Friday, December 30, 2005

Inspiration...

You know, I used to feel a sense of shock, horror even when I read the news.

Then I worked in journalism.

But this whole crime-writing fixation has brought me to a new place entirely. I see this news story and all I can think is that there's a story in here. Nasty!

6 comments:

JamesO said...

Nasty.

This reminds me of an episode of Taggart I saw many years ago where the baddy fed one of his victims into one of these machines. There was the obligatory cut-away to a scene of ick spraying on the wall, a cut-short scream. Prime time UK television this was, too.

Then there was the episode where the mortuary worker dismembered and embalmed his victim. And the one with the circular saw. And the...

I may have stumbled upon one of Mr Stuart's influences.

Do you get Taggart in Canada? Glaswegian detective series, which is still going strong twenty-two years after it started and more than ten years after Mark McManus, the actor who played the title role, died.

Sandra Ruttan said...

I think we get Taggart... I've heard of Taggart. But I don't watch much television, despite having satelite and about 600 channels.

But I think you've definitely found one of Stuart's influences. Good thing this story didn't come out before he'd written the new Skeleton Bob!

Anonymous said...

It appears he was pulled into the chipper.

Why did they have to say it like that? That's a tough way to pick up your boarding pass for the great beyond.

Sandra Ruttan said...

Well, it's that phrase that makes me quite suspicious about the other person on the scene. I mean, how do you get pulled into a chipper? The thing doesn't have hands.

And it is a very nasty thing. Imagine the autopsy. Or don't, if you're squeamish.

Mindy Tarquini said...

It is a terrible story. But the height of writing depravity is thinking - hey! I could write a character, Mrs. Munchmen, theladywhosehusbandgotcaughtinthewoodchipper.

Anonymous said...

It reminds me of Doctor Who - The Seeds of Doom, in which a mad plant collector tries to feed the Doctor into his machine for chopping things up and turning them into compost. The Doctor escapes but someone else isn't so lucky. It was a kids' show so they didn't show the results.

Kate