Into the Unknown - Spring 2024

CONTENTS

“Allow myself to introduce … myself.” (Welcome)

“I can’t believe I missed it.”

(Great Movies You May Have Missed)

“This is the Greatest Show”

(Events)

“My Precious.”

(An Old Movie Than we Love)

“He’s brought the book!”

(Books You’ll Love, But May Not Have Heard Of)

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

(Interview With An Indie Writer)

“Tell Me Your Story, Max, Come on.”

(Story Serialization)

"All we want are the facts, ma'am" (Movie Trivia)

“Show me the money!”

(Advertisements)

“I’ll have what she’s having!” (Snog, Marry, Avoid)

“Quoth the raven, nevermore.” (Guess The Movie Quotes)

“Kill the chatter, game time.”

(An Old Game That We Still Love)

“Shall we play a game?”

(Review Of A Free Game)

“I am the Author. You are the audience. I outrank you!”

(Book To Movie Adaptation)

“Everything gets revised 4,000 times. There’s no writing. There’s only rewriting.”

(Get To Know A Writer)

“It’s what you do right now that makes a difference.”

(Competitions)

Welcome

We are thrilled to have you here for our latest issue! And we want to say HAPPY NEW YEAR! Yes a bit late, but this is our SPRING issue! We hope you enjoy this issue and all our hard work.

Welcome back to our regulars, and especially to our irregulars, and of course a great big hello to you new guys!

Inside this magazine is a world of discovery. Enjoy!

Thank you for following us, retweeting, liking, messaging and commenting on our posts, we love every one of you for taking the time to be a part of this journey with us.

Please remember this is all done by volunteers, and we ask for no money for any of the advertising, reviews, or from the readers. All we ask is that you please check us out on Facebook if you can, or on Twitter. Spread the word that we exist.

We want to hear from our readers and find out what they think. Please also tell us about any great movies or books that you would like us to feature, or if you would like to be mentioned in the magazine then email us

And to our team Joyce, Bert, Joy and Faith. Thank you! Love you guys!

From the magazines Editors and Taskmasters

intotheunknownmagazine@mail.com

Interesting moments -

 Getting in

 Getting out

 Bitten

 Stranded

 Looking for a hero

Review -

Howl

This film is a great find. In the monster genre, this one should get more love. The actors do very well with the script. The big bads are revealed late enough to build tension and In addition, the idea of being trapped in a tin can with blood thirsty beasts is pretty nasty anyway. There are a few flaws but these are easily overlooked and the film itself is not too shabby. Enjoy!

SynopsisTicket collector Joe oversees the last train out of London on a dark and stormy night when suddenly the train screeches to a halt in a forest after hitting something on the tracks.

Saturday, 27 April

Newbury Comic Con and Gaming Festival

Get ready for a mind-blowing day of comics, gaming, and all things geeky at the Newbury Comic Con and Gaming Festival 2024!

Synopsis -

Down and out producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel), who was once the toast of Broadway, trades sexual favors with old ladies for cash contributions. Max's new accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), offhandedly muses that if Max found investors for a new production that turned into a flop, he could legally keep all the extra money. The duo begins to put together the worst play possible, titled "Springtime for Hitler", with a terrible director and a hippie -freak star.

AN OLD MOVIE THAT WE LOVE

Review -

This is one of the funniest movies ever made. To see it now is to understand that and to marvel at Mel Brookes genius. The movie stars Mostel and Wilder as Max Bialystock, a failing Broadway producer, and Leo Bloom, a neurotic accountant. Bialystock raises money for his productions by seducing chqs out of little old ladies. They realise that a flop can make them rich and so they go about producing SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER. The rest, as they say, is history and a very funny one.

SMOKO

About the Author

F.E. Beyer writes about deadend jobs, travel, history and crime. He is the author of two books: 'Buenos Aires Triad,' a tale of low-end criminals in Argentina's capital, and 'Smoko,' a comic novel set in New Zealand. His articles and reviews have appeared in the South China Morning Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Inside Indonesia, and Travelogues Magazine.

