Paul Markey

Writer, projectionist and cinephile

The Dark Knight at 10 - celebrating a superhero game-changer

2008 seems more than a decade ago. And in superhero terms, that's an eternity. Though it wouldn't take some timey-wimey comic book plot to argue that our current era of superhero movies both began and peaked at the same time.

Film • 26 Jul 18

The Muppet Show live - it's time to play the music

My sense of humor matured with Monty Python. But it was born with Sesame Street and blossomed with the subversive anarchy of The Muppet Show.

Culture • 24 Jul 18

John Carpenter's The Thing - the ultimate cult movie classic?

The alien invasion of 1982 came to us on two fronts. The first went almost unnoticed, and was swiftly forgotten. Two weeks later, the second one struck and we never heard the end of it for a long time ever after.

Film • 19 Jul 18

Die Hard turns 30 - Yippee ki-yay!

Celebrating the anniversary of the greatest action blockbuster of them all... or is it the greatest Christmas movie of them all? Or both?

Film • 18 Jul 18

One of the few available pictures of legendary artist Steve Ditko (Courtesy of Marvel Comics)

Steve Ditko remembered - the enigma behind Spider-Man

One of the tropes of comic books is that nobody of note ever really dies, most especially the hero. But one of the burdens of crawling up on real-life middle age is that you live to see your heroes die.

Comics • 09 Jul 18

Harlan Ellison remembered - the greatest writer you've never read

Dying in his sleep seems a most understated exit for Harlan Ellison, one of the greatest writers of speculative fiction, or science fiction, if you will. Though not Sci-Fi. He absolutely loathed that term - "Like calling women, Broads."

Books • 30 Jun 18

Print out - how I finally reduced my book pile

Following this year's a double-wammy of bird flu and root canal, I reached an impasse in my life and knew something fundamental had to change.

Books • 01 Jul 18

Keir Dullea in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey at 50 - have a good trip!

I'm not fond of those endless online clickbait lists. I couldn't even name my Top Ten films, because, you know, only TEN? Art can't and shouldn't be placed in some sort of numerical scoreboard.

Film • 09 May 18

Why Steven Spielberg is the ultimate Hollywood player

For cultural connoisseurs of my generation, there is a certain list of 'old' masters that had a huge baring on our lives, almost from day one.

Film • 03 Apr 18

My life of stuff - an autobiography in ticket stubs

I moved five times in three years. I was lucky enough to have options, at least, as it was just before the current housing crisis kicked in. And I did eventually find a long-lasting home at the end of those wilderness years (in which I still live).

Culture • 29 Mar 18