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[llpodcast]

(Literary License Podcast)

Dive into a riveting episode of the Literary License podcast, as the hosts nostalgically traverse the wonderful worlds of Batman: The Animated Series, Stephen King's literary universe, and fascinating pre-Code Hollywood cinema. Welcome a plethora of topics, ranging from Batman anecdotes, the storytelling prowess of Blumhouse films, voice-over artists' eccentric challenges, harsh realities of service-oriented occupations, to the intriguing journey of mail-bag job for 'The Last Drive-In'.

 That's not all; our hosts also delve deep into crucial historical events, like the JFK assassination, and navigate the energetic gaming landscape with a focus on the iconic Metal Gear Solid saga. The discussion then sways into the realm of successful TV shows and films influenced by video games, the evolution of popular TV series like 'Westworld', transitioning storylines in 'The Walking Dead', and even reviews of Batman's animated episodes.

 The dialogue deepens as themes of justice, misunderstood villains, law-breaking, and societal adaptiveness come to the fore. This episode serves not only as a nostalgic journey but also an exploration of broader societal themes, encapsulating everything from Gotham City's most bizarre criminals to personal anecdotes about transitioning watching experiences.

 Enjoy an in-depth analysis of actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, and indulge in thought-provoking conversations surrounding film controversies, personal politics, and ethical dilemmas in the world of entertainment. Essentially, this Literary License Podcast episode is perfect for anyone who loves Batman, 90's cartoons, movies, and engaging pop culture conversations.

 00:00:20 - Introduction to Batman Retrospective; 00:01:07 - Catching up with the podcast crew; 00:03:54 - Sean’s TV show recommendation; 00:05:38 - Discussion on the struggles at work; 00:07:01 - Vicky’s movie channel discovery; 00:08:30 - Corporate takeover impact on the restaurant; 00:09:13 - Excitement over upcoming horror movie; 00:10:48 - Reflecting on Blumhouse films; 00:12:14 - Joel’s critique of filmmaker Joel Flossen; 00:13:58 - Discussion on franchise ownership; 00:14:46 - Impact of corporate takeover on community ties; 00:17:15 - Stephen King’s prolific writing; 00:17:53 - Stephen King’s shift towards murder mysteries; 00:19:00 - Connection between horror and murder mysteries; 00:21:00 - Voicing animated characters; 00:21:34 - Joe’s work challenges and adjustments; 00:29:31 - Planning a movie outing; 00:31:05 - Seeking additional income opportunities; 00:32:31 - Surprising discoveries in classic films; 00:34:15 - Millie Bobby Brown’s film role; 00:36:01 - Impactful movie about Parkland Hospital; 00:38:31 - Evolution of media coverage on politicians; 00:40:23 - Revelation about John F. Kennedy’s brain; 02:08:14 - Conclusion: Next Week’s Dark Family Films; 02:09:08 - Make'em Laugh by Donald O'Connor. Taken from the Motion Picture Soundtrack Singing In The Rain.  

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Best Jane Austen Adaptations on Screen So Far

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With Emma and Sanditon making waves (seaside resort pun!), we're listing up the best screen adaptations of Jane Austen's work.

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that every Jane Austen novel must be adapted an infinite amount of times and we will be grateful for all of them. (Yes, even the Pride & Prejudice & Zombies film, the best part of which was not the movie itself but a supercut of Matt Smith as Mr. Collins eating scones.)

There have been a lot of adaptations of Jane Austen's six major novels and some of her other works, including the recently-released Emma starring Anya Taylor-Joy. These are the ones we recommend watching.

Best Pride and Prejudice Adaptations

Easily the most adapted of Jane Austen's works, Pride and Prejudice is a foundational work in the broader romantic comedy genre and in so much of our mainstream storytelling. People tend to have opinions about which of the P&P adaptations are the best. (Who is the best Elizabeth? Who is the best Darcy? Which is the most faithful? Does it matter?) Here are the ones we think are worth checking out...

