(no subject)

[thisbluespirit]

I've not been posting or even keeping up with people so much because I've largely been wiped out for one reason or another or prioritising something else with the reduced summer PC time - sorry. This will continue for a little while yet, until it is eventually replaced by my usual slightly less flakeyness.


* The other week I managed some flash fic/scribblets for AU_gust (AU August) on tumblr. I've only managed to tidy up and post one of them since, & there are 2 others to follow once I tweak them a bit, as well as 1 more that I don't know if is worth proper posting & a drabble I still need to type up. But this used up my posting energy for now, so they can wait.

Anyway, in a shocking attempt at pandering to what might pass as popular demand among my works, I committed another Miss Marple + supernatural fic(let):

Tea on Sunday (572 words) by thisbluespirit
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Miss Marple - Agatha Christie
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jane Marple, Griselda Clement
Additional Tags: Ficlet, Alternate Universe, Witchcraft, AU-gust | August Writing Challenge, Community: allbingo, Community: 100_women, Community: 100fandoms, Miss Marple is a witch
Summary: Miss Marple's secret is out.


* In other writing, before summer got underway, I typed up the bulk of the longest continuous sequence I'm doing for the current arc at rainbowfic, and then ever since have been scraping away at finishing it and editing it, and I am nearly there, although I suspect it'll still take another week or two before I have the first section ready to post. (I knew this would happen, so I also started two shorter pieces, but one of them, which is more or less done, has just been even harder to edit because tiredness etc. and the other one is still stuck at only two paragraphs, so that plan went well. Summer brain is not up to much. That was why I had to silly no-pressure AU ficlets my way back to life and even then summer rudely and immediately interrupted all over again). But there has been writing of sorts even so.

(The long sequence was one of the very first bits of this arc that I drew up, which is very funny because I essentially set up a sort of grand house murder mystery affair except that then everything changed so much that now my main characters aren't bothering taking part in the murder bit so am not sure if it will read ok (hopefully when edited) or if I committed Worst Murder Mystery ever as a result. I think probably I will also write a note on the header when we get there saying that One Day I Will Come Back, yes, one day I will come back, until then all 2 or 3 of you should go forward in all your beliefs about how people shouldn't wave a murder mystery at you and then literally run away from it, and I will eventually demonstrate that what is going on is in fact an Apocalyptic Overarching Plot, so there. And edit, of course.)


* I am currently listening to: a 1989 BBC Radio adaptation of Wilkie Collins's No Name I was delighted to find, starring Sophie Thompson as Magdalen, Jack May (as Captain Wragge), Eleanor Bron (as Mrs Lecount) & Robin Ellis (as Captain Kirke). I'm going slowly, but have just started part 3. It's very good and they're making excellent use of the epistolary bits, which is where radio has an advantage over TV. Mrs Lecount and her sinister toad have just turned up and Eleanor Bron is obviously a v good choice.


* I have watched some things, which, aside from what I've already mentioned, and a ridiculous amount of TV detectives, includes these:

The Tribe (1998), The Halfway House (1944), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Admirable Crichton (1957), Creation (2009), Cause Celebre (1988) & Eye in the Sky (2015), all of which were either v good or worth talking about anyway. (Creation and Eye in the Sky have brought me very nearly to the end of my Jeremy Northam's viable CV, so I'm a little bit in mourning now; I suppose a new blorbo will come along in time. Talking of which, I found that the iPlayer had the BBC 1970s All Creatures on it, so finally got around to seeing Suzanne Neve's episode of it, which would be the one thing I would certainly have watched with her when I was a child to see if I had shadowy feelings and indeed, as soon as she appeared, before even I saw her, the set was suddenly Significant in the back of my head, so yeah. I think I can prove childhood imprinting on all my top faves and that's what the thing is about, and why even when I'm so ill they reach me in ways that other people, no matter how much I enjoy them in things, don't unfortunately.)

