Should Kids Be Allowed To Watch The Shining?

[Music]. Hello and welcome to this episode of the. resters entertainment questions and. answers edition. I'm Marina Hyde. >> and I'm Richard Osman and you are the. stars of the show with your many many. questions. Can I I'm going to go. straight in with Annie Lley. >> Hello. >> Hello. Sorry. >> Hello. >> All right. Okay. Ask me. Okay. Marina, I'll ask you a question. How are you? >> I'm fine, thank you. How are you? >> That's got out of the way. None of your. business. It is none of your business. She Annie says it's from Annie Loveham.

She says, "The new Wthering Heights. trailer is incredibly sexed up. Would. the Bronte estate have any control over. the adaptation? And how does Studio X. tell if an audience will enjoy something. like this?". >> Okay, that I have seen this trailer. I've seen it a couple of times. I agree. First of all, it's out of copyright. They're all in the public domain because. copyright expires 70 years after the. author's death. So, we're well past that. period. >> So, it essentially means anything that's. written by someone who died more than 70. years ago is absolutely fair game. You. can do absolutely anything with it. And. there are certain anniversaries coming.

up of people. That's why we can see so. there's so many Sherlock Holmes movies. and so many different versions of that. Sherlock Holmes story is because anybody. could do it. You know, anyone at home. now could film a Sherlock Holmes film. >> I should say if you don't know about it, it's um it's the Wthering Heights. It's. directed by Emerald Fenel. Um and it's. got Sburn. >> Who did Saltburn and Promising Woman and. it's got Jacob Lordi and Margot Robbie. as um Heath Cliff and Kathy. First of. all, I do find these things quite hilar. I love it when a trailer like this comes. out. Um because you can just imagine the.

sort of frothing fury and you know. people saying this quite disgusting you. know and it's kind of like get over it. grandpa everyone's going to go and see. it. I don't know where they are but I'm. telling you right now that the Daily. Mail are currently running about two. articles about a week about a film that. doesn't yet come out till uh February. Valentine's Day obviously. Oh wow. >> She's very pro provocative. She's. actually kicking there's a Bronty. woman's writing festival uh uh next. year. So, she's kicking that off. I'm. sure there will be some people who are. absolutely furious about that. But I do.

think if you're going to do the rec the. classics, you should just redo them. I. mean, >> people were probably annoyed about Kate. Bush doing it in her in ineitable style. But it was bonkers and brilliant. You. know, she's got a real sort of talent. for this kind of event uh thing uh. Emerald Finale and it's kind of. transgressive and whatever. And they've. done a preview screening, I think, quite. deliberately because the leaks that came. out of it were all like, oh, the first. thing you see is a hanging and um.

there's the the the person being hung. ejaculates just before his death and. then a nun sort of gropes his corpse. It's like, wow, this is it's all I don't. want to say it's all seeping out after. what I've just said, but it is all this. information. >> starts with an ejaculating corpse. >> I know. I mean, like I said, >> that's an idea for the next novel. Yeah, >> divisive, but but jolly. >> See, I think the question is not what. would the Bronte estate make of it, it's. what would Emily Bronte make of it. And. I would have thought she'd be delighted.

beyond words to still being, you know, uh, written about all those years later. and to have another artist do a. different version of it. What fun. I. mean, the last thing she wants to do is. have someone else has done a kind of. dark and brooding adaptation. You know, Emily Bronte is watching this remote. control in hand. bag of malt teasers. Uh, she's. >> thinking, "This is incredible. Look at. the advances.". >> That hanging wasn't in the book. I. wonder where they're going with this. Oh, okay. I see where they're going with. this. Well, listen, in for a penny, in. for a pound. Uh, well, you know, you got.

to do it differently. You got to do it. differently. >> Yeah. I mean, the And the question of. like, does would audiences enjoy, how do. they know whether audiences enjoy this? There is a sort of technical answer to. this which is that when you're releasing. films throughout theatrical you do have. things like preview screenings and you. have screenings before the final edit is. anywhere close to anything because a lot. of directors find it quite helpful to. see and you get audiences to fill in. cards of how they felt and sometimes you. can kind of shepherd them into asking. particular questions and it but lots of.

directors find this very helpful but. audiences did enjoy something like this. with sortburn um and they in a way they. enjoyed something like this Not not as. I've just described with Barbie which. was obviously because this is Margot. Robbiey's production company who's made. this. >> it's got the same opening scene. >> Yeah had the same opening scene. >> with Ken. They cut that out in the end. >> In the end they just decided to go with. the no gentle tilt thing. That was fine. So they kept it cannon but actually I. mean people have always done these. things. They're those Pascalini films. that are um based on like the Canterbury.

