The walls grew fatter here than any in the land
It is not my norm that all of my completed fiction so far this year has been fanfiction, but on the other hand I could be not writing fiction at all. Most lately, for ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thisbluespirit: "The Debt of Centuries."
I wanted to write them reciprocal casefic for Sapphire & Steel (1979–82), so I threw their catalogue of original and other elements into the Ersatz Genremixer to see if I got any useful prompts. Among others, I received "Arsenic / Zinc - Awkward moment & tradition & Lending a coat in the cold," which was technically no crackier than the rest except that Arsenic and Zinc are fancast with Caroline Blakiston and Alec McCowen, last seen by me in Mr. Palfrey of Westminster (1984–85). I could not resist.
The title is a mondegreen left over from hearing Dave Goulder's "These Dry Stone Walls" (since I can't find a link to his own recording, here performed by Gordon Bok) decades before I saw the official lyrics. It seemed to suit. I do not think I am one of nature's tag-users.
thisbluespirit: "The Debt of Centuries."I wanted to write them reciprocal casefic for Sapphire & Steel (1979–82), so I threw their catalogue of original and other elements into the Ersatz Genremixer to see if I got any useful prompts. Among others, I received "Arsenic / Zinc - Awkward moment & tradition & Lending a coat in the cold," which was technically no crackier than the rest except that Arsenic and Zinc are fancast with Caroline Blakiston and Alec McCowen, last seen by me in Mr. Palfrey of Westminster (1984–85). I could not resist.
The title is a mondegreen left over from hearing Dave Goulder's "These Dry Stone Walls" (since I can't find a link to his own recording, here performed by Gordon Bok) decades before I saw the official lyrics. It seemed to suit. I do not think I am one of nature's tag-users.
no subject
I don't know why the tropey genremixer is so amazing for S&S prompts, but it really is. <3
I wanted very much to write this piece and since most of the rest of what I have done with this week is feel awful, it feels like a victory to have done so!
Yay again, then! XD
I got my father into it in 2017. He was talking about it recently. (In the meantime, I believe he's taking a break between seasons of Enemy at the Door by watching Public Eye.)
What did he decide to do after the random beginning with "Paid in Full"? Also I'm kind of impressed that he managed to stop EatD at the point other people had to binge it to get the rest of that bridging S1/2 storyline! XD (I remember it; I was NOT well enough for that but it didn't stop me, and I do recall
... I really should get that formal letter of apology done, lol.
I do recall you saying he watched S&S and liked it! (My memory is so much better if things involve S&S and elements. /o\) My parents also enjoyed it, but since one of them had a major crush on David McCallum and the other on Joanna Lumley, I think what they saw in it was fairly explicable. (I was watching it with them and laughing: somehow these two produced me, chiefly in it for David Collings instead... After that, i asked them to mend my clock, which had stopped. Which, it turns out isn't something you should ask your parents after you just introduced them to Sapphire and Steel.)
no subject
The ones for Antimony and Iron stood out for me as particularly in character, but Silver has been canonically attacked by creatures. I went so far as to check whether Judy Geeson and Peter Cushing ever had acted together and the answer turned out to be yes, in Hammer's Fear in the Night (1972), which I guess I have an obligation to watch now.
What did he decide to do after the random beginning with "Paid in Full"?
I think he's gone back for the rest of the arc—I'm not actually sure he's watched any of the ABC episodes. Do you have opinions about any of them, beyond side-eyeing the very early one where Frank apparently wins a fight through divine intervention?
... I really should get that formal letter of apology done, lol.
Nah. It's a public service.
but since one of them had a major crush on David McCallum and the other on Joanna Lumley
That's delightful.
After that, i asked them to mend my clock, which had stopped. Which, it turns out isn't something you should ask your parents after you just introduced them to Sapphire and Steel.
Hee. I had just finished writing about the series for the first time when my watch stopped. I think it's an occuptional hazard of the fandom.
no subject
Bronze / Iron - Mask & Meteor shower/shooting stars
Gold / Sapphire / Iron - apocalypse & poisoning
Iron / Gold / Mercury - side effects & theft
Emerald / Iron / Sapphire - arrest & time travel gone wrong
Emerald / Iron / Steel - fever & isolation
Iron / Emerald / Silver - coma & witch hunt
Emerald / Iron - deals with demons & estrangement
Iron / Gold - on the run & phobias
Silver / Gold / Iron - isolation & telepathic trauma
Iron / Mercury / Emerald - hiding an injury & trust issues
Mercury / Iron / Emerald - fire & poisoning
(I ended up taking the Iron, Emerald and Silver combo from one with the fire & poisoning of the last prompt. The fire part got cut out as I went and all that was left was the initial gas leak comment, which got tied back into using a candle at the end instead, so there was still fire!)