(Hopefully I will get to talk about some of them properly, but I am happy to attempt such talk in comments if wanted, although sense is not guaranteed, and it is true that at least one or two I watched in a fugue state that all I can say is, well, it was good and I watched it very slowly in bits and there we are, but, yes it was good /o\)


* Also random funny thing. My old housemate N lent me a DVD (!!) of The Residence (was not joking about the sheer amount of detectives watched this summer), which I enjoyed so much I recced it to my Dad. A couple of weeks later we had this conversation:

Dad: I've been watching that medical drama you recommended, but it's not that great, really, so I've stopped.

Me: ... Medical drama??

(It turned out he'd found The Resident on one of the back Freeview channels, so I emailed him a trailer of the 2025 Netflix detective show that I magically got lent on DVD as if it was 2015 or something. He found a pirate source and then lost it again, but he definitely liked what he watched so far a lot better than the Resident).

Comments

[sovay]

In other writing, before summer got underway, I typed up the bulk of the longest continuous sequence I'm doing for the current arc at rainbowfic, and then ever since have been scraping away at finishing it and editing it, and I am nearly there, although I suspect it'll still take another week or two before I have the first section ready to post.

w00t! I look forward to finding out whether the murder mystery survived or whether it was an ironic casualty of its own narrative.

I think I can prove childhood imprinting on all my top faves and that's what the thing is about, and why even when I'm so ill they reach me in ways that other people, no matter how much I enjoy them in things, don't unfortunately.

That's really fascinating. I have some deeply imprinted movies from childhood, but with a couple of notable exceptions, actors whom I really care about were acquired at later, not necessarily un-meaningful stages.

I would love to hear what you thought of A Matter of Life and Death. It was for years my least favorite major Powell and Pressburger and managed to grow on me.

[thisbluespirit]

w00t! I look forward to finding out whether the murder mystery survived or whether it was an ironic casualty of its own narrative.

Thank you! And, ha, tbf it became a casualty before I even wrote the rough draft of it 2 years ago, but I imagined I would flesh out the surrounding characters during the politicking pieces & could go full murder mystery here later if I wanted, except I ended up working out the main overarching plot through it instead, but that was more useful overall anyway.

That's really fascinating. I have some deeply imprinted movies from childhood, but with a couple of notable exceptions, actors whom I really care about were acquired at later, not necessarily un-meaningful stages.

I mean, I think in most cases - David Collings aside - the same would be true of me, but I was both forced to find them and enabled to do so via David Collings whereas so many actors I really do love watching and look out for and have imprinted on later just don't cut through the grey brain fog/numbness when it's really bad. So, it inevitably fascinates me as to why this tiny, rather unlikely subset unlocks something that allows me to watch/listen to things, which in turn is vital in managing myself through the day and more likely people don't. So, yes, it seems it is some sort of combo of liking, random intense childhood imprinting (often long forgotten), and voices/expressiveness. (Some people come close/help a lot in better times, but fall away at the worst spots or it's only one character or characters of theirs that works.) And then, of course, I'm able to watch them now when I'm bad, which reinforces and magnifies the imprinting thing.

So, I am glad for their existence, but it is weird to me too! I mean, had I not got so ill again I would never have known that I had some long-lost imprinting on a guy for once giving a brief speech on the value of history in Bergerac and yet. That is how I glommed onto James Maxwell, it appears.

(David Collings I knew because he was in several things throughout my childhood & beyond, and I always knew that he had played something marvellous before we watched Dark Towers at school - I watched them closely enough to recognise him - although it was a long time even after I watched S&S that it finally dawned that I'd watched part of Assignment 6 with my Dad and that the something marvellous had been Silver all along.)

I would love to hear what you thought of A Matter of Life and Death. It was for years my least favorite major Powell and Pressburger and managed to grow on me.

That is, alas, the one I watched downstairs in bits in a fugue state but it turned out it was a good one to do that to, if I must do it. It had such a fascinating concept and such great visuals that I could watch it numbly but still appreciate it and follow it and have it hanging round in my head for days/weeks, and know that it was time well spent, because I'd need to rewatch it anyway. Have you written about it anywhere? I would be very interested to take a look.