Tales and the Dameron and things like. that and they've just kept all the. rounchy bits and just got rid of all the. sort of moral dimension. I mean Roman. Palansky's test I suppose. Um I'm trying. to think of other ones that have anyway. but the point is you know you don't have. to go and see it on Valentine's Day but. >> you don't have to see it at all. Anything that can make you newspapers. write free articles about it this many. months six months out or whatever we are. from February the 14th is very very it's. very very helpful for filmmakers and.

there will be lots and lots of hype. about this movie whereas with sort it. didn't do so well in theaters but it. suddenly became once it got onto the. streams very quickly it became a really. big thing I mean she has a talent for. this kind of provocation so I think we. have to say that we know people like it. and probably they will see see it Yeah. And if if you think it goes against the. spirit of the book, well, I have good. news. The book is still available. >> Yeah. >> You know, Emily Bronte's done her. version of the story and she moved on. quickly afterwards. So, she she's done. it. She's told the story. So, and it's. absolutely always there. It's in black.

and white. You can read it forever and. ever. And for the next 500 years, people. will go, do you know what? There's. something in that story that gives me a. different idea. So, I'm going to use it. as a springboard for something I want to. say. And that's all those films are. But, you know, you cannot burmer Emily. Bronte's memory. >> I never feel younger than when I don't. care about things like this. I just feel. like, "Oh, shut up, grandpa." All the. the moaning in the pile clutching. I. never feel young. These things sort of. things make me me feel young again when. I see them cuz I don't care. >> Yeah. An awful lot of people who haven't. talked about Emily Bronte much for the. last 30 years suddenly talking about.

Emily Bronte. >> in a very protective way. Oh, here's a. question for you. This is a little bit. connected. So, I'm going to ask you this. one because it's just forms part of a. nice discussion. Okay. Victoria Wallace. says, "Why are there so many Stephen. King adaptations each year?". >> Ah, and some of the greatest movies of. all time as well. Stephen King. Well, you know, a number of reasons. Firstly, he writes a lot of books. Uh, and he. writes a lot of short stories and they. have incredible beginnings, middles, and. ends, and they have incredible imagery. So, you know, generations of. screenwriters and directors grow up. reading these books, and the first thing.

they think about when they think, "What. would I like to film?" is Stephen King. So, you have that in the the source. material is is fantastic. And that he. sometimes is hands-on, sometimes is. hands off, and seems to be quite good at. working out what to be when. But the. interesting thing with Stephen King and. this talks to the the idea of you know. if someone's been dead for 70 years you. can do their work for free. You can. almost do Stephen King's work for free. So he has long had this uh idea. He said. he said uh it was it was my idea and my. accountant was absolutely furious about. it. But he he has this thing which he.

calls his dollar baby project in the. sort of 70s when he started getting big. and uh students contacting him and. saying I love this short story of yours. I'd love to adapt it one day. And so he. has said right from that moment he said. you know whatever legal issues there are. he says I will grant any student. filmmaker the right to make a movie out. of any short story I have written not. the novels that would be ridiculous so. long as the film rights are still mine. to assign. I ask them to sign a paper. promising that no resulting film will be. exhibited commercially without approval. and also that they send me a videotape.

of the finished work. Uh-huh. >> Uh, and so he now has a shelf of these. of, you know, young student filmmakers. who've adapted short stories of his. He. has a whole shelf of them and he calls. them his his dollar babies. Firstly, that's, you know, it's it's indicative. of there's something about his work that. speaks to young filmmakers. There's. something about the spirit of it. But. secondly, on a on a very practical. level, for example, one of the very. first people to take him up on that. offer, one of the very first people who. wrote to him and was was assigned the.

rights to something for $1 Darabondant. >> Oh yeah. >> Uh so he made the woman in the room. which in 1986 with some fellow NYU film. students. Wrote to Stephen King said, "We'd love to do a version of the woman. in the room." And Stephen King said, "Yep, there's the rights for you for $1, you know, under all the all the usual. terms." So Frank Darabont made that. And. less than a decade later, Frank Darabont. gets in touch with Stephen King again. because they've been in touch, right? They have a they have a commercial. relationship already. He can he can talk. to him directly. And Frank Darabont.

