#narrated by richard burton

[lovotomii]

how have I not listened to Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds before, I love this so much

[eli-is-an-idiot]

Rec-ember Day 16 C

[princesssarisa]

"Little Women" and Shakespeare

Because I like making lists and finding connection between different things, and because Little Women has become one of my hyperfixations, I thought I'd answer this question:

How many actors from the various filmed versions of Little Women have also performed Shakespeare?

I'm sure this list is incomplete, but it's as comprehensive as I felt able to make it:

Katharine Hepburn (Jo, 1933 film): No Shakespeare roles onscreen, but she played several onstage: Rosalind in As You Like It, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Isabella in Measure for Measure, Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, Viola in Twelfth Night, and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra.

Edna May Oliver (Aunt March, 1933 film): The Nurse in the 1936 film of Romeo and Juliet with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer.

Elizabeth Taylor (Amy, 1949 film): Katherina in the 1967 Franco Zeffirelli film of The Taming of the Shrew.

C. Aubrey Smith (Mr. Laurence, 1949 film): Lord Capulet in the 1936 film of Romeo and Juliet with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer.

Angela Down (Jo, 1970 miniseries): Cordelia in the 1975 BBC King Lear with Michael Hordern, and Helena in the 1981 BBC All's Well That Ends Well.

Stephanie Bidmead (Marmee, 1970 miniseries): Hippolyta in the 1959 NBC A Midsummer Night's Dream and Lady Capulet in the 1967 BBC Romeo and Juliet.

Patrick Troughton (Mr. March, 1970 miniseries): Horatio in the 1947 BBC Hamlet, the Player King in the 1948 Laurence Olivier film of Hamlet, Edmund in the 1948 BBC King Lear, Seyton in the 1949 BBC Macbeth, and Tyrell in the 1955 Laurence Olivier film of Richard III.

Martin Jarvis (John Brooke, 1970 miniseries): Narrator of Shakespeare: The Animated Tales' 1992 adaptation of The Tempest and Leonard (Leonato) in the 2005 ShakespeaReTold adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.

Logan Ramsey (Mr. Dashwood, 1978 miniseries): The Bishop of Carlisle in the 1982 TV film of Richard II.

Ben Wright (Dr. Bangs, 1978 miniseries): Horatio in the "show within a show" of Hamlet in the 1955 Richard Burton film Prince of Players.

Claire Danes (Beth, 1994 film): Juliet in the 1996 Baz Luhrmann film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet.

Christian Bale (Laurie, 1994 film): Demetrius in the 1999 film of A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Klein, Stanley Tucci, et al.

John Neville (Mr. Laurence, 1994 film): Valentine in the 1948 TV production Scenes from Twelfth Night and Macbeth, Romeo in the 1957 Producers' Showcase production of Romeo and Juliet, and Henry V in the 1957 Television World Theatre production of Henry V.

Emily Watson (Marmee, 2017 miniseries): Regan in the 2018 TV film of King Lear with Anthony Hopkins.

Angela Lansbury (Aunt March, 2017 miniseries): No Shakespeare roles onscreen, but she did play Gertrude in the National Theatre Company's 1975 production of Hamlet with Albert Finney.

Michael Gambon (Mr. Laurence, 2017 miniseries): Several minor roles in the 1965 film of Othello with Laurence Olivier, Watchman #4 in the 1967 BBC Much Ado About Nothing with Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, Gregory in the 1967 BBC Romeo and Juliet, and Theseus in the 1971 BBC A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Ian Bohen (Friedrich Bhaer's counterpart "Freddy," 2018 film): Lord Capulet in the high school "show within a show" of Romeo and Juliet in the 1992 sitcom The Torkelsons' episode "Swear Not By the Moon."

Saoirse Ronan (Jo, 2019 film): No Shakespeare roles onscreen yet, but onstage she played Lady Macbeth in the 2021 West End production The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Florence Pugh (Amy, 2019 film): Cordelia in the 2018 TV film of King Lear with Anthony Hopkins. (And, as mentioned, with Emily Watson as Regan – 2017 Marmee and 2019 Amy playing sisters!)

Meryl Streep (Aunt March, 2019 film): No Shakespeare roles onscreen, but she has played a few onstage in the New York Shakespeare Festival: Isabella in the 1976 production of Measure for Measure, Katherina in the 1978 Taming of the Shrew, and Juliet in a one-night 2012 gala reading of Romeo and Juliet with Kevin Kline.

James Norton (John Brooke, 2019 film): No Shakespeare roles onscreen, but onstage he played Posthumus in the Cambridge Arts Theatre's 2007 production of Cymbeline.

Chris Cooper (Mr. Laurence, 2019 film): Antonio in the 2010 film of The Tempest with Helen Mirren.

Jayne Houdyshell (Hannah, 2019 film): The Nurse in the 2013 Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet with Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad.

@littlewomenpodcast, @fandomsarefamily1966, @thatscarletflycatcher, @ariel-seagull-wings

[dlrconlicense]

MY CULTURAL FIRSTS

Louise Brealey: My first kiss with Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch

The actor and writer on taking acid at her first gig, meeting Michael Caine – and the moment she knew the BBC detective drama was going to be huge

Louise Brealey

LEO STAAR

Jake Helm

Sunday November 12 2023, 12.13am GMT, The Sunday Times

First concert I went to

I would like to say an unknown band called Blur in a tiny tent at Reading in 1994, but I accidentally took my first and very much last acid tab off an apprentice plumber called Tony from Swansea and watched the The on the big stage instead. It was all fine until the music started to creep up from the grass right up my legs and I was surrounded by terrifying gargoyles.

First pop-inspired fashion trends I adopted

I’m afraid I was a relentlessly unfashionable child. I was a square and listened to 10cc I’m Not in Love and The Eagles’ Desperado on repeat. I did love Robert Smith [from the Cure] but I didn’t wear enormous jumpers until my twenties.

