I’ve heard a lot of negative things about the new ‘re-imagining’ of Stephen King’s famous vampire tale, and while the movie cannot be considered a masterpiece, it certainly did not disgrace itself either.

Nothing can come close to topping Tobe Hooper’s 1979 miniseries, that much is very clear. However, when you compare this recent film to most of the slop that is being released these days, it comes across as quite watchable and entertaining.

There are some issues, such as the fast-pacing and need to move the plot on quickly, which does not help a horror story build suspense and terror. Also, we see the main antagonist a lot earlier than we needed to, which is a risky ploy for this type of movie. The film does include some hard-to-believe scenes involving one of the younger characters, and the dynamic between Barlow and Straker felt a little flat, but I let it all go and just went with the flow.

But there’s a lot to like about this show. It is well-directed and acted, and some of the concepts were smartly executed and a lot of the transitional shots were well done.

I gave ‘Salem’s Lot’ a score of three and a half on Rotten Tomatoes – rating it as being worth a watch, but not necessarily something to get excited over. That being said, I must say that this film certainly exceeded my expectations.

‘Salem’s Lot’ is currently streaming on MAX.

All screenshots courtesy of Warner Bros/New Line Cinema.

I don’t like to get political on this page, but the proposed Misinformation/Disinformation Bill here in Australia will certainly spell the end of free speech online.

This would have to be the most offensive piece of legislation ever entered into parliament – one that gives the government power to decide what is true or false, while they and the mainstream media remain exempt from any censorship whatsoever.

Can you see where this is going?

A rally against the bill was held in Sydney on the weekend and there was a decent turnout, despite some confusion with two stages being set up by separate groups.

I did take a short video of the event that can be watched via the link below.

Icehouse was already a well-established band in Australia throughout the nineteen-eighties, and would reach superstardom following the release of their 1987 album ‘Man Of Colours’.

Two singles in particular – ‘Crazy’ and ‘Electric Blue’ – had phenomenal success down under and also charted well in the UK and parts of Europe. There were flashes of success in the United States with some movement on the Billboard Charts, prompting the band to visit Los Angeles in 1988 to try cracking this lucrative market.

And here is where the urban myth was born – for apparently Icehouse held a free outdoor concert at a beach somewhere in LA and only six people turned up. I was still in school at the time and I remember this story running wild, with radio announcers even making fun about it whilst on-air, giving this musical disaster some credibility.

But what really happened?

Incredibly, I came across someone selling one of the ticket stubs online, and from this evidence alone a few of the false reports can be debunked.

Firstly, there was no free admission, as the price of $17.50 is clearly marked. Note that the venue is also printed, being the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium – so it was near to a beach, but not an outdoor concert as the stories claimed.

As far as the meagre attendance was concerned, there was an article written in the Los Angeles Times dated the 4th of April 1988 that implied as much, but I’m certain there would have been hundreds of people in the crowd. Overall, the piece was quite positive toward the band’s performance, but did offer some interesting critiques – see excerpts below.

Icehouse would have been in their prime during this period, and it was a bit of a shame that the audience numbers left a lot to be desired. Although I personally was not a huge fan – thinking that Iva Davies was a bit of a poser – they were still one of the top Aussie bands during the eighties and might have been a little unlucky with their US breakthrough.

Below is a link to the music video for ‘Electric Blue’ that was released in August 1987, courtesy of the YouTube channel ‘icehousebandtv’.

I could tell straight away that it was filmed somewhere near Central Station in Sydney, and after doing a little research learned that they were on the roof of the Teacher’s Federation building in Surry Hills.

And how incredible is that mullet?

Also the full Los Angeles Times article about the concert can be found at this link – POP REVIEW : Icehouse Kicks Off the Shackles for Its Civic Auditorium Fans – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) – but it might be hidden behind a paywall.

Photo courtesy of Hello Perth and other online sources.

In an attempt to broaden my base, I have uploaded four of my short stories to the popular Medium platform.

These include the disturbing ‘Red Widow’, the COVID snitch comedy ‘The Chant Society’, the Bon Jovi inspired ‘The Ballad of Tokyo Road’ and the bizarre tale of ‘The Floor Bangers’.

Link here – Sean Carslake – Medium

The same content is also available to download on my website.

Link here – Downloads | Sean Carslake

On the 19th of April 2006, one of the most unlikely chapters in Australian cricketing folklore was written – that being, Jason Gillespie scoring an unbeaten 201 as a nightwatchman.

The previous year Gillespie had been dumped from the Australian test side after being taken apart by the English batsmen during the 2005 Ashes series. To be fair, he looked finished as a top-level cricketer and it seemed unlikely he would ever don the baggy green cap again.

However, ‘Dizzy’ was selected for the two-test series against Bangladesh following the unavailability of Glenn McGrath and later withdrawals of Michael Kasprowicz and Shaun Tait.

After an intriguing first test that Australia struggled to win, all eyes were on Chittagong for the next game where an improved performance from the tourists was expected.

Although usually slotting in as a number ten batsman (second-to-last, for those not familiar with cricket), Gillespie did play with a fairly straight bat and had been promoted up the order on previous occasions to act as a nightwatchman. This turned out to be the case nearing the end of day one of the second test with Bangladesh being bowled out for 197 – and with Matthew Hayden being dismissed during Australia’s reply close to stumps.

