Mark E Smith & Graham Duff — The Otherwise

On the 24th of January 2018, we sadly lost one of the more distinctive and unique figures in British music Mark E Smith, who was the lead singer, lyricist and only constant member of the post-punk band The Fall. When someone like this passes more often than not you find out another surprise talent or skill they had, and that’s exactly what this recent three-hundred-page book is about. The Otherwise focuses in on the horror film script Smith co-wrote with English writer Graham Duff, and related/ connected texts- and I must say it’s a fascinating book, highlight this largely unknown side of Mr Smith considerable and unique talents.

The book comes in two formats- a deluxe and signed hardback edition, which features a bonus 122-page book The Future’s Here to Stay: The Singles of The Fall, and postcards. Then there’s the standard paperback version, I’m reviewing the latter. The paperback cover features a recreation of some of the films key scenes/ settings- with Duff , Smith, and his partner Elena Poulou surrounding them- it’s drawn by the great Graham Humphreys-who did iconic covers for the likes of The Evil Dead, The Evil Dead II, and Nightmare On Elm Street. So around the three figures, we have a sinister motorcycle helmet wearing figure, a creepy barn, a man with a spade in his head, and a burning witch face. The paperback cover is a sturdy affair- with two flip-out card flaps- all in all, a well-presented book
 

The book starts with a six-page write-up from Smith’s partner Elena Poulou- here she talks about the TV, and films he enjoyed, moving onto talking about Duff came into the pairs life and how their collaborations started. After this get fifteen pages of scan letters and parts of the script that Smith sent to Duff. Next, we have Frenz- and here we get to hear how Duff went from being a fan of The Fall, to working with Smith- first on scripts for a six-part supernatural anthology series for TV entitled The Inexplicable, and later on the Horror feature film script The Otherwise- neither of course sadly ever got made.

Then we move to the film script it’s self- this takes up a large part of the book with its 150-page length, and I must say it’s full of very witty/ amusing dialogue, some rather neat and inventive bits of gore, some quite intense and creepy scenes. The plot focuses on mid-thirties boyfriend and girlfriend Jeff and Bev, they are off to spend time with Jeff’s thirty-something sister Clare- who runs a small and isolated recording studio out in the countryside near Pendle Hill. Living with Clare in the house connected to the studio is Len- a decidedly shifty and sleazy biker in his late forties. Jeff as well as going to spend time with his sister is doing some decorating around the house, and then she drops a big bombshell- that Jeff’s favourite band The Fall are coming to record an EP in the studios. Into the mix, we get a Satanic biker gang who are rising witches from the past, and a group of Scottish clansmen who have slipped through time from the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. On the whole, it’s a very readable and pacy script, you might think the whole thing of The Fall been in the film might be a little corny- but it works well, and never becomes in any way ego fed. On the whole, it’s a great pity The Otherwise never got made, as it would have made for a great quirky and darkly amusing British horror film.

The books remaining 100 or so pages takes in the plot outlines for The Inexplicable- the six-part supernatural anthology series Smith and Duff were working on. A few chapters looking at the story writing tropes in Smith’s lyrics for The Fall throughout the decades, and conversations between Duff and Smith regarding different topics- this part of the book has its worth, though it does feel a little padded out in places. Though-out the book we get reproductions of letters from Smith to Duff, as well as rare pictures.

Overall, The Otherwise is a largely fascinating look at another side of Mr Smith’s talents. Of course, this will be of interest to fans of The Fall, but I can also see most of it of been interest to those who enjoy reading about original-yet-never made film projects. To buy direct either version of the book head over to here to do just that.