First time I realised the BBC drama Sherlock was going to be a huge hit

The read-through was electric, which is not normal. Usually, it’s nerve-jangling because everyone is terrified they’re going to be sacked. A few weeks later I was watching the scene where Benedict first stuck his head round the lab door and said to Martin Freeman: “The name is Sherlock Holmes and the address is 221b Baker Street.” And I thought, yes it is. But really, I realised it was going to be huge when I was on early Twitter and the show went off. When Sherlock kissed [my character] Molly I got 60,000 followers in an hour.

Louise Brealey as Molly Hooper, right, and the cast of Sherlock

TODD ANTONY/BBC

First TV show I enjoyed

Like everyone at school I was obsessed by Jim��ll Fix It. I put two letters into one envelope to double my chances. One was to ask to meet John Travolta because I’d seen him star in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, a film in which he plays this kid that can’t step outside a little plastic tent or he’ll die. The other was asking to meet the pop star Paul Young — I figured I had a better chance with him because he was from Luton. At least I didn’t do what my brother did and write to Jimmy Savile to ask to meet Rolf Harris.

First film I saw at the cinema

The first film I saw on my own at the pictures was Stand by Me at The Point in Milton Keynes. I had seen River Phoenix in the video for Ben E King’s single on Top of the Pops and was utterly love-struck. That was it. River was the only one for me. I still think River was the great acting talent of his generation.

First time I cried at the cinema

Watership Down. That was actually the first film I saw at the cinema. At the Palace in Wellingborough, when I was five or six. It was the first time I had any clue that creatures die. I was very affected by it — I called my next rabbit Bright Eyes.

First actor I admired

Joan Greenwood in Kind Hearts and Coronets. She was the single most beautiful woman I’d ever seen — and I was fascinated by her voice. I also loved Richard Burton’s voice, mainly because he narrated The War of the Worlds, my dad’s favourite album. I wanted to marry Richard Burton so I could listen to him all day long.

First thing I did to embody my new character Deb in Such Brave Girls

I started with her voice. I wanted to use the Northamptonshire accent. It’s the land of my birth and how my whole family talks except for me because I was a scholarship kid at a posh school, and I’ve never worked in it before. And then the clothes — Deb is obsessed with being feminine, so with her costumes it’s often about the cleavage. I think of her as a wily street rat in dangly earrings.

First famous person I met

I didn’t meet anyone famous until my first proper job, which was as a film journalist. The most exciting thing to happen was to go to a film set and sit in Michael Caine’s trailer. He asked: “Would you like to marry me?” I blushed and started stammering at him. And then he politely pushed a little dish of Murray Mints in my direction and I realised that he’d actually said: “Would you like a Murray Mint?”

[vintage1981]

Dark Shadows Remembrance Weekend - July 5 & 6, 2024

Dark Shadows reunion with original cast members David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Nancy Barrett, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis, James Storm and Lisa Richards

Plans are now complete for a very special Dark Shadows Remembrance Weekend to celebrate the life of Lara Parker, who played Angelique, and pay tribute to the 100th birthday of Jonathan Frid, who played Barnabas Collins. This rare and very special occasion reunites original Dark Shadows cast members to celebrate the lives of beloved colleagues Lara Parker and Jonathan Frid and meet devoted fans of the 1960s Gothic TV series that “kids ran home from school to watch!”

To be held at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, July 5th, Dark Shadows cast members, including David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Nancy Barrett, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis, James Storm and Lisa Richards, will be celebrating Lara Parker, who passed away last October at age 84.

July 6th, Dark Shadows cast members will celebrate Jonathan Frid’s centenary with a lunch, entertainment, autographs and collector gift bags. Eventbrite tickets: $60, inclusive.

Hotel accommodations at special rates: Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel PH: (888) 236-2437

To receive special Dark Shadows discount Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel sleeping room rates, call the Marriott reservation line 1-800 or book via the following link before June 13 at https://bit.ly/3PZu92v. A complimentary hotel shuttle from the Hollywood Burbank Airport (aka the Bob Hope Airport) to the nearby Marriott Hotel is available. Dark Shadows attendees receive discounted parking at the hotel.

Dark Shadows was an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a series of supernatural occurrences take place.

Dark Shadows became popular when vampire Barnabas Collins played by actor Jonathan Frid was introduced ten months into its run. It would also feature ghosts, werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small troupe of actors each played many roles; as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. The show was distinguished by its melodramatic performances, atmospheric set designs, unusual storylines, numerous plot twists, adventurous music score, broad range of characters, and heroic adventures. Dark Shadows developed a large teenage audience and a dedicated cult following. By 1969, it had become ABC’s highest-rated daytime series with viewership in the millions!

The original network run of the show amassed 1,225 episodes. The success of the series spawned a media franchise that has included two feature films (House of Dark Shadows in 1970 and Night of Dark Shadows in 1971), a 1991 TV remake, a 2012 film reboot directed by Tim Burton, and numerous spin-off novels and comics. Kathryn Leigh Scott has narrated all 27 vintage Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross for Oasis Audiobooks, available on Amazon.com.

Press inquiries:

Billy James Glass Onyon PR +1 828-350-8158 glassonyonpr@gmail.com

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 4

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. We’re getting close to the end now… TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “Gotham can be a Wonderland, Alice! Tonight, let me be your guide.” Number 4 is…Mad as a Hatter.

