Genre Favourites Blogfest...

Favourite Move Genre: Fantasy

I love grand, fantastic, make-believe movies. If they have sword-fighting and monsters in, all the better. Whether B-movies or Hollywood blockbusters I'll always make time for a bit of sword-and-sorcery or even planet-and-sword (à la the criminally underrated John Carter)

My favourite movie these days is Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings, which I rewatch regularly and constantly find new 'moments' to savour (so I can't begin to express my excitement - and slight trepidation - for his forthcoming adaptation of The Hobbit).

Obviously, for those who know me, the connection between my love of fantasy movies (and I include Star Wars in this as it's more fantasy than science) and my passion for roleplaying games - particularly Dungeons & Dragons - is a no-brainer.

One led to the other in my formative years and now both feed off each other, Ouroboros-like.

Favourite Music Genre: New Wave/Punk

For someone who values his peace and quiet, every so often I like to let rip with some bounce-around-the-kitchen music when I'm doing my chores (these days there's a lot of My Chemical Romance supplementing my usual standards of The Manic Street Preachers, The Stranglers and Devo).

This used to be what I classed as "driving music" - when I used to drive.

But, honestly, I'm not really much of a music-head these days. I tend to like most things and while loud, fast and thrashy is my style of choice, my all-time favourite music is the psychedelic, prog rock stylings of Pink Floyd ... and check out my "guilty pleasure" genre below to see how broad the church of my musical tastes actually is.

Favourite Genre Of Book: Superhero comic books.

I love the blending of art and words; the on-going storylines that can see characters grow and develop over years (and decades); the returning villains; the clash of a character's "real" life and his "secret" life; the cocktail of mythology and science that forms the basis of most plots; the fact that the heroes can go anywhere and do anything and it'll (hopefully) make sense and ultimately (eventually) good will always triumph over evil.

Good superhero comics exist within an established, but ever-growing, canon where characters from one title can "crossover" with characters from another giving the sense of a living, breathing world.

I also love the fact that I can pick up a new episode of my favourite characters' adventures every month.

Superheroes, for me, are the ultimate escapist genre.

Guilty Please Genre: Musicals

I'm a sucker for a good sing-a-long - from Glee to The Wizard Of Oz, Phantom Of The Opera to Mary Poppins. Whether it's catchy tunes or witty lyrics, I'm not ashamed to say I have often been known to belt out the words (albeit tunelessly) with far more gusto than talent. You'd never guess I was in the choir at school!!!

This blogfest was organised, as ever, by the industrious Alex J Cavanaugh.