(I watched This Sporting Life a couple of summers ago in a similar fashion and that was a good film that should never be watched in ten minute sections dragged out over three months while brainless. I might as well have kicked it to death. Rachel Roberts was luminous though, she's amazing.)

[sovay]

tbf it became a casualty before I even wrote the rough draft of it 2 years ago, but I imagined I would flesh out the surrounding characters during the politicking pieces & could go full murder mystery here later if I wanted, except I ended up working out the main overarching plot through it instead, but that was more useful overall anyway.

Fair! The overarching is still holding together from what I can see out here, so the characters evidently knew what they were doing.

So, it inevitably fascinates me as to why this tiny, rather unlikely subset unlocks something that allows me to watch/listen to things, which in turn is vital in managing myself through the day and more likely people don't.

If you don't mind my asking—I don't want to break the mechanism—who's in the subset?

I mean, had I not got so ill again I would never have known that I had some long-lost imprinting on a guy for once giving a brief speech on the value of history in Bergerac and yet. That is how I glommed onto James Maxwell, it appears.

I don't think you ever told me that! I was actually thinking about idiosyncratic introductions to actors from having just mentioned Hume Cronyn: I saw him first in *batteries not included (1987), but I noticed him for the first time in People Will Talk (1951), where he plays the envious antagonist whose closest thing to a redeeming quality is his dry awareness of himself as a cold-fish killjoy which he has the chance to turn away from and fails and yet something in the performance caused me in high school to make a point of tracking him down through the local independent video store, which netted me Lifeboat (1944) and The Seventh Cross (1944) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), which in hindsight would have been one of my first exposures to film noir. Decades later, I got to see him as a protagonist in a B-picture: he was great and I'm not sure it ever happened again. But the other actor to whom I devoted actual, rudimentary movie-watching time in high school was Ronald Colman and I had been introduced to him as Sydney Carton in the 1935 A Tale of Two Cities. The gateway there was obvious.

(David Collings I knew because he was in several things throughout my childhood & beyond, and I always knew that he had played something marvellous before we watched Dark Towers at school - I watched them closely enough to recognise him - although it was a long time even after I watched S&S that it finally dawned that I'd watched part of Assignment 6 with my Dad and that the something marvellous had been Silver all along.)

(a) That sounds entirely in character for Silver.

(b) The thing where Martin Jarvis and David Collings and Judy Geeson turned out to have been in your childhood exposure to Breakaway still feels to me as though you called them up retroactively. (I'm not complaining; I benefited from it.)

That is, alas, the one I watched downstairs in bits in a fugue state but it turned out it was a good one to do that to, if I must do it. It had such a fascinating concept and such great visuals that I could watch it numbly but still appreciate it and follow it and have it hanging round in my head for days/weeks, and know that it was time well spent, because I'd need to rewatch it anyway.

If you have to pick an Archers just to stare at, it is a fantastic panoply of images.

Have you written about it anywhere? I would be very interested to take a look.

Tragically, only during the phase where I didn't like it that much! I didn't even make it to the screening introduced by Thelma Schoonmaker, either. Otherwise, just in the minimal form of fish-in-the-barrel argument. I should try to revisit it. I need my brain to operate at a viable speed.

[thisbluespirit]

If you don't mind my asking—I don't want to break the mechanism—who's in the subset?

David Collings, James Maxwell, Suzanne Neve, Martin Jarvis, Jeremy Northam, maybe Jennifer Wilson, and then Alfred Burke, Barbara Murray and Margaret Lockwood sort of pop in and out and orbit the next circle. (Fact that amuses me: of this bunch, the first to cathartically break down for me when I needed them to was Jeremy Northam, as the broadcast of those eps of s2 of WML took place at the same time as I first fell ill. It was a fair few years later that I caught David Collings at it and even later still that James Maxwell did exhaustion to perfection. XD)

(b) The thing where Martin Jarvis and David Collings and Judy Geeson turned out to have been in your childhood exposure to Breakaway still feels to me as though you called them up retroactively. (I'm not complaining; I benefited from it.)

Cause and effect all in one, lol, yes. It amuses me too! I know what I like??

