#mark stay

[moviesludge]

the welcome stare we give to new people at the bar is often misunderstood

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/26/2023: UNWELCOME (2023)

I must say I got to see a lot of new and new-to-me movies that I really enjoyed this Blogtober! UNWELCOME is a flawed, yet also hugely delightful creature feature that director Jon Wright has described as "GREMLINS meets STRAW DOGS"--and that is exactly what it is! The STRAW DOGS part is a little murky, with an extremely menacing Colm Meaney leading his brood of angry rednecks in a mounting campaign of terror against the young English couple who have moved into a rural Irish cottage to have their first baby in peace. Each of the cast members are doing their best (Meaney is honestly terrific), but the movie seems to have a hard time deciding between rather broad black comedy, and the grim drama regarding the fate of the extremely pregnant Hannah John-Kamen. But let's be real, it's the GREMLINS part of the movie that you're really here for.

The couple is allowed to inhabit the cottage so long as they maintain the local tradition of leaving a daily bit of meat or offal for the little people who live in the forest beyond the garden wall. Naturally the skeptical modern intruders immediately forget their responsibility, bringing about the wrath of the Red Caps: vicious Boschian homunculi who are more than capable of taking down grown men. And these things are GREAT. It's been a minute since I've seen such an exciting, new monster in the movies, and I watched UNWELCOME twice just for them--and an extra half-a-time just to watch the Red Cap scenes! There aren't many images of them online and I think that's a good thing, not only to preserve the surprise (which is late in coming FYI), but because you really have to see them in motion. They are astoundingly convincing, beautifully designed, and just funny enough to remain threatening and scary. Even if you don't care for the human drama, the Red Caps are so, so worth it. Here's a link to the blog of screenwriter Mark Stay where he talks about their creation:

Behind the Scenes Pics of UNWELCOME’s Redcaps

I was tagged last night in a post from The Prosthetics Studio, the geniuses who created the masks and other prosthetics for UNWELCOME and I

And by the way, I was so inspired by UNWELCOME that I tweeted at Mr. Stay about it, which totally delighted him. Just as people forget that when you say something nasty about somebody's movie online, the people from the movie can see it along with the followers you're trying to impress, it's also easy to forget that filmmakers (or whatever creatives) are sometimes accessible people who will love to hear how much you liked their thing--especially when it's a smaller-scale effort like this. One of my recent New Year's resolutions was to send more "fan mail" like this, and I don't always remember to do it, but when I do it's never a bad thing.

PS I have a feeling that there's an English artist or art tradition that informs these things--like it's not just Bosch in there, but someone or something more specific to old fairy art. Maybe I'm imagining this, but please feel free to reply or reblog if you know what I mean!

[itspronouncedtessa]

2025 Reading Journal

May 26

Book 41

Mark Stay

The Corn Bride

The Witches of Woodville 5

[cherylmmbookblog]

#BlogTour Babes in the Wood by Mark Stay

#BlogTour Babes in the Wood by Mark Stay

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour Babes in the Wood by Mark Stay – this is the second book in the Witches of Woodville trilogy. About the Author Mark Stay co-wrote the screenplay for Robot Overlords which became a movie with Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson, and premiered at the 58th London Film Festival. He is co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast and has worked in bookselling and…

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[rosemariecawkwell]

Review: The Crow Folk, by Mark Stay

Review: The Crow Folk, by Mark Stay

04 February 2021 | Paperback Original | £8.99 Faye Bright always felt a little bit different. And today she’s found out why. She’s just stumbled across her late mother’s diary which includes not only a spiffing recipe for jam roly-poly, but spells, incantations, runes and recitations… a witch’s notebook. And Faye has inherited her mother’s abilities. Just in time, too. The Crow Folk are…

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[theirresponsiblereader]

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Back to Reality: A Novel (Audiobook) by Mark Stay & Mark Oliver, Kim Bretton

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Back to Reality: A Novel (Audiobook) by Mark Stay & Mark Oliver, Kim Bretton @bestsellerxp @LifeBookish

Today I’m pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the delightful audiobook of Back to Reality by Mark Stay & Mark Oliver, Kim Bretton (Narrator). Following this spotlight post, I’ll be giving my take on the novel here in a bit. But let’s start by learning a little about this here book, okay?

Book Details:

Book Title: Back to Reality by Mark Stay & Mark Oliver, Kim Bretton (Narrator) Release date:…

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