Film: This Is the End

Got a free ticket with ShowFilmFirst, to a preview of This Is the End, in Wimbledon tonight.

Despite leaving in good time, I still only just made it. Jeez, but getting around London takes time! Notes: 1. If you're heading left from the station, as I was, you can take the left corridor. There are barriers there too. 2. Yes, the door to the cinema is the one with the sign above it for a fitness centre. 3. There are escalators beside the stairs, it's just that they face the other way so you can't see them when you come in.

So, she took my ticket and in I went. Luckily, the internet confirmation was enough and I didn't have to queue for another ticket, as happened the last time. Cinema was packed, but I was lucky to get a very good seat, near the front but not too near, just behind the little wall and the aisle, so no-one in front of me. The film started promptly, as I was still looking for a seat. And then.. it stopped and the lights came on, after about 10mins. And we were left wondering what the problem was and whether anyone would fix it. And then in she came. Turned out the place had lots of people sitting on the steps and floor, which constituted a fire hazard, and she reminded us that it was first-come first-served, and those without a seat would have to leave. Now, that's fair enough, but I do think they could have instituted a more stringent check as people were going in, rather than waiting until we were all in and disturbing us.

Anyhoo. So, here is the plot of This Is the End. Jay comes to LA to visit his friend, Seth Rogen, who takes him to James Franco's house party. And then the world ends.

See, here I have a problem already. None of these people were familiar to me. Apart from Seth Rogen, who apparently had small parts several years ago in some films I saw, I have not seen a single film with any of these guys in it. In fact, apparently the whole party is full of celebrities, but the only ones I recognised were Jonah Hill (whose face I recognised, but not the name), Rihanna (whose name I recognised, but not the face), and the