Synopsis -

One day the postal services will turn a buck by using drones to deliver fake Rolexes to citizen slackers on a universal income. But for now, the mail team continues busting arse delivering gym membership promotions to retirement villages. Adopting an attitude of resignation offers comfort to some, but one worker, inspired by Ned Ludd, Marx, and the Unabomber, opts for sabotage. Both comic and absurd, Smoko is a social realist novel set in the depths of New Zealand suburbia.

"Think what Bukowski did for the Post Office novel which the author acknowledges was somewhat inspirational for him. Workplace novels and especially low wage, low prestige workplace novels are quite rare these days but they offer a lot of social commentary options in the right hands and Beyer has the hands for the job."

Review -

This is a short novel about the postage system but don't be worried by that fact, it is a funny one. The characters, and their attitudes, are very familiar to anyone who has ever worked in an office, large chain or warehouse. This is a clever look at how being ground down by authority and rules can make a man rebel. Well written, with a clear and clean style. It gets to the point and does it well. There are a few references to New Zealand that might take a moment to grasp for those that have never lived there, but all in all it embraces the reader with its charm and clever style.

Tommy Twice: This is Your Life

About the Author

Carlos Hughes can't dance, can't sing, can't play an instrument, can't fix engines - can't do sod all really except write stories which he has done all his life - starting when he was at school where he would write 15 pages in 'creative writing' classes and instead of the teachers enthusing about his genius and productivity - they threatened him with detention if he ever exceeded two pages again.

Been sacked from most jobs for insubordination, destroying of stock, equipment and property or just plain laziness and incompetence - was saved mid-life by TEFL and the booming Asian economies - which he based his first novel 'White Monkey' on. It might become a worldwide hit - it might need time - or - it might just not - he doesn't mind - there is more to come.

Carlos Hughes lives alone in China, a state of affairs that is good for his writing projects.

Synopsis -

After a lifetime of disappointments and trouble. Tommy Thomas - better known to one and all as Tommy Twice - has had enough of living, but fate takes a hand and with a little help from his friends, family and the people of the community where he has lived his whole life. Tommy Twice embarks on a miracle that had to be seen to be believed.

'Tommy Twice: This Is Your Life', is a story about the choices we make, the journeys we take and that miracles sometimes do happen, even with the unlikeliest of people in the most unlikeliest of places.

Review -

Funny in a tragic way. This is a look at life as it is for many young people today. The titular main character is lost, he feel abandoned and his life is going no where. Then fate steps in and he has a chance at redemption, a chance to become something. His journey is not all a bed of roses but it will make readers want to know more, to keep reading and to cheer on this young lad who finds hope in places that seem to only offer despair.

INTERVIEW WITH AN INDIE AUTHOR

This issue we chat to Carlos Hughes, author and Smash Hits fan - We address Cultural differences in film, Carbs and Morons at the cinema.

What do you like to read and why?

I like to read Irvine Welsh and Bill Bryson amongst others but I have been reading a glut of pop star autobiographies which have been really good reads, I read Francis Rossi's, Dave Hill's, and both Andy and John Taylor's from Duran Duran and they have all been good value for money and time - why? I used to love the interviews in Smash Hits in the 80's, they always gave funny and interesting interviews and their life stories haven't disappointed in this regard either.

What movies do you like to watch and why?

I really enjoy watching European and Latin American cinema. I used to go to the Cornerhouse a lot in Manchester which is sadly no longer with us where I would get my fill of such filmsI love how they show their cultural differences through film and I enjoy exploring them, I have a decent little library of Latin American film back home, mostly DVD's I have picked up throughout my travels there, my idea of DVD hell would be anything starring The Rock or Jason Statham's latter day library of work.

At the moment I am watching a lot of Chinese cinema on the free to air channel here which is called CCTV-6 - they have subtitles in English for most of the films and there has been some excellent movies shown.

What are your hobbies?

I like running, weight training and I am living in China so I like going out and about - when it is sunny, warm and nice, just getting out there and enjoying the rays is a hobby in itself.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am writing about a middle aged man from St Helens who voted remain in the Brexit referendum whose dream of retiring to France has been dashed - he decides to abscond to Thailand instead - we're about 10 chapters in and it's going really well.

