Robert J.E. Simpson

I'm on BBC Radio Ulster from 12.30 today for Sunday with Steven Rainey.

I'll be talking about Mickey Mouse and copyright, and the late David Soul

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001v32v

I am running a ten week series of writing classes/workshops at Crescent Arts Centre starting this Monday night. While these sessions are aimed at those already writing, everyone is welcome.
A few spaces are still available - so book now before its too late.

Writing Fiction Continuation This 10-week course is suitable for writers who have completed a term of The Crescent\\'s Writing Fiction course or post-beginner writers who are lookin...

On my way to BBC Radio Ulster. I'll be live on Sunday with Steven Rainey at 11am to talk about the enduring appeal of .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001tgrn

I was back on BBC Radio Ulster for Sunday with Steven Rainey at the weekend for yet more Doctor Who at 60 chat.

You can listen back via BBC Sounds - we're the first half hour of the show: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001smf7

Also on the segment: Gemma Bradley Alex Kane and Amanda Ferguson

Pictured: me back in February at the Buchanan St Police Box, Glasgow

I was on BBC Radio Ulster earlier talking with William Crawley about Doctor Who and it's 60th anniversary for TalkBack today.

Listen back via BBC Sounds from 1h 06m 10s mark. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001s5gp

I'm on with Katherine Wheeler, Josh Carr and & Martin Montageue - it's weirdly fun.

My Hammer Films / Exclusive Films blog has been a bit neglected lately.

So here's a new piece identifying the exact date of Hammer's actual formation (something which seems to have skipped the attention of Hammer historians for decades).

Happy 89th birthday to a company that has shaped so much of my adult life!

The formation of Hammer Productions Ltd: Happy 89th birthday Hammer Films Sourcing the original founding date of Hammer Productions Ltd, and the origins of Hammer Films for their 89th birthday.

'Hammer A.D. 2023' is now available to watch on YouTube courtesy of Hammer Films.

I was delighted to be invited to participate in this short documentary looking at the history and influence of Hammer Films, tying in with the relaunch of the company by John Gore. Originally screened before the Leicester Square premiere of in October, it has now been released to the public in the week of Hammer's 89th anniversary.

I provide comment throughout the film, and also supplied a number of archive images from my personal collection. I hope you enjoy.

Needless to say, it was a delight to be working on an official Hammer product again for the first time in a decade. While I hope it isn't the last, I'm back at work on my upcoming books about the company. The first of these, on the history of Exclusive Films, should be out in early 2024.

Hammer A.D. 2023 | The past, present and future of Hammer Films Join us in celebrating Hammer Films' 89th anniversary with our special documentary, "Hammer A.D. 2023 - The Past, Present and Future of Hammer Films." Delve...

This week I am smothered in HAIRSPRAY

The Never Seen It Film Club is BACK!

This October we continue our Z-List season with Hairspray (1988), why it made it to this list we're not sure, the members have their reasons!

The fun, campy, and a little bit strange offering from John Waters marks the halfway point in our Never Seen It Film Club season which means we'll be opening up the vote for our next adventure very soon!

If you'd like to have YOUR say on what we screen next, you'll have to join the club!

Membership is just £3 a month, and for that you get to come along to the monthly screenings, an exclusive Discord channel to chat with your fellow film buffs, behind the scenes access to our monthly discussion show "You've Never Seen.." with the option to join in with CinePunked Director Robert JE Simpson and our very own film nerd Emy Bainbridge , as well as special early access to the podcast and youtube video!

So join us today by signing up here:
https://accidentaltheatre.co.uk/box-office/never-seen-it

last night at Cabaret Supperclub Belfast for an -themed .

Featuring me as Lurch, Jenny Marshall as Morticia, Conor Ferrin as (shaved) Cousin Itt, and PJ Houghton as an (unshaved) Uncle Fester. Plus Thing as himself.

Bit of a different vibe with Jenny's script on this one, which I rather liked. Not just cus it was a tad .

In the end I adopted a bit of a slowed down Boris Karloff impression for my Lurch. Which suited him very well I thought.

