Five more shows I would watch in the STU (Stranger Things Universe)
The Reunion Set in the present day, Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas came back to Hawkins for their high school reunion. A couple of the guys...


THE TALE OF TWO JOHNS
This morning I was listening to American writer Chuck Klosterman speak about a trick of the mind that makes the past seem ordered and...


SICARIO, TORTURE AND 'THE DILAWAR TEST'
It’s a good film, Sicario. It’s tense, and well acted and shot, and unpredictable, and Benicio del Toro’s hair really is on freaking...


HOW TO LOVE THE UFC
On November 15 Melbourne will host UFC 193, which is expected to be the largest event the Ultimate Fighting Championships have ever...


HARVEY PEKAR AND ME
Once I was sort of, almost friends with Harvey Pekar, who was an American file clerk, curmudgeon, cancer survivor, everyman, comic book...


WHY THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL MUST FAIL
Since the Second World War there have been two moments that have defined the West’s relationship with Iran. The first was in 1953 when...


DON'T BE TOO EAGER TO DEAL IN DEATH AND JUDGEMENT
‘Death to the dentist,’ cries my Facebook, to a chorus of likes, shares and supporting comments. Friends have said it, so too Piers...


IDEAS ARE THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT PART OF CREATIVE SUCCESS
Twitter has informed me that the Man Booker Prize long list was released yesterday, which reminds me of an interview I read with last...


CASINO ROYALE'S COLD OPEN IS FOUR MINUTES OF GENIUS
I cried after the cold opener of Casino Royale, real tears, and lots of them. There were some contextual factors in play; it was the...


STORY IS MEMORY. VIDEO GAMES ARE PLAY.
A few weeks ago a friend who runs a creative agency asked me to go into her office and speak to her staff about storytelling. It’s a...