Interview

If you could have a chat with a character from a book or a film, who would you choose, what would you say, and why?

Begbie in Trainspotting, just tell him to chill out and give peace a chance - he would probably smash a bottle over my head though.

If you had a dinner party who would you invite from the world of authors, actors, and those involved with books and films?

I am not a dinner party kind of person, being from Wigan... let me think, I don't know - I have a feeling even if I invited them they wouldn't turn up to have my lasagne (mum's recipe - best in the world...) and they would be missing out...

“I am not a dinner party kind of person, being from Wigan.”

Which actor would you like to play the lead in a movie adaptation of your book?

I think the kid who played 'Chesney' in Coronation Street would have been great as 'Darren' in White Monkey in fact he would have been perfect but he's probably getting on a bit, and is a little to old now to play him! And sticking to Coronation Street - the actor who plays Craig Tinker would have made a great Tommy Twice but he is now rather svelte and slim so as he was originally - he would have been great.

What would you eat for your last meal?

I am on a low carb diet at the moment so anything that resembles a pizza with loads of pepperoni, onions and mushrooms slavered with extra virgin olive oil - that's if I died tomorrow - I want to go and see my maker fully carb loaded.

What was the last thing you saw at the cinema?

The last time I was at the cinema and really enjoyed it was in 2000 when I watched Amelie at the St Helens Odeon - it was an afternoon showing and it was me and this lady at the front who was laughing throughout - not that this spoiled the enjoyment of the film, it was such a contrast - the colours and the story on screen to the grey crappiness outside the cinema, it was really life changing.

“I want to go and see my maker fully carb loaded.”

The last time I was at the cinema and didn't enjoy it was watching Rocky Balboa in Swansea and most of the people there thought it was a real fight and they were shouting behind me, in front of me and everywhere else, 'go on Rocky, twat him!' It was then I realised that enjoying yourself in the cinema has as much to do with who you are surrounded by as much as the film itself, and if you are surrounded by morons, it's no fun.

Tell us something surprising about yourself.

Though I was born in Wigan, I am also a Peruvian citizen through my mother! And though I am not the only Peruvian citizen born in Wigan - I am related to the other two who are - my brother and one of my cousins. There might be more but as far as I know, it is just the three of us at the moment.

Omnilingual”

by H. Beam

Piper

Photographs, and photostats of restored pages of books, and transcripts of inscriptions, were piled in front of her, and the notebooks in which she was compiling her lists. She sat down, lighting a fresh cigarette, and reached over to a stack of unexamined material, taking off the top sheet. It was a photostat of what looked like the title page and contents of some sort of a periodical.

She remembered it; she had found it herself, two days before, in a closet in the basement of the building she had just finished examining.

She sat for a moment, looking at it. It was readable, in the sense that she had set up a purely arbitrary but consistently pronounceable system of phonetic values for the letters. The long vertical symbols were vowels. There were only ten of them; not too many, allowing separate characters for long and short sounds. There were twenty of the short horizontal letters, which meant that sounds like -ng or -ch or -sh were single letters. The odds were millions to one against her system being anything like the original sound of the language, but she had listed several thousand Martian words, and she could pronounce all of them.

And that was as far as it went.

She could pronounce between three and four thousand Martian words, and she couldn’t assign a meaning to one of them. Selim von Ohlmhorst believed that she never would. So did Tony Lattimer, and he was a great deal less reticent about saying so. So, she was sure, did Sachiko Koremitsu. There were times, now and then, when she began to be afraid that they were right.

The letters on the page in front of her began squirming and dancing, slender vowels with fat little consonants. They did that, now, every night in her dreams. And there were other dreams, in which she read them as easily as English; waking, she would try desperately and vainly to remember. She blinked, and looked away from the photostatted page; when she looked back, the letters were behaving themselves again. There were three words at the top of the page, over-and-underlined, which seemed to be the Martian method of capitalization. Mastharnorvod Tadavas Sornhulva. She pronounced them mentally, leafing through her notebooks to see if she had encountered them before, and in what contexts. All three were listed. In addition, masthar was a fairly common word, and so was norvod, and so was nor, but -vod was a suffix and nothing but a suffix. Davas, was a word, too, and ta- was a common prefix; sorn and hulva were both common words. This language, she had long ago decided, must be something like German; when the Martians had needed a new word, they had just pasted a couple of existing words together. It would probably turn out to be a grammatical horror. Well, they had published magazines, and one of them had been called Mastharnorvod Tadavas Sornhulva. She wondered if it had been something like the Quarterly Archaeological Review, or something more on the order of Sexy Stories.

