UPDATES AND DOWNPOURS...

IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER UPDATE. Sorry, the caps lock was on. I apologise if that alarmed you at all... if you are reading this of course, because if you weren't visiting this cyber page from wherever you are sat, stood, walking, slouching or maybe even lying down, alive or dead.... basically if you are not on this page right now you will not know that I had the caps lock on at the start. Look, this is all going wrong, I will start again....
COUGH COUGH
  And so, an update. May was a very interesting month for me, as was the first part of June, which is only just behind me.  I turned 37 on the 7th of May, though I don't feel any older, yet maybe a bit younger - though that could be very early senility. Who knows? I celebrated this monumental day by releasing a new Dodson and Fogg EP, although I was recording the music anyway and it literally had NOTHING to do with my birthday, but that makes it sound more poignant... So there you go. If you'd like to listen, you can stream or download it at bandcamp. You can also buy it on CD form my site. I loved recording it actually. It came out of me quick and I felt really relaxed and good after it was done. Total creative expression. 
wisdomtwinsbooks.bandcamp.com/album/keep-up

   Writing wise I put the finishing touches to my book on the films of Catherine Deneuve, my favourite actress of all time. I just love  her work, all the way back to her Repulsion, la Chamade and Belle De Jour days, though now, even into her seventies, she is still making great films and possibly giving the best performances of her life. I explored nearly all her work in the book, about 70 plus (maybe more actually) movies. Such fun!
You can get the book at Amazon... the Nazis...
www.amazon.com/Portrait-Catherine-Deneuve-chris-wade/dp/1471697185

   I wrote an article for DARK SIDE horror magazine too, which includes a sample from my Woods book, all about Videodrome. They turned it into a six page spread and it looks lovely! You can get it in shops now. I suggest you do so!

​   I've been working on a book about Stacy Keach's on screen career since the end of April too, looking at his films and TV roles, but also his stage and audio credits as well. I've watched so many great films, re watched some classics and discovered some oddities. It's been so much fun going through his filmography. The book has been fun for other reasons too. I sent some questions to Jeff Bridges, yes THE Jeff Bridges, the Dude himself, about working with Keach on Fat City with director John Huston. A couple of days later I got an audio file with his answers. "Hi there, Jeff here...." So cool. Lovely guy who gave me some genuinely interesting insights into acting, and a film I happen to love. I did an email Q and A with Bruce Campbell of the Evil Dead trilogy. He answered some Qs about working with Keach on Man with the Screaming Brain, Campbell's camp horror comedy. I also spoke to director Oliver Stone again. I interviewed him by phone for my Woods book last year and sent him a copy too. This time we were talking about working with Stacy Keach on Stone's Bush biopic, the brilliant W. We were on the phone at first but the line was so bad Oliver's assistant set up a zoom link, and there he was, the legend himself, on my PC screen. He was very friendly, smiley and in a lovely mood. Oliver has been very kind to me over the past year or so, supportive too, so I thank him for his kind to this often rather silly Yorkshireman who talks a bit too fast. I was also honoured to talk to the great actor Harris Yulin as well, all about his working with Keach, who is one of his best friends. We were on the phone quite a while and it was fascinating. He told me a lot about acting and the craft of playing on both film and stage. He's also funny and very dry too. 

   Interview-wise, I chatted to Joel Tscherne for his movie book show on the Book Network, all about my James Woods tome. If you want to hear me waffle on for over an hour about films and a little about other stuff, here is the streaming link:
newbooksnetwork.com/the-films-of-james-woods

   So that's it for this month, work-wise. Life-wise I've had some lovely times with my wife and daughter. We stayed in a pod in the country on a sheep sanctuary, have been on day trips and generally hanging about being daft and having fun. All good.
   So for now, so long. I'll be back in about a month maybe for another update. Look, I know not many people read this blog, but it's good for me to do, because it puts what I do into perspective and acts as a kind of diary. Anyway, I really am going now, so see you!