Power is a State of Mind: 2026

Monday, 4 May 2026

Come get food in Diecast

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It’s bank holiday Monday. I was in bed by 10 last night. What the hell, man. I forgot we all had an extended weekend and hence didn’t put up a meetup. Neither did any organiser of any other group, that I can see. So I stayed in with a plan to read a book, but then fell asleep anyway.

So much restaurant food this upcoming week. My poor wallet (and waistline). I’m out with work tomorrow. Wednesday night: Journal Club returns to Hinterland for writing exercises, prose, poetry and introspection. Also great vegan food. There’s a Meetup with Manc Mates. 7pm. I have a pharma experiment review to go up Saturday. Weekends after bank holidays tend to be quiet, but… that means shorter queues and waiting times for food, yes?! I was talking to a few Manchester Nightlife group members recently and we’re set on Diecast for next weekend for food, drinks and music. 7pm. Good range of different food, great cocktails, with a live band in one room and a house music DJ in the other. Great stuff in the home of a disused metal factory.

I’m likely to start a new fitness project soon to counter the endless alcohol from the last month.

Saturday, 2 May 2026

Law 47: Do not Go Past the Mark You Aimed for; in Victory, Learn When to Stop

Saturday, 11th April ‘26: the British heavyweight boxer, 37-year-old Tyson Fury came out of retirement a *inhales* fifth time to fight *checks notes* Arslanbek Makhmudov, a 36-year-old Canadian-based Russian. The British former champ Fury clinched the win with a unanimous decision, and then called out fellow Brit Anthony Joshua.

Joshua himself is now 36, so both fighters are on the cusp of the 38-Year-Old Rule. This, according to esteemed voice of authority on boxing Sharpbetting (?) is the age generally regarded to be the most appropriate age for retirement. Physical and mental health, brain injuries, neurological injuries and even death are all things that a fighter risks more as he progresses through his 30s. The general consensus is, don’t risk it.

What might author Robert Greene say about such things? He wrote The 48 Laws of Power, a book that’s been found hugely valuable to many, including rappers and sports stars, but is highly regarded in the business world too.

Law 47 is ‘Do not go past the mark you aimed for: in victory, learn when to stop.’

Tyson Fury has a net worth of an estimated £120 million. Anthony Joshua: £150 million. Granted, there are many people richer than them put together. There are 156 billionaires in the UK today, owning a million pounds a THOUSAND times over, each. But still, they’re presumably sat behind a desk, or on a yacht, for most of their day. They aren’t doing a sport when they’re trying to deflect repeated blows to the skull.

Both of these boxers have held titles. Both have had long-enough careers. Should they be fighting? I doubt Robert Greene would think so.

“The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril,” Greene explains. “In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.”

I expect Greene has no particular knowledge of boxing, beyond interviewing Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao’s coach, and being interviewed himself by MMA magazine Bloody Elbow. But he does understand conflict. The guy’s got a BA in Classical Studies. He’s well-versed in world history which, if you remember school, is punctuated with wars and with royalty meeting all sorts of awful demises. Among Greene’s bibliography is The 33 Strategies of War, so I expect he’s got a good theoretical grasp of fighting, if nothing more.

I’m sure Greene would agree with me that the time for Fury and Joshua to fight has now passed. There’s younger blood coming through. Both aforementioned boxers both had their fair share of victories, and have reached enough goals. The enemies they make from now on won’t be other boxers – it will be their own health.

Friday, 1 May 2026

Excess Month Review

It’s May today, hence this absurd Excess project comes to a close. What have I done since Sunday night?

A while back, I got a couple of Chivas Regal blending kits as presents, containing 5 single malt blends in each: Smoky, Citrus, Creamy, Fruity and Floral, plus a bottle of standard Chivas Regal blend. These are made for blending, but I sipped through them individually to try each. They also came with a beaker, stirrer and an empty bottle for the blend. With the next kit I might try blending to experiment. I also polished off the last third of a bottle of Jura Journey, a great single malt. Not in one night, I might add.