If you know me very well, this episode being in my Top 5 is no surprise at all. If you don’t, then you might be a little surprised. While “Mad as a Hatter” is certainly a well-liked episode, by all accounts, I doubt too many people would name it as being anywhere on-par with stories like “Mad Love” and “Heart of Ice,” two other villain origin stories that I covered in my past two entries. I, however, am not most people: while I love Harley Quinn, and I cannot deny the power of “Heart of Ice,” this story is something close to my heart in a way those two simply are not. This episode is the origin/first appearance of one of the Dark Knight’s slightly more unsung villains, the Mad Hatter. In the story, the Hatter is a highly repressed and socially awkward neuroscientist, by the name of Jervis Tetch. Jervis is an eccentric fellow, who has a bizarre obsession with the “Alice” stories by Lewis Carroll. The strange scientist has created a special headband and cards, which – via highly sophisticated nanotechnology – allow him to control other people’s minds. It’s then revealed that Tetch has unrequited feelings for his secretary (probably not-coincidentally named Alice Pleasance), and – when her boyfriend, Billy, seemingly dumps her – Jervis seizes the opportunity to use this newfound power to try and sweep Alice off her feet. At first, things seem to go well��but unbeknownst to Jervis, after he drops Alice off at home that night, she and Billy make up and even get officially engaged. This sudden development causes Jervis to snap, and he becomes the Mad Hatter: determined to claim Alice as his own, hang all the consequences, and willing to put half of Gotham under his thrall, if necessary, in order to do so. Naturally, Batman can’t allow this; he’s already on Tetch’s trail, after a (presumed) misunderstanding with some street thugs. Now, he must rescue Alice (and Billy) and stop the Mad Hatter before things get any madder.

The Mad Hatter has long been one of my favorite Batman Villains, and I am 99% convinced that the specific version found in the DCAU is the main reason why. In the comics, the Hatter has always been an…iffy character, to say the least, as he’s typically depicted as a rotten-to-the-core little creep with many perverse desires. He’s a villain who’s meant to just be punched in the face, so to speak. Other adaptations have gone in other directions, but I think the version found in the Animated Series handled it the best out of anybody. This is, without a doubt, my definitive take on the Mad Hatter. Part of the reason why is the character’s voice: he’s played by Roddy McDowall, and in fact, the Hatter would be McDowall’s last proper character, as his final appearance in the DCAU – a Superman crossover episode called “Knight Time” – was released posthumously to McDowall’s passing, and a somewhat earlier episode, “Animal Act,” was released not long before his death. This was quite the role to cap a career with, and almost seems an inevitable one: McDowall had previously played a somewhat similar character, the Bookworm, in the 1960s Adam West show. He also was the narrator for an abridged audiobook version of Tim Burton’s Batman (where I swear he plays the most polite Batman in the history of anything). Not only that, but McDowall also played the role of the March Hare in a 1985 TV Miniseries of “Alice in Wonderland.” With credits like these, and his mellifluous voice, he was absolutely perfect casting for the part.

The other reason, however, sits with his origins. This by far the most sympathetic and fascinating take on Jervis Tetch I think we’ve ever been given. It’s easy to relate with the idea of unrequited love as the cause for someone’s descent into darkness, and at the start of the story, Jervis is really very nice. He’s a bit odd, and there are some subtle hints that he’s already on a slightly uneven keel, but he doesn’t come across as truly evil. There’s also an interesting dichotomy with the way his alter ego acts in relation to the rest of his life; it sort of reminds me of Catwoman’s setup in “Batman Returns,” of all things. At the start, Jervis is awkward, shy, panicky, and keeps a lot bottled up. Once he dons the top hat and trenchcoat of the Mad Hatter, however, he becomes a whole different person: he’s more charismatic, more confident, more flamboyant, and – thanks the power of his control chips – he has absolute control, something we get the sense he hasn’t had a lot of in his life. It’s only when his advances are so brutally shot down – when he finds out Alice, after all that, is ENGAGED to Billy – that he REALLY goes off the deep end. There’s some ambiguity and unanswered questions with his background – we don’t know why he’s obsessed with Wonderland, why he’s created these control chips, or even whether or not he intended what happened with the two aforementioned street hooligans – but that actually only makes him more interesting, as it gives the audience a little leeway to come up with their own thoughts, while still presenting a comprehensive understanding of why this Hatter is Mad.

Being a Wonderland-obsessed oddball myself, I’ve always felt a sort of dark kinship, for lack of a better way of putting it, with the concept of Jervis Tetch. That character concept has never been so splendidly handled as in B:TAS, and “Mad as a Hatter” is a phenomenal first impression for the character. I need no other reason to place it so high in my personal ranks.

Tomorrow we move into the Top 3 of the countdown! Hint: “Look at us. We’re all freaks and monsters. And who made us this way? BATMAN!”

[h-l-v-kennedy-blog]

This is an Oscar-winning documentary short about Bobby Kennedy by Charles Guggenheim, narrated by Richard Burton.

[stephantom]

From Richard Burton’s diary, September 23, 1980:

I only knew by chance that [Peter O’Toole] had taken such a terrible hammering – a front-page hammering – from the British critics for his performance in Macbeth. I knew only because Onllwyn Brace came to supervise my narration in the documentary film about Welsh rugby football. ‘Your pal O'Toole,’ he said, ‘has been murdered by the English critics.’ ‘For what?’ asked I. ‘For Macbeth,’ said he. I phoned Peter that night as soon as the hours were right and managed to catch him before he'd left the Old Vic. I said, ‘a couple of boys from the BBC were over today to record my voice and they told me you've had a bit of stick from the critics.’ ‘Yes.’ ‘How are the houses?’ I asked. ‘Packed.’ ‘Then remember this my boy,’ I said (he is 4 years younger), ‘you are the most original actor to come out of Britain since the war and fuck the critics.’ ‘Thank you.’ ‘Think of every four letter obscenity, six, eight ten and twelve letter expletives and ram it right up their envious arses in which,’ I said, paraphrasing Robert Atkins, ‘I'm sure there is ample room.‘ ‘Thank you.’ ‘Good night Peter. Don't give in and I love you.’ ‘I won't and it's mutual.’ ‘Good night again.’ ‘Good night Richard and thank you.’