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

There’s nothing more iconic Austen than BBC/A&E’s 1995 miniseries adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Jennifer Ehle as proud Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as prejudiced Mr. Darcy. The six-part serial was adapted by Andrew Davies, who would go on to pen many more Austen adaptations, and was the project that shot Firth to stardom. The scene of Firth’s Mr. Darcy coming out of the lake, long shirt soaked through, has been riffed on countless times (a personal favorite? St. Trinian’s), and for good reason. Mr. Darcy has never been so begrudgingly sexy.

Bridget Jones' Diary (2001)

An adaptation of the book of the same name which is a contemporary reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’ Diary has Colin Firth reprising the Mr. Darcy role (here, Mark Darcy) alongside Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 32-year-old woman looking to stop smoking, lose weight, and find Mr. Right—who most definitely is not snooty barrister Mr. Darcy.

Written by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), Andrew Davies (screenwriter of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice), and source material author Helen Fielding, this script has it all: romance, comedy, and plenty of heart. The film spawned two sequels—neither of which are as good as the original, but neither of which is terrible either.

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

This Bollywood-style contemporary adaptation from Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) stars Aiswarya Rai as Lalita Bakshi, a young Indian woman who lives in Amritsar with her parents and three sisters. When Lalita and her sister meet British-Indian lawyer Balraj (Naveen Andrews) and well-off American Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) at a wedding, strong feelings ensue. A great cast and a fresh cultural setting make this adaptation a must-watch.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Basically a masterpiece, Joe Wright’s first feature film has a great cast (Kiera Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Jena Malone, Judy Dench, Talulah Riley, and Donald Sutherland), but it’s the director’s interest in getting the setting right that makes this adaptation special. Using his trademark long shot, Wright invites viewers into the world of the Bennets: from the homey, organic mess of the Bennet house to the cheerful chaos of a dance hall, Pride and Prejudice has never felt so lived-in.

Lost in Austen (2008)

If you like your Austen with a speculative fiction twist, might I recommend Lost in Austen? This 2008 ITV miniseries stars Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price, a huge Jane Austen fan who gets pulled into the world of her favorite Austen novel and must make choices accordingly. This four-part story doesn't totally stick the landing, but it's well worth the quick watch for its humor, creativity, and meta fun, as well as to see Gemma Arteron as Elizabeth Bennet. 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012)

Who knew Austen was so well-suited for the vlog style? Hank Green and Bernie Su, apparently, who were the creators behind this Emmy-winning adaptation, which reimagines Elizabeth Bennet as a mass communications grad student still living at home with her parents and two sisters.

The story is told chiefly through a series of vlogs (as well as through supplementary social media accounts for the world’s characters, making this a transmedia storytelling experience). In universe, Lizzie (Ashley Clements) begins a vlog series chronicling her life as a thesis project, an event that just happens to coincide with the moving in of a wealthy medical student Bing Lee (Christopher Sean) and his even wealthier friend, William Darcy (Daniel Vincent Gordh), next door. Told in real-time over the span of year, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries was a truly special storytelling experience, and is still well-worth watching even without the real-time aspect.

Best Emma Adaptations 

While slightly less well-known than Pride and Prejudice, Emma has had its fair share of on-screen adaptations. The story of the spoiled 21-year-old Emma Woodhouse, Emma follows Emma on her matchmaking adventures, which are more the ego-driven meddling of a bored, rich girl with too much time on her hands than anything else. With Emma, Austen set out to tell the story of an unlikable protagonist, but Austen never intends for us to root against her, making Emma’s realistic journey of self-growth that much more cathartic.

Clueless (1995)

If you’ve seen one Emma adaptation, it’s probably this one. A contemporary retelling of Emma Woodhouse’s story, Clueless’ reimagining of Emma as bratty Beverly Hills teen Cher is downright genius. Starring Alicia Silverstone in the main role and Paul Rudd as ex-step brother and unassuming love interest Josh, Clueless is more than just one of the best Austen adaptations out there—it’s one of the best teen comedies of all time.