If you have to pick an Archers just to stare at, it is a fantastic panoply of images.

It really is! Like the film equivalent of when I read beautifully written stuff brainless; I may not take in as much as I should & can only go a paragraph at a time but all the words (images) feel like great food for my brain anyway.

Thank you for the links! I enjoyed reading them, even if you have shifted (slowly along the elevator???) since then.

I need my brain to operate at a viable speed.

*hugs* I would wave my magic wand if I could, hard, but alas, it is very faulty. <3<3<3

[senmut]

+cackles at your dad's findings+

The Resident looked interesting!

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! And, ha, my Dad didn't think much of The Resident, but then neither of us like medical dramas as a rule. The Residence, however was a lot of fun!

[theseatheseatheopensea]

I feel you about summer brain! *hugs* I'm glad there's been writing and nice thinks to watch, though! <3

I think I can prove childhood imprinting on all my top faves and that's what the thing is about, and why even when I'm so ill they reach me in ways that other people, no matter how much I enjoy them in things, don't unfortunately.)

This is so relatable! I found a bunch of favourites as a grown up, but I definitely feel that there's something really special and meaningful and comforting about the childhood ones!

[thisbluespirit]

I feel you about summer brain! *hugs* I'm glad there's been writing and nice thinks to watch, though! <3

*hugs back*

This is so relatable! I found a bunch of favourites as a grown up, but I definitely feel that there's something really special and meaningful and comforting about the childhood ones!

Yes, although the reason I am fascinated by this is that it's not obvious childhood favourites (David Collings aside, heh) who tend to work, but people who I had forgotten about, or forgotten the original point of imprinting, and since they in particular seem to be a key that unlocks my brain to taking in media when befogged over other people that I love too and do remember, I've been curious to see if I can pinpoint what it is. I think it's not straightforward, but the key handful so far definitely all have weird random childhood imprintings - plus I need to like them generally, and I think they also need voices that don't set off my sound intolerance (most of them are musical), plus obv once I get into them that reinforces it, of course. And they have to a non-impossible CV, lol. Some people work and then, alas, their CV does not. XD

Revisiting old favourites, though, is also fun! That was what I did with trying to get my reading back - so much slow re-reading of the Chalet School until I could manage other things as well. It works!

[scifirenegade]

*hugs*

The other week I managed some flash fic/scribblets for AU_gust (AU August) on tumblr.

(And also rainbowfic) Nice! And of course, don't sweat it!
everything changed so much that now my main characters aren't bothering taking part in the murder bit so am not sure if it will read ok (hopefully when edited) or if I committed Worst Murder Mystery ever as a result.

Oof, know the feeling, though I doubt it will be Worst Murder Mystery. There are so many, many bad things out there I wouldn't worry. (First Doctor reference made me chuckle :D )

And hey, no such thing as too many TV detectives!

[thisbluespirit]

There are so many, many bad things out there I wouldn't worry. (First Doctor reference made me chuckle :D )

Aw, thank you! And you're right. I can't possibly achieve worst ever. Someone is bound to have got there before me! XD

And hey, no such thing as too many TV detectives!

And I have been doing my level best to prove it all summer, lol.

[liadt]

*hugs*

1989 radio has the best cast! And a toad!? Does it talk, is it a toad deity?

Good luck with the epic, they refused to be rushed to make life worse, well mine does XD
Yay for little fics!

I've been watching loads of TV 'tecs too and very few wonky old TPTV films this summer.

Sorry for the (accessible) CV running out. You could always go and watch JN's greatest hits again?

[thisbluespirit]

1989 radio has the best cast! And a toad!? Does it talk, is it a toad deity?

I was so pleased when I found it! And, ha the toad is a sinister poisonous white toad, but it doesn't talk. Mrs Lecount is the widow of a naturalist who left her his entire collection of reptiles and amphibians and she's very fond of the scary toad. (Wilkie Collins always has such fun with his villains.)

I've been watching loads of TV 'tecs too and very few wonky old TPTV films this summer.

*fist!bumps* over endless comforting murders.