That was the extent of our conversation but my fury at the critics took me through the night – another sleepless one – and I thought of all the things I should have said to Peter and didn't and thought I should write him a letter and didn't and prayed to God I hadn't sounded like a false sympathizer secretly rejoicing in his critical debacle. But no, I comforted myself, he knows I too have been through the fire and understand.

[swiftieinbrazil]

Theory about "Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?"

First of all, this theory isn't mine! I saw this video on Tik Tok of a Brazilian woman. I found it really interesting and decided to share it with you. She's an English teacher and her account on Tik Tok is @teachermaryhollywood. I could just post her video here, but she's speaking Portuguese in it, and I know the majority of my followers are English native or non-native speakers, so here I am to bring it translated to you.

If you are a non-native English speaker like me, let's learn something:

What's the meaning of "little old me"? When you translate "Who's afraid of little old me?" to your native language, you may not realize how ironic this title is. If like me, you thought "little old me" was only a reference of age, you (and me) were wrong. "Little old me" is an English idiom and it is "a way of referring to yourself that is meant to be modest or self-deprecatory, though often fake".

"Who's afraid of little old me?" made lot of people remind of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". But what are we talking about?

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" This is the title of a play written by the American Edward Albee which was first staged in 1962 and it was adapted to the cinema in 1966. The lead actors on the screen were Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

They starred together in 11 films and while they were together, their relationship was considered the "marriage of the century" by the media. When we talk about this couple, does it remind you of something?

When Taylor Swift released the reputation album, we believe that the majority of the songs, inclunding "...Ready For It?" were written about a specific person. We also believe that The Tortured Poets Department will talk about the same person...

Back to the play... its title is a pun on the song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" from Walt Disney's Three Little Pigs from 1933.

A nice pun happens here with the word "wolf" and the surname "Woolf". There's a scene where Elizabeth Taylor sings the line "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?" in the same way the little pigs sing "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" in the Disney film.

The play/film focus on the middle-aged couple Martha and George. They have a toxic relationship. George is a professor in a university. One evening after a university faculty party, they receive a younger couple, Nick and Honey as guests and the rest is chaos...

But who is Virginia Woolf? Virginia Woolf was an English writer who began writing professionally in 1900. She is considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors. She pioneered the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. She used to depict the truth of her characters in a special way.

Concluding part But why are we talking about all those things? Well, in the play/film Martha and George live in a big illusion. This means that when they ask: "who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?", they're asking "who's afraid of... the truth?". So when Taylor asks: "who's afraid of little old me?", she can be asking "who's afraid of the truth?"

It's important to remind you one more time: This is just a theory that ISN'T MINE. It's from @teachermaryhollywood available on her account on Tik Tok.

Taylor can be asking another thing. Let's wait to hear the song and create more theories because this is so representative of us and our fandom.

Main source: (x)

Extra source: (x) (x) (x)

[burtonandtaylor]

‘The Big Sur,’ narrated by Richard Burton.

[zipstick]

I also have hyperfixated on the book the War of the worlds by h g wells. May I recommend listening to Jeff Wayne's musical version of war of the worlds, if you haven't already. It's sorta progressive rock opera sounding. The original 1978 album has Richard Burton as narrator, and the 2012 new generation version has Liam Neeson as narrator.

that's what got me into it i never actually finished the book 💀

my parents were into it and going to see it live so they got me into it. i have since seen it live again and have tickets to see it a third time next year. i have it on vinyl, both the new and old versions on cd, and a t shirt

maybe i should try reading it again now that i no longer have the brain of an eleven year old and am actually used to reading classic lit

[lovotomii]

>try to listen to new album or song >shift straight back into listening to The Eve of the War

someone help

[47burlm]

In 1959, author and journalist Cornelius Ryan wrapped up a solid decade of research and writing by publishing "The Longest Day," a fictional account of the pivotal World War II battle known as D-Day. Ryan's work served as the basis for a 1962 film of the same name, which starred John Wayne and Richard Burton and won two Oscars on a total of five nominations. Music fans of a certain stripe, however, might argue that this was not the definitive interpretation of Ryan's work, and that the honor belongs not to any film, but to a song. That stripe: Metalhead. That song: "The Longest Day" by the legendary British band Iron Maiden.

The tune appeared on the band's 2006 album "A Matter of Life and Death," and its lyrics, which careen between first, second, and third-person accounts of the carnage, are of course metal as hell. "To the edge of the wire / And we rush with the tide / Oh, the water is red / With the blood of the dead," the soldier on the beach laments. "Your number's up / The bullet's got your name / You still go on / To Hell and back again," the angel (or perhaps devil) on his shoulder whispers in his ear. "The world's alight / The cliffs erupt in flame / No escape / Remorseless shrapnel rains," the omniscient narrator observes. It is a visceral work, masterfully evoking the chaos of one of the most consequential battles in history — and unlike, say, "Saving Private Ryan," you can bang your head to it.

[spacehippieface]

Just like with A Christmas Carol where I couldn't read some of the narration without hearing Gonzo's voice, I struggle to read The War of the Worlds without hearing Richard Burton in my head. And that's not a problem either.

