Welcome to Debatable Spaces
This is the online home of SF author Philip Palmer, whose novels include Debatable Space, Red Claw, Version 43, Hell Ship and the forthcoming Artemis.-
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Movies and TV Archive
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The Ballad of Billy McCrae
Posted on September 15, 2021 | No CommentsI’ve written a film noir. Why? Because I love that genre of film. Crime dramas with existential dread at the heart of the stories; thrillers about real people trapped by... -
The Ballad of Billy McCrae – coming soon
Posted on April 17, 2021 | No CommentsA Welsh film noir. A character drama. A powerful story set in industrial South Wales -not the pretty bit, the area I grew up in dominated by steel works and... -
Space Truckers
Posted on November 21, 2011 | No CommentsThe latest in my occasional series of blogs about SF movies;, good, bad, and all points in between… Space Truckers (1996) is one of the greatest films never made…instead they... -
Lifeforce
Posted on November 12, 2011 | 1 CommentAt the recent British Fantasy Convention in Brighton, I was privileged to share a panel on movies with the inimitable Kim Newman, a man who has seen more movies than... -
The Age of America
Posted on August 22, 2011 | No CommentsLast week I suggested we were living in the Age of X – at a time when the X-Men are the dominant heroes of our culture, and X-Men movies are... -
Why to be a Writer
Posted on May 3, 2011 | No CommentsOne of the highlights of my Eastercon just past was taking part in a writers’ workshop run by an excellent group called the T Party. Hi guys! This was a... -
Empire Jameson Awards
Posted on April 15, 2011 | No CommentsI’ve just been looking at Empire Magazine’s alternative Best Film Awards, the Jamesons. Forget the BAFTAs, these are the awards that recognise the existence of GENRE movies! Refreshingly therefore Kick-Ass wins... -
Sucker Punch: the Palmer Take
Posted on April 8, 2011 | No CommentsAs I mentioned in a previous blog, I have been much entertained at seeing the dreadful dreadful reviews for Zack Snyder’s new movie Sucker Punch. So I thought I’d check... -
Sucker Punch
Posted on April 1, 2011 | 2 CommentsGreat furore has attended the opening of Zack Snyder’s new action fantasy epic Sucker Punch. Critics hate it;, so much so that some fear Snyder will be sacked from the... -
Is There a Doctor in the House?
Posted on July 26, 2010 | No CommentsI spoke to my mother earlier tonight; she really enjoyed GIFT, and since she is a doctor, she appreciated the medical details. That’s an interesting coincidence ; my mother worked... -
How to Write Action SF
Posted on March 22, 2010 | 6 CommentsWhat’s the best way to kill an alien? Do you zap it with energy beams, blast it with bullets, burn it with a flame-thrower, drop an anti-matter bomb on it,... -
If Jackals Ruled the World
Posted on January 19, 2010 | No CommentsI’ve finally seen Avatar, and it’s as amazing and spectacular as everyone says. The 3D experience is exhilarating, the plot is tight and smart, and the concept is brilliant. It’s... -
SF Movies: Guest post from Archie Tait
Posted on January 14, 2010 | 3 CommentsI’ve recently started opening up this debatable space to guest blogs…most recently, Stuart Angell McGregor’s splendid piece on The X-Files and his own original, never-broadcast show The Flashlight Department. Watch... -
Avatar’s Astonishing Success
Posted on January 8, 2010 | No CommentsAvatar has become, in a relatively short time, the 2nd highest grossing film worldwide ever. It’s the battle of the titans now…Cameron has himself to beat, because Titanic is the... -
Sensual SF
Posted on January 5, 2010 | No CommentsI think SF should be sensual…if you want to know why, have a peek here. -
Fantasy rules?
Posted on January 3, 2010 | No CommentsNumbers aren’t everything, but here’s an interesting breakdown from our friends at SF Scrowsnest on the dominance of fantasy movies at the box office. Maybe SF epic Avatar will... -
Best SFF Film of 2009
Posted on December 29, 2009 | No CommentsIt’s coming to that time of year when the pundits start issuing their lists of the Best of ’09…I thought I’d add to the pile with my own three favourite... -
Movie Zone: The Red Shoes
Posted on December 28, 2009 | 1 CommentAs a post-Christmas treat, I went to see a classic movie at the BFI (formerly the National Film Theatre). It was The Red Shoes, by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger,... -
Fantastic Times Ahead
Posted on December 11, 2009 | 1 CommentMore great movie SF in the pipeline it seems – James Cameron is to produce (but probably not direct) a version of the fab 1996 movie Fantastic Voyage, featuring a bunch... -
The Rebirth of Cool SF?
Posted on December 11, 2009 | 3 CommentsMark Charan Newton has written an excellent recap of the firestorm of comment that followed his controversialist piece on why SF is dying, and fantasy kicks butt. I’ve added my...