A smaller line, under the title, was plainly the issue number and date; enough things had been found numbered in series to enable her to identify the numerals and determine that a decimal system of numeration had been used.

This was the one thousand and seven hundred and fifty-fourth issue, for Doma, 14837; then Doma must be the name of one of the Martian months.

The word had turned up several times before. She found herself puffing furiously on her cigarette as she leafed through notebooks and piles of already examined material.

Sachiko was speaking to somebody, and a chair scraped at the end of the table.

She raised her head, to see a big man with red hair and a red face, in Space Force green, with the single star of a major on his shoulder, sitting down.

Ivan Fitzgerald, the medic. He was lifting weights from a book similar to the one the girl ordnance officer was restoring.

“Haven’t had time, lately,” he was saying, in reply to Sachiko’s question. “The Finchley girl’s still down with whatever it is she has, and it’s something I haven’t been able to diagnose yet. And I’ve been checking on bacteria cultures, and in what spare time I have, I’ve been dissecting specimens for Bill Chandler. Bill’s finally found a mammal. Looks like a lizard, and it’s only four inches long, but it’s a real warm-blooded, gamogenetic, placental, viviparous mammal. Burrows, and seems to live on what pass for insects here.”

“Is there enough oxygen for anything like that?” Sachiko was asking.

“Seems to be, close to the ground.” Fitzgerald got the headband of his loup adjusted, and pulled it down over his eyes.

“He found this thing in a ravine down on the sea bottom Ha, this page seems to be intact; now, if I can get it out all in one piece ”

He went on talking inaudibly to himself, lifting the page a little at a time and sliding one of the transparent plastic sheets under it, working with minute delicacy.

Not the delicacy of the Japanese girl’s small hands, moving like the paws of a cat washing her face, but like a steam-hammer cracking a peanut.

Field archaeology requires a certain delicacy of touch, too, but Martha watched the pair of them with envious admiration. Then she turned back to her own work, finishing the table of contents.

MOVIE TRIVIA

Humphrey Bogart was two inches shorter than Ingrid Bergman, so he reportedly had to stand on boxes and sit on cushions in order to appear taller in Casablanca (1942).

Fay Wray thought she'd be starring opposite Cary Grant in King Kong. In an attempt to entice the actress, director Merian C. Cooper promised, "You're going to have the tallest, darkest leading man in Hollywood." That leading man turned out to be an ape.

In Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, live birds were tied to Tippi Hedren and even thrown at her while filming the iconic attic scene. Those were bad times for the birds and for the actress, who reportedly hated filming the scenes.

In addition to Doctor Who merchandise, they cover all aspects of pop culture – from Pokemon and Adventure Time, to Star Wars and Marvel/DC Superheroes. Whether you’re a casual fan, looking for a t-shirt or mug, or a serious collector investing in replicas and the most lifelike of toys, they aim to provide the cool and sought-after items you’ve been looking for.

EMAIL tvmbristol@gmail.com

FIND US The Galleries Shopping Centre, Bristol BS1 3XA, UK

TIME TO PLAY

Do you know how to play the game called Snog, Marry, Avoid? Where a friend gives you the names of three celebrities and you must decide which one to snog, which one to marry, and which one to avoid?

Well, In the interest of fun, we will review three movies. All the same genre (loosely) and in what order we rate them by this age-old game . We will try to pick movies that are lesser known (because that’s what we do) but we will also acknowledge, at the end, the greater movies in that field and bow to them as examples of what the genre should be, when at its best.

This issue Zombies

Movies with Zombies have crossed genres. Comedy, Horror and even Romance spring to mind. Here are three we would SNOG, MARRY and AVOID.

