Poet And Crime Novelist William McIlvanney Awarded Honorary Degree At Glasgow Memorial Service

Natalie Walker at the Scotsman offers the below piece:

William McIlvanney has been honoured with a posthumous doctorate by his former university at a memorial service. 

A host of famous figures paid tribute to the author, known as the Godfather of Tartan Noir, at the service at Glasgow University’s Bute Hall yesterday. Guests included authors Val McDermid, Allan Massie and Ali Smith and journalist Hugh McDonald.

His friend, broadcaster Ruth Wishart, introduced the service which included readings by Glasgow-born actor David Hayman. Traditional musician Sheena Wellington, who sang at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, also performed.

The author of the acclaimed Glasgow detective Laidlaw trilogy and numerous other works set in the city, such as Docherty, The Big Man and The Kiln, died aged 79 at his home there on 5 December.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/books/william-mcilvanney-awarded-honorary-degree-at-glasgow-memorial-service-1-4089069

Great Scot: A Look Back At Seven Of Sir Sean Connery’s Greatest Performances

I was a kid sitting in a South Philly movie theater in 1963 when a beautiful woman appeared on screen and asked the man sitting across from her at a gambling casino for his name.

"Bond," a young man in a tux said as he lit a cigarette. "James Bond."

That was my introduction to one of my favorite actors, Sir Sean Connery in Dr No.

Matthew Dunne-Miles at the Scotsman offers a look back at seven great performances of Sir Sean Connery.

Sir Sean Connery made his name as the dashing leading man in his early years, but in his post-007 period he moved into seniority with aplomb, often stealing scenes with a salty charisma. Here, we chart some of his most memorable roles through the years.

You can read the rest of the piece and watch video clips of the selected films via the below link:

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/film/seven-of-sir-sean-connery-s-greatest-performances-1-4036561 

You can also watch Sir Sean Connery's introduction in Dr No via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLXoZ69ce-I   

Note: I'd round out the list of Sir Sean Connery's greatest performances to 10 and add From Russia With Love (my favorite Bond film), The Hill and The Offense. 

Comprehensive Guide To James Bond Creator Ian Fleming Was Four Years In The Making

Brian Ferguson at the Scottish newspaper the Scotsman reports on the upcoming book on Ian Fleming.

IT PROMISES to be the ultimate Christmas guide for fans of Britain’s favourite spy – and his enigmatic creator.

Ian Fleming’s surviving relatives have helped to compile the most comprehensive guide to the writer’s colourful life, the development of the James Bond novels and their enduring influence.

But it will set fans back £175 to lay their hands on the lavish bibliography, which has been four years in the making and runs to more than 750 pages.

It explores Fleming’s richly varied life, as a journalist, travel writer, stockbroker and Royal Navy intelligence officer – the job that famously inspired him to pen his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, which he wrote 60 years ago. It was published on 13 April, 1953.

Charting every stage of his career, the new bibliography is said to feature every aspect of Fleming’s writing, from his earliest Bond manuscripts, typescripts and uncorrected proofs to rarely seen travel articles. Material held by Fleming archives and enthusiasts around the world has been brought together for the massive tome, while anecdotes been collected by many of Fleming’s surviving relatives, former colleagues and close confidants.
 
Included are more than 1,000 illustrations, including the rarest of book covers, as well as numerous photographs of Fleming throughout his life.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/film/comprehensive-guide-to-bond-creator-ian-fleming-was-four-years-in-the-making-1-2591389

Fergus Fleming, Ian Fleming's nephew, wrote the introduction to the book. I interviewed Fergus Fleming a while back and you can read my piece via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2009/10/through-thriller-writers-eyes-life-work.html 

Interview With Olivier Assavas, The Writer and Director of Carlos

I watched Carlos tonight on Comcast's On Demand channel.

I thought the film was outstanding. Although the film billed itself as a fictional account of the pre-9/11 terrorist Ilich Ramierz Sanchez, aka Carlos, the film was historically accurate.

Thankfully, the film did not, like Che, glorify a murderer and terrorist. The film's gritty realism reminded me of The Baader Meinhof Complex, another fine film about terrorism.

The Scottish newspaper The Scotsman offered an interview with the film's writer and director, Olivier Assavas.

You can read the interview and view the film's trailer via the below link:

http://news.scotsman.com/arts/Interview-Olivier-Assayas-writer-and.6589378.jp