says, "Um, I just been reading your uh. the novela Rita Hayworth and the Shaw. Shack Redemption. I I would absolutely I. just think I can uh do an adaptation of. it." And Steven King's like, "I just. don't see how that would be a film, but. listen, I know you. I like what you did. before. You're on my shelf of Dollar. Babies. you can have the rights to Rita. Hayworth and the Shaw Shank Redemption. charge him $5,000 which actually is much. less than you would normally charge. someone but you know he knows Frank he. thinks is unfilmable anyway so he says.

you you can have the rights for $5,000. there's a len lengthy back and forth. where I think Robiner was originally. going to direct um Shaw Shaman. Redemption but Frank Darabont does it. himself in the end uh and is obviously. one of the most beloved movies of all. time made the reputation of Frank. Darabont again made huge amounts of. money for everybody is is is greatly. loved and comes directly from Stephen. King letting student filmmakers pay just. a dollar to adapt things. Even even the. $5,000 that Frank Darabont paid Stephen. King for the rights. Stephen King did.

not cash that check. Instead, after the. movie was made, Stephen King, he sent. the check back. He framed it, sends it. back to Fran Darab, this $5,000 check. with a note saying, "In case you ever. need bail money," you know. So, that's a. guy who understands filmmakers. He. understands storytellers. uh and he. works kind of handinand glove with him. So there's lots of reasons why there are. millions of adaptations. >> There were four this year alone which I. think is amazing that Long Walk, Life of. Chuck. >> You loved Long Walk. >> Oh my goodness me. I'm still harrowed by. it. Still deeply harrowed by it. The.

Monkey and the Running Man starring. Glenn Pal, >> your friend. Oh yes, >> we're getting Edgar Wright's directing. it with Glenn Pal is. >> great. That'll be a lot of fun. That's a. that's a good combination of people. Edgar Wright and Glenn Pow. >> and Frank Darabond because we've also. had a question which we'll just deal. with this very quickly like whatever. happened to Frank Darabond. He he sort. of just withdrew on purpose. He had he. had a fallout over um Walking Dead and. things like that. He is coming back. because he's going to direct I think a.

couple of episodes of the final season. of Stranger Things. So lots of people. have said oh like where is he? What's. happened to him? He he is returning to. our screens um behind the camera in not. too long not too long a time. did the. Green Mile straight after Shaw Shank as. well, didn't he? Yes. >> Which felt felt like more more of the. same, but but yeah, another great film. Oh, that's great to hear. What's your. favorite Steve Stephen King adaptation? >> The Shining, which he hated. Yeah. I just think it's. >> I don't know about The Shining. >> You don't think it's a good movie? Oh my. god. I can't start this just before, but. probably going to. >> I don't hate it. It's just not my sort.

of thing, you know? I find it's a bit, you know, as soon as something becomes. sort of something magical realism and, you know, I just Yeah. Do you know. Kieran's dad took him to the uh world. premiere of The Shining when he was. nine. >> So honestly incredible. My husband. incredible parenting. Some incredible. parenting there. Not not the first or. last. Incredible parenting. It's really. >> that is amazing. It's also an object. lesson. >> with a friend who I think still had to. sleep with on with a light on, you know, when by the time he was 30. Yeah. >> But it is it's an object lesson in. parenting has very little impact on.

children because your husband could not. be more level-headed. He's not like a. man who saw The Shining when he was 9. years old, >> although he very much did. And some. other bad stuff, too. But yes, it. depends whether the child can take it or. not. I allowed my child to also see it. when he was nine, but not all. Yeah, not. all of them would be allowed to. different. >> Just one of them. >> Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm not letting my. daughter to see it at night. She'd have. an absolute she I mean, she gets scared. from a lot of things. >> Bake off. >> Yeah. >> Eggs. >> I'm not advocating showing the The.

