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ZX Spectrum

Spectrum Addict: LOAD “FILM 2”. Coming soon. 🙂
If you check across the internetty thingy, there should be a couple of competitions to win DVDs of the first film, especially at LORD A*SE. 🙂

I’m thrilled to announce (if you haven’t already seen it!) that Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict received “Pick of the Month” in Retro Gamer Magazine, Load 172 (Sep2017). Thank you to Darran Jones and the Retrobate Team for their amazing support of the film. 🙂   Go check it out!

You can buy the film from… www.remicmedia.com/speccyaddict (prices have been lowered since Retro Gamer went to press).  

Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict will be at Play Expo in Manchester on Sunday 15th October 2017. We’ll show a big segment of the film, then have a panel for Q&A starring some of the developers and artists featured in the film! (and me, gulp). More information here:

 https://www.playexpomanchester.com/news/massive-zx-spectrum-panel-talk

 And you can still buy the film from… www.remicmedia.com/speccyaddict

Jim Bagley – “An awesome peek behind the scenes of the ZX Spectrum’s part in the games industry, and its impact on gamers!”

Simon Butler – “A window to the past that shaped the future of games!”

Andy Spencer – “A fantastic journey into what it was like to actually be part of something very special – the ZX Spectrum really did change people’s lives. Absolutely fantastic.”

Jas Austin – “A nostalgia filled trip down 8-bit memory lane!”

Mark R. Jones – “At last, the ZX Spectrum has its first film! Future generations will now be able to experience what it was like.”

Steve Turner – “We loved the film, it was both interesting and very nostalgic, I am sure Spectrum fans will also love it. I thought you had really captured the spirit and dedication in the interviews.”

Jas Austin – “So proud to be a part of this unmissable documentary… brought back so many wonderful memories!”

Andy Spencer – “A fantastic journey in to what it was like to actually be part of something very special – the ZX Spectrum… absolutely fantastic!”

Rob – “It’s really well done, and genuinely interesting, and you owe it to yourself to go and take a look at it (you can buy downloads as well as DVDs, Blu-Rays etc).” … “I hugely enjoyed it, I could listen to Bagley, Hare, Turner (etc) all night long” … “Anyway, stop reading this and go and watch the damn movie.” http://robsoft.net/blog/memoirs-of-a-spectrum-addict-mini-review/

Andy Russell –  “I just finished watching this [MoaSA]… I meant to watch 10 minutes as I have a deadline for work tomorrow (I’ll have to wing that now) but it was bloody awesome and I loved every minute… thank you just so much for this film, you must have put your heart and soul into this and from me and every other speccy nut I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this. I’ve sent £25 your way to the paypal address in the email as some small token to support your efforts. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a film this much and I was gutted when the credits rolled. You sir, rock!”

Neil Wright – “I’ve watched it. What a joy! I didn’t want it to end. I loved the Speccy loading screens for the chapters and the topics of conversation were really interesting.”

Warfado – “Bravo Andy! What a speccy nerd masterpiece. We really feel you’re one of us on this magical ride to our youth. We feel you, when get little in front of such legends in the interviews. After all they’re our heroes, our Santas, who provided us so much adventures and pleasure out of a cassette box. Those were the days, thank you for taking me back to the most wonderful years of my life again for 2 hours.”

James Shade – “Sat there with a grin on my face the whole time – loving it. Great to see what life was like inside the Spectrum industry whilst I was busy saving pocket money to buy games and magazines!”

Glenn Edwards – “Great work on the movie. It’s amazing what you’ve achieved. I’m one of the early Kickstarter backers, and have been enjoying the digital download, whilst I wait for my BluRay copy J

Neil Davies – “My wife is not happy with you as the film changed out Saturday afternoon plans! Lol. Love the film, enjoyed it from start to finish (and then back to several parts again). A lot of happy memories and familiar faces. I’ll salvage what’s left of Saturday afternoon – if the Mrs is still talking to me 😉 .”

Steve Meert – “Wonderful film and I really enjoyed it… fantastic work and it brought back some very fond memories.”

Eddie Evans – “I’m watching it now, and loving it, brings back some happy memories.”

Chris A – “Brilliant film. A wonderful way to spend two hours, my jaw frequently open!”

Spec Addict Cover 1.2 Master_2000

The premiere for Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict is being held at The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, UK on 1st July 2017. There will be some very special guests, including many of the stars in the film – Jim Bagley, Steve Turner, The Oliver Twins, to name but a few, along with a bar provided by Lord Conrad’s Brewery of Cambridge! It promises to be a very special occasion and YOU can win TWO tickets to the premiere! Simply email your name, address and favourite Spectrum game to andyremic@outlook.com to be entered into a prize draw! Simples! (Closing date Monday 26th June 2017 at 1pm).

The film can still be pre-ordered at www.remicmedia.com/speccyaddict

Here is the final cover for Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict by Oliver Frey (original CRASH Magazine artist). Speccy Addict is a feature doc about the ZX Spectrum – and it’s now complete. Digital release is 02.07.17, with DVD and BluRay following shortly. If you order the signed BluRay you can still get your name in the film credits! – TODAY is the LAST DAY you can get your name in the film credits by ordering the signed BluRay film. Thank you.

Spec Addict can be ordered from: http://remicmedia.com/speccyaddict/

Okay, Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict, the film about the ZX Spectrum computer, is powering along, good and strong. Latest news includes acquisition of film footage from Steve Wetherill (NODES OF YESOD, ROBIN OF THE WOOD), Mev Dinc (GERRY THE GERM, LAST NINJA 2), Roger Kean (CRASH) and Oliver Frey (CRASH); Oliver Frey is working on the film’s artwork, Clive Townsend (SABOTEUR) is creating in-game loading screens, Mark R. Jones (OCEAN) helped massively with hundreds of stills, yesterday I rebuilt the entire front-end of the film using haunting music from Rob Shedwick (DIGITAL FRONT) and today was spent in the sound studio recording voice-overs. Breathe. So, busy busy busy onwards and upwards!! ETA soon!!

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Had a real cool time interviewing Andrew Hewson, owner of Hewson Consultants Ltd. I think this man needs no introduction, having published everything from Uridium, Exolon, Cybernoid, Avalon, Nebulus, Zynaps, Firelord….. need I go on?

Andrew was a great sport, witty, funny, regaling us with stories of his early books on machine code, through to unique anecdotes about everything from the tax man to working with Raf Cecco, Steve Turner and Dominic Robinson, amongst many others!

His son, Rob, is also heavily into the retro scene – please check out the following for his latest project:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robhwson/hyper-sentinel?ref=recs_top

Thank you Mr Hewson! It was a pleasure sir.

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Had an incredibly fun time interviewing Ant Harper [retrogamescollector.com] and Mark Howlett [AKA Lord Arse, @lord_arse] at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge [computinghistory.org]; Ant and Mark are two massively enthusiastic retro game fans and, indeed, Spectrum addicts. Ant has a great retro games website, whereas Lord Arse has a truly stunning 96,000 followers on Twitter. We talked favourite games, piracy, early memories and the future of the ZX Spectrum. Fabulous! Thanks guys!!Ant&Mark (4)

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