I’ve decided to create a new site separate from Dwardus Prime to function as a more professional portfolio for my designs and whatnot. It’ll probably be a bit of time before you can actually see any evidence of it, but I’ll drop a link (or two) when it’s online. I’ve decided I want to make the design very film noiry, and the sites banner will have a backdrop depicting the London skyline. Big Ben was the obvious choice for one of the buildings and I think I might even try to draw in a man hanging off one of the hands.

I’m of course making reference to the very famous scene in the 1978 version of the film The Thirty Nine Steps with Robert Powell. Check out the vid:

Now I’ve still not seen the 30s Hitchcock version (yes, I know) but I really love the iconic clock scene which is peculiar to this incarnation. Sadly, a great deal of the comments on Youtube point out the inaccuracies of the clock’s inner workings and how one would not be able to successfully stop Big Ben from ticking in this way. Sod them, I say! Accurate or not, it is an absolutely superb set-piece in a great piece of cinema. It fits snugly into the world that the film creates and you’d be hard pushed to come up with a more memorable climax. Did anyone see the TV version they put on at Christmas? It starred Rupert Penry-Jones (of Spooks fame) and though it lacked the ‘78 version’s Big Ben scene, was wonderful. You should also check Rupert out in Whitechapel, the second part is on Monday and if you hurry you’ll be able to watch last week’s episode on iPlayer.

I also found this, which gives a list of cinema’s top ten film locations. I’d say they’re certainly onto something with the likes of The Thirty Nine Steps, 28 Days Later and Notting Hill.

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