Walking with Giants...

Yesterday was amazing, I met up with Ian Mculloch from Zombie Flesh Eaters and Zombie Holocaust, and what a gent he was, usually when you go to meet someone of cult status, it is over a 30 second book signing, witch is always a little disheartening to me…when u have grown up wanting to meet someone, and when u finally do its for a few seconds and all those thousands of fascinating questions you thought up go out of the window, but not this time, I got a good 20 minuet chat with MR. Mculloch and enjoyed it very much, telling me some great stories about filming the zombie movies and about what the rest of the cast are up too these days
we then all watched Zombie Flesh Eaters on the big cinema screen, and it really reminded me of why I love the Work of 70s/80s Italian directors, especially Lucio Fulci, and why I will defend there awsomenss to the grave!
He was also kind enough to give me a small signed poster from zombie flesh eaters and to sign my old VHS cover of flesh eaters, witch is now framed in my house!
really big special thanks too rob at Celluloid Screams for the event!




However….the good times did not stop there as today I went to London to meet a very special hero of mine….Ray Harryhausen!
Ever since I was a child I have always been fascinated with the work of Ray Harryhausen, to be honest, most people are! And I am no exception, I have followed him from the very first day I watched Sinbad and the eye of the tiger,
the quirkiness of his animation has always left a very big impression on me, and from an early age, up to present day, a month hasn’t gone by were I have either Watched his movies or read his amazing book ‘Ray Harryhausen, an animated life’
Having a background in animation and film making, I have not only admired his skills as a sculpture, but as a visionary who breaths life into his models like no one else,
I have idolised him from the day I knew of his existence, and I will continue to do so until the day I die,
Anyway, today I had the amazing honour of meeting the legend himself Ray Harryhausen along with another ggreat gguy Tony Dalton (the co writer of both An animated life & The Art of Ray Harryhausen) at London’s Forbidden Planet mega store , and what an amazing day it was, I am not even going to lie…it was actually the single most hear warming, unforgettable day of my life, and I will treasure the memories of meeting Mr Harryhausen forever, he was an absolute star, signing both of his Books for me, and telling me how I should change my name to ‘theodopolis’ Legend!
What made the day even more surreal is that half way through the signing, who should walk through the door….but none other than JOHN LANDIS! Director of American Werewolf in London. The Michael Jackson Thriller video, Blues Brothers, and many many more amazing pieces of cinema…
at first I wasn’t sure if it was him, and I simply asked the person next to me…’Is that John Landis?!’ to hear the person next to me reply ‘….yeah?!’
one of the crowd members said ‘john…what brings you here today?’ and john replied ‘what do you mean what am I doing here?! I am here to meet ray fuckin harryhausen! Do you think I would miss this?! Are you crazy?!’ it was amazing, 2 people I have idolised all my life, and such major icons in film both together in the same room, and the fact John Landis had come all the way JUST to meet ray and get his Autograph was very touching, and I am sure Ray was extremely proud, you know you have achieved something when John Landis comes to you for your autograph….
But back to Ray….he was everything I ever hoped he would be and more, so humble and even at the age of 90/ish went along to meet his fans and sign anything they had brought free of charge.




I will honestly never forget today, big thanks to the guys at forbidden planet for organising such an epic event!
the day was finished off nicely by a trip to the natural history museum, a place I have wanted to visit all my life, and finally got to take a tour of the place today, I am a HUGE fan of Dinosaurs and standing next to a full size Triceratops, Iguanodon, Mammoth (plus hundreds more too many to mention) it really made me realise how huge these guys were, and also a much better understanding of how they lived and how real it was that they did actually roam our planet all those years ago…