged on the best costume. I forget who won, but the talent and care on display was highly commendable – as you can see from the photos.
There were several Cosplayers I either missed getting a photo of, or the pic turned out rubbish. My apologies – again, I’m not a professional. It is with great shame that I cannot present for you here Jar Jar Green Screen, General Zod, the Beast and sexy Six of Nine silver Star Trek girl. Sorry. But I think Silk Spectre (below) makes up for that.
Another late night ended with the “legendary” Pat Sharp spinning the wax for a packed dance floor. All in all, a great day with a real sense of community.
Finally, I must thank Glyn again for providing not only tickets but our accommodation. I hope these reports give you some idea of how the event was. Cheers!
Visit the Sci-Fi Weekender site here.
Those of you who know me well, will know that I am a fan of Star Wars. Just ever so slightly. Oh alright then, I’ve been completely obsessed with that galaxy far, far away since I was five years old. You may be surprised that this is my first Star Wars themed blog post on the Virtual Hot Tub, infact. However, you may be more surprised about my feelings for the new Star Wars sequels.
I remember being sat at this very computer on that day in October 2012, when Disney announced it’s acquisition of Lucasfilm – and the planned seventh episode of the saga. I was not impressed.
Not that Disney being the home of the saga bothered me. At the end of the day, Star Wars is a kid’s film – and what better home for it than the House of Mouse? I have no problem with that.
Final Episode
What bothers me is setting the new films after Return of the Jedi. The sixth episode has been the final episode for a long time. Sure, I wanted to see more films back in 1983, when I was a kid. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve been happy with the conclusion of the series. It’s an upbeat ending. The Empire is defeated, the Alliance is victorious – peace and freedom from oppression is restored to the galaxy. It’s exactly what the story needs, and it’s perfect in it’s intention (if not always it’s execution).
But if that’s not the end, then what’s next? If the battle against evil goes on, then to some extent the sacrifices and hardships of the “middle” trilogy lose some of the potency. Of course, in a real world, conflicts and rivalries continue. But this isn’t the real world, it’s a fairy tale – a big, outer space fairy tale. And there was no “Snow White 2” or “Revenge of the Wicked Step Mother” when that story arc came to an end.
EU-rrghh
I guess I’m most afraid of the horrors of the Star Wars Expanded Universe taking hold in the film versions. I did read a lot of EU stories – novels and comics – before Episode I was released. After that, I gave up on non-canon works as they often featured contradictions to what was appearing on screen, such as the origins of the Death Star.
Much worse than any slight inconsistencies, however, were some of the bafflingly bad concepts splurged onto the page by EU creators. A criticism of the Star Wars EU is a topic for a whole blog post of it’s own – and I admit it’s not all bad. I was never a huge fan of the Thrawn trilogy (too much of Zahn’s own creations with ridiculous names, not enough film characters), though other series were much worse. The big problem I had with the EU though, was the lame device of bringing back the bad guys – Emperor Palpatine returns! Boba Fett didn’t die!
Oh, come on.
I enjoyed many of the comics and the books set within the time frame of the original movies. And I think this is where the big problem lies: all those brilliantly dastardly bad guys are dead. How are they going to replace them? One thing’s for sure – the new writers have a hell of a lot of work to do. Let’s hope they steer clear of the EU for inspiration. I don’t even want any sly nods to keep the fans happy.
New Talent
So talking of the new talent: is JJ Abrams up to the job? To be honest, I have never seen anything that the guy has done, so I can’t comment. The good news is Lawrence Kasdan, who scripted Episodes V and VI, is back onboard. Thank God. Why was he never involved in the Star Wars prequels? Any help with answering that conundrum much appreciated.
Another interesting rumour (or more-than-rumour, these days) is the return of the original cast. There’s been a huge amount of interest in the return of Hamill, Ford and Fisher to the saga. I’m not sure about this either, sorry. Baby Darth Vader in Episode I was hard enough to accept – do I really need to see a 65 year old Luke Skywalker? I’m not sure about seeing my childhood heroes as old people. I’d sooner they were timeless and forever as they were at the end of Jedi.