Rewatched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, about a journalist reporting on a motorbike race while slamming a suitcase full of drugs into his body. Rewatched The Crow, seeing as I met David Patrick Kelly the other day. Rewatched 8 Mile for a similar reason, although substitute the actor for Mekhi Phifer. Rewatched David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, about a TV executive becoming obsessed with a Malaysian snuff TV broadcast that eventually gives him insane hallucinations. It was a DVD transfer from a recording I made off the BBC probably just before the turn of the century, when Mark Cousins was presenting Moviedrome, a series of cult films. Brilliantly weird film, great lead actor in James Woods, shame he’s turned into a MAGA nutter in recent years. Rewatched Terminator 2: Judgement Day, this time with the Blu-Ray commentary and in-screen accompanying storyboard. Fascinating. Not seen it in years, certainly not since meeting the cast in July ‘24. Rewatched Scanners, about an underground society of mind readers whose telekinetic abilities cause their victims’ heads to explode. Crazy shit again from David Cronenberg. I recently watched his early works which feature similar mind reading themes, in particular Stereo.

Went out for an Indian in Mossley.

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There’s more to be uploaded, including a small psychopharmacological experiment. I read one of the books I pulled out, review to be uploaded soon.

But how was this month’s actual excess experiment? How did it go? Honestly, the steady flow of alcohol didn’t do my mental health any good. Shock. It was difficult to get out and see the city and do things out there, as gathering people together is insanely hard unless it’s a Saturday night. Even then, with conventions and televised boxing matches, it can be hard to find the time myself. But generally, nobody has money, people’s interests are different, people travel, so a lot of what I did was to stay home, hammer through that alcohol and watch those films. Looking back at the original plans, I’m not sure I’ve seen many opportunities to do things other than the horror convention. There are 4 blog posts on that in the last month. Everything else has been hand weights, movies, the odd night out and hard spirits. I enjoyed most of it. 3 more months to achieve the rest.

Made some space in the alcohol cupboard this month.

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— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey.bsky.social) 1 May 2026 at 08:19

It’s only now that I realise, after doing this for a month, that this Excess project wasn’t even part of the plans I had for this year. Wow. I’d just assumed it was because I had no room in my drinks cupboard.

Well… I have now.

Thursday, 30 April 2026

Zionists

I have an upcoming blog post about the dangers of Zionism and, more to the point, how to avoid pitfalls in life and decisions that could quite easily come back to bite you. Before I complete it, let alone upload it, I wanted to share something with you.

After the Nova Festival attacks in Israel on 7th October 2023, many people spoke up on social media confessing their support of Israel. Israel, need it be said, was established as a state in 1948 under the Balfour agreement. It is not a country that has existed for thousands of years, as many people will tell you. Palestine, in contrast, is. It was referred to as 'Pelesat' as early as 1150 BCE. When Israel was created, millenia later, this act automatically stole land off the Palestinian people, holding them under occupation. Palestine hasn’t been free since then.

I have memory difficulties. I find it hugely helpful to keep track of information on my notes app. Sadly, I’ve found I have had to keep track of other people’s behaviour, for example, if they’re supporting Israel. Israel, need it be said, are conducting a genocide in Gaza. This has been confirmed by the United Nations.

Here are some reasonably well-known people or organisations who I have been disappointed to see have expressed support for Israel post-Nova attack.

Adam Presser, Tiktok CEO

Adam Sandler, actor

Adam Szlapka, EU minister

Adidas sportswear

ADS group, defence and security

Aerosmith, rock group

Aerovironment aircraft

Agilite military gear supplier

Aimpoint, military supplier and inventor of the red dot sight

Alex Karp, Palintir CEO

Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s spin doctor

Allainz, insurer for Elbit Systems

Alphabet, computing services for Israeli military

AM General, Humvee manufacturer

Amy Schumer, actress

Anat Schwarz, lead reporter, New York Times

Andrew Fox, retired British Army Major

Andrew Ogles, Republican

Andy Garcia, actor

Anthony Blinken, former US Secretary of State

APCO, lobbyists

Apple software

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Ashton Kutcher, actor

Aspen, Elbit insurers

Associated Press

Atlantic newspaper

Azealia Banks, pop star

BAE Systems, British multinational aerospace, arms and information security company

Barack Obama

Barbara Streisand

Barclays

Bari Weiss, CBS editor-in-chief

BBC

Ben Shapiro, US conservative commentator

Bethanydillon_, influencer

Bill Clinton, former US president

Bill Maher, US talk show host

Boeing, aerospace manufacturer

Borussia Dortmund football club

Boy George, singer

Brighton and Hove Albion FC

British Museum

Burger King

Cadbury

Caitlin Jenner

Cambridge University

Camden Council

Caterpillar

CBS, US TV station

Cedarsoak, company ran by both Labour Friends of Israel and Conservative Friends of Israel, developed report on Nova Festival attack