Daily War of the Worlds started yesterday, I guess the guy running it didn't want to wait til June. Check it out here:

And to set the mood, for your consideration, here's the music I had running through my head as I read chapter one:

[rygoespop]

Thomas and Friends: Legends of Sodor (Story 77): The Arrival of Slender Engine (Halloween Special)

Scene opens one day, Halloween day, at Tidmouth Roundhouse Sheds, all the 12 engines of the Steam 13 were prepared to have costumes on

Narrator: Halloween has came to the Island of Sodor, and the engines were getting for the big night

Scene shows the 12 Engines donning costumes (Thomas as Optimus Prime, Edward as Doctor Strange, Henry as Frankenstein, Gordon as Superman, James as Dracula (Again), Percy as a Leprechaun (Again), Emily as Elita-One, Molly as Sailor Moon, Rosie as Applejack, Stanley as a Spaceman, Nia as Elena from Street Fighter, and Rebecca as a Banana)

Thomas: I can’t believe we are spending Halloween all together, and for the First time, all of us

Rosie: I know right, it’s surprising that last year was a disaster thanks to the Ghost Engine

Henry: Yeah, and neither Gordon and I got to participate

Stanley: Well now, that’s about to change

Thomas: Because all of us are together!

Toby: Indeed! *puffs in, dressed up as a Scarecrow again*

Emily: Again with the costume Toby?

Toby: What? It suits me well

Thomas: Anyways, I hope our costumes will surprise everyone

Soon, Sir Topham Hatt came, he was dressed up as a Clown

STH: Indeed

Thomas: Sir! Your dressed like a clown

James: I guess we should call you Sir Topham Clown! *chuckled*

STH: Really funny James

Edward: Ahem!

STH: Oh right! So, a few nights ago, Edward took a group of Paranormal Experts to Henry’s Forest, one of them has recorded the Slender Engine

Henry: The Slender Engine? But sir, I dealt with him nearly a month ago

STH: Indeed Henry, but it won’t leave the Island, and pushing him into the water with cars won’t stop it

Henry: Aaaw

STH: So, with Halloween Traditions like Costumes, Candy, and Jack-O Lanterns, I think you all should be safe

Nia: Yes, although this is my first time experiencing Halloween on Sodor

Rebecca: So, let’s all have a good time

Scene transitions to the Steam 13 all puffing down the line as the sun begins to set

Narrator: That evening, the Steam 13 all puff down the line, as night was approaching

Stanley: Well, looks like every Station has a Jack-O Lantern all set up

Gordon: Hmm, yes

Thomas: So let’s talk about everything that happened with all of you before all this, name something that happened

Henry: Well, after my first encounter with the Slender Engine, Old Man Burton has one wish and it was for the Big Dipper Viaduct to be repaired, and his wish was granted

Molly: I was taking the mail until I accidentally crashed into an old Coal Mine, and it was an accidental discovery

James: I thought there was a Marsh Monster, but it turns out to be Richard, the new engine

Percy: I came across some clowns that were going to perform at the circus

Nia: From what I heard from the Narrow Gauge engines, Smudger encountered the Ghost of Proteus

Edward: And Jock told me that Mike thought he saw the Phantom of Arlesdale, but it turns out to be an Actor

Gordon: And, I was once given an old Branchline Coach, but Jinty and Pug didn’t tell me it was haunted

Thomas: *chuckled* You, pulling a Branchline Coach Gordon? That’s hilarious! You should run on my Branchline!

Gordon: Oh the indignity!

Emily: Don’t forget Thomas, I got you and Percy good with a trick of mine

Thomas: Yeah you did

Scene transitions to the Steam 13 arriving at Knapford Station, as Night finally arrived and the party was on

Narrator: Later that night, the Steam 13 came to Knapford

Thomas: Wooooow, look at this

Rosie: It’s decorated so nicely

Paxton: *dressed as Shrek* Hey Steam 13, Happy Halloween!

Percy: You too Paxton, who are you supposed to be?

Paxton: Why I’m an ogre

Philip: *oiled in dressed as Shingo Yabuki* Hey big sister Molly, Happy Halloween!

Molly: You too Philip, where’s BoCo?

BoCo: *oiled in dressed as Yoda* Right here Molly!

Molly: My, those are some good costumes

BoCo: Thank you Molly

Edward: Well, it’s good to dress as someone wise

BoCo: Indeed Edward

Soon, other engines came in Costumes (Donald and Douglas as Scotsmen, Arthur as a Fisherman, Diesel as Batman, Mavis as Wednesday Addams, Sonny as Steve from Minecraft, Sidney as Popeye the Sailor, Billy and Charlie as Clowns, Hank as a Cowboy, Oliver and Duck as Sherlock Holmes and Watson, Daisy as Roxanne Wolf, Ryan as Hero from Dragon Quest, Whiff as Toxie, Diesel 10 as Shao Kahn, and Belle as a Gymnast) and arrive at Knapford

Gordon: I say Belle, you look good

Belle: Thanks Gordon, or should I say, Super Gordon

Gordon: Oh ho ho!

Whiff: So are we ready to celebrate Halloween?

Sidney: It’s Halloween night

Philip: And we are out Trick or Treating

Edward: Now hold on everyone! We may celebrate Halloween, but we have to be on the lookout

Philip: For what?

Edward: The Slender Engine

The engines were confused

Diesel 10: Oh my, looks like Edward is trying to scare us with one of those fairytales

Edward: Believe me, it’s the truth! A few nights ago, when I was taking the Paranormal Experts to Henry’s Forest, one of them captured footage of The Slender Engine

BoCo: I believe you Edward, as long as that Expert has gotten evidence

Thomas: Yeah, and there’s no way that the Slender Engine will get us

Emily: Besides, it can’t break Halloween Tradition like Jack-O Lanterns and Costumes

Suddenly, a powerful Supernatural Wind blew strong, blowing away the costumes and ultimately blowing out the Jack-O Lanterns

Gordon: Uh oh!

Suddenly, the Slender Engine appeared and Jumpscare everyone

Diesel 10: Quick! Everybody run!

Soon, all the engines began to panic and flee, all of them were fortunate to escape

Thomas: Quickly!

Scene cuts to Thomas, Percy, Emily, Rosie, and Stanley all puffing into Ffarquhar Sidings

Thomas: That was close!