Who else will we see return? R2-D2 will return, it has been reported. So what about C3PO? If we have Luke, Leia and Han, then surely we will need to have Chewie and Lando? Please bring Chewie along, Lucasfilm – you can’t let him die in one of those awful books!
A New Hope
I don’t want to be totally negative about this new venture. One thing that does excite me is the news of stand alone movies, possibly featuring lesser characters. These stories could – and should – occur within the time frame (or immediately preceeding) of the earlier six films. Again, Episode VI should be the end, but I’d love to see the early years of the Rebel Alliance. That would be very cool. More on this in another blog post…
Whatever adventures we experience with Episodes VII to IX, I want to be optimistic. I’m a Star Wars fan, and I hope my fears above are wrong. I have my doubts, though I would love them to be cast aside. Will that happen? In the words of one wise being: “Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.”
Let’s hope the Force is with us.
Science fiction action figures are the basis for any good toy collection. My collection of Star Wars toys goes right back to the late 1970’s, and I’ll get round to posting some pictures of those in the future. Oh yes, it shall happen. Any requests, let me know.
In the meantime, I thought I’d showcase some alternative items that have been lurking around for over thirty years. These figures aren’t always mint condition, and rarely have all the accessories they came boxed with. And there are certainly no boxes (or cards) now, as they were all actually played with…
Battlestar Galatica figures
These 3 3/4″ action figures were produced by Mattel in the late 1970’s, to coincide with the release of the television show. They were obviously aiming to emulate the phenomenal success of Kenner’s Star Wars figures.
Battlestar Galactica figures
On the left of the photo is the Imperious Leader figure, all in good condition – but then other than the cloak, he didn’t have any accessories. In the middle is Commander Adama, who bears a slight resemblance to Lorne Greene. Unfortunately Adama’s cloak and gun are long gone. The Cylon Centurion is the coolest figure here, though mine has lost a lot of his silver finish. The laser gun is around however, though I didn’t use it for the picture. The Cylon was my first Battlestar Galactica toy, a present from my Dad.
There were some other cool figures produced in this line, in particular the Ovion and Daggit were great. Unfortunately I never owned either. I would’ve also loved a Lt. Starbuck, but I never saw one. Ever.
Great show, Battlestar Galactica – I love the original and the rebooted, recent version.
The Black Hole figures
Disney’s The Black Hole, however, was not that great a movie. At least not when I saw it on TV as a kid. Maybe I should try it again, to see if I was just too young to dig it.
The Black Hole figures
The action figures for this film, again 3 3/4″ like Star Wars figures – were multi jointed. As a result, the human figures were rather frail. I had a few of them, now reduced to limbless torsos.
No matter – the stars of the show were the robots, and here we have two of the best. The Sentry Robot (left) was particularly cool, with a holster to hold his pistol. I have the gun safe, so this one’s probably worth a load on ebay. Note the joints which are clearly visible.
Also, we have V.I.N.CENT – a cool design for a robot. Laser guns and big, cute eyes.
Blake’s 7 Liberator
Blake’s 7
Not an action figure – this is a Corgi toy of the Liberator spaceship from BBC sci-fi serial, Blake’s 7. You can see the Corgi stamp on the photo. Quite a cool design for a TV spaceship. I quite liked Blake’s 7 when I was a kid, and remember being surprised at the end…
I have lots of fond memories of finding and playing with these toys when I was young. They’re great souvenirs of old films, and fun times – and imagination.
One more set of photos from my last visit to Memorabilia at Birmingham NEC. I apologise – what with Christmas and all, I haven’t had chance to post these previously.
Earlier posts have showcased photos of Memorabilia punters dressed up as characters from comic books and television. This set of shots features film based characters. There are many more brave people dressed up at Memorabilia, far more than I’ve captured in this series of photos. Good luck to them, I say.