Shining to to a nine-year-old. By the. way, it sounds a bit like you are. because should I tell you what you did? >> He loved it. He loved it. Richard, >> you you told a cautionary tale. Like, can you believe how awful my husband's. father was that he took him to see The. Shining at the age of nine and then. literally within 30 seconds he's saying. I. >> I remember to pay off to the story, The. Shining when he was nine as well. >> I should have kept a secret, but I tell. you what, I can't keep anything secret. from you, Richard. I've got to have it. all out there. And that's the reality. that Yeah. I've I compromised myself in. the same way. >> Okay. Okay. What was that? What's my.

favorite Stephen King adaptation? >> Sorry, self. >> I'm so sorry. I'm so I'm just reflecting. on my parenting. What is your favorite. Stephen King adaptation? >> By the way, listeners, if you have let. your child watch something more. inappropriate at a younger age, do let. us know. I'd be amazed. >> That might not even be my worst. I'd be. amazing. By the way, I just got to think. it through. >> Kids, kids, there's a there's a new. Wthering Heights adaptation. Come in. Gather around the television. Uh I think. listen, it has to be Shaw Sham. Redemption. Shiny wouldn't be anywhere.

close to the top three because you got. Misery and Stand by Me as well. >> Okay, that will Yeah, I wouldn't put. Shaw Shank in it myself. >> You would not put Shaw Shank in it? Really? Nope. >> Really? Any reasons? You think it's. Schmaltzy? >> Yeah, I think it's Trit. >> You think it's Trit? >> Yeah, >> but I love Trit. >> I know. >> I'm just I can't say and I'm going to. get I just can only say the wrong thing. currently. >> No, I love Shaw Shank. I think if you're. going to do Schmaltz, do it brilliantly, you know. And I think if someone does. Schmortz brilliantly, then they've just. made the best film of all time. That's.

my opinion. If you make the best. schmaltzy film ever made, you've just. made the best movie of all time. I think. it's harder to make a great schmaltzy. film than to make a great art house. film. >> That might be the case. Yeah, that might. be the case. I think I think you're. probably right. Okay, fair enough. We. can we can agree on that. Draw ve all my. mistakes. Okay. Should we go to a break? >> Let's do that. This episode is brought to you by Sky. Sports, home of the WSL. >> The confetti's fallen, the trophy. lifted, the medal stowed carefully in.

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conversation we just had about showing. children thing. There's a question which. we'll do next week I think. So I love it. as a question which is u somebody who's. got 11 and 13y old kids and they're. saying I want to educate them on the. basis of good entertainment. So, can we. pick a film, a TV show, and a book that. we would show to an 11 to 13 year old to. to put them on the right path? >> Anything as far as I'm concerned. >> Good. But that's we we'll do that next. week because that's a really lovely. question. But I I have a question. instead. I have a question about. football audio. >> This is safer. This is a lot safer. >> Keep listening everyone. Natasha Boyd. asked this question. Natasha says, "With.

football back on the telly and following. the Lioness's roaring summer success, I. have a question about the sound capture. in games. I've noticed that the noise of. football players hitting the ball is. often audible when watching football on. the television. Particularly during key. moments like penalties, you can hear a. clear and satisfying thack when the. players kick the ball. But how is the. audio captured? >> Well, you're right, Natasha. It's got so. amazing. And actually, if you go back. and you, you know, you watch old matches. and stuff on YouTube, you're like, "Oh. my god, I can't believe I listened to. this or watched this. It's so sort of. basic." It's become and particularly.

ever since the um the money came in with. the with the football rights and with. the Premier League and with Sky, they've. they've been able to make it so good. Premier League production set it up at. every game and you've got three mics on. every side sideline which are boundary. mics. >> In in the 70s in football, there are. three mics on every team, weren't there? >> Just I mean, >> everyone was called Mike. >> Sorry. >> You've got Yeah. Okay. Very good. You. got the You got your boundary mic. Mic. boundary. Uh uh and then that picks up. the ambient stadium sound. Then you've.

got two mics on each goal which is in. the top left corner and the top right. corner. These are pressure zone mics so. that they can get that you know if it. gets hits the bar or else it hits the. net. You can feel the sort of Oh, really? >> Yeah. Um then there's one mic at each. corner flag. There are 360 degree. microphones for crowd sound and some of. them have the big stadiums have them put. into the roof already rigged. Uh there. are four for general atmosphere which. are like ambisonic um and surround sound. mics. And then there's one on the beauty.

shot camera which gets up individual. tackles and action. And then there's one. on the steady cams for the technical. area and when they're coming out the. tunnel they're using shotgun. microphones. That's very important. You're pointing at the thing that you. want. >> So they're incredibly directional. >> Yeah, they're very very directional and. they don't pick up the other stuff. So. you're thinking that's a lot of sound. So the real scale comes in uh the. outside broadcast truck because there's. a specific sound mixer who's taken all. these different feeds and it's they have. to follow the state of play and then.

