tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post7938559484672047009..comments2024-03-08T03:14:02.855+11:00Comments on This Island Rod: When Eight Bells Toll (1971)Roderick Heathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-38649664824010664732011-11-22T15:55:41.189+11:002011-11-22T15:55:41.189+11:00Okay then!Okay then!Roderick Heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-1564540390205726852011-11-22T15:22:33.577+11:002011-11-22T15:22:33.577+11:00No, it was definitely Helen. The Salzburg Connect...No, it was definitely Helen. The Salzburg Connection is a title I recall reading. My brain is sieve though, things seem to leak out of it after a few years, I remember more of a general impression of her books as fairly well written and suspenseful, but no specific details.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_MacInnesPatricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-725238948166776272011-11-22T13:25:38.245+11:002011-11-22T13:25:38.245+11:00Patrick: I do remember Helen MacInnes, never read ...Patrick: I do remember Helen MacInnes, never read any of her work, though. Can't help but wonder though if you're thinking of Hammond Innes, another Scots writer who was even more like MacLean. I used to read a lot of both of their books back when I was fonder of climactic extremes and macho derring-do. Haven't seen <i>The Satan Bug</i>, but the book was hugely enjoyable as I recall.Roderick Heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-53114421661137938492011-11-22T03:12:12.370+11:002011-11-22T03:12:12.370+11:00Thanks for the tip. I went through a MacLean phas...Thanks for the tip. I went through a MacLean phase many years ago, my dad had his books laying all over the house and I read bunches of them, had no idea this was a movie, I'll try to track it down on netflix. Besides the two best known of his movies from books, I also recall seeing The Satan Bug many years ago, but have no memory of how good, or not, it was. <br /><br />(another somewhat similar writer was Helen MacInnes, remember her? She was pretty good.)Patricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-5587607368896413812011-11-18T02:54:40.976+11:002011-11-18T02:54:40.976+11:00Thanks for saying that, Stephen; you make me feel ...Thanks for saying that, Stephen; you make me feel distinctly less crazy for liking this as much as I did considering its low critical reputation. Whilst it has distinct problems, I appreciated its strengths - that reshaping and heightening as you describe it - to an extent that made not really care. Yes, that dry dialogue comes to life spilling from Hopkins' lips. I've remained a dogged fan of MacLean's early work and some of the films based on it, and a couple of his early novels including <i>Night Without End</i> and especially <i>HMS Ulysses</i>, really deserved good films that sadly never came about.Roderick Heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08107539379079558068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137730880076755122.post-54273229789144742512011-11-18T02:06:19.441+11:002011-11-18T02:06:19.441+11:00A favourite of mine -- a thriller that reshapes an...A favourite of mine -- a thriller that reshapes and heightens reality while keeping its texture. It's from that phase of Maclean's career where the novelist and screenwriting halves of his creativity meshed; before the slide into all those late-career novels that read like failed screenplays.<br /><br />"I don't like it. Too many ifs and buts."<br /><br />"With all due respect, sir, you haven't heard an if or a but yet."<br /><br />But you need to hear Hopkins say it, to feel the crackle.Stephen Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05280419153030490653noreply@blogger.com