Chanel perfume

Channel 4 News

Charisma Carpenter, actress

Charles Vietch, Manchester Youtuber

ChatGPT, AI bot

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis

Christopher Harborne, Qinetiq’s largest shareholder

Coca Cola

Colt, weapons manufacturer

Conan O’Brien, US TV host

Conor McGregor, Irish MMA fighter

Corsight, AI, facial recognition company

Costa

Daily Telegraph

Dame Andrea Jenkyns, former Tory MP

Darren Grimes, Reform politician

Dave Portnoy, Barstool Sports CEO

Dave Rubin conservative influencer

David Arquette, US actor

David Cameron, former UK Prime Minister

David Draiman of the band The Disturbed

David Lammy, UK Labour politician

David Schwimmer, actor, Ross in Friends

Day & Zimmermann ammunition manufacturer

Dean Cain, former Superman actor, anti-vaxxer

Debra Messing off Will & Grace

Digital Barriers, who use Corsight, monitoring the Palestinians for Israel

Dior beauty cosmetics

Disney

DJ Khaled

DJI, makes drones for Israel

Dr Eli David, AI researcher

Dr Phil, US pseudo-therapist and talk show host

Drake, rapper, singer

Draymond Green, US basketballer

DUP

Economist

Elbit Systems, weapons manufacturer operating in the UK

Ellen Barkin, Hollywood actress

Elon Musk, head of X, SpaceX and Tesla, currently world’s richest person

Emily Thornberry, Labour MP for Islington

Emtan, weapons manufacturer

Eric Adams, former NYC mayor

Eurovision

Eva Lovia, adult star

Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor

Ferrero, chocolatier

Fiona Bruce, BBC News

Floyd Mayweather, retired boxer

Flyer Defense, military company

Forbes

Ford

Friends TV show

Gail’s Bakery

Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman actress, former IDF soldier