Emma (2009)

If you’re looking for a faithful miniseries adaptation of Emma, we recommend this 2009 version. Starring Romola Garai as Emma, Jonny Lee Miller as Knightley, and Michael Gabon as Mr. Woodhouse, and written by Sandy Welch (who also gave us the glorious North & South adaptation), this four-part serial will give you more bang for your buck than any of the feature film adaptations.

Emma Approved (2013)

From the web series company that brought you The Lizzie Bennet Diaries comes this similarly-structured Emma adaptation. Recontextualizing Emma Woodhouse as a young lifestyle coach and matchmaking entrepreneur, Emma Approved comments on YouTube/influence culture in insightful, empathetic ways. While not as good as its predecessor, Emma Approved is still a delightful adaptation worth the watch if you're into this form of storytelling.

Emma. (2020)

Bright, colorful, and at times absurdly pretty, this highly-stylized adaptation of Emma highlights the comedy of Austen’s classic tale without sacrificing any of the drama or romance. Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a masterful performance, as we watch Emma go from the rigidly-controlled noble to a more empathetic, thoughtful version of herself, but it’s Bill Nighy and Miranda Hart in supporting roles who really get to chew the scenery.

Other Best Jane Austen Adaptations

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Emma Thompson. Kate Winslet. Hugh Grant. Alan Rickman. Need I say more? Written by Emma Thompson and directed by Ang Lee (his first English-language feature film), this faithful adaptation of Austen's Sense and Sensibility is a classic. Whether you're a fan of the film or simply a cinephile, I highly recommend checking out Thompson's "screenplay and diary" chronicling the making of this film.

Persuasion (1995)

If you're going to go for an adaptation of Austen's final novel (published after her death), try to find this 1995 made-for-TV film. Starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds as Anne and Captain Wentworth respectively (not to mention Killing Eve's Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Croft!), Persuasion is not the story of two people coming together for the first time, but two people reuniting after eight years apart. We mentioned 1995 was a good year for Austen fans, yeah?

Mansfield Park (1999)

Mansfield Park doesn't get a lot of love when it comes to the adaptation, but this 1999 film starring Frances O'Connor and Jonny Lee Miller is one of the best Jane Austen-inspired films out there. A looser adaptation of the novel that also incorporates elements of Jane Austen's life into the story, Mansfield Park has all of the swoon-worthy romance, sharp social commentary, and relatable female protagonist you could want from an Austen adaptation.

Northanger Abbey (2007)

Andrew Davies is back at it again with this 2007 television movie, starring Felicity Jones as protagonist Catherine Morland (Carey Mulligan also pops up as friend Isabella Thorpe). One of the OG stories about fandom, Northanger Abbey follows young, naive Catherine as she visits Bath, becomes the object of two men's affections, and begins to confuse real life with the kind of things that might happen in the Gothic romance novels she obsessively reads. If you've never engaged with this most meta of Austen's works, we recommend checking out this adaptation.

From Mansfield With Love (2014)

If you're a fan of the vlog diaries adaptation format (if you can't tell by now, I am), then I also recommend this endearing adaptation of Mansfield Park. Created by Foot in the Door Theatre, what this production lacks in budget, it makes up for in heart. From Mansfield With Love reimagines the story of 19th-century protagonist Fanny Price to modern-day Britain where Frankie Price is working as a housekeeper at a hotel owned by the Bertrams. In an effort to keep in touch with her brother Will, she begins to send video diaries chronicling her life at Mansfield and with the Bertram family, in particularly with friend Edmund. Austen has never felt so real.

Love and Friendship (2016)

Austen in the style of Armando Iannucci (this film is actually written and directed by indie filmmaker Whit Stillman), Love and Friendship is an adaptation of Austen's epistolary novel Lady Susan, which follows the recently-widowed Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale, having so much fun) in her efforts to secure advantageous marriages for both herself and her daughter.

Sanditon (2019)

The new kid on the block, Sanditon just wrapped up its first (and hopefully not only) season on PBS. Based on the unfinished Austen novel, it follows country gentlewoman Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) into the relatively more exciting world of Sanditon, a fishing village with aspirations of being a seaside resort.

