Monthly Archives: January 2010

The Lancashire Witches

25 Monday Jan 2010

Posted by in Books, Fiction, History, Witchcraft

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

Original artwork by John Gilbert

William Harrison Ainsworth (1805-1882) was a historical novelist and one of the most popular English authors of the later 19th century. Born in Manchester, he trained as a lawyer and practised in London, but his true ambitions were always literary. In his youth, Ainsworth read adventure stories and was an admirer of Dick Turpin, the highwayman whose exploits were the subject of popular legend. The tale of Turpin’s overnight ride from London to York on his steed, Black Bess, featured in Ainsworth’s first novel, Rookwood (1834.)

Among Ainsworth’s nearly forty novels, several were set in his native Lancashire, including his most famous work, The Lancashire Witches: A Romance of Pendle Forest (1848.) Continue reading →

Filth and Wisdom

15 Friday Jan 2010

Posted by in Film, Madonna, Music

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

Originally conceived as a short film, Filth and Wisdom was extended into a long feature and first shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2008. Since then it has had a limited theatrical release, and is now available on DVD in Europe and America (though not, as yet, in the UK) as well as being issued on-demand via cable providers.

It’s unlikely that this low-budget, indie film would have been noticed at all had it not been directed by Madonna. Her star power has proved to be a mixed blessing, generating media interest but also critical scorn. Continue reading →

An American Affair

10 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in Film, History, Marilyn Monroe

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

An American Affair is an independent film, written by Alex Metcalf and directed by William Olsson, released in US cinemas and on DVD last year. Set in 1963, it depicts a fictional romance between President John F. Kennedy and a mysterious woman, observed by a young boy in the months before Kennedy’s assassination. Continue reading →