After this one, I believe our next Cabaret shows are all Christmas themed. Do come along!

Last night I was in London for the premiere of Hammer Films latest outing - Doctor Jekyll Movie

A glorious affair in the Odeon Leicester Square.

Before the main feature, a short documentary - "Hammer A.D. 2023" played, which includes contributions from me on Hammer's history, along with the likes of Mark Gatiss, Madeline Smith, Caroline Munro and Hammer's new owner John Gore.

I wasn't allowed to mention my involvement until the screening, so if you were there it may have been a surprise to see my face on the big screen. I also supplied a number of images from my own collection of Hammer ephemera too.

Knowing my love for Hammer's short subjects too, I'm rather pleased that I've finally managed to appear in (technically) a Hammer film. Now I just have to get cast in an acting part 😂

I'm genuinely excited about Hammer's next chapter, and delighted to have worked for them for the first time in a decade.

Join me tomorrow for a screening of arguably the worst film ever made - THE ROOM.

I'll be introducing the film for Accidental Theatre & CinePunked's Never Seen It Film Club at Accidental Theatre, 4pm, Sunday 24 September 2023.

Tickets available via the link (or on the door):
https://accidentaltheatre.co.uk/box-office/never-seen-it

A new documentary - THE MEN BEHIND HAMMER - screens at Dark Side Magazine's Darkfest on 25th November.

The doc is screening to tie in with the release by Hemlock Books of the late Denis Meikle's final book 'Hammer Films: The Whole Story'.

Made by Denis' daughter Sarah Appleton and Jon Dear, featuring on screen contributions from the likes of Mark Gatiss, David Pirie, Caroline Munro, Jon Dear and me!

Full details of Denis' book will be revealed in due course, but his research and writing on Hammer Films is essential reading for any fan of the company. I'm very much looking forward to this final tome.

Get your tickets for the festival here (I might even see you there!):
https://thedarksidemagazine.com/product/darkfest-6/

I'm back on BBC Radio Ulster this weekend for Sunday with Steven Rainey where we'll be talking about the perils of casting Hollywood remakes.

Listen live on Sunday 11am-1pm (I'll be on air after midday). Or after via BBC Sounds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001q3tp

For those that don't know already, I'm over on TikTok making videos...

The odd little vlog, but also mini films about places I like to visit. And there's definitely a macabre element has crept in (typical me!).

I'm gradually finding my way, and starting to enjoy it.

Feel free to start following.

Here's today's exploration of Père Lachaise Cemetery and the grave of

TikTok · Robert JE Simpson Check out Robert JE Simpson's video.

I'm giving a live interactive talk tomorrow (Sat 1st July) on Hammer Films (and ) for Romancing the Gothic.

"The Studio That Died - Yet Lived! : Hammer Horror in a Dozen Artefacts" is a introductory tour through the history of the Hammer Film company, and to archival research.

I'm doing it twice, at 10am and 7pm BST (UK time). It's live, and I'll be taking questions throughout, so both sessions should be somewhat different.

Tickets are free. But donations are welcome, so please pay what you want. Links below. Book now, and I'll see you tomorrow.

7pm BST/ 11am PT/ 2pm ET:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-studio-that-died-yet-lived-hammer-horror-in-a-dozen-artefacts-tickets-660793199247

10am BST/ 2am PT/ 5am ET:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-studio-that-died-yet-lived-hammer-horror-in-a-dozen-artefacts-tickets-660789939497

Awful news from my friends at Glebe House Hct in Kilclief.

A fabulous resource, some of you will be aware I've run affordable photography workshops there for a number of years now, resulting in several exhibitions of the attendees work.

While much of my involvement has been with older folk, we've had a wide age range participate, and it's been an absolute pleasure to work with them. Always among my most favourite workplaces.

Am saddened to hear that they are now at very real risk, another victim of the failures of the NI Assembly to actually govern as they were elected to do.

Here's hoping something can be done.

Periodic reminder that I'm expressing myself and creating content on TikTok too...

Most recent videos are explainers on the missing Titanic submersible and the frantic attempts to recover the vessel.

Here's today's...

Feel free to follow me there too!