Sorry for the (accessible) CV running out. You could always go and watch JN's greatest hits again?

Oh, I will! I'm v grateful to have managed to come up with a fave who was in so many lovely films. And probably there are still some things I can track down, but I've checked most of the major/easy/good things off now. (I gather he was in some early 90s film that also had Peter Capaldi, in which he mainly ate cereal a lot, so clearly that sounds like a must, lol.) He may even come back from the wars and start acting properly again, who knows?

[liadt]

It sounds a cool toad even if it doesn't talk back :D

Cosy has taken over my TV! I await the Yuletide requests for crossovers since they tend to share actors.

Lol, the cereal eating one deffo sounds one that must be found and then confound everyone as to why your future fic is full of cornflakes!

[thisbluespirit]

Lol, the cereal eating one deffo sounds one that must be found and then confound everyone as to why your future fic is full of cornflakes!

I must see about it. I mean, we don't even know if it's cornflakes! It might be Rice Krispies or even Wheatabix, so obv I must find out. I could branch out from biscuit!fic.

Cosy has taken over my TV! I await the Yuletide requests for crossovers since they tend to share actors.

It's nice to know that some people are just forever murdering people in everything.

[liadt]

No idea of the cereal? Yes, this is a mystery that needs to be solved!

Frances Barber must have special detective DNA as she plays all the 'tecs close female relatives XD

[thisbluespirit]

I discovered Soft Top Hard Shoulder never had a DVD release, so have resorted to YT. So far the cereal eating has been highly exaggerated, but it is true that JN is always eating something (so far: a chicken leg, an apple, something in a coffee shop, coffee & cereal, type unknown), but Peter Capaldi does contribute to the cereal front by eating porridge.

Funnily enough, Frances Barber does a cameo, lol, so she really does get everywhere!

[liadt]

Soft Top Hard Shoulder rang a bell so I had to google it, not watched it going by the synopsis.

Ha, if JN was a starving actor then it must have been a good job! *woe* for unidentifiable cereal, at least Capaldi's could be viewed!

Frances Barber does a cameo XD

[thisbluespirit]

Soft Top Hard Shoulder rang a bell so I had to google it, not watched it going by the synopsis.

I'd heard it was really good if you liked Peter C, but hadn't realised it was literally based on his life story and his wife played his wife. JN shouldn't have been starving at that point - he had never been out of work, was very up and coming, had an OLivier award under his belt, and was then playing leading men in the NT and RSC, and had a partner who presumably had a proper job, so it does make me think that either he was friends with/knew Peter or wanted to work with him particularly for some reason, or something like that, because I can't imagine this one paid much!! Or, of course, he was just very open to bribery with food; that would totally work on my little sister, it's true. XD

Anyway, it's a lot of fun so far & Peter's great, of course - it's here if you wanted to check it out for Peter and blurry cereal ID.

[liadt]

Heh, I've spent so long watching Boris I forget the majority of actors don't take an age to get their career going. It's cute if they were friends, maybe he took snacks instead of money?

Good to hear it's fun, google results made it sound darker. Ta for the link!

[thisbluespirit]

It's cute if they were friends, maybe he took snacks instead of money?

I suppose I shouldn't try to guess, because who ever knows with these things? It is a bit of an outlier at this point in his CV though, it's true. (He had done his time in rep already, don't worry; they weren't making it TOO easy for actors, lol.) And I'm sure even the National and the RSC doesn't actually pay that well, because theatre. XD)

Good to hear it's fun, google results made it sound darker. Ta for the link!

Oh, well, now I'm worried! It seems pretty humorous so far, although I can believe it could get weird, maybe in a trippy way, because Peter Gavin does imagine disturbing stuff for his picture books? I will report back if you don't get there first.

[liadt]

Heh, I'm glad JN had something of THE STRUGGLE;p The National Theatre is quite swanky though, they give their actors massages!

Someone (or some bot) described it as noir but then all 1950s run of the mill Brit crime films are described as noir these days (thanks TPTV) so prob not a genre definition to rely on.

[thisbluespirit]

Heh, I'm glad JN had something of THE STRUGGLE;p The National Theatre is quite swanky though, they give their actors massages!