Galaxy chocolate

Gary Lubner, Israel Lobbyist, Labour donor

Gene Simmons, musician from Kiss

General Dynamics

General Electric

General Motors

Gerard Butler, actor

Ghost Robotics

Gillian Merron, Parliamentary undersecretary of state

Graham Lineman Father Ted creator

The Guardian newspaper

Harlan Coben, author

HD Hyundai

Helen Mirren, actress

Hillary Clinton, politician

Hime Marie, ‘Corndog_princess,’ adult entertainer

Honeywell Aerospace Technologies

Hotel Chocolat

Howard Stern, shock jock

Howmet Aerospace

Humphrey Cobbold, Pure Gym owner

H&M clothing

Israel Aerospace Industries

Infinidome, navigation security

In-n-out Burger

Intel, IT manufacturer

Itsjackkkb influencer

ITV

Jack Black, singer / actor

James Whale, LBC presenter

Jamie Lee Curtis, actress

Jane Fonda, actress

Jay Mack, US comedian

JCB, British construction manufacturer

Jenna Jameson, porn star

Jerry Seinfeld, US actor

Jimmy Carr, comedian

JK Rowling, Harry Potter author

Joe Biden, former US president

Joe Rogan, UFC commentator and podcaster

John Bolton, US Republican politician

John Mason SNP

John Woodcock AKA Lord Walney

Johnson & Johnson, healthcare manufacurer

Jonathan Gullis, former Tory MP

Jonathan Kestenbaum, Labour House of Lords, former IDF soldier

Jonathan Mendelsohn, former head of Friends of Israel

Jon Voight, actor

Jordan Peterson, Canadian psychologist and author

Julia Hartley Brewer, UK TV Newscaster

Julianna Margulies, Sopranos actress

Justin Beiber, singer

Justin Timberlake, singer

Kamala Harris, former Democratic VP, ’25 presidential candidate

Kash Patel, FBI head

Kathryn Winnick, Lagertha in Vikings

Katie Salmon, Love Island contestant

Katy Perry, singer

Kemi Banedoch, Conservative MP

KFC

Kid Rock, singer

Kier Starmer, UK PM

Kim Kardashian

Kinder, chocolatier

Krishnan Guru Murthy, Channel 4 News

Krispy Kreme Donuts

Larry Ellison, TikTok boss

Leonardo DiCaprio, actor

Leonid Radvinksy, deceased Onlyfans owner

Leupold, optics manufacturer

Liev Schreiber, actor

Lindsay Graham, US senator

Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House, UK Parliament

Lisa Kudrow, actor

Lisa Nandy, Labour politician

Liz Truss, former UK PM

Lizzysavetsky, US influencer

L’Oreal skincare company

Lord Austin, trade envoy

Lucy Powell. Deputy PM

Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for Durham North, wore a ‘Zionist s—lord’ t shirt, heads ‘We Believe in Israel’ advocacy organisation

Lynsi Snyder, head of In-n-Out Burger

Maria Eagle, board of deputies

Mark Hamill, played Luke Skywalker

Mark Pellegrino, actor

Marriot hotels

Mars chocolate

Matthew RJ Brodsky White House advisor

May Golan, Israeli Women’s Minister

Maureen Lipman, UK journalist

McDonald’s

Melanie Phillips, newspaper commentator

Mercedes Benz

Tuesday, 28 April 2026

Michael Gray in Joshua Brooks

Daytime Disco returned to Joshua Brooks Saturday 18th. Disco house, headlining DJs, a packed room and no taxi necessary at the end. This time, Michael Gray headlined, whose track ‘The Weekend’ was a top 10 hit in 2004.

I put up a Meetup with Manchester Nightlife, got a couple of attendees, I bought a ticket because they claimed to have done… then they reversed their RSVPs. Did they buy a ticket? I don’t know. Upshot: I went on my own.

Oh well.

The upstairs bar already had a party with a DJ at 5:30pm, but the main event was in the basement. The moment I got in a girl dropped her glasses right in front of me and I inadvertently stepped on them. Awks. She told me not to worry about it. Clientele mostly 30s and 40s, as you’d expect from an event featuring a DJ whose fame was at his height 22 years ago. Michael Gray himself didn’t come on until 6:30pm but warm-up DJs still offered great disco house. Friendly crowd too. I spoke to someone who, it turned out, knew a couple of friends of mine. By the time Gray was playing, the club was heaving, and stayed that way ‘til 10pm. Superb music.

He was patient and chatted with people at the end, including myself. What a dude.

Monday, 27 April 2026

40% off pizza this Wednesday in Diecast / Mousse T DJ Set

What a week in store. Brace yourself.

Wednesdays: food hall Diecast, out near Piccadilly train station, offers a 40% discount on their delectable range of pizzas. I’ve had at least one a few months ago. The Diecast meetup I ran last summer with Manchester Nightlife was probably the most attended meetup I’ve ever organised. I’ve been meaning to run it again. But their midweek deal looks so good that I’m first going to gather a group for food this Wednesday night, if poss. Here’s the meetup for that.

This ridiculous Excess Month project comes to a close the next day as we tick over into May. Last push now.

Saturday: I’m going to give someone else’s meetup a shot. Making Friends in Manchester is hosting Drinks and Pizza in Yes bar near Circle Square. I’ve had their pizza. It’s good. 3 of us at the time of writing.

It’s a Bank Holiday, so the Sunday is open too: Joshua Brooks’ Daytime Disco returns, this time with another headlining DJ. Remember the Horny song from 1999? Of course you do. Producer Mousse T takes over the decks for an afternoon of disco house. Manchester Nightlife will be there. Get involved! Tickets are £14 now but will go up.

Sunday, 26 April 2026

So about For the Love of Horror...

Once again, For the Love of Horror was an astounding local movie event with some superb guests offering photo ops, autographs, stage discussions and there was even a Blade-style blood rave (that I missed). Find part 1 and part 2 of my writeups. I got a follow back on Instagram from Finn Carter, Rhonda off Tremors. Jeff Daniel Phillips, Herman Munster in the Munsters remake, liked my picture of him. Unfortunately, after paying for a picture with Mekhi Pfifer, he then turned out to be Zionist. Well. Terrifier’s Jenna Kanell liked my pic of her.

Dance music group Basement Jaxx liked my comment.