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Synopsis -

What could possibly go wrong when three buddies (Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan) decide to join the Boy Scouts? When bloodthirsty, undead ghouls invade their oncepeaceful town, it's up to kindhearted Ben, quick-witted Carter and class clown Augie to save the day. With help from Denise (Sarah Dumont), a beautiful but tough cocktail waitress, the boys must put their scouting skills to the ultimate test to save mankind and earn their zombie-killing badges.

Purile, silly and down right rude. Yes, this Zombie comedy has all that and more. It is actually funny, even though it relies on base humour most of the time. The characters are mostly likeable and the story is predictable, but has a few interesting moments. All in all a good movie, one to snog a few times after a couple of drinks at the bar, but I wouldn't take it home to mother.

Little Monsters (2019)

A teacher, a struggling musician, and a kids' show personality join forces to protect young children during an unexpected zombie invasion.

A very funny and unexpectedly moving film. The storyline is one we have seen many times before - a loser who cares only about himself, forced to protect others, vowing to change his ways and getting the girl. But what's remarkable about this film is the creation of genuinely likeable characters and realistic moments mixed into the crazy. Little Monsters is full of heart, with a great light-hearted story, and on top of that it is pretty funny too. We are ready to walk down the aisle with this little monstruous beauty.

Detention of the Dead

A group of misfit high school students find themselves locked in detention with a horde zombies. They need to work together to survive a night trapped with their former classmates.

So Breakfast Club meets Zombies. Sounds cool right? That is what the makers thought, but it all went a little wrong. The jokes never quite hit the mark and while the actors actually give it a good shot, the script writing lets them down. It is entertaining enough but never quite hits the heights it is aiming for. We would avoid a second screening and probably cross the road to dodge this mediocre movie.

Synopsis -

Book bits that were missing from the movie adaptations.

Technology at work for you GUESS THE MOVIE QUOTES

Thank you to all who sent us their guesses for last issue’s quotes –Here are the answers and some fresh ones to work on.

Quotes from the last issue.

 “And you were there, and you.” Wizard of Oz - used in other movies too.

 “Death has a new design for all of you.”

Final Destination

 “The clackers just worship her!” The Devil Wears Prada

 “It’s the same log, it’s the same log!”

flexible solutions for your business needs

The Blair Witch Project

Ruined character - The Long Goodbye (1973).

Based on Raymond Chandler’s penultimate novel featuring classic hard-boiled PI Phil Marlowe, it was Chandler’s most ambitious work. But the director of the movie, Robert Altman, apparently disliked the whole concept of a hard-boiled private eye, and decided to portray Phil as an ineffectual, wimpy nebbish, type of person, casting Elliot Gould in the part.

Language additions 2010: Odessey Two.

They added some unnecessary language to the movie, and they cut a lot of the story from the book out. In the book there was a refreshing feeling of comradery between the astronauts and cosmonauts. In the movie they were always eyeing each other suspiciously and acting strange, it was a huge change that wasn't needed.

 “Where does he get all his wonderful toys?” Batman (1989)

New Quotes For This Issue

 “Look at you, you have a baby, in a bar.”

 “You can’t marry a man you just met.”

 “The world is a cruel place, and you will learn that, even if it hurts.”

 “Not in my movie.”

 “Those aren't pillows!”

Review

• Getting a lot of lines.

• Finding a place for that one awkward piece.

• High score.

• WINNING!

This was brilliant on the original Gameboy, a really addictive game but so simple. Harder than it looked. It is fondly remembered by many and is still available to play today, with many young people taking up the challenge. It has come a long way from the little grey blocks on a tiny screen and now has multiple additional challenges, but the core of the game is still the same and everyone who loves it is thankful for that. Maybe the game play is slightly less engaging in todays market. But it is still a winner.

REVIEW

Addictive and fun but as it is still in beta testing, it is glitchy and frustrating as well. This game has AMAZING graphic and is the love child of Breath of the Wild and Stardew Valley. It has many missions to complete and lots to do. There is plenty of grinding to be done but it is fun too. The in-game purchase options are not necessary to enjoy the game and are mostly just used for cosmetic upgrades.