Emily: Thomas, I’m scared!

Percy: The Slender Engine is scaring everyone!

Rosie: And we got separate from the Steam 13!

Stanley: We must go back for Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Toby, Molly, Nia, and Rebecca!

Thomas: I’m sure they made it to safety!

Scene cuts to Edward, Molly, Philip, and BoCo all reaching safety at Wellsworth, as well as others like Gordon, James, Henry, Hank, Belle, and Daisy arriving at Vicarstown for Safety

Narrator: And Thomas was right

Scene cuts back to Ffarquhar, as the 5 engines were trapped

Rosie: Toby, Mavis, Sidney, and Sonny are still out there! I got to bring them here! *attempts to puff off*

Thomas: No Rosie wait!

Suddenly, fire ignites around the field, causing Rosie to stop and puff backwards

Rosie: Whoa!

Emily: Told you!

Percy: Heeeelp! We’re trapped!

Suddenly, the Slender Engine appeared in front of the 5 Ffarquhar Engines

Stanley: Oh no! It found us!

Emily: I guess this is it

Thomas: If it takes us, then we all go together

The 5 engines shut their eyes as the Slender Engine approach them, until

Lady: *appears as a Golden Illusion Spirit* Not today!

Thomas: Lady?

The Slender Engine sees Lady

Lady: Stand down, or face justice from Lady

Proteus: *appears next to Lady* And Proteus!

Thomas: Cinders and Ashes! I don’t believe it! Lady and Proteus came from the Spirit Realm to help us!

Lady and Proteus: Now then, to make you disappear forever!

Both Spirit Engines perform a Golden and Magical Beam to make the Slender Engine vanish once and for all, and thus, the Slender Engine was no more

Thomas: Lady, Proteus, I don’t know what to say.. Thank you

Lady: Your welcome Thomas, it’s nice to see you and your friends again

Proteus: And I heard that those on the Skarloey Railway kept my Legacy going, including my old friends from the Mid Sodor Days

Percy: Mid Sodor?

Thomas: Yeah, Proteus is one of the Mid Sodor Engines along with Duke, Bertram, Freddie, and Smudger

Proteus: Indeed!

Lady: And now, to cleanse tonight to the next day

Lady and Proteus float up to the sky and unleash the Golden and Magical Steam Cloud to cleanse the night away

Lady and Proteus: Come, and cleanse the night!

Soon, the Steam Cloud vanished into a White Cloud Transition to November 1st

Narrator; The next day, on November

Scene cuts to Tidmouth Roundhouse Shed, as the 12 Engines were in and slowly waking up

Molly: What? What happened?

Nia: It’s like we don’t remember a thing at all

Rebecca: We were out in Costumes, did we have a fun party?

Edward: Seems like it

James: What day is it?

Thomas: Why it’s November 1st

Gordon: November 1st? Then we have to get to work!

Soon, the 11 engines hurry off to their jobs, as Thomas began to puff out of the shed, until

Lady: Thomas

Proteus: Up here

Thomas looks up and sees the Spirits of Lady and Proteus, smiling

Thomas: Thanks you two

Edward: Are you coming along Thomas?

Thomas: Oh, right! Coming! *puffs off*

Lady: Our work here is down

Lady and Proteus return to the Spirit Realm, as the camera pans into a Calendar, which has November set

Scene cuts to black

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope you all enjoyed this years Halloween Special, stay tune for more stories coming soon this November

Until next time

[sinceileftyoublog]

Andrew Combs Interview: The In-between Space

Photo by Austin Leih

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Andrew Combs has discovered the magic in the stillness. For this singer-songwriter with a family, including young kids, the evening, post-bedtime, represented the do-or-die moment for creativity: He could either kick back and relax or start some new tunes. What he found was that such hours of the night were actually the most fruitful. At ease, Combs was able to tell all kinds of stories, from autobiographical and biographical to fictional, with tones ranging from light, sweet, and romantic to heavy and devastating. The result is the aptly titled Dream Pictures (Chunk of Coal/Missing Piece), a collection of songs that started at home and built up into their own surreal worlds in the studio.

Upon reading the history behind Dream Pictures, I immediately thought of Combs' previous album, Sundays, because it was also named after and born out of a regular schedule. (Combs wrote a song during the week and recorded it on a Sunday.) But in speaking to Combs last month, it became clear to me that Dream Pictures' existence as a product of mental clarity was more casual than it was some newfound, purposeful desire to create. It's also not an album of kitchen table existential dread like Hiss Golden Messenger's Bad Debt; while they contain moments of self-doubt or even anger and violence, the songs on Dream Pictures are attitudinally variable, even within themselves. On "Eventide", Combs' dedication to his wife rife with subtle drums and piano, muted pedal steel, and whooshing synths, he nonetheless delivers lines like, "I passed away deep in my slumber / Far from fury and far grief." The folky, soulful, and textural "Your Eyes and Me" juxtaposes clever, pointed similes--"Your melancholy hair like curtains in between your eyes and me"--with verses that are weighty in their ambiguity. "Swan dive in the water / Down to the bottom of the lake / Visions of you and our daughters / But I drowned them all now, didn't I babe?" Combs asks, as you gasp, wondering who or what (the visions? the daughters themselves?) was exactly drowned. The very same song contains a plea to "remember the good before the bad," a useful mantra no matter the context.