Rewatched City of God, the Brazilian gangster movie. Excellent crime drama set in the Rio favelas, taking inspiration from real life, Goodfellas and I expect Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels. Rewatched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, an outrageous drug-fuelled trip through a police convention, a motorbike race and a desert. So many cameos that I didn’t recognise until this week. Rewatched Lost Highway, David Lynch’s weird tale of a sax player sentenced over the murder of his wife (an act of which he has no recollection) only for him to disappear in jail and be replaced by another guy who has no recollection of how he got there. So good, but such a headfuck. Not seen it in maybe 20 years. Patricia Arquette, man. Good lord.

Polished off a citrus single malt 5cl bottle from the Chivas Regal blending kit I got Christmas before last. I’ve actually got 2 kits and am tapping through the content. I should try making a blend for the hip flask.

Excess Month ends on Thursday. I’ve read one of the books that I’d pulled out that fit this theme; review to be uploaded at some point.

Lastly, today is Alien Day: 26th April. 4/26. As in LV-426, the planet they land on in Alien.

Saturday, 25 April 2026

Law 6: Court Attention at All Costs

‘Everything is judged by appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colourful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.’

So says Robert Greene in his book The 48 Laws of Power. Law 6 is Court Attention at All Costs. Well, let me prove this one to you.

I was an essential worker during the pandemic. I was working in a team who supported people with Parkinson’s, Dementia and Alzheimer’s, most patients being around 50-75 years old. When COVID hit, and lockdown was delayed because of our idiot then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, our clients were massacred. Every day people were phoning in about these desperately ill relatives. Usually, we’d see the warning at the top of the patient’s file: COVID-19 POSITIVE in bright red letters. People screamed and shouted, they’d cry, they’d demand to be put through to professionals, but we couldn’t. All we could do was email. The professionals’ job was to go through their inbox, grade the calls in levels of seriousness, and call back the most serious cases to offer support. Frequently, the relatives would miss these calls, and the dance would start again. People would go ballistic that they couldn’t just speak to the actual professionals. They’d scream, cry, demand... but rules are rules.

Eventually, in the start of 2021, Pfizer announced a vaccine. It was fully tested, fully approved, and safe. The government rolled it out and the COVID rates immediately plummeted. It was working. The country, and the world, was recovering.

Pretty much straight away, though, one person after another began to espouse their batshit anti-vaxx perspectives. Friends. Some colleagues. Celebrities. Love Islanders. Olympians. A whole load of UFC fighters.

Here’s the thing about having memory difficulties: you have to store a lot of written information to get by. Shopping lists. How to do your job. How to use the oven. How to program a VCR (historical example there). Solid note-taking is an absolute necessity. You genuinely can’t operate without it.

But then, once you start keeping notes, it becomes habitual, and it can almost take over your life. Any little titbit or instruction you learn, you’ll think, what if I need this later? Where should I store what I’m writing?

When smartphones came around (I got my first in 2010) I found the notes apps to be a game changer. Anything written could be stored, and tapping it into your keyboard would look totally normal as you’re handling your phone, like anyone else. You aren’t busting out a notebook and pen like George McFly in Back to the Future. You start by making notes like shopping lists, or instructions for using an appliance, or gym records. You write your tasks for the day, and tick them off as they’re done. You use your notes app on nights out, knowing that what you add might flesh out a blog post.

By this point you’re hooked on information. There are other types of information: things you’d rather be aware of in future. This is usually about people. You find yourself categorising the information you find, creating lists: Tories. Anti-vaxxers. Zionists. Trump supporters. The categories grow, and the lists themselves grow as people share more face to face and – more brazenly – online.

There are more reasons for people to fall out these days, and people have fewer qualms about doing so. It doesn’t half get confusing, though, and it helps now to be able to check whether you’ve categorised a person as any of the above. Just use the search bar, tap in their name, and any note they’re included in is listed. I kept these lists. As the years have gone on, I’ve steadily lost my patience with people I’ve noticed sharing the above views. I’ve unfollowed and unfriended on social media hundreds of people.

But if any of these people act up, I’ll be the first to criticise them. On X, this can get a bit of traction and it can equate to blog page views.

Back in June last year, there was a UFC fighter who found himself in intensive care after a rather nasty bout of staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial infection caused by dirt entering wounds. It’s not normally that serious but in this one case, it floored the guy. I hadn’t realised it was as serious as it was, but the name rang a bell. I won’t give him the attention now. Anyway, I checked my Omninotes app, and yes, back in 2021 he’d been spouting off a load of anti-vaxx content. Many other UFC fighters did too.