By the way – there are plenty more Star Wars photos from previous trips to Memorabilia. Stay tuned!
Thanks to everyone at Birmingham NEC Memorabilia who posed for photos – all were very happy to do so.
What could be better than being snuggled up at home in front of the fire, beverage in hand, watching crap on TV? It’s part of what Christmas is all about. The television specials, the films, we’re subjected to both the classic and the drastic each year.
So I wanted to know what everyone’s favourite Christmas movie is. The rules:
Q: What’s your favourite Christmas film?
Jess: Elf
Ash: Elf
Lynne: Elf
Tom: Home Alone
Matt: Home Alone
Mike R: Home Alone
Jayne: Elf
Mike W: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Alix: Home Alone 2
Stu: Arthur Christmas
Jade: Elf
Michelle: Home Alone
Jamie: Jingle All the Way
Terry: Home Alone
Sam: Lethal Weapon
David R: Jingle All the Way
Sue R: Miracle on 34th Street
Nathan: Miracle on 34th Street
Ben G: Muppets Christmas Carol
Sarah: Elf
Jack: Home Alone 2
Me: It’s a Wonderful Life
There you have it:Elf just wins (because I counted Home Alone 2 as a separate film, not additional votes for the first film).
I think Elf is a worthy winner, it just seems more “Christmassy” than Home Alone. It’s got Elves and Santa in it, after all.
If you’d like to let me know your favourite Christmas film, leave a comment. Disagree with the choices or rules above? Likewise.
After a long while, I finally added this film to my DVD collection. Originally released in 1935, Captain Blood is black and white, no CGI – switch off now if this isn’t your thing. But you’ll be missing something special if you do.
This is the story of a doctor, Peter Blood, who through misfortune and circumstance finds himself a slave in the West Indies. From here he escapes with his trusty comrades and commandeers a Spanish ship, his only option now a life of piracy. We follow Captain Blood and his crew’s adventures on the seas. 
Warner Brothers took a gamble in casting the unknown Errol Flynn in the lead role. The risk paid off – Flynn lights up the screen from the start. A star is not so much born as presented fully formed for the audience to adore. Olivia de Havilland, as Arabella Bishop, also found herself become an established name. There is real on screen chemistry between the two (they’d go on to star in many other films together); both Flynn and de Havilland captivating throughout.
Director Michael Curtiz employs everything he has to create a spectacle on screen, though surprisingly most of the scenes were shot on sound stages. Flynn’s sword fight with Basil Rathbone is energetic and deadly. The final swing-across-the-cavern ship to ship battle is still exciting even now.
Curtiz takes his time telling the back story before we get to the piracy on the high seas. On first viewing you may wonder when the film will actually get to the pirate part, yet the tale is told well with engaging characters and action.
Captain Blood is golden era Hollywood. It has escapism, adventure and above all, fun. Even without a single “Garrrrgh!”, it’s still full of pirate-y goodness.
8/10
Through out its illustrious career, the Hammer film studio became synonymous with two things: horror and sex. The studio’s reputation encompassed both the lurid Technicolor gore; and the heaving cleavages of its female stars.
To say that’s all Hammer movies were does them a great disservice, yet the two key elements of horror and glamour have become the trademarks for which the company was known. Alongside the great Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, numerous beauties also graced these fine films. 
There’s a great book, “Hammer Glamour” by Marcus Hearn (Titan Books, 2009). If this topic is of interest to you, I recommend you pick it up. I’ve been lucky to meet some of the female stars of classic Hammer movies at fan events, and they’ve been kind enough to autograph my copy of the book for me.
It’s no easy task, but here are my favourite ten Hammer actresses. It’s been a pain-staking process analysing the contribution of each of these ladies, but my selection is below.
10. Martine Beswicke
Appearing in three Hammer movies (One Million Years BC, Prehistoric Women and Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde), Martine Beswicke’s career with Hammer covered both gothic horror and dinosaur movies. Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde is her greatest contribution, where in a novel twist on the traditional tale, she plays the evil “sister” transformed from Dr Jekyll (Ralph Bates). She also appeared in two Bond movies – From Russia with Love and Thunderball. I’ve met Martine and she happily signed my copy of “Hammer Glamour”.