I went so far as to check whether Judy Geeson and Peter Cushing ever had acted together and the answer turned out to be yes, in Hammer's Fear in the Night (1972), which I guess I have an obligation to watch now.
Oh, there were a lot of 'hysterical' female eps in Thriller that I didn't appreciate that that sounds like (Thriller is very much pastiche, I think; I just don't have a clue which films it's riffing on), but nevertheless, I shall no doubt have to keep an eye out for it as well! (I actually mainly know Judy not from film but from being Caroline Penvenen in the 1970s Poldark... which also starred Ralph Bates, of course, because nothing about this era of Brit TV/film is not incestuous!)
I think he's gone back for the rest of the arc—I'm not actually sure he's watched any of the ABC episodes. Do you have opinions about any of them, beyond side-eyeing the very early one where Frank apparently wins a fight through divine intervention?
I think, that if your father is making is way through the amazing thing that is S4, he might well enjoy the surviving S1-3 eps. You may tell him that, I believe, 4 out of the 5 of them are written by Roger Marshall and at least one (2??) are directed by Kim Mills. The two s2 ones I like quite a lot - "Don't Forget You're Mine" is particularly good (that's the definite Marshall/Mills combo) and contains bonus evil!Mrs Mortimer, and I really like "Works With Chess, Not With Life" as well. "The Bromsgrove Venus" - the sole surviving s3 ep is sadly not by Roger Marshall, but just tell him that Frank has to tango for information in it. XD Both of the s1 eps are v interesting in context, and you can really see that it's moved along between "Nobody Kills Santa Claus" (which, as I said, contains a bonus young Co-Ordinator) and the other one, which has Frank at the end subverting pretty much all known fictional tropes of "Female prostitute walks into PI's office." (He grumbles, gives her biscuits and tea, makes her soup out of a tin, and telephones her parents. lol).
(If he's watched S4, all of those things should make sense to him as to whether or not he wants to watch them.)
That's delightful.
Before we started, Mum was trying to explain to Dad which MUNCLE actor it was she'd had the crush on and Dad was going, "Napoleon Solo?" and I was dying of laughter on the sofa because, well, my Dad is short and blue-eyed with light brown hair and was 60s cute and, well...
no subject
Oh, those are good. And a candle totally counts for fire. I used dry stone walling and/or Bonfire Night for tradition.
Oh, there were a lot of 'hysterical' female eps in Thriller that I didn't appreciate that that sounds like (Thriller is very much pastiche, I think; I just don't have a clue which films it's riffing on), but nevertheless, I shall no doubt have to keep an eye out for it as well!
Right? I have no expectations, but nonetheless feel it may lurk in my future. If nothing else, I have never not enjoyed Peter Cushing in a movie regardless of the movie itself.
(I actually mainly know Judy not from film but from being Caroline Penvenen in the 1970s Poldark... which also starred Ralph Bates, of course, because nothing about this era of Brit TV/film is not incestuous!)
I got her from Danger UXB (1979), which also gave me technically the entire cast, since I was in high school at the time, but primarily Anthony Andrews, Iain Cuthbertson, and Tim Piggott-Smith. I hadn't realized until I looked her up recently that she was in Lords of Salem (2012), which I have been meaning to see for an actual decade now.
(If he's watched S4, all of those things should make sense to him as to whether or not he wants to watch them.)
I shall convey this information. Thank you!
and Dad was going, "Napoleon Solo?" and I was dying of laughter on the sofa because, well, my Dad is short and blue-eyed with light brown hair and was 60s cute and, well...
Aw.
(My mother is also fond of David McCallum. I may have told the story of how she wanted to name my brother Ilya, until my father insisted that it would leave their children sounding like a Russian vaudeville act. He is supposed to have counter-suggested Igor and my brother ended up named after one of my mother's favorite literary characters instead.)
no subject
Oh, one of those things I should get to sometime, I think. But, you know, does it have James Maxwell or Suzanne Neve or David Collings in it? No, it does not. Or Martin Jarvis, sadly. Sometimes I watch all sorts, sometimes I'm very tunnel-visioned onto favourites. (I'm still glaring at MJ's imbd in my head ok. I feel he could have made more of an effort to be findable in the 70s.) XD
I may have told the story of how she wanted to name my brother Ilya, until my father insisted that it would leave their children sounding like a Russian vaudeville act. He is supposed to have counter-suggested Igor
lol! That is a story worth telling. XD
no subject
I like it very much, which I am sure you have heard from other people: I watched it again this spring for the first time since high school and it held up (and I recognized far more of the supporting and guest cast than the first time around). I may orient more toward the technical storylines than necessarily all of the interpersonal plots, but I believe that to be a factor of my priorities as a viewer, not the quality of the writing. This latest viewing also got me to care about Kenneth Cranham.
