All by Briony Puddepha
We’re saying goodbye to summer! And whether you’re a ‘thank god that’s over’ kind of person or you’re already missing cocktails on the beach, there’s one thing to thank autumn for: the great spooky films and TV series that are always guaranteed to hit our screens. We’ve rounded up the best creepy, quirky, and blanket-reaching watches for you to get both snuggly and scared in equal measure.
“I’m not like a regular widow, I’m a cool widow”. If, like yours truly, anything that references Mean Girls ticks all your boxes then you’ll love Grey Widow, a one man (or, more accurately, one queen) play by Lady Aria Grey aka Callum Tilbury.
Every year, I spend a cold December day watching Christmas specials of my favourite TV shows. It’s become one of those very mundane traditions that makes Christmas feel festive. One of the annoying things, though, is trying to find the right episode among all the others. So, here’s my list of the best Christmas specials – ideal for chucking on when you’ve already watched Love Actually ten times.
It’s a Saturday night and I’m snuggled under a blanket on the sofa, my eyes glued to the TV. What time is it? Who knows. Am I surrounded by crumbs? Absolutely. Do I regret it? Hell no. It’s autumn, and that means it’s getting colder and I will no longer be leaving the house. It’s officially time to binge all the best new TV and – from everything I’ve seen so far – I am moved (not to be confused with I have moved, which isn’t something I’ve done in about two weeks).
Hurrah! Cinema doors are open again! The past year has been so lacking in new films that we’ve all re-watched Bridsemaids one too many times (OK, I know that’s not physically possible) and are desperate for some fresh films, a bucket of popcorn and a Tango ice blast. But, now that the new films are coming in hot and fast, what’s coming up that’s worth watching? Here are our top picks.
“Aww!” He said. They always said aww. Tilted their head to one side, knitted their eyebrows together, upturned their mouths. She knew what was next. “Well, I know we haven’t spoken in a while but you’re welcome to spend it at my house. My mum makes the best roast potatoes”.
Everyone’s making a podcast these days. I, unlike many cynics, see that as a good thing. Fran, the founder of Cinegirl, and I have recently started co-hosting the Cinegirl Podcast, where we talk about film and TV and the way it reflects different topics. So far, we’ve discussed Mental Health with April Kelley (actress and ambassador for Bipolar UK), Pride on Screen with Lady Aria Grey (drag queen and award-winning writer), and chatted with Dale Elena McCready (DoP with an impressive portfolio of work). Recording the Cinegirl Podcast is undoubtedly the highlight of this horrible year we’ve been having, and I could talk about it all day.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen the series. I watched it sporadically when it was first released, back in 2011. I was at sixth-form and quickly grew tired of it, but I didn’t know why. I do now. Seventeen-year-old me may have been unnecessarily competitive with her female peers; she may have used the word “slut” liberally; she may have heard misogynistic comments and let them slide… but the feminist buried somewhere within found New Girl sexist. She just didn’t know it then.
Rosa and I don’t meet in person. We’re both Sick Sad Girlz, so we schedule a phone call. I like to think that she’s the same as me, snuggled under a blanket in her pyjamas, surrounded by used mugs. I don’t ask because that would be weird.
Comedy-drama in television has always been somewhat of a grey area. More suited to films, perhaps, TV writers are constantly told that they must master “one or the other” before attempting to combine the two, and that they don’t gel together seamlessly. To this, most writers scratch their heads and think… but what about a little show called Fleabag?
Drunk Women Solving Crime is a true crime podcast with a twist… of lime. It’s the drunken lovechild of writer and comedian Catie Wilkins, screenwriter Hannah George, comic and writer Taylor Glenn, and producer Amanda Redman, which features a different guest every week who reveals a crime that has been committed against them. Catie, Hannah and Taylor take it in turns to host the podcast and guide the others through a true crime, which they try to solve… whilst feeling the joyous effects of a G+T.
Recently, I have been pretty bossy. I wrote, co-produced and starred in a web-series calledLive With It, and after this experience, I want more female screenwriters to create their own content.
Live With It tells the story of a couple who share nothing but a flat and a stubborn nature, and when they break up, neither of them want to move out. As they fight to co-exist, they irritate everyone around them and discover that their living situation may be more complicated than they first imagined. The protagonist is “bossy”; she’s basically a more annoying version of myself.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows, all of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names, they never let poor Rudolph, join in any reindeer games
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Something sparkled on the desk in the corner. Something beautiful. Mysterious. She reached out her hand – desperate to be near it, to touch it, to feel its soft, supple form.