I reminded the people of Twitter about this… and I was immediately bombarded with death threats. UFC fans and MMA students usually have humongous chips on their shoulders, and hundreds quickly told me that I ‘wasn’t safe,’ and was a ‘limey piece of shit.’ It’s pretty nerve-wracking having hundreds of people baying for your blood and calling you a horrible writer, but the payoff is a huge spike in blog page views. The fighter in question is recovering as in fact training again. It all worked out in the end.

Back in February I tried this ‘Tweet for Chaos’ project that I devised, tweeting out the names of all the people in the aforementioned categories. I didn’t get the immediate backlash that I thought I would, but once this was over and we rolled into March, my page views started to climb. Are these connected? I don’t know. I recent months, my page views have gone through the roof. One one day recently I got 26 thousand hits. I’ve now passed million page views overall and I got 212 thousand in the last month, more than in any other month that I’ve been blogging.

I must have done something right. Annoying a load of anti-vaxxers probably had something to do with it. Or, maybe it’s bot traffic. I dunno.

What do you think it is?

Friday, 24 April 2026

For the Love of Horror April '26 Part 2

First please see For the Love of Horror April ‘26 part 1, the beginning part of the writeup for the Manchester horror movie convention.

Next to stage: Finn Carter (Rhonda) and Michael Gross (Burt) from Tremors.

FC: Tremors bombed on release, then 35 years later it’s remembered. Michael carried the mantel for 6 more movies.

MG: (Lead actor Val) Kevin Bacon felt he was a failure. He walked away.

FC: He said he’d come back now if there’s another.

MG: There’s a script for ‘Tremors 8’ but it’s in legal limbo. I said to a producer, ‘we’d better do it quick, because we’re getting old.’ I didn’t intend for Burt to be a main character. But the writers fell in love with the character, and when that happens it’s great.

The mic goes out to the audience.

Audience Question: How heavy was the elephant gun?

MG: Quite heavy! It was a terrifying scene for me because I knew if I got it wrong, they’d have to take an entire day to reset the wall.

AQ: What was it like seeing the creature for the first time?

FC: I was in a few scenes. It was massive. I got dragged. The director (Ron Underwood) was 5’ (1.5m) tall, and the sweetest man, saying, “it’s getting closer! It’s getting closer! IT’S REALLY SCARY NOW!”

AQ: Did you speak to seizmologists to prepare for the role?

MG: Americans are crazy as you know. We have a president to prove it. We had a survivalist store, and they gave us the basics on booby traps, making a retreat, which I’m a little paranoid about. I took a lot of firearms training. You have to convince the audience that I was an expert. I worked quite a long time with firearms instructors, loading, unloading, to make it look like expertise.

COMPARE: What was your journey into that character, from the audition?

FC: I was doing a play in LA, and my classmates were laughing at this potential movie. Then I got it. But I got time, got just proficient enough (in seismology) to fool you. If experts come in, they’d disagree.

MG: I never wanted anyone down the barrel of my gun. If I put it down, I had to assume someone had touched it. I’d check it. If I hear about mistakes with guns on set, I say, ‘someone screwed up.’ I’m not a gun fan. I love model trains. Burt never points his gun at other people: only the monsters. We don’t fight each other; we come together as a team to fight a common enemy.

FC: When I was running away from the monster in my underwear, there were men under the set moving the ground. Everything you see is being moved by a huge team. On set there were no egos, or conflict. It was the perfect storm. I don’t remember there being any problems.

MG: There were no bad apples on set. No A-holes. Everyone was nice. It was, ‘Let’s try this.’

FC: The only time was when the Director of Photography said, ‘you cannot make that shot! There is no sun!’ In the evenings we partied in the hot tub. When they’re blowing away, that was a great scene. You think, oh my god, these people are prepared. They have a chance. My favourite scene, though, was Kevin Bacon saying ‘let her have blonde hair, big green eyes,’ then I turn around. All my insecurities and lack of confidence gave me the power to carry through Tremors. I’d think, ‘another day of work.’

Another excellent event from Monopoly, too.

Alicia Witt. Alia in Dune, Gersten in Twin Peaks. Roles in Urban Legend, Ally McBeal, Sopranos.

Trader room

Great treat from The Cookie Club

Tony Cecere, Ghostface in Scream

Jenna Kanell

Ghostbusters cosplay

Texas Chainsaw cosplay

Halloween set

Scream set. Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich were in attendance but I didn't see them

Killer Klowns from Outer Space set. The Chiodo Brothers behind the outfits were in attendance

5 Nights at Freddy's cosplay

Leah Voysey

Terrifier cosplay

Jason Cosplay

Cosplayers

Jeff Daniel Phillips, Howard in the Halloween remake, Herman in The Munsters remake

Jenna Kanell (Tara), Catherine Corcoran (Dawn) and Leah Voysey (Clown Cafe Host). Terrifier panel.

Thursday, 23 April 2026

For the Love of Horror April ‘26 Part 1

Horror movie convention For the Love of Horror has landed back in Manchester. It’s Saturday 18th April and I’m looking forward to meeting a Commando actor (someone from the movie, not someone who left their underwear at the hotel). I’m going to try and get a few more photos, and hear what people have to say about their film careers. But first… let’s take a look around Bowlers Exhibition Centre.

The first Q+A Panel: 78-year-old Ken Foree, Peter from Dawn of the Dead (1978), who tells us he has “talents like Ernest Hemingway.” He tells us of his days of acting and writing.

“Have you ever tried to get something published? If you haven’t, I’ll tell you: I was between acting jobs, coaching basketball, little kids. I like to see the lightbulb come on. One of the kids’ dads said ‘let’s write a low budget action film.’ He’s in New Jersey, I’m in California. I had execs come by, they saw it on a coffee table. They said, who wrote this? I said, I’m not the writer. They said, you’re the writer. They pestered me for a call for months. I said okay. What about my family? A month later, the response has been tremendous at this late time in my life. This was about 10 years ago. You know Taxi? There was a series I wrote, ‘Limo 8.’ It was mine, but the same story. I wrote a horror story, called ‘Shadows.’ That got the same response. My 2 leads were in World War II. They were sending the letters. I wanted you to feel sorry for a serial killer character. But, as you know, everyone has challenges in life. I had things going on with family members. I said to my agent, ‘I’ll call you when I’m ready. Don’t call me.’ After turning down 15-20 projects in 20 years, now I’m overwhelmed. I’ve got loads. I’m ‘back.’”

COMPARE: There’s a lot of diversity in your career. Drama, horror, comedy. In Rob Zombie’s Halloween, do you bring fun?

KF: Not always. Joe Grizzly (Foree’s character in Halloween) was the most fun. There were 2 young lads in here today who said, ‘That’s Kenan and Kel’s Mr Rothmore!’ The mic is handed out to the audience queue.

AUDIENCE QUESTION: In Dawn of the Dead, the zombies are slow. These days in films, they’re fast. What do you prefer?

KF: The one where I’m paid! Rob Zombie has great way with words. I don’t have a favourite character or speed. I like a piece of this, a style of directing there.

AQ: What was it like filming the fight scene with Tyler Mane? (In the ‘07 Halloween remake.)

KF: I met Rob Zombie, I said Yeah, I’ll do Devil’s Rejects. I had food with Tyler Mane. Everything was real. We tore up the wall, rebuilt the wall, beat the shit out of that too. Tyler is a very nice gent.

AQ: What was the most memorable moment on Dawn of the Dead?

KF: It was an adventure every time we put on the costumes. The entire film. There was something every night. To round off, Foree gives us some insight into what to expect next.

KF: Max Brooks is Mel Brooks’ son. We were having lunch in the US with a music artist. We had lunch every couple of months. We’d have a great time talking. Max did World War Z. He asked, ‘did you write anything on zombies?’ I said, ‘yes, but it was too expensive.’ I sat there, I said, ‘pass me the paper.’ He said, ‘you have to have the zombie thing as a comic book.’ Max thanked me through that. You’ll know more as soon as we have a distributor.

Next to stage: Mekhi Pfifer, Future in Eminem vehicle 8 Mile, and Tyrell Martin in 90s horror I know What you Did Last Summer. He was also Dr Gregory Pratt in medical drama ER.

MP: ER was fast-paced, dealing with other doctors and patients. I try and stay as fit as possible so I can enjoy doing these projects. ER was first for me in TV. We really forged a family atmosphere. We had each other’s backs and had vacations together. We’d spend 14 hrs a day, then go to Lake Tahoe to get food. Everyone was wonderful.

