It’s Roald Dahl Day today. Probably they should make this a national holiday, during we would all travel the world in giant peaches and glue the possessions of miserly couples to their ceilings. But until that comes to pass, let’s celebrate with some Dahl goodness. Here is the great man himself, warning us about witches.
Yes, that was Ian McKellen at the end of the clip.
And here’s Alfred Hitchcock’s dramatisation of Lamb To The Slaughter (which you can also read here). If you don’t know the story, don’t read this clip’s YouTube video description, since it will give the game away.
Happy Roald Dahl Day!
I’m smiling from ear to ear! Recently my coworker, who already thinks I’m quite odd, thought me more so because I told her she had witches shoes and went into quite the diatribe about Roald Dahl’s Witches. I’ve never seen this particular clip before and I’m quite smitten. When I was very young I had just begun to work at a bookstore and I very much remember coming across his Collected Short stories and knew that my life would never quite be the same again. Gone were the whimsical tales of James and his peach and the whizz popping BFG.. this was another beast altogether. Vielan Dank!
Isn’t he great? He has the perfect voice for his writing, too. It’s gentle on the surface but has something more sinister beneath. Glad you’re having a good Roald Dahl Day too!
Anyone who likes Roald Dahl might also find this article interesting…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/biographyandmemoirreviews/7930233/Roald-Dahls-darkest-hour.html
Encouraged by your post, I fell down a Roald Dahl hole Monday including, not only the article in the Telegraph, but also listening to an interview of sorts on the Roald Dahl website as well as reading countless quotes by his wives Patricia Neal and Felicity Crosland. I took it even further by reading all about Quentin Blake and nerdiest of all ordering Donald Sturrock’s biography. I shall now become a veritable cesspool of Roald Dahl trivia and undoubtedly my friends will thank you. Also it is so very true, his voice is both paternal and sociopathic – truly a winning combination in my book. He deserves more than just a day. He will, henceforth, receive this entire week!
Just seen your blog and the bits on The Illusionist. I’ve now spent ages looking at film clips and can’t wait to get the DVD. I have a friend who is heavily into film and he introduced me to Belleville Rendezvous and I love it, so thanks for this one.