While Sanditon isn't without its indulgent plotting, it is beautiful to look at, and includes some memorable performances from Theo James, Charlotte Spencer, and a massively underutilized Crystal Clarke, playing a rare character of color in Austen adaptations. More than anything, it's interesting to see Andrew Davies (yep, he's back) extrapolating out Austen's unfinished novel. Perhaps, fittingly, we most likely will never find out what happens next in this on-screen adaptation.

What is you favorite Austen adaptation? Let us know in the comments below...

Kayti Burt is a staff editor covering books, TV, movies, and fan culture at Den of Geek. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt.

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The Lists Kayti Burt

Books

Feb 26, 2020

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Gary from Chicago deserves a lifetime achievement Oscar

Gary from Chicago got more time at the Oscars than 98% of all award winners tonight and you know what? That's okay.

Gary from Chicago — now a household name — started as a member of the tour group that Jimmy Kimmel brought into the ceremony as part of a prank. Gary confidently waltzed into the theater unsurprised, wearing shorts and holding his fiancée Vicky's purse. 

SEE ALSO: Your guide to the 2017 Oscars, in highly accurate charts

Gary recorded most of the bit on his purple cell phone, taking breaks to kiss Meryl Streep's hand and get married by Denzel Washington. Gary also took a selfie with what appeared to be Mahershala Ali's Oscar but not Ali himself.

"I feel like you’re ignoring all the white celebrities," Kimmel said to Gary toward the end of the bit.

"Yes, I am," replied Gary.

Suffice it to say, Gary gave hands down the best performance of the night.

Dog Gary took a selfie with the Oscar and Mahershala wasn't even in it 😂😂😂😂

— Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) February 27, 2017

"i feel like you're ignoring the white celebrities." "yes, i am." come thru, gary!

— Bim Adewunmi (@bimadew) February 27, 2017

GARY ALLEN COLE FROM CHICAGO LMAO WHO UNCLE

— jaboukie young-white (@jaboukie) February 27, 2017

Gary took this man's brand new Oscar, gave him the phone and made him take the picture. Iconic. pic.twitter.com/OpQxx3z9R5

— ✨🌸Aight & Bougie🌸✨ (@RedRobinYuumm) February 27, 2017

Gary literally admitted to ignoring the white Celebs. GOAT

— POA (@HumbleTeej) February 27, 2017

Move over, Ken Bone, you stupid piece of shit. Long live Gary from Chicago!

— Sean O'Connor (@seanoconnz) February 27, 2017

Gary is dressed like every uncle of mine from Chicago.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) February 27, 2017

gary from chicago is helping us close out black history month right pic.twitter.com/Kh7T0DeKrK

— Ziwe (@ziwe) February 27, 2017

Thank you for saving the Oscars, Gary.

BONUS: Oscars contender 'La La Land' gets an old school video game treatment

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

Star Sightings: Rihanna Has Epic Dance-Off at Coachella, and More!

Dancing queen!

Rihanna had an epic dance-off with Diddy’s son, Christian Combs, at the VELOCITY BLACK x 1 OAK/Up & Down Desert Beach Club in Indio, California, on Sunday. French Montana, P. Diddy, Cassie, Future, Nicole Scherzinger, and 2 Chainz, and more were on hand to celebrate Rihanna’s brother, Rajad Fenty’s, 21st birthday with cocktails by Absolut Elyx and D'usse, Budweiser beer and food by CATCH.

Matteo Prandoni / BFA

Earlier in the day, Katy Perry hosted an Easter Day "Recovery" Brunch, produced by John Terzian's The h.wood Group, at a private estate during the Coachella Music Festival in Thermal, California. The colorful daytime event featured an exclusive pop-up debut of the Katy Perry Footwear collection, and guests re-fueled with vitamin elixirs, oxygen bars and reflexology massages. The fun activities also included a festive Easter egg hunt by Cover Girl, and beats spun by Mia Moretti, Balthazar Getty and Bobby French.

Rony Alwin

Rony Alwin

On Saturday, Jimmy Fallon, Harry Styles and Saturday Night Live creator and producer Lorne Michaels held an after-party for the ages to celebrate the show's historic, first-ever coast-to-coast live broadcast at New York City hotspot Zuma.