Now I'm trying to figure out the kind of character that Martin Jarvis would have been in an episode of Danger UXB. David Collings would probably have been blown up.
(I'm still glaring at MJ's imbd in my head ok. I feel he could have made more of an effort to be findable in the 70s.)
I assume you saw this interview in which an action sequence from Breakaway featured as his choice of worst job he's ever done?
no subject
I don't know what Danger UXB is like enough to say, but clearly this may be the approach to take! I can watch it and tell you what JM and Martin Jarvis would have been in it. XD I know enough about David Collings to agree that he would unquestionably have died and exploding is a fairly safe bet for him - probably in the process of trying to blow up other people as well, because he's just like that.
I assume you saw this interview in which an action sequence from Breakaway featured as his choice of worst job he's ever done?
The only person I really look hard for interviews with is JM, so no, I hadn't, and thanks! I really did laugh aloud reading that bit because the first thing I thought when I saw that sequence was that the actor was NOT enjoying himself at all and clearly I was not wrong.
I'm very glad he didn't get poisoned by his gas fire before making it in the 60s, though. (I wouldn't have made gas leak comments in my fic if I'd read that!!)
To the Old Vic in the 1950s to work with Gielgud, Olivier, Richardson and the great director Tyrone Guthrie.
But also: he would like to swap places with James Maxwell for a bit. XD
no subject
I mean, I think that would be delightful. And it does have Judy Geeson.
I know enough about David Collings to agree that he would unquestionably have died and exploding is a fairly safe bet for him - probably in the process of trying to blow up other people as well, because he's just like that.
He could always have been traumatized and frozen up while defusing a bomb and gone that way!
The only person I really look hard for interviews with is JM, so no, I hadn't, and thanks!
Of course! It turned up looking for information about The Forsyte Saga. "And I do love them both."
I really did laugh aloud reading that bit because the first thing I thought when I saw that sequence was that the actor was NOT enjoying himself at all and clearly I was not wrong.
The behind-the-scenes for Breakaway so far are really something so far.
I'm very glad he didn't get poisoned by his gas fire before making it in the 60s, though. (I wouldn't have made gas leak comments in my fic if I'd read that!!)
That's like everyone's clocks stopping when they watch Sapphire & Steel.
But also: he would like to swap places with James Maxwell for a bit.
An understandable ambition.
no subject
He's very murdery as well, though. (He started out as Raskolnikov. He murders and breaks down; it's what he does! XD)
Of course! It turned up looking for information about The Forsyte Saga. "And I do love them both."
Aw, yes. And it was very nice, too! (And also I do look for other people; it's just only been JM lately because he is interesting and tantalisingly elusive but not so elusive as to make a person give up.)
Martin Jarvis has a whole autobiography, so by my standards that's just cheating and too much information! XD
no subject
Clearly I just haven't seen him in enough murdery parts, beyond that one terrorist who got a bucket of water thrown over him.
no subject
I forgot tonight's important update: I had only to mention The Forsyte Saga to discover that my mother has been meaning to watch it for lo these more than fifty years. I have requisitioned the DVDs from our local library system. So that's my life now.
no subject
Lol! Is it you to whom I should in fact be drafting the formal letter of apology now? ;-)
(Oh, and I'm sure you've already done this, but, just in case, do double check the library discs are the 1960s BBC and not the 2002(?) ITV adaptation. I mean, it's probably all right, I'm sure, but it's not the one you're looking for and it doesn't have Eric Porter and Susan Hampshire, and what's the use of that? XD)
The deep irony of all this is that I'm sure it began with me trying to get you to watch Blake's 7 again...
ETA: OMG, is there anything MORE B7-ish in the world than that? What else did I expect??
no subject
I don't see why; I'm making out like a bandit here.
(Oh, and I'm sure you've already done this, but, just in case, do double check the library discs are the 1960s BBC and not the 2002(?) ITV adaptation. I mean, it's probably all right, I'm sure, but it's not the one you're looking for and it doesn't have Eric Porter and Susan Hampshire, and what's the use of that? XD)
I made sure! Damian Lewis wasn't even alive in 1967! The later series was indeed 2002 and has a fabulous cast, but I am not planning to start with it.
ETA: OMG, is there anything MORE B7-ish in the world than that? What else did I expect??
Well, so long as it's thematically consistent, then.