On Dream Pictures, Combs worked again with Dom Billett, the drummer on Sundays. Billett co-produced Dream Pictures and helped Combs flush out the instrumental arrangements, playing drums, bass, piano, and synthesizers and providing background vocals. Overall, Billett's keen ear for atmosphere, combined with Combs' acoustic and electric guitar playing and Spencer Cullum's pedal steel, gave life to the idea of "dream pictures." Opening track "Fly In My Wine", written by the three of them, is an instrumental consisting of upright piano, pedal steel, and field recorded audio from Richard Serra's installation at the Bilbao Guggenheim. "To Love" is another sonic experiment, one not too far removed from Combs' initial demo, Combs delivering high-pitched, starry-eyed mantras over analog synths, electric guitars, and noise. "The Sea in Me" binds scraped acoustic guitars with an 8-bit synth line. These off-kilter sound collages effectively represent the fragility of memories and dreams. Even on comparatively traditional pop songs like the ballad "Point Across", the echo and delay on Billett's snares feel like time being bent. And when the instrumentation itself is cleaner, it effectively contrasts Combs' unhinged narrator: On Burton Collins co-write "I'm Fine", an electric guitar and Rhodes jam, Combs plays the part of the lovelorn person denying his own heartbreak. "Do I ever touch your heart at all?" he asks, "Or are you busy laughing while I'm punching the walls?"

When I spoke to Combs, he was again in the stillness, but he wasn't working. He was on a beach in the Florida panhandle, on a vacation with his family and parents, getting some much needed rest before moving again. Starting tomorrow, Combs will embark on a two-and-a-half-week tour of the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands, armed with an acoustic guitar, drum machine, and keyboards. Though Combs is known as a Nashville singer-songwriter, his first love was electronic music, and these days, he writes most of his songs on piano as opposed to guitar. And if the sparkling smog of Dream Pictures is any preview, he might just be able to shed that Americana label once and for all. Below, read our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

Photo by Austin Leih

Since I Left You: Sundays was titled and formed around a dedicated day of the week that you sat down and recorded the song you had written over the past seven days. Dream Pictures is sort of similar in that it was inspired by your periods of creativity after your kids went to sleep. Is there something that's special in general about setting aside consistent time for music?

Andrew Combs: Honestly, it started out of pure necessity. It's [when] I can have time alone. I don't know how conscious I [am] of it, but at this age, I'm trying to stay more present and really take in every day and what I'm grateful and thankful for. That doesn't necessarily mean that the songs are all about that, but [I'm] trying to be cognizant of the world that I'm living in now. That time of day is when [songwriting] is easiest to do, [when] I'm still with it enough that I can formulate creative output that may or may not mean something.

SILY: Let me ask you a couple questions about what the songs on Dream Pictures are about. First, I'm assuming there are some songs on here that are not autobiographical.

AC: Yeah. I do feel like pieces of me are in every song, but "The Sea in Me" is about two friends going through a breakup with each other. That's not about me at all, really, but there are things I identify with in that song from my history.

SILY: Even if songs aren't about you, however, they have that same sort of biographical presence, that "moment in time" feel.

AC: Listening back now, I definitely think that's correct. They are little snapshots in time.

SILY: Quite literally, the opening track, "Fly In My Wine", has field recordings, which I find, when mixed with abstract instrumentation, to be very dream-like, which would go along with the theme of the record. When did you realize you wanted to open the album with something like that?

AC: When I figured out the album title was going to be Dream Pictures. I'm right there with you in that field recordings mixed with abstract music feels dream-like. I also really love the song "Eventide". I wanted it to be the first song, but I didn't feel like just starting [the record] with the song itself. I wanted to have some sort of bed to dip your toes into.

SILY: "Eventide" is, on the whole, a dedication to your wife, but one can read yourself working through some troubles. A line like, "I passed away deep in my slumber / Far from fury and far grief"--I don't know what you're referring to, but both within the album and within certain songs themselves, there are moments of struggle or darkness.

AC: Totally. I'm always looking for the darkness in the light and the light in the darkness. Maybe I should try to accept the light when it's light and the dark when it's dark.

SILY: But the former is more true. It speaks to the complexity of things, that things aren't one or the other.

AC: Sure. It would be nice, though, to live in the light.

SILY: If we could figure it out, everybody would be doing it.

AC: That's right.

SILY: What's the story behind "Heavy the Heart"?

AC: Without getting too namey, it's sort of about Elvis, but it's really about a couple people I've known within the music industry who burned it at both ends. They've all been tragic people deep inside, destined for a large and horrific crash.

SILY: Spencer Cullum's pedal steel stands out to me throughout the record. Normally, pedal steel stands out in general by virtue of its sheer quality, but on a lot of this album's songs, it's really subtle. Was that a product of Spencer's choice, the mixing, or something else?

AC: It's a combined brainchild of Spencer, myself, and Dom. Pedal steel is a beautiful instrument, but being in Nashville and starting our careers in the Americana sphere and hearing pedal steel all the time, it can be overplayed and overused. We three have all gravitated towards simplicity and stripping back instead of layering and putting a lot of stuff on top. That being said, on a song like "Mary Gold" or "Genuine and Pure", we really wanted it to stand out for a solo section. I know Spencer's taste is similar, and Dom's is probably the same, but I really like Steely Dan pedal steel instead of alt country [pedal steel,] a more tasteful, thought-out thing. Some of [the pedal steel subtlety] is in the mixing, but I'd say 90% of it is where we chose to put it.

SILY: The instrument has become really prevalent in indie rock to the point where so much prominent indie rock is basically alt country. You'd be considered more of an Americana artist, accurate or not, but Dream Pictures is closer to me to Steely Dan than it is alt country.

AC: Yeah. I know how I got into [Americana,] but I don't necessarily know how I'm gonna escape those tags. [laughs] I'll let time deal with that.

SILY: You've definitely never released a song like "To Love", which is electronic. Can you tell me how that song came to be from start to finish?

AC: I made demos for a lot of [the Dream Pictures] songs on my computer at home. I have a really simple setup with the MIDI controls, microphone, and guitars. That was the only song for which we actually used a lot of the demo. I didn't think or know if it was gonna fit. I still don't really know, but I like it a lot. I definitely feel like there's a handful of songs that I really like that I have stowed away in that vain.