Andy Cohen, Rachel Dratch, Questlove, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, and many more celebrity guests joined the party at Zuma, which is known for its Izakaya-style Japanese cuisine, signature Robata grilled dishes and inventive sushi.

In celebration of the new 2017 Buick Encore, the brand hosted a curated road trip and wellness event, "Buick Encore Backstage Classes," during the first weekend of Coachella at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs, California. Celebrity fitness trainer Harley Pasternak – whose clients include Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna — and celebrity chef Bo O'Connor shared tips and insights on how some of their A-list celebs stay fit and healthy on the road.

Rodrigo Pena for Buick/AP

Rodrigo Pena for Buick/AP

Also at Coachella, Kaleidoscope Productions and Delta Air Lines hosted "Lawn Talks," a casual day of conversation amongst music's top innovators, pioneers, and legends in music, technology and business during the music festival. The star-studded guest list included Shay Mitchell and speakers Randy Jackson (GRAMMY-winning producer), Jim Zukin (founding partner, Houlihan Lokey), and Noel Lee (founder & CEO, Monster).

Guests sipped on Ciroc cocktails during the event, and were entertained by "The Foodie Magician" Josh Beckerman.

Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Kaleidoscope

Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Kaleidoscope

Global pop superstar and platinum songwriter CHARLI XCX, along with opener LPX, entertained guests at PANDORA's 4th Annual Indio Invasion to celebrate the first weekend of Coachella at the Cree Estate in Cathedral City, California.

Michael Bezjian / Getty Images for Pandora

Singer Halsey hopped on the Three Olives "Find Otherness" bus from their desert house in Rancho Mirage, California, and headed to the Saguaro, Palms Springs for a little fun in the sun during Coachella.

David Crotty/WireImage

Joaquin Phoenix and girlfriend Rooney Mara enjoyed a movie date night on Friday, at Universal Cinemas at the Universal CityWalk in Universal City, California. While rumors that they were dating first surfaced earlier this year, the couple remained low-key at dinner, though Phoenix was sporting a disheveled, faded red-orange dye job that was hard to miss.

"He had his arm around Rooney as they waited at the concession stand. They looked cute together like they were having a normal, couple's night out," an eyewitness tells ET. "Rooney seemed to be the one looking around, on alert for anyone who might recognize or spot them, looking around every so often."

Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick enjoyed a family fun day bowling with their kids, Penelope and Reign, at Bowlero in Woodland Hills, California, on Thursday.

The group chowed down on fries, and were spotted filming for an upcoming Keeping up with the Kardashians episode. Kourtney and Penelope's sweet bowling names were "Banana" and "Blueberry" while Scott and his youngest son Reign went by "Batman" and "Robin."

The Weeknd, Drake, French Montana, Big Sean, Amber Rose, Travis Scott and more celebrated rapper Belly’s birthday at a private residence in Beverly Hills, California, on Friday, April 7. The group partied until 4 a.m. with Grey Goose cocktails like Le Grand Fizz, High Five, Le Melon Mule and Grey Goose VX.

The "Starboy" crooner threw the bash for Belly, but he only had eyes for his main squeeze: Selena Gomez. The cuddly duo spent most of the night huddled in a corner behind a wall of security. Guests saw the couple showing off some major PDA, and sneaking in and out of the tent throughout the party.

Johnny Nunez

Johnny Nunez

Elsewhere in couples' news on Friday, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd were spotted leaving a date night at Chin Chin in West Hollywood, California. An eyewitness tells ET that the Dancing With the Stars pros left the restaurant’s back entrance shortly after 7 p.m. The twosome, who recently welcomed a son together, were "touchy-feely" and "intimate,” while leaving the parking lot.

At one point, Maks even pulled Peta in from behind and had his arm around her waist as they walked in unison to a black Mercedes.

Meanwhile, Ireland Baldwin, Debby Ryan and Jeannie Mai attended an intimate dinner hosted by footwear giant UGG and Darling Magazine in the hills of Los Angeles, California. Chef and food blogger Lee Tilghman prepared a three-course organic dinner for guests who participated in intimate conversation led by the magazine’s editor- in-chief, Sarah Dubbeldam, about women’s empowerment, health and wellness, pop culture and the changing seasons.

The event was the latest in a series of regularly hosted dinners by Darling Magazine across the nation, where subscribers and influencers are invited to come together for an evening of conversation over a nice meal. The driving inspiration behind this facet of the Darling Movement is to bring people together to share and express their individual ideas and opinions, whether they have been friends for years or acquaintances for five minutes

Cara Robbins

Fat Joe hit the stage for a performance at Pepsi's New York Yankees Home Opener After Party at Kola House in New York City.

Getty Images/Kola House

Multi-platinum band DNCE dropped by The Brooklyn Bowl in partnership with M&M’s as part of the Spotlight Concert Series.

Stuart Ramson/Invision for M&M'S/AP Images

Dancing With the Stars' Jenna Johnson celebrated her 23rd birthday with a karaoke party at Blind Dragon in Los Angeles. Fellow dancers Sharna Burgess, Keo Motsepe, Artem Chigvintsev and more sang and danced all night and presented the birthday girl with a lipstick ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery.

Speaking of birthdays, Victoria's Secret supermodel Josephine Skriver celebrated her 24th birthday a few days early, with her "sister," fellow VS model pal Jasmine Tookes, and a few other model friends at Encore Beach Club inside the Wynn Las Vegas. The blonde stunner and her pretty posse partied in a cabana overlooking the hot pool party action as David Guetta provided the soundtrack for the afternoon from behind the decks.

The bikini-clad birthday girl sipped on champagne as she and her besties took a twirl on Encore Beach Club's Ferris wheel, one of the world's most popular dayclub's elaborate bottle presentations.

Michael Kirschbaum

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, best known for playing Luke Skywalker, surprised pediatric hospital patients at the launch of Starlight Virtual Reality at the Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, April 12.

Starlight Children's Foundation announced the launch of Starlight VR as well as their collaboration with the program’s founding sponsor, Star Wars: Force for Change, an initiative from Lucas Films that harnesses the power of Star Wars to empower and improve the lives of children around the world. The groundbreaking new program, which is powered by Google, will entertain, educate and inspire the imaginations of hospitalized kids across the U.S. through a one-of-a-kind, immersive experiences.

Hamill visited patients in their rooms as well as interacted with children as they played games, made crafts, went through “Jedi training” and other Star Wars-themed festivities. During the special event, Hamill also presented new Star Wars-themed Starlight Brave Gowns that allow hospitalized kids to transform into their favorite Star Wars characters, including Princess Leia, R2-D2, Chewbacca and Darth Vader.

Renowned designers Dean & Dan Caten -- the forces behind DSQUARED2 -- and international superstar Ricky Martin commemorated the opening of the brand’s newest flagship boutique at The Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 6. The iconic duo created all of the costumes for Ricky’s new residency at Park Theater, Ricky Martin: All In, which debuted the night before.

Denise Truscello/ WireImage/Getty Images

Estelle performed at the 20th Annual Dress for Success Gala, at New York City's Cipriani, where the company announced its Open Door Project Initiative.

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[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.40 /   Maggie K de Monde (Swans Way & Scarlet Fantastic) with Mark Watkins.

MW: Maggie, you wrote your first song - “Gloriana” - aged 14. Can you recall the first two lines? What's the story behind it?

MKDM : Mark, the first two lines were : “ Mrs Moffat’s done a bunk, the barbs she ate made her a punk. She flies higher, cooler higher, in her automatic Hotpoint spin drier.”

“Gloriana” is an imaginary state of grace/imaginary place where everything is calm and full of love, and there is no suffering, and everything and everyone is in perfect harmony. A Utopian fantasy. I think I was very influenced by the TV show Rock Follies at the time!

MW: How did Swans Way, then Scarlet Fantastic, come about?

MKDM: I met Rick P Jones at Kent uni where I was studying French and Drama. Rick was a guitarist. We formed our first band Playthings, and then we met Robert Shaw and decided to do something completely different - which to us, meant ditching our original instruments and starting afresh on something new. Hence me playing the drums!! We read a lot, and watched a lot of old '50s movies, and listened to many soundtracks (French and Italian). We were looking for some different influences. Marcel Proust wrote a novel, “Swann’s Way”. I think we may have chosen our name as a nod to this, although we spelt our name differently, as we didn’t want people to think that we were all about the book.

After the release of a critically acclaimed album, The Fugitive Kind, Rick and I became restless, and decided we wanted to take a different musical direction. We weren’t inspired by Swans Way any more. We bought our own studio gear and Rick learned to programme drum machines and synths etc and we came up with a glam/pop/electro/ kind of sound which seemed quite unique to us at the time. We were into larger than life imagery and big slogans: - “Energy Breeds Energy” , “Deconstruct the bad vibes” and many more. I think we felt we were on a bit of a mission, we were very much into the idea of spreading peace and love! We used to describe our sound and imagery as a mix of the REAL the SURREAL and the FANTASTIC. We needed a name that encompassed all this so we chose Scarlet Fantastic! Rick used to make a joke and say it was the colour of my lipstick!

MW: How did Swans Way and Scarlet Fantastic compare and contrast?

MKDM: I think there were similarities in the sense that we were out on our own, doing our own thing, writing songs from the heart, but sound wise there were definite differences as Swans Way had a very organic sound and Scarlet Fantastic was more electro. Lyrics were a very important part of both projects.

MW: Tell me about Duran Duran...

MKDM: Rick and I were in our first band Playthings before Swans Way. Duran Duran used to say that we were the other best band in Birmingham apart from themselves. Birmingham back in the '80s was a very close knit scene, everyone knew everyone. We toured with Duran Duran as they had their first hit “Planet Earth”. I was with Simon sound checking for a gig at Aston Uni when they received the news that “Planet Earth” had charted. Simon was a big, friendly, bouncy ex-drama student, always the flirt too!! Jon Taylor was the one who was always perceived as the cool one (I guess he was initially a little shy). My mum had a cup of tea with him once and said: “what a lovely boy he is!” . Nick Rhodes was the one who people would sometimes say had a tendency to be somewhat of a poseur, but I think he was genuinely into quite diverse and left field art projects etc. Andy Taylor the guitarist was the most down to earth, a salt of the earth Northern lad and Roger Taylor the drummer just always looked incredibly cool!!

MW: …careless memories of BBC Radio 1?

MKDM: I used to love doing Radio one sessions, going to the big studios in Maida Vale and then getting all excited when the sessions would air. Swans Way played live several times on Radio One sessions but I can’t remember whose show we were on. Janice Long was a great supporter of ours along with her producer Mike Hawkes.

MW: ...TV appearances?

MKDM: I think Top Of The Pops and The Tube were always my faves. Both shows were iconic for their time. I miss them both, and sadly there seems nothing like them today. The Tube made several really interesting films of Swans Way and Scarlet Fantastic ; it’s so great that those time were captured on celluloid and can now be see on YouTube all these years on!

MW: Maggie, tell me about your new album Reverie...

MKDM : Well Mark, I called my new album Reverie as I felt the word describes the sound. Reverie is released on Dirtbag Baby Records and it’s distributed by Right Track through Universal. It’s a gentle, dreamy alt-folk album. A journalist recently described it as ethereal folk. It’s a very song based album. I wanted the emphasis to be on my voice and my words. I had an idea for the overall sound and it was a joy to work with my husband and musical partner on it, Mark Leif Kahal, he produced it and played most of the instruments on it too. We really went for clarity and an uncluttered sound. The songs were very much influenced by dreams and nature. There are many similar themes to the original Scarlet Fantastic from 30 years ago but the sound on this new album is very different. It’s more in keeping with my previous album Union which was by Maggie and Martin, a collaboration I did with Marc Almond’s keyboard player.

MW: OK, let’s talk books...