TikTok · Robert JE Simpson 303 likes, 47 comments. “Here's an update on the currently underway in the ... I've tried to explain some of the issues and speculation and why I fear we're dealing with a recovery mission and not a rescue.”

Thanks as ever to the BBC Radio Ulster team at Sunday with Steven Rainey for having me on the show again this morning.

Steven and I had a long chat about the 50th anniversary of cult horror film THE WICKER MAN - hopefully it'll encourage some folk to take a trip to Summerisle this weekend.

If you missed it, the show is available for the next month via BBC Sounds - we're on from about 1hr 36mins mark.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001lgpt

Back into the edit this week with a short film we started work on oh so long ago...

A few other little projects to follow...

Behind the scenes: THE LONELY PLACES.

This experimental no-budget short film project was something we started work on some time ago, and plan on revisiting and finishing shortly.

Originally conceived as a standard film, during pre-production we took the decision to attempt it as a silent film - and were thrilled with the results. We've got a long-version edit complete, next stop - pruning and scoring.

From a story by R.B. Kelly, directed by Robert J.E. Simpson.

Pictured: Our fabulous actress Janine Walker being directed by Robert JE Simpson on location at Holywood, Co. Down

I'm on BBC Radio Ulster today just after 12pm talking about Christmas movie nostalgia on Sunday With Steven Rainey.

Who's got their festive Radio Times marked already?

Listen via https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001g8l8

What a week its been...

The highlight though was undoubtedly attending the public premiere of Bangor's Ghost at The Court House Bangor on Wednesday.

Superbly crafted by Rachael McCarthy, this delightful cinematic almanac of features a delightful array of Bangor creatives. And me - an East Belfast boy, currently living in Newtownards, but who has grown increasingly fond of Bangor!

I performed a reading in character as Victorian W.G. Lyttle. Lyttle was born in Newtownards, and lived in Belfast, before moving to Bangor, so we are at least in the same little triangle of territory!

I'm honoured to have played a part in this, and will be watching out as it finds a wider audience. I also hope its the beginning of collaborations with the many talents involved. Had such a blast!

Here's a screengrab from my performance for your viewing pleasure!

Another recently lost bit of history...

The (old) Princess Cinema at 308 was opened in 1910 as an independent cinema and closed in 1926 - it's projection equipment provided by .

The Princess Picture Palace could host some 1200 patrons and was one of Belfast's earliest cinemas.

From the scant information I've been able to locate, it was originally a factory building, later home to Connswater Mills Ltd and Wilton's Funeral Parlour and may also have been an ice rink for a period.

The unit was part of Brown's and had lain for many years, facilitating planning permission in 2021 to demolish it and turn the space into parking for Brown's. You can just make out the car park space in the second photo, taken at the weekend.

The first image is from several years ago, and the final one in the carousel is an original advert for the sale of the cinema in April 1926.

I have been unable to find any photos of the original cinema itself to date - just one crude illustration from more recent times.

(PS: in case you hadn't guessed, I'm working on some new projects based around NI's cinema history. I'll be sharing more of these snaps here and at Avalard Photography and Instagram!)

Happy May Day folks!

A reminder that one of my favourite films - The Wicker Man - takes place over the May Day festivities, and my book about the film is out now!

The Willing Fool - The Spectacle of The Wicker Man explores the deeper text of the film, and includes an exclusive archive interview with director Robin Hardy, and a bonus feature on Hardy's Irish horror The Fantasist.

Available from Amazon in paperback, hardback and ebook.

Get it via Amazon
UK: https://t.co/en6AucIypS
US: https://t.co/mAQFfDbjFr

Limited numbers of signed copies available on my Ko-Fi.
https://ko-fi.com/avalard/shop

I was on BBC Radio Ulster's 'Sunday with Steven Rainey' today chatting with Claire Graham about the legacy, dark tourism, and Victorian premonitions.

The whole show will be available for the next 30 days via iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Or you can check out the clipped segment here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0c0gm5h

Sunday with Steven Rainey - One hundred and ten years since the Titanic set sail - BBC Sounds Broadcaster Robert JE Simpson on the history of the Titanic and his own family links.