When I first got into music, I was into electronic music. Besides hearing The Beatles and knowing it was something special, when I first started making my own compositions or songs, it was all electronic stuff. It's something I've always loved to do. I haven't always felt confident enough to put it on a record. I definitely feel like I'm doing it more and more. [On the] "To Love" demo, I had done the drums and some of the keyboards and the guitar solo and the vocals. [Dom] added percussion, more keys, and real bass. I don't have a real bass, so I just played bass on the keyboard. It's definitely different than the rest of the record.

Photo by Austin Leih

SILY: I wanted to ask you about "Table For Blue", which seems like a very sweet, simple, almost low-stakes song, in the best way. Is that how it fits within Dream Pictures, providing levity?

AC: Yes. It's the kind of song I've always been trying to write since I started writing songs. It is a low-stakes songwriting song. I'll always try and write songs like that, but they're fewer and farther between these days.

SILY: You co-wrote "I'm Fine" with Burton Collins. Can you tell me about your working relationship with him?

AC: Burton and I have written a lot since 2011 or 2012. For six years, I had a publishing deal where I was co-writing all the time for people on Music Row. Burton is one of the very few people I've maintained a working relationship with. He's mostly an actor. He doesn't play or sing. But he's a brilliant lyricist. He writes with Doja Cat and also collaborates with country people. He did a kids play. He likes to keep his fingers in as many things as possible. We've written a lot over the past ten years and try to do so once or twice a year.

Dream Pictures cover art

SILY: How did you come up with the front cover for the album? Lately, you have a lot of experimental photographs of yourself adorning your records.

AC: It's a photo my buddy Austin Leih took. He's done videos for me in the past and did the "Eventide" visual accompaniment. I was just messing with the picture and the idea of "dream pictures" and the in-between space, [such as] between dreaming and sleeping. I might have hit the nail too much on the head.

SILY: It doesn't have to be subtly symbolic. It can just look cool.

AC: Good. [laughs]

SILY: You co-designed the record cover, too. I know you paint, but do you do design work?

AC: My dad is a retired graphic designer, so I grew up knowing that world. I've always dabbled in it, but I've never had the money to buy the Adobe suites and have never had the time or want to learn how to do it technically well. It's something I do find pleasing to toy around with. I didn't have much money behind this record and Sundays, so [I tried] to do as much as I could by myself.

SILY: Will your upcoming tour be the first time you've played these songs live?

AC: I've played a few of them at a show here and there, trying them out, but yeah, in terms of a formal setting. I'm playing solo, so it's not going to be a full record experience, but I'm trying to incorporate drum machine and keyboards. I'm so bored by the [just] acoustic guitar thing.

SILY: I'm sure it'll prove an artistically satisfying challenge to adapt the songs in that way, too.

AC: Totally. It's actually been really fun.

SILY: On what instrument did you write most of the Dream Pictures songs?

AC: A lot of them were on keys. I'm not a great keyboard player. I just kind of plunk along with chords. Dom did the more elaborate arrangements. I have an old RMI Electra-piano and mess around on that a lot. There are certain things that only guitar can do, but I've grown bored with it being the thing I reach for every time. I think it's nice to start with keys or even a drum beat to change things up.

SILY: Are you planning on touring in the US?

AC: I don't know. I'd like to do some stuff. I can't really foresee doing a real long tour, hitting smaller markets, because I can't afford it. I would at least like to do New York, Philly, the East Coast big city stuff. Do a Nashville show, maybe go out West. It might also depend on if a big artist likes the record and wants to take me out to do some opening sets. I'm always keen on that in the States. It's a lot easier that way.

SILY: That makes sense. You don't have to do a ton of the planning yourself.

AC: And if they have an established audience you haven't tapped into. I did some shows with The Milk Carton Kids, and it was the best opening slot ever, because their crowd is quiet and respectful and they listen. What I do is subtle and can be quiet, so it worked. Then you have those people on your side.

SILY: Are you writing right now?

AC: The time period after you make something and before it comes out is actually really productive for me. It's a time to dream and mess around without a deadline or expectations. I don't know what exactly it is, but I have ideas floating around for what's next. Who knows whether it will stay that way or morph into something different. A lot of my time right now is being spent getting ready for the tour.

SILY: When you're making music, do you try to not consume other media? Or are you pretty good at compartmentalizing and not letting other records, TV shows, movies, or books affect you?

AC: I like learning and listening and seeing new stuff all the time, so I keep it going at all times.

SILY: Anything recent you've liked?

AC: I read [Daniel Mason's] North Woods, which was really beautiful. I'm re-reading East of Eden, which is one of my favorites. The King Hannah record is really cool. I'm listening to these Romanian folk songs, which are mostly a capella with maybe some sparse instrumentation, but they're really cool. I wouldn't know how to tell you what they're called, though, because they're in a different alphabet. I don't watch a ton of TV. I really liked The Zone of Interest.

Photo by Austin Leih

Tour dates

8/22: The Keep, Guildford, UK 8/23: The Railway Inn, Winchester, UK 8/24: Stanford Hall, Bottesford, UK 8/25: Caroline Street Social Club, Shipley, UK 8/26: Kazimier Stockroom, Liverpool, UK 8/27: St Mary's Creative Space, Chester, UK 8/28: The Workmans Cellar, Dublin, Ireland 8/29: Cleere's Bar & Theatre, Kilkenny, Ireland 8/30: The American Bar, Belfast, UK 8/31: Run of the Mill 2024, Paisley, UK 9/1: Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, UK 9/3: Water Rats, London, UK 9/5: De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands 9/6: Luxor Live, Arnhem, Netherlands 9/7: Burgerweeshuis, Deventer, Netherlands 9/8: Sugar Mountain x Indiestad Met Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands 9/9: Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands