Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains

"July fourteenth, twenty-oh-five. Today. The year humans set foot on Mars, for the very first time." The as-live TV movie, Special Report: Journey to Mars is in simple terms, a hoot. Similar in tone to 1994's asteroid-phobic, Without Warning , the story follows an 'as-it-happens' broadcast of the so-called "Destiny" Mars landing, and its intrepid crew, who are merrily voyaging within what is occasionally described as being, "The most complicated machine ever built." A fairly risky-sounding proposition, if you ask me, as far as vital life support capsules are concerned. The simpler, the better, surely. Lest we not forget the sage wisdom of Montgomery Scott, " The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain ." 'Co-hosted' by perpetually-concerned optimist, Tamara O'Neal (Alfre Woodard) and stern-toned stalwart, Nick Van Pelt (Philip Casnoff) of globe-spanning news station, GNN , we are t...

The night that Ghostwatch went out, I vividly recall my excitement upon first discovering that Craig Charles would be making an appearance. I've been a Red Dwarf fan for almost as long as I can remember. And that simple fact (not counting my prized shelf of merch) is what makes me a proper, cast-iron-balled, Dwarfer. I was following the show back when the sets were naff. When the models were just painted cornflakes boxes suspended on uneven bits of twine. When the costumes were far too dated, the acting far too obvious, and the writing far too laddish. Back when the characters were underdeveloped, that vampire was in it, and Cryton was just a bald, middle-aged guy projected onto a TV screen. ... Except, the show has never actually been nearly that bad. Even at its least gripping, it has never been close to unwatchable. For the most part, it's actually been rather impressive. Honest. You see, Red Dwarf has the dubious honour of being often described as a 'cult...

In the run-up to National Séance, The Guardian ran an article that delved into the work of Kirigami aficionado and self-styled Paper Dandy, Marc Hagan-Guirey . In September, a book containing twenty of Marc's designs hit bookshelves, containing a smorgasbord of sliceable schematics each inspired by a different Horror movie, tale or story... and who'd have thunk it, even Ghostwatch . In fact, the very first example which readers can attempt to construct themselves is entitled, "The Thing under the Stairs." As you can see below, the spooky piece features a tentacular shadow escaping from a familiar-looking doorway, all of which is bathed in a striking, pinkish-blue glow. Overall, the inspiration is unmistakable - particularly, when you read the accompanying text on the opposite page... "This was the most traumatic piece of television I'd ever seen. I was found by my neighbour sobbing on the doorstep of our house, too afraid to be inside by myse...