Having taken three early wickets that morning, Jason Gillespie then strode out to bat at number three near the end of the day’s play, and the rest was history.

Gillespie survived until stumps on day one, and was still at the crease at the end of a rain-affected second day on 28 not out, with Australia 2-151.

Nearing the end of a rain-shortened third day, Gillespie would become only the third nightwatchman (at the time) to score a century. Australia would close the day on 3-364 with Gillespie 102* and Mike Hussey also unbeaten on 93.

But it would be on day four when history would be made, helped along by an incredible 320 run partnership between Gillespie and Hussey, which ended when the latter was dismissed for a quick 182 from 203 balls.

Then just after lunch, the moment arrived when Gillespie tickled a ball to the fine leg fence to bring up his double century and trigger Australia’s declaration at 4-581. In an incredible feat spanning four days of cricket, Gillespie’s 201 not out came after facing 425 balls and an outrageous 570 minutes at the crease. He hit 26 fours and 2 sixes.

Australia would go on to win the game comfortably, with Jason Gillespie named ‘player of the match’. However, this would be his last appearance in a test match as Gillespie would be later overlooked for the 2006/07 Ashes series.

Below is a link to a video from Wide World of Sports that better represents this sporting miracle than my words ever could.

Video courtesy of Wide World of Sports YouTube Channel. Photos courtesy of Cricinfo and other online sources.

‘The King In Yellow’ by American author Robert William Chambers was first published in 1895.

The book is made up of nine short stories, beginning with a quartet of unsettling and haunting tales set in both New York City and Paris. A time-travelling adventure then follows, with the last four episodes set exclusively in France to finish things off on a rather bohemian note.

What is so weird about this book is the way it starts out – with Chambers delivering a handful of disturbing and macabre works – before it completely transforms into a piece of lightweight romance fiction.

Interestingly, the 2014 TV series ‘True Detective’ often referenced some of the more sinister aspects of this publication – namely ‘The Yellow King’ and ‘Carcosa’.

This would have to rate as one of the best TV shows aired over the past decade, and starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. If you haven’t seen it – put it on your must-watch list – but don’t bother with the later (unrelated) seasons.

‘The King In Yellow’ is an incredible read, even if it does fall away a little after the opening four or five stories. The sheer transformation from macabre story-telling of the highest order into tales of romance set on the streets of Paris is well worth the journey.

The paperback can be ordered at any online bookstore, including eBay. However, some of the kindle reviews claim that different versions are being sold, so it’s best to check out what the buyers are saying before choosing.

Screenshots courtesy of HBO.

It’s fair to say that Disney Star Wars is not in a great place right now.

I remember how much I enjoyed ‘The Force Awakens’ when it came out – in fact, I really liked it. I also couldn’t stop talking about ‘Rogue One’ for weeks after watching it at the cinema, but then I did not think highly of ‘The Last Jedi’ (except for the Snoke scenes). However, Disney would find some redemption soon after with ‘The Mandalorian’ seasons one and two.

So, I would say that up until 2020, Disney were doing alright – maybe a 7 out of 10.

Some of the shows released since have been passable at best, with ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ having a few highlights that I enjoyed, and ‘Ahsoka’ being mostly okay (thanks to the late Ray Stevenson and his Baylan Skoll character). But there was some really bad stuff too, such as ‘The Book of Boba Fett’, the ridiculous third season of ‘The Mandalorian’, and this year’s ‘The Acolyte’ – which overtook ‘Paradise Beach’ as the worst television show I have ever seen.

Which brings us to ‘Andor’ – the pick of the bunch – that was released in late 2022.

This show was well-written, well-acted, and I would say – now looking back at what has been produced since Disney took over – perhaps their best effort so far.

Being connected to the ‘Rogue One’ universe helps the show, as it reintroduces us to Cassian Andor during his initial forays into what would later become the Rebel Alliance.

The only criticism I might have about the show is that it is a little slow to get going, mainly over the first couple of episodes. That being said, it is a slow-burner but it does get to where it needs to be at a decent click from that point onward.

The good news is that the show has been renewed for a second and final season, that will be released in 2025. My understanding is that it will take place around the construction of the Death Star, and bring the story closer to where ‘Rogue One’ starts. Not only that, but it will feature the return of Director Krennic and K-2SO – but will we see Tarkin?

Although I promised myself after ‘The Acolyte’ that I would never recommend another ‘Star Wars’ show again, here I go…

‘Andor’ is available to stream on Disney Plus, and it is well worth checking out.

Screenshots courtesy of Lucasfilm and Disney Plus

I’m going to claim that UK pop duo Climie Fisher were a one-hit wonder – with their only success coming from the 1988 song ‘Love Changes Everything’.

Others may disagree by saying they did have another song in the charts the previous year – ‘Rise To The Occasion’ – which made the UK top ten. However, the difference between the two songs in both quality and catchiness is immeasurable.

Unfortunately, the band were not around for long and the two members – Simon Climie and Rob Fisher went their separate ways.

Climie would go on to collaborate with Eric Clapton and BB King, and he currently lives in the United States. Fisher continued to work in the music industry until sadly passing away in 1999.

As for ‘Love Changes Everything’ – I remember it getting a lot of radio airtime in Australia, and it almost cracked the top 20 here. It peaked around the same in the US as well.

The music video is very stylish and artistic, which was typical for that era – and there is a link below courtesy of the Bruce Hill YouTube channel.