they boost and the dip the levels of all. these. I mean can you imagine the. stress? I know. >> that's amazing. >> So if there's a penalty then you want to. dip the stadium sound and like bring up. the behind the goal mic so you can hear. it and then if you think the player's. going to just I don't know like when. Rooney slagged off the England fans you. want to make sure that that's brought. up. So you're mixing all these different. audio channels all the time. You've got. commentary, crowd, pitch. Tony Pasta, our esteemed boss at Goldhanger, >> the governor. He's the he's the power. >> He is quite literally our lord and.

master. Now he says that the best sound. net sound in the um premier. >> because he comes from a sporting. background. Tony by which I mean. sporting broadcasting, not sporting he. didn't he didn't used to play cricket. for England. >> Although you know I believe he could. have anything he sets his mind to. >> He could do anything he wants. >> Anything Tony sets his mind to. But he. was once doing the titles for match of. the day and he said the sound of. curtains being opened really rapidly. sounded much more like the ball fizzing. into the back of the net than the real. thing. So that's what they used. >> Oh wow. That's. >> just imagine. >> Yeah. >> I'm now just imagining Tony in front of. these things. But we know a lot about.

these types of sound because um I was. talking to someone who was part of doing. all the soundscapes for co because. obviously and by the way you should be. on a list if you watched it without. crowd noise during that time. >> Oh yeah. It's like those people who say, "I I only watch sport without the. commentary because I don't need to." You. think, "Oh my god, really?". >> Well, because what I mean, you don't. like they want to hear a human being. >> No, it's just that they think of. themselves as purists and it's. unbearable. But. >> I would rather hear Lee Dixon than. silence. >> Oh my god. Absolutely. But the.

soundscapes during co they they had to. kind of create this thing from stuff. that already existed because obviously. once it was shut down, they couldn't. record anything. So they went to EA. Sports and they got all the individual. stuff for individual teams. They got the. chance they because EA Sports had. already from FIFA had got lots of this. stuff. Um and then they kind of created. these things to make it seem less. horrific which as I say you should be on. a list if you didn't listen to those. things. But part of the whole thing. about doing something like that is that. audiences at home pick up and on the.

cues from the stadium and are led by. them. And actually, you know, we all. have to admit that sometimes you're. talking about your team or whatever or. thinking about it or watching something. online at the same time and there's. something that pulls you back. So the. noise is actually the crowd noise. They've tried tested it and done lots of. research. If you have it kind of pushed. down the crowd noise, then people don't. find they don't know why, but they. didn't find the game as exciting. But if. they if they're being led by it that. people are very very suggestible, basically. Um, and so that swelling. noise really makes people stop being.

distracted by whatever's happening in. their home when they're watching at. home. But it's quite a technical big. business. >> That's unbelievable. Do you know what I. what I would like AI to do? You know, if. you ever if you're ever out in the. countryside or something on a Sunday, um. going for a walk and you you come across. a game of cricket or if you're walking. past a kind of some playing fields and. there's a game of football going on, if. you could sit down, put your headphones. in and AI could do a commentary on that. game, I would say, and watch the whole. thing cuz you know, you sort of watch, you think, oh, I wish I knew who was. >> playing. I wish I knew who would cheer.

fire. I wish I knew, you know, which one. of these slept with the other one's wife. that stuff. If AI could do that, you. would. In fact, if AI did that, you. would have huge crowds at every single. village cricket cricket game, wouldn't. it? It'd be amazing. >> Did you ever? >> Yeah. >> Oh, and then you're like looking goes, is that is that her? I bet that's her. That's her with the jammed tarts, I. think. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. God, you can. you know what? You can tell. You can. tell. >> Looks way better than she should be. >> Yeah. How's that?

>> I'd like that. >> Yeah. Well, okay. Another of your great. ideas. Just cast as pearls. feels to me. like that's less fully formed than some. of my other ideas. >> That's me saying I like why don't we. invent a pill that cures all diseases. >> Yeah, >> that's what I really like. And you just. take it one morning. >> It feels a little bit like one of the. dreams you've had rather than one of the. the ideas you've had. But yeah, I put it. in your dream category folder. >> Yeah, I was being reminded the other day. of the perfect episode of The Bill that. I dreamt, but I'll tell that story. another day. >> If anyone wants to ask me a question. about uh the my the perfect episode of.