9. Barbara Shelley
The lovely Barbara Shelley appeared in more Hammer movies than anyone else on this list. Her films include The Gorgon, Rasputin the Mad Monk and Quatermass & the Pit. Barbara’s best role, however, was in Dracula Prince of Darkness, where she is transformed from Victorian lady to vampiric creature of the night. She also appeared in the great Village of the Damned. Again, Ms Shelley has signed the book, I’m very happy to say – she was extremely nice, for a vampire.
8. Stephanie Beacham
I remember Stephanie Beacham from numerous television appearances growing up, notably Dynasty. She appears in Dracula AD 1972 as Jessica Van Helsing, granddaughter of Peter Cushing’s Professor. A great camp classic, this is one of my favourites, and Stephanie looks ravishing. I’ve yet to meet Stephanie to ask her to sign the book, I’ve got my fingers crossed.
7. Veronica Carlson
Starring in three Hammer horror films, Veronica holds the distinction of having starred alongside two different Baron Frankensteins: Peter Cushing (in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed) and Ralph Bates (The Horror of Frankenstein). She also appeared in Dracula Has Risen From the Grave – all great films. Ms Carlson was lovely when I met her not too long ago. 
6. Valerie Leon
Although she appeared in just one Hammer film, Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, Valerie Leon makes a fantastic impression in it. A great film and a beautiful actress. She also appeared in Carry On and Bond movies, making her a true 70’s film sensation. You can read more here. Very charming and another welcome signature for the book. 
5. Ingrid Pitt
No-one encapsulates Hammer Glamour more than Ingrid Pitt. She seems synonymous with horror movies. Classic films she starred in include the brilliant The Vampire Lovers and Countess Dracula, alluring as the evil Countess. She also starred in genre classics for other studios, such as The House That Dripped Blood and The Wicker Man. Sadly, Ingrid passed away in 2010. A true legend. 
4. Kate O’Mara
Gorgeous Kate O’Mara appeared in The Vampire Lovers and Horror of Frankenstein. Prim in the former and sexy in the latter, Kate’s contribution to Hammer is excellent. Her exotic looks have been a regular on-screen ever since, I remember her well in Dynasty. I’ve not met Kate, but would love her to sign my Hammer Glamour book.
3. Madeline Smith
Appearing very briefly in Taste the Blood of Dracula, Madeline Smith looks absolutely dazzling in The Vampire Lovers and Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell. She also appeared briefly in Theatre of Blood and was a Bond girl in Live and Let Die, as well as numerous other film and TV credits. Ms Smith has signed the book and was very nice too.
2. Raquel Welch
Possibly the most beautiful woman to ever walk the planet, Raquel Welch became a screen icon when she appeared in One Million Years BC. Unfortunately, she never appeared in any more Hammer movies (hence she only reaches number two in this list). Raquel has made many other great films in a pretty fabulous career, since her debut in that “silly dinosaur movie” (her words, not mine!). 
The stunning Caroline Munro appeared in two of my favourite Hammer films, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter and Dracula AD 1972. She’s also appeared in many other cult classics – try At the Earth’s Core and Starcrash, for starters. Ms Munro is probably most famous for her role as Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me. With her beautiful, long brunette hair, I’ve been smitten with Caroline for a long time. She’s also a very lovely person with plenty of time for her fans, as I found out when I met her. Caroline Munro is a Queen of classic cult cinema, and top of the Hammer Glamour list!
Meeting Caroline Munro at NEC Memorabilia
A special mention should be made to some of the lovely ladies who didn’t make the top ten, including Joanna Lumley (Satanic Rites of Dracula); Catherina Von Schell (Moon Zero Two); Julie Ege (The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires) and Ursula Andress (She). There are many more, of course.
If you’d like to buy a copy of “Hammer Glamour”, you can find it here.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 