The Passion of Pedro Almodovar: A Self-Portrait In Seven Films. Book Review

 Full disclosure: for me, the Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar can do no wrong. The sheer volume of top notch films in his catalogue are, in my opinion unmatched and only Rainer Werner Fassbinder immediately springs to mind when it comes to quantity and quality. James Miller's book takes a look at seven films from this rich body of work:

Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls On The Heap

Law of Desire

The Flower of My Secret

Bad Education

Volver

Broken Embraces

Pain And Glory

Here, the themes and textures of these films are explored,acknowledging the autobiographical nature of some of the director's key works, and helping to generate fresh ways of looking at them through better eyes. The director's experiences in Catholic schools are referenced with regard to stories he tells on a personal journey that will hopefully continue for a good while to come. Miller's interpretations of mood and motivation are, for me, always engaging but I will offer friendly advice to those who are at the formative stage of their Almodovar exploration. The analysis of these seven films do, by necessity, include spoilers, so I suggest watching each film before reading about it. My guess is that you'll immediately book a repeat viewing, fired by Miller's ideas. 

The Passion of Pedro Almodovar is published in the UK by Columbia University Press, and highly recommended for seasoned admirers and newcomers alike.

The Mouthless Dead by Anthony Quinn. Book Review

 Anthony Quinn's 'The Mouthless Dead' was inspired by the infamous 'Wallace Murder' which rocked England in 1931. Julia Wallace was found battered to death in her Liverpool home, and her husband George was accused of her murder. After a 15 year gap, the inspector who worked on a previous case returns to what was called 'the impossible murder', examining once again George Wallace's movements that fateful evening and going over the timeline in an effort to determine whether Wallace really had been able to murder his wife and finally solve whether the shadowy figure of a man named Qualtrough really did exist and if he did, what part did he play in Julia's death.

This is a fascinating account of mood and motive that lay behind what may have been a crime of passion, detailing police procedural work, with wonderful use of historical events and vividly drawn locations that really do place the reader in the very centre of this baffling case. It's a completely engrossing read that never gets bogged down considering there's a lot of information to take in. The Wallace case had drawn tens of thousands of column inches down the years and this book will provoke re-evaluation from those who were aware of the details while introducing many newcomers to this puzzle. During and after the journey, readers will undoubtedly have their own opinions on whether or not George Wallace was guilty, or if the mysterious Qualtrough or someone closer to the family was responsible.

If you enjoy slow burn true crime with speculative fiction added to the recipe, I think you'll find 'The Mouthless Dead' very much worth your time. It's released on 6th March 2025 by Abacus.

The Hairy Ones Shall Dance by Manly Wade Wellman. Audiobook Review

 Manly Wade Wellman's "The Hairy Ones Shall Dance" is a horror novel, and the opening book of the 'Judge Pursuivant' trilogy. The story begins with a skeptic of psychic phenomena attending a seance in the company of a friend who has much to say about the reality of the supernatural. After a slow buildup, the seance gets underway, leading to an encounter with a legendary creature, with grimoires, delicious folklore and the pitting of science against the occult with the two often coming together throughout the rest of this tale. 

I appreciated the investigative angle here, and enjoyed the pacing throughout. The characters are well drawn and frequently challenged by the events unfolding around them. The author doesn't offer much in the way of clues - a decision that pleased me - and a letter dictated to the judge near the end supplies a compelling backstory of just how we got here. Fans of the macabre with a taste for snatches of cosmic horror and pseudo-scientific theories will find much to enjoy here and this audiobook is a fine way to experience the story. A few words of praise for the narrator are due. Gene Blake is excellent at conveying the necessary atmosphere of fear and high tension and also handles the different accents so very well. His voice is clear and enjoyable to listen to as he switches from character building to passages of high suspense while always keeping in tune with the spirit of this opening book. "The Hairy Ones Shall Dance" is a fun read. Nothing heavy and perfect for the dark nights in front of a fire.  

Sick Houses: Haunted Homes & The Architecture of Dread by Leila Taylor. Book Review

This is an endlessly fascinating study of what Stephen King famously describes as 'The Bad Place'. Leila Taylor begins by taking a look at home ownership, and details the hopes and fears that accompany moving from one house or apartment to another, sometimes attempting to bury bad memories in pursuit of security and happiness. The question of when does a house become a home is fully addressed and by the time we move on to what constitutes a undesirable residence, some readers may well be nodding their head with regard to past or current location.

Real and fictional places come under the spotlight in this book: the Ed Gein house of horrors; Amityville; the Winchester home and cinematic gems such as the Bates house from Psycho, the imposing gothic mansion from The Haunting and (bonus points for this one) the bone chilling centre of Peter Sasdy's The Stone Tape.

As well as movies, Leila also includes a literary angle in her study, and her brief description of 'Piranesi' compelled me to push the book to the top of my tbr pile. 

Leila Taylor's writing is crisp and intelligent and happily - at least for people like me - is not overly academic. It never confuses with complicated jargon, and is easy to follow with a sharp, keen-eyed analysis of the subject matter. My own shallow knowledge of Victorian architecture and other building designs was certainly heightened by this enjoyable look at houses with a dark history and fresh builds with a clean slate.

A genuine 5 star delight!

Published by Repeater Books