The Bill that I dreamt, uh then uh then. do feel free. Oh, I I do, but okay, we'll we'll save it to next week in case. somebody actually obliges us. This is a. question, but it's also therapy that I. need you to give me. It's about skipping. bad books, and it's from Damian O. Rock. He says, "Is life too short for a bad. book? Maybe it's a modern attention. problem, but I find I have less. tolerance as I get older. Do you quit a. book if you don't like it, and if so, when? Or do you keep slogging at it?". >> Yeah, different people have very. different views on this. I I I'm afraid.

I do skip things. I do. >> It's great. I wish you've only got so. little time in life. >> But also, I'm aware that some people. might read the first chapter of one of. my books and just go, you know what, this is not for me. I know what I like. This is not quite it. And that's. absolutely fine. And if they're allowed. to do it, >> then when do you when do you drop it? >> Quite quite quickly for me. I had to. because by and large, it's not always. the story hooking me in. It's it's how. am I enjoying this writing? There's. always someone has a style and if I know. the things that I like. I like things to. be fairly direct. I like beautiful.

writing, but I'm I'm not sure I love. dense writing unless unless it's got. humor or something or a bit of a spark. in in something. So, you know, very kind. of flowery, descriptive writing. If if. the first three pages are describing a. hedro, a bit of me is going, I just I. know there's going to be more hedro. stuff in the rest of this book and I. don't know if I can handle it. If after. two pages of hedro description, like a. car comes through the hedro and skids. and someone fires out of the window, count me in. Yeah. Okay. But if that car. has not if on page four the car comes.

through the hedro I'm afraid I've. switched off. I think you can. It takes. a really really long time to write a. book. So it it feels rude to to not. read. >> Oh my god. I read all the way and I hate. myself. I mean I read I' I don't think. I've ever not finished a book in my. life. >> But why? What's the thinking? >> I don't know. It's like an it's like a. No. No. It's like a but you know huge. like 800 page non-fiction things. But I. I really want to stop doing it. I re. it's you know what I have I have that. psychological feeling you know say.

you've got a chocolate digestive and you. eat half and you put it down somewhere. in the house because the doorbell goes. or whatever. >> I do not know that feeling though. >> No, but say the doorbell goes. I agree. But say it goes and you're aware that. there's a psychological half a biscuit. somewhere around the house and you know. where it is and it doesn't matter you. got a whole another packet and you could. eat all of those. It's the half that. you've somehow got to just you know. complete and finish. Yeah. >> And these are all psychological half. chocolate digestive biscuits. Even if. they're like 800 pages on something I'm. not very interested in your childhood. >> Have you got um and I need to stop doing.

it because it's a because you know we. have a finite amount of time on this. hedro blighted world. >> infested planet. >> and I just won't someone please destroy. the hedros. >> Burn them. And I need to I need to learn. to remove myself. >> I think that's a nice law of boredom. I. think that's a nice flaw to have. I. would say I think it's a good thing and. it fills your brain full of things you. wouldn't otherwise come across because. the reason I don't like not reading. everything is I'm aware I'm missing out. on some of the serendipity some of the. things where you discover something you.

wouldn't otherwise have discovered and. sometimes if I'm giving up after five. pages perhaps it's because I'm not. >> five's harsh. >> I'm I'm not so great at reading do you. know what I mean uh I wouldn't give up. after five pages but you know after. maybe 30 pages when I know I know this. is. >> 30 is reasonable. >> yeah I'm not interested in the story I. don't love the writing I can see that. other people might adore this. I know. the sort of books I like by now. So, yeah, it makes me miss out on broadening. my horizons for sure, but I think that. maybe one in 20 of those books would.

broaden my horizons and make me a more. interesting reader. And 19 out of 20. wouldn't. And I'm going to be here for. 87 years or something. And I just I I. just do the maths. Uh, and I think um I. think I I think I just let it go. And so. long as you put it down and pick up. something else, you know, then I think. it's okay. And you read stuff that you. love. And so long as you never ever then. write saying, "Oh my god, I hated that. book." You just go, "Let it. It's not. not for me." Read something else that. you do love and tell people that you.

