David McGowan
@animatedstardom.bsky.social
Author of Animated Personalities: Cartoon Characters and Stardom in American Theatrical Shorts, out now from University of Texas Press. Reseach interests include animation, classic Hollywood, stardom, & home video/streaming. Lecturer at UAL. Views my own.
I've only had time for a quick skim through the book so far, but I've already noticed an amusing bit of trivia: research for the male stripper performance in Girls Night Out (1986) was undertaken at a pub in Elephant and Castle, the same part of London where #sas36 took place!
October 9, 2025 at 12:53 PM
I've only had time for a quick skim through the book so far, but I've already noticed an amusing bit of trivia: research for the male stripper performance in Girls Night Out (1986) was undertaken at a pub in Elephant and Castle, the same part of London where #sas36 took place!
Brings back lots of memories of being an undergraduate and having to go to the library to photocopy whatever article from Screen was on that week's reading list!
September 17, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Brings back lots of memories of being an undergraduate and having to go to the library to photocopy whatever article from Screen was on that week's reading list!
Was particularly excited to spot my book on the Reading Room shelves! Quite an honour!
August 25, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Was particularly excited to spot my book on the Reading Room shelves! Quite an honour!
I was definitely very honoured to be in the company of a broadcasting legend, though neglected to mention that as a child I usually defected to CITV to watch cartoons instead when Blue Peter was on BBC!
August 11, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I was definitely very honoured to be in the company of a broadcasting legend, though neglected to mention that as a child I usually defected to CITV to watch cartoons instead when Blue Peter was on BBC!
I also wish they had leant more into the visual humour and moments of direct parody. The background gags were good when they occurred, but other parts of the film felt quite pedestrian, shot more like a generic direct-to-streaming actioner rather than being truly playful with cinematic language.
July 23, 2025 at 11:16 AM
I also wish they had leant more into the visual humour and moments of direct parody. The background gags were good when they occurred, but other parts of the film felt quite pedestrian, shot more like a generic direct-to-streaming actioner rather than being truly playful with cinematic language.
I'll be interested to see the reviews when the embargo lifts. I found the film fun enough in the moment, though relatively little of it has stuck with me just a day later. A few scenes felt a bit derivative of Austin Powers, and several other gags felt more at home in the early 2000s than 2025.
July 23, 2025 at 11:10 AM
I'll be interested to see the reviews when the embargo lifts. I found the film fun enough in the moment, though relatively little of it has stuck with me just a day later. A few scenes felt a bit derivative of Austin Powers, and several other gags felt more at home in the early 2000s than 2025.