MKDM: The most recent book I read was written by my friend Clayton Littlewood, “Dirty White Boy”. It’s about a shop he had on Old Compton St., and the daily goings on with all the Soho locals. It’s hysterical. It’s a real fun read and it’s in a diary form as Clayton started off by blogging but ended up turning it into a novel. I love his observations of people and places, he’s so insightful and so funny!

My next read will be a re-read, “Tender is the night”, by Scott Fitzgerald. It’s been on my mind often lately and definitely needs a revisit. I love the time it’s set in and I’ve been enjoying a lot of artists from this period recently too. I have also just bought “Testimony” by Robbie Robertson; I can’t wait to to get tucked into this! I’m a huge fan of his and the whole period with all his contemporaries, some legends. It’s meant to be a brilliant book.

MW: Which newspapers can’t you live without?

MKDM: I read The Guardian and The London Evening Standard. Simon Jenkins is one of my favourite journalists. On world news, I’m a big Christiane Amanpour fan.

MW: What are the best and worst aspects of social media?

MKDM: The best aspects are being able to spread the news about my work and to connect and reconnect with people/old friends/new friends/like minded people etc. I enjoy learning about new projects and hearing reactions to world situations etc. I feel the whole “community” aspect of it can be a positive thing. The worst aspects are the cruelty and bullying that can occur, especially amongst teens. I think people can also waste way too much time on social media and forget about/neglect real life. I do know that it does help socially isolated people and lonely people which is a very positive thing.

MW: List your Top 10 favourite EIGHTIES albums...

MKDM:

1 Joshua Tree - U2 (1987) 2 This is The Sea - Waterboys (1985) 3 Faith - George Michael (1987) 4 Kick - INXS (1987) 5 Purple Rain - Prince (1984) 6 Let’s Dance - Bowie (1983) 7 Sign o’ the Times - Prince (1987)��8 The Lion and the Cobra - Sinead O'Connor (1987) 9 Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys (1988) 10 Hounds of Love - Kate Bush (1985)

Each album I’ve listed here reminds me of a very specific time in my life and a very specific feeling evoked when listening to the music. My life’s journey has been accompanied by some very poignant soundtracks. I spent a very special time in South Africa with my father before relocating to Dublin which was full of magic. Throughout my African experience then onto my Dublin experience, before, during and after, The Joshua Tree held a very special kind of magic for me as did the top 5 albums I’ve listed, all of them in fact! Very hard trying to pick the favourite. All sensational and played an important part in my life, helped me through a few things and celebrated with me too!

MW: Which BOWIE song is your favourite? How did you feel on hearing the sad news of his death?

MKDM: Mark - I was devastated when I heard of his death. It’s so difficult trying to pick one favourite song, I have many but one which never fails to move me is “Wild is the Wind”.

MW: You live in Eastbourne. What do you enjoy doing along the South Coast?

MKDM: I love the nature here. I walk and cycle often and spend a lot of time by the sea. I’m enjoying painting again. We have a fantastic modern art museum here, affiliated with the Tate, so I’m often there. We have some great record shops and cafes and some amazing restaurants too (I’m a real foodie!!). I often hop over to St. Leonards, Hastings or Brighton. London isn’t far either. I travel a lot around the South East as there is always a lots going on. Music, art shows etc. I have my own studio so I record a lot of stuff here too.

MW: … plans for 2017?

MKDM: I have a song “Heartbreak House” on Hifi Sean’s album Hifi Sean Ft. The video for the song will be released shortly. I filmed it in St Leonards, it’s turned out to be a rather neo-Gothic affair! Sean is ex-Soup Dragons, his album is doing very well, his track with Crystal Waters has just gone into the Top 40. There are some interesting artists on the album, Yoko Ono, Fred B52’s, David Mc Almont and many many more. As well as being a part of that I’m writing new material and I’m also painting a series of still lifes in oils. You can keep up with me on my Facebook musician pages, Maggie K de Monde, Scarlet Fantastic and Swans Way. There is also a website www.scarlet-fantastic.co.uk

© Mark Watkins / February 2017