love that one. I think it's okay. I. think it's okay to to not. It's easy to. do. No one minds. No one wants you to be. reading under sufference because you're. not finishing it and thanking the author. if you read it and didn't enjoy it. You. want I want people to finish a book and. go, "Oh, I really that was great. I. really, you know, that's that's made my. life 0.01%. better.". >> Whereas I quite often think, "Thank God. that's over. Thank god the boring book. is over.". >> I mean, that's. >> I told you I read this incredibly boring. one about the whole history of HBO. I.

don't know how they made it so boring. And it was just referred to every night. as my boring book. I said, "Well, I. suppose I've got to read my boring book. then.". >> Oh my god, that's so What is that? >> I don't know. Help me. No, but I think I. but I I imagine it must do you great. favors in other parts of your life. Just. that ability to see it through. You like. you like Shackleton but for books. >> Where's my medal? >> Yeah, where is your medal? >> Thanks. Be nice to be nominated. >> Yeah, they should have the British book. awards. They should uh. >> the person who's read the most boring.

books to the bitter end. >> Yeah, Ingred at the moment. >> It's a gold half digestive biscuit on. which we've mounted on. >> We call it a marina. >> Yeah. Uh Ingred at the moment is one of. the judges on the comedy women in print. prize and on that you have you you have. to read every moment of every book and. funny enough that's instructive about. what you're saying because she has. enjoyed reading every moment every book. cuz there there are books there. She. said I might not Yeah, there's a couple. ways she said I don't know would I put. this down but she's read every bit of. all of them. My big worry is always I. read a sort of chapter that I don't.

enjoy at all. Uh, and so I put it down. and chapter two is, "Aha," thought John, "That's the end of my uh, novel writing. days and and it was like it was a. chapter of a bad novel and then someone. comes in with a gun and I missed this. book." But uh, that would be a very. brave author. >> He did that. He did like a whole chapter. of a bad book just to sort of introduce. a character who's a bad novelist who. then goes on to have a gunfight. >> I think your editor would try and. dissuade you from doing that. Not yours, but one would.

Yeah, if there's one thing you haven't. done with your books, it's that uh but. you know, maybe in the future. >> Yeah, exactly. Listen. Yeah, maybe I'll. do that. Just a whole series of really. bad chapters by different characters. You only discover in chapter six that. it's a book club and and they're all. they're all writing stuff. >> Not unreliable, boring narrators. A. series of boring. reliably boring narrators. >> Poorly written narrators. It's. interesting. It's a very interesting. example of the poorly written narrator. That book, >> it's very harder to write in some ways.

Yes. >> Like a terrible book. >> When you had um the chat GPT stuff or. the the AI stuff in um we solve murders. Did you actually put that in? >> No, I just you wrote it as. >> I tried to write deliberately. >> because it was funny and I was thinking. it can't has it become sentient cuz it. was funny. There's a sorry just there's. a thing which is not spoiling a plot. point in we solve murders where um that. in order to try and disguise the villain. to disguise him or herself sends um all.

the his communications via or her. communications via chat GPT. >> Exactly. Yeah. So I just know if it had. actually gone through chat GPT God knows. what it would have been like. >> Did you even not try to see what it. would like? >> No. God know I I just I wanted to write. them blank first and I wanted it to be. entertaining and I wanted to have some. fun with it. But yeah, it was fun just. to write deliberately blank sort of pros. for a bit. But yeah, made makes you. slightly ill after. >> in the character of a very polite. English gentleman which. was the prompt. So I think that it is. okay to give up books after a while, but.

I admire people who don't. But if you if. you got to an age, you you sort of know. sometimes you know a book there some of. the best books in the world I did not. enjoy. So I know they're amazing books. I know them. So I'm not giving them up. because they're badly written. I'm. giving them up because in the same way I. might switch a TV program off. It's just. >> you're badly defective. That's why I'm. defective. Exactly. And you are not. defective and so you're you're you're. able. >> It is a defect. Give them up, Damian. Just toss them. I really wish I could do. it. I think we should probably wind this.

episode up. Rich, >> how quickly do you switch off podcasts? >> Is it okay to switch off after 35. seconds? Well, do switch off tomorrow. because we got a really funny bonus. episode on um on water world just. because the story of that waterlogged. movie is is very funny. Um for all our. friends who like stories about movies on. waters that go that go wrong. >> Exactly. And that is for all of our. members. Don't forget if you are a. member, you get to adree listening and. all that kind of stuff as well. >> All right then everybody. See you next. Tuesday. >> See you next Tuesday.

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