I'm racked with sadness following the death this week of my dear friend and colleague Renée Glynne.

Renée and I first met in the early 2000s at a Hammer Film function, and met for our first interview session proper at her home in 2009. It was a meeting that led rather unexpectedly to a long professional and personal relationship.

For many years we worked together on her memoirs - with me taking on co-writing/ghost-writing functions after the first attempts floundered. For the next decade we revised, refined, researched and talked. We also started making festival appearances together, with me interviewing her on stage in Bradford, Leicester, and my home crowd at Belfast Film Festival.

She was always engaging - in her 80s and still working. Filled with tales of working with some of the biggest names in the film business. We'd always drag out her stories of meeting George Bernard Shaw, working with David Lean, being on set with the Rolling Stones for Sympathy for the Devil...

Even if you weren't wowed by her experience, her personality and distinctive style was sure to catch your attention.

She was utter gold. And in time our professional time bled into personal. While we'd always be recording more material, more memories for use in the book, the level of trust and care had built to the point where she became one of my closest personal friends. The sessions became a therapy for both of us, with the result that we knew things about each other that we didn't speak about elsewhere.

I appreciated her wisdom and counsel. When you displeased her (which I think at some point most of her friends probably had!) she wasn't shy about letting you know. Like all friendships, ours had its prickly moments, but there was always a resolution to be found. She appreciated loyalty, but she was also loyal herself - and in all my years of knowing her, she was incredibly supportive. She wanted you to do well.

She lived enough life for three people, and I was always convinced her business kept her fresh and youthful. Even when the film work slowed, she kept busy with travel, and with her artwork. She was a painter primarily, and supportive of those in the scene. Most Sundays she could be found exhibiting her work along with the rest of the painters on the Bayswater Road in London, accompanied by her little dog Spartakus.

A few years back, she took me to my first ever life drawing class (I felt very out of my depth), which was a huge nudge to me taking up my own art again. When I had my first solo photographic exhibition, I included one of my portraits of Renée in it - later gifting it to her after she gifted me one of her own charcoal sketches (which sits above my desk to this day).

I'd come to her because of her involvement with film, but she became not just a friend, but an inspiration and hugely important part of my life.

The difficulties faced during the pandemic (particularly my own) had rather taken the wind out of the memoir - I hadn't seen her in person since late 2019, which was strange considering how often I used to visit. Officially, the project was parked, though I was still working on it slowly.

She was considering telling her story to another publisher who could turn things around quicker - and presumably with a little more objectivity than I now could. In conversation we agreed that if she did I wouldn't tell her story at a time to clash with it, and that the personal aspects (the things that she was still deciding whether to include or not) wouldn't be published without her approval. I've been asked about the book project by folks this week - the memoir won't now be published by me, without her here I can't decide to share those personal details. But there was material that had approval - and when the time is right we may be able to do something. Just not right now.

I'd been thinking about Renée a lot this week even before her death - now that travel was possible again and I was looking at being in England for some projects, I'd hoped to meet up again for sambuca or a show at least. Already I miss her a great deal - she may have been more than five decades older than me, but I adored her and am honoured to have spent as much time with her and known her as I have.

She was a bright shining irreplaceable gift to this planet and I am so very glad I basked in her light. My heartfelt condolences to her family and many friends, all of whom feel this loss so deeply.

Thank you Renée.

Renée Alma Glynne (né Galler)
3 August 1926 - 6 April 2022

Heads up... I'll be on 'Sunday with Steven Rainey' on BBC Radio Ulster tomorrow talking about the legacy of the (the ship, not the film - although that might get a mention!).

Show starts at 11am, I'll be on air after 12.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00169wj

My latest blog post over at The Exclusive Films Project - is the first in a 2-parter exploring the advertising present in Hammer Films' Quatermass and the Pit.

If you thought my piece dating Kenneth Branagh's outing to see One Million Years BC as seen in Belfast was nerdy...

https://exclusivefilms.wordpress.com/2022/04/08/advertising-in-quatermass-and-the-pit-part-1/