MP: Filming in 90s, I was doing soundtracks when I got the offer to do the music with Brandy and Monica (The titular ‘boy’ in The Boy is Mine.) 30 years later it’s still embedded in people’s memory.

AQ: What was it like filming (Dr Who spin-off) Torchwood in Wales?

MP: It was cold as hell on the beach. It was supposed to be summer, so we had no coats on. It was the coldest I’d ever been. I had no idea John Barrowman was as talented as he is.

AQ: in 8 Mile, who was the biggest joker?

MP: We were all in our 20s. Most people it was our first big movie. Eminem was the biggest joker. He was shy when you first met him.

AQ: Who would you most want to fight on film?

MP: I always wanted to fight Freddy or Jason.

CMPR: Who would you avoid?

MP: Hellraiser’s Pinhead. How’s he walking around with pins in his head?!

AQ: How would you survive the zombie apocalypse?

MP: I’d need a stocked freezer, dried food, weapons, and it takes a little community with doctors and engineers.

AQ: What was Eminem like?

MP: Eminem had 3 trailers: a movie trailer, a gym trailer for working out, and a music trailer. He said, ‘I want you to listen to this track.’ Nobody knew Lose Yourself was going to be as big as it was, but it shows we bonded. When it came to the rap battle, director Curtis Hanson, RIP, he was not of the hip hop scene at all; he was a beach bum. He rolled around in a jeep with the top down. He let us have carte blanche. We had a great time.

Mekhi Phifer

Next to the stage: David Patrick Kelly, Sully the henchman in Commando representing the mercenaries who have taken Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter. He also played Luther in The Warriors, T-Bird in The Crow, Howie in K-Pax, Jerry in Twin Peaks and Charlie in John Wick.

COMPARE: Every good guy needs a villain. How did you bring intensity to bad guys?

DPK: There were a group of guys working for Nixon. They ended up on the run, but they were mercenaries. What drove them was money.

COMPARE: What was your journey into performance?

DPK: I was a busker, playing songs. The Beatles came, and played in my hometown (Detroit Michigan). They came after the Kennedy assassination, and they were so joyful, a good break.

COMPARE: What was your first break?

DPK: I was in the musical Hair, on Broadway. I played guitar because of The Beatles. I like to say I’m a precursor to psychedelic music.

COMPARE: Let’s talk The Warriors. These days it’s still such a cultural phenomenon. Were you aware when filming?

DPK: No. Do you have drive in movies?

COMPARE: No. It rains too much.

DPK: It became this cultural phenomenon to see people on screen. The issues were really important in The Warriors, which was my first film. (Director) Walter Hill calls everything ‘a western.’ A queue forms for the audience questions. I’m second in line.

AQ: What was David Lynch like to work with? (Kelly worked with Lynch on Twin Peaks.)

DPK: David was magical; so revolutionary. The script was like a song. I got a feeling; I knew at the time. I was filming Wild at Heart. He gave me the script. It was something special. You don’t normally see a director leave the camera on a drawing. But you’ve got to remember, Lynch was a painter before he switched to film.

COMPARE: This guy’s come prepared. He’s got a notebook!

ME: What was it like being dangled off a bridge by Arnold Schwarzenegger?

COMPARE: That’s what we all wanna know!

DPK: I was attached to a crane by my ankle, like in the cowboys and Indians movies. I was up there for 5 hours! It’s a real rush of blood to the head.

COMPARE: Let’s talk The Crow. My dad showed me movies. When you came on, he’d go, ‘bad guy.’ (Starring lead Brandon Lee was shot when a live was accidentally entered into a chamber of a gun on the set of The Crow in 1993.)

DPK: Brandon’s passing was a huge tragedy. He had a stunt double. We didn’t know if the film would finish. My brother was in London. I went to Stratford and found this copy of Paradise Lost in a bookstore. I managed to get it into the film. I also managed to get It Can’t Rain All the Time into the soundtrack.

AQ: What’s the key to longevity in Hollywood?

DPK: Just stay healthy. So many people are gone because of drugs. I’m not preaching, but you’ve got to stay fit. I love being here, but my passion is Broadway. You gotta keep breathing.

The last question comes from a guy celebrating his birthday, so Kelly encourages all to join in singing Happy Birthday to You. Then he gives us a performance of his own.

David Patrick Kelly