Haha, they all must struggle! XD And, lol, I don't get the impression they did massages in 1990! They probably had to start after so they didn't break any more actors. (JN was at the RSC by 1993, I'm sure, but he was the understudy who had to go on as Hamlet at the National after they broke Daniel Day-Lewis, and the NT got a lot of criticism for overworking its actors & not treating them well (they knew DDL was suffering, but nevertheless skipped understudy's runs while JN was rehearsing for switching from Osric to Laertes when Ian Charleson came in in to replace DDL, and was learning his part for The Voysey Inheritance.) If they really do massages now, that really could be as it was a major deal even I remember reading about it in the papers. (No massages for understudies either - JN claims he stuttered/gibbered for hours after until his girlfriend had to hit him repeatedly to bring him round).

Someone (or some bot) described it as noir but then all 1950s run of the mill Brit crime films are described as noir these days (thanks TPTV) so prob not a genre definition to rely on.

My YT watching is so slow I still can't give you any updates on that front, lol. We shall see... *eyes* I mean, it has a humorous tone, definitely!

[liadt]

Def THE STRUGGLE at 1990s NT. V.poor NT breaking the stars. My info comes from the 2000's so I guess they should be thanking DDL!

[thisbluespirit]

US papers scolded them for treating leading men like workhorses! The shame! No wonder masseurs were hired. XD

ETA: Have now watched over half of Soft Top, Hard Shoulder, & it continues to be fun and not dark or noir yet. I thought to look at the YT comments and a bunch of them say things like "what a sweet film!" So I don't think it's going to turn noir, lol. (Peter is very young and beautiful but still runs like a penguin, and he and his wife are cute together.)

[liadt]

Explains why all the Brit actors go over to the US it must be a life of luxury there XD

Looks like internet in not accurate shock, lol. Sounds like 'STHS' is something to have on hand when cute is needed <3

[thisbluespirit]

Looks like internet in not accurate shock, lol. Sounds like 'STHS' is something to have on hand when cute is needed <3

Cute may be going too far; they are both Scottish! XD

[corvidology]

A Matter of Life and Death (1946) which is a personal favourite is titled Stairway to Heaven in the US.

[thisbluespirit]

It was very good!

[bimo]

I just love the thought of Jane Marple being a witch! Oh, and of course your icon. Joan Hickson's Miss Marple is the Miss Marple I imprinted on as a kid, because German television was showing a lot of British tv productions back in those days. I've done multiple rewatches over the years :)

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, thank you! And much as I had fun with the later adaptations, Joan Hickson really does nail it, doesn't she? I don't even think I actually watched her that much and yet she's always the Miss Marple in my head when I write. <3

Oh, and on an Agatha Christie theme, did you know that one time David Suchet and Joan Hickson met up in character? (<-- link goes to tumblr gifset, in case you don't do gifs.)

[bimo]

What a delightful gif set! That must have been such a fun event, I just love seeing Suchet's Poirot acting in full gentleman mode towards Miss Marple, all complete with kiss on the hand and that adorable little bouquet of flowers. :)

As for rewatches: I reckon I may have done about four or five over the years, with my favourite adventures being "A Pocket full of Rye" (Aw, Peter Davison!) and "4.50 from Paddington", though "Sleeping Murder" has grown on me considerably.

[thisbluespirit]

I just love seeing Suchet's Poirot acting in full gentleman mode towards Miss Marple, all complete with kiss on the hand and that adorable little bouquet of flowers.

Yes, it's lovely. So glad you liked it too! <3

[ragnarok_08]

Your fic was fantastic, I love the idea of Miss Marple as a witch :D

I know how you feel re: summer brain, I know that feeling too well.

I think I can prove childhood imprinting on all my top faves and that's what the thing is about, and why even when I'm so ill they reach me in ways that other people, no matter how much I enjoy them in things, don't unfortunately.

Yes, I relate to that so much :)

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, thank you very much!

And I think the long and the short of it is that brains are weird (and wonderful) things, really! <3<3<3