Simon
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smnbnd.bsky.social
Simon
@smnbnd.bsky.social
Freelance entertainment journalist and writer ✏️

Portfolio: https://www.simonbland.com/
With #Clueless set to make a comeback - complete with Alicia Silverstone no less - here's a throwback to my @Lwlies 25th anniversary chat with its director Amy Heckerling where we discuss the journey this unlikely Jane Austin adaptation has taken so far...
“I wanted it to feel like entering a world that makes you happy” – Amy Heckerling on Clueless at 25
The writer/director muses on one of the best and most beloved literary adaptations of modern times.
lwlies.com
April 18, 2025 at 8:10 AM
I found the new #BlackMirror season to be a bit up and down - but there were some real moments of pure beauty and raw pain in there. I had to rewind those last few seconds of Eulogy just to let them fully sink in.
April 17, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Working on a book proposal pack in a library is kind of good motivation because you're surrounded by the actual thing you're struggling to bring to life while it actively mocks you with its very existence.
April 16, 2025 at 1:44 PM
"Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?"

#AmericanPsycho debuted 25 years ago this week - an it's weirdly more relevant than ever. To celebrate, here's a throwback to my 2020 chat with its director Mary Harron for @lwlies.com
“I saw Bateman as kind of a buffoon” – Mary Harron on American Psycho at 20
The director reflects on the creation of one of cinema’s enduring monsters, Patrick Bateman.
lwlies.com
April 16, 2025 at 11:43 AM
In addition to journalism, I also offer freelance #DigitalMarketing bits.

This week, I was invited to help bring @mcranimation’s two-day #AnimatingTomorrow to life across social media.

Cue lots of photos, filming, live coverage, reel editing & ad-hoc interviewing. Dead fun!
March 28, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Enjoying (maybe that’s the wrong choice of word) how #TheWhiteLotus is exploring the very modern problem of digital anxiety. This whole idea that ignorance is bliss… until you unlock your smartphone.
March 10, 2025 at 9:33 PM
The line-up is out... and people are typically divided - but a rubbish (in your opinion) #Glastonbury line-up is actually the best thing ever.

Why? Well, seen as you asked, head over to my SubStack to find out - and subscribe for free for more pop culture thoughts... #Glasto #GlastonburyFestival
Glastonbury 2025: Why a rubbish line-up is a blessing in disguise
The Glastonbury line-up is here and as usual, it has divided fans - but here's why a line-up that doesn't speak to your musical tastes is actually amazing.
open.substack.com
March 6, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Forget the #Glastonbury line-up. One of the best performances I saw last year was from these pirates.
March 6, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Your annual reminder that the line-up is often one of the least important parts of any #Glastonbury festival.
March 6, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Did you know that Orson Welles almost narrated #TheWarriors before Paramount decided they didn't want him? Find out more in my recent @theguardian.com feature on the making of Walter Hill's iconic New York gang movie www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
‘Gangs charged us $200 a night to shoot on their turf’: Walter Hill on making cult film The Warriors
‘It was on its way to becoming a smash hit. Then gangs in various parts of the country clashed outside cinemas – and they began pulling the film’
www.theguardian.com
March 5, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Got full projectile vomited on by a toddler earlier. Thankfully it was my toddler. I feel like I've just survived a parenting rites of passage.
March 5, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Errrr okay... That's one way to headline a story about a breakout British star's new must-see performance, I guess🤦
March 5, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Revisited The Royal Tenenbaums recently, for obvious reasons. Definitely one of my favourite Wes Andersons. As much as I love his most recent work, I kind of miss when he wasn't so much in his own pocket style-wise and had a bit more heart in his stories.
March 4, 2025 at 9:31 PM
"We shot at night in New York areas where gangs ran things... They were always bribeable. It was $200 a night." In @theguardian.com today speaking to director Walter Hill and actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh about the legacy of iconic New York gang tale #TheWarriors. Read below and in today's paper.
‘Gangs charged us $200 a night to shoot on their turf’: Walter Hill on making cult film The Warriors
‘It was on its way to becoming a smash hit. Then gangs in various parts of the country clashed outside cinemas – and they began pulling the film’
www.theguardian.com
March 4, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Peep Show is on Disney+ so technically Sophie is now a Disney princess.
March 2, 2025 at 9:47 PM
American after Zelensky’s positive UK trip and Europe’s outpouring of support.
March 2, 2025 at 9:28 AM
I'm trying to write my first book. A mammoth task - especially for someone with an attention span as short as mine. Today's task? Nailing down what each chapter will entail: a real test in absolute focus and unpacking each section, from vague ideas to exact info. My brain hurts.
February 28, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Feb 28. The day I got my first 'Christmas 2025' mention in a website's weekly mailer.
February 28, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Funny seeing 'Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life' get a brief shout-out in the #Shrek5 trailer. A few years ago, I spoke to original #Shrek directors Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson for @lwlies.com about how their franchise-starter took on an unexpected second life online. Here's what they had to say...
From far, far away to 4chan – The surprising legacy of Shrek
Directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson reflect on the cultural afterlife of their 2001 computer animation.
lwlies.com
February 28, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Here’s hoping Conan brings some good old fashioned knee-slappin’ showtunes back to the #Oscars this weekend.
February 28, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Amazing knock-off Gremlins 2 VHS on Vinted. We all remember “Grandpa Gremlin” right?
February 27, 2025 at 8:34 PM
A few years back, I spoke to Danny DeVito about working with #GeneHackman on Get Shorty for @theguardian.com. He shared this great anecdote about Hackman's dedication to never working night shoots.

Thought it might be worth sharing today.
February 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
That #Shrek5 trailer made me wanna revisit Chris Farley’s original take on the character which was packed with loads of heart and unexpected emotion. Hard not to imagine what he would’ve done with the role. It def would’ve pushed him to new heights.
February 27, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Sad news about #GeneHackman. The French Connection, The Conversation and Unforgiven proved his dramatic acting was top tier but I always liked the dry humour he put into roles. Perfectly showcased in the dodgy patriarch in The Royal Tenenbaums.
February 27, 2025 at 9:13 AM
I'm trying to write my first book and have decided to chronicle the whole process on here for accountability and stuff.

If you'd like to see this long-time life goal fizzle out in real time, then follow me for updates!

What advice do other published authors have for starting out? #JournoRequest
February 26, 2025 at 10:34 AM