Pity the poor, out-of-work monster



(BEGIN TRANSCRIPT) Shh. Shhh. (NOISE ON TAPE) Comrades in Hollywood! We condemn today the capitalist myth-making of Twilight! We reject the vampire's insidious domination of the labour market! The Ex-People's Federation for Quality of Death will rise up against the prejudice that has made us forever the expendable, B-list monster! You may put down the zombie, but he will rise to the barricades again! And again! And again! Our bodies may not dazzle, but our braaaains are, excuse me, our brrrrainnnnnns are, I mean to say, we have as good braaaaaaaaiinnnnns as (NOISE ON TAPE)

(END OF TAPE) Dear Sirs, My mummy and I have been to see New Moon, thank you very much for it, I thought Edward was very nice and Bella was very nice too. It made me sad when Jacob was sad and I liked the men who turn into wolfs, my mummy was very sad because she says nobody makes films for mummies any more it is all just Boys in hi school and sparkling. My mummy says that she and my friend's mummy are coming to see You to ask you speshly to make more films for mummies. You will no my mummy because her bandages are not very clean and she says Wurrrrrrrrrr and things a lot, I think you will like her please put her in a Film if there is any of you left.

Love Imhotep Sirs, I have the honour to represent a client from an old family (among the Oldest) who is currently enjoying a long, long marine vacation. He has instructed me to write to you and secure him a place in the next of your cinematical dramas, following the success of the recent episode featuring the shirtless young gentlemen and the sparkly chap. My client is an aristocratic individual of mature years, but informs me that he still retains a washboard set of tentacles and can play between a mature 19 and a young Infinite Millennia in the Staring Blank Abysm of Time. He would be delighted to discuss his casting in person Manifestation Thingness full, and he has ordered me this morning to place one of his beautifully-appointed windowless black basalt towers at your entire disposal.

Many of my client's guests have borne witness to the impressive surroundings in extremely loud voices, and I have no doubt that it would have this effect on you as well - as we say around here, that is the one thing you can R'lyeh on! I look forward to your reply, and am further enjoined to inform you that my client's consort, Ms Shub-Niggurath, is an enormous fan of your Spongebob Squarepants character.

Sincerely yours, A. Alhazred, Attorney-at-Law Dear Masters, Having this evening finished the set of True Blood on the castle's magic-lantern, I respectfully wish to put myself forward for entertainment purposes should interest in the wampyr ever wane. I am the former member of a manufactured group, now sadly solo. Previous personal and professional relationships have gone up in smoke, to my great regret, but I believe that with the right "buzz", as you say, my career could be "rebooted". I am well above average height, highly proficient with needle and thread and extremely resilient.

Should you choose to maintain your professional relationship with the wampyr, I should be equally interested in work as a stuntman, or as body double to the Governor of California. Regrettably, I was left no name, but a letter to the castle will find me. Hi there, My name's Vicki and I wanted to talk to you about this amazing client we have that I think would be perfect for your Twilight dynamic? Everyone here at Seppuku PR was totally amazed by how you guys appealed to the teenage-girl audience in the new film (topless werewolf jocks - swoon!) and we all just turned to each other afterwards and were like, we so have the guy they need!

Mr G is basically the really tall, heroic type, with a totally incredible ripped physique, and he like always has his top off! But what's new, right, heroes are so boring (I'm thinking Jacob Black here, guys!) and so the G-Dogg can sometimes get this fascinating hatred for all of humankind, kind of because it doesn't understand him? And then he just has to basically put on My Chemical Romance and sort of destroy Tokyo for a bit, yadda yadda yadda, or lash his tail about, or crush pitiful human armies under his gigantic scaly foot, you know, or wade into the sea and do battle with a giant moth? But all, like, in a totally hot way!! I really think this could make something for you guys.

Zilla says to say RWOOOOAAAAAAAAH to y'all - hit me back! xxxV

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now