This is a MUST TRY game. It will either bore you as there is no fighting, or enchant you with its storylines. Totally submersive, fun to play with others online. Really great, if they would just fix those darn bugs!

omeo and Juliet

R BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION

Is it fair or even possible to pick one of Shakespeare tales and elevate it above the rest? Not really, but we will try anyway. Romeo and Juliet written in 1597, has been acted on stage by thousands of thespians and its narrative has made it into the world of Ballet, Film and even cartoons. It is one of the most well-known and beloved of all the plays written by Shakespeare. John Gielgud's 1935 version kept very close to Shakespeare's text and used Elizabethan costumes and staging to enhance the drama. In the 20th and 21st century, the play has been adapted in versions as diverse as George Cukor's 1936 film Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, and most recently, Carlo Carlei's 2013 film Romeo and Juliet. It’s been revamped by films like Westside Story and adapted for children in Nomeo and Juliet. Forever a tragedy of two young lovers that captures the hearts and minds of readers and watchers alike. This is a story that lives on forever, a tale of woe, for Juliet and her Romeo.

This issue

We get to know Eduardo V. Bungle. Writer, Book chewer and Liar.

Where did my writing journey begin?

I considered talking about how I’ve loved books from being a young cub, how I chewed on many a classic in my younger days.

“I realised I could write an entire book full of lies, as long as it was funny.”

You see, I was born in a sewer, my mother was Linda Hamilton and my father was a poetry spouting, imposing figure that looked a little like Ron Perlman, if he needed a shave.

The books I could get my paws on were usually older and used, but that didn't stop me from giving them a good chew. Later I learned that the strange markings inside were called words and they told a story. This was a revelation! I learnt to read and write and started to teach the sewer rats a rudimentary form of communication.

My Writing. My Work. My Life in Focus

My father put me to work, teaching the other children in the sewers to read.

I began to write short stories, mostly about my life in the sewers. But, the best received ones were the stories I made up. I began to illustrate the stories and those were loved even more. I had found my calling!

Unfortunately, it is tough to get books published, so I worked for a publishing company for a while, hoping this would give me a foot (or paw) in the door. But, they had no love for my writing, they only saw me as the guy who sorted the books, made the tea and had lengthy conversations with vermin. It was disheartening.

Then a smaller publishing company took an interest and things took off. They didn't mind my rat chewed manuscripts and even encouraged my budding talent as an illustrator. But I found that I wanted to return to the land of lies. I had a talent for that and I didn't want to waste it.it. But when I mentioned writing a book, my husband would often

S“They didn't mind my rat chewed manuscripts.”

o, I began to write a series of travel books.

Mostly made up ‘Facts’ but funny ones.

The first one has been published and there are more to follow.

Getting back to my roots has been great, I know that made up stories do so much better if they are funny and so I endeavour to make my readers laugh, or at least chuckle.

I will keep writing until the ransom money, that I demanded to stop, is paid, or until my army of rats takes over the world.

I guess I just want to make readers laugh, or have a few moments of levity in a world full of darkness. I hope my writing brings that, if nothing else.

(This bio may not represent the full truth of the authors life, all persons or places mentioned are not affiliated with the author and are mentioned only as an attempt at humour.)

RunbyThewriting College - The‘MyWritingJourney’Competitionisfreetoenterand opentowriters fromaroundtheworld.

Write a 600-word essay on the theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received. We’ll publish the best piece in our newsletter and on our blog – plus the winner receives $200 (R2 000 or £100).

Ending date 30th June 2024

Caab Publishing has two children’s writing competitions open this year - to encourage young writers. Both have an Amazon voucher as the main prize and both can be found on their websitewww.caabpublishing.co.uk.

Entry is free but terms and conditions apply.

All accepted stories will be published in an anthology later in the year (2024)

The Chaucer Heritage Trust was founded in 1992 and aims to further interest, understanding and appreciation of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, his life and times and influence.

The Chaucer Heritage is hosting its sixth annual writing competition for schools inspired by the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, considered by many to the father of the English Language and England’s greatest medieval poet. The special theme of the competition this year is Promises, promises!

The competition is open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities, but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations.

The three age groups are:

• Junior – 5-10 years old

• Intermediate – 11-14 years old

• Senior 15-18 years old