Steven Powell

Highly entertaining account of the ill-fated Italia expedition. Marred by some Soviet propaganda, it was a Russian co-production, and a clunky afterlife courtroom framing device. Still, this is the survival genre at its most gruelling.

Anchor.fm/ifwtpod !!! NEW EP !!! This week I'm joined by connoisseur of all things cult, writer and all around badass, @mondoheather, to discuss Russ Meyer's bodacious, buxom and bawdy, SUPERVIXENS, starring Meyer veterens such Uschi Digard, Haji and Charles Napier!

There's a moment in this episode where Nicol Williamson send a video message from New York, even though he and Thaw hadn't spoken in years and would never speak again. It's very awkward as they've clearly grown to detest each other and sums up what made TIYL such a bizarre show.

Wonderful actor. The first series of Between the Lines was TV drama at its best.

They look good together #RedSheet #LoveMeFierceInDanger

Mike Ripley of GWAM (Getting Away With Murder) fame has written a brilliant and personal len Deighton Obituary in the Guardian. Mike of course was a very old and longstanding friend. - theguardian.com/books/2026/mar…

@MikeCosta Thank you! I have fond memories of visiting Columbia SC to study Ellroy's archive. Such a treasure trove of material on the Demon Dog hidden away in one of the most beautiful cities in the Deep South.

@EllroyReader It was in your excellent bio that I learned the original outline for American Tabloid had Otash as a POV character and a large part of the novel was about MM. I can’t help but wonder how much (if any) of that was repurposed for The Enchanters. I hope to read it one day at U of SC

The postman did well #RedSheet #Ellroy

@MattGCraig Let me know what you think of it.

@EllroyReader I noticed that. Hadn't seen it before, either, so will definitely be picking up a copy.

@MattGCraig The biography is by yours truly ;)

@EllroyReader Is that a new Ellroy?

@ProfANSmith After the disaster of This Storm, when a swastika was out on the front cover, I think Ellroy wanted something more intimate.

@EllroyReader Red Sheet is a great cover, but it's a bit different than most Ellroy covers I've seen. I wonder what the thought process was behind it.

@MattGCraig Yes, his latest.

@MikeCosta He got fed up with the wartime setting. The reaction was lukewarm and he felt, and so did his editors, relieved to be back on classic noir territory.

@EllroyReader I was at a reading of Perfidia when Ellroy mentioned that Pete Bondurant would be showing up in the 3rd book of the new quartet, which suggests he had some specific plans. Any insight into why he abandoned finishing WWII with his old cast for three books about Otash in the 60s?

@Freeyourradio No, it's part of the new LA Quintet which includes Perfidia, This Storm, The Enchanters, this book and one more.

@EllroyReader I know it is set around the The Cuban Missile Crisis. But is it a stand alone novel?

@Kemper_Boyd2021 I've asked the publisher if an embargo in in place. If it is, then the day it is lifted.

@EllroyReader Your review when?👀

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone... and have you read the James Ellroy biography yet, Boyo?

When I was a kid I would sit in my grandads office and read each and every James Ellroy novel he had. It opened up a new world for me and I think for a lot of us. Among the greats. Read this interview. One to watch. apocalypse-confidential.com/2023/03/30/la-…

"Len Deighton obituary: writer who redefined spy thrillers dies aged 97" thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/…

@Kemper_Boyd2021 It's an ARC. They are always paperback to my knowledge. They never mentioned an embargo, but need to get them out early as Ellroy writes hefty tomes.

@EllroyReader This a UK trade paperback advance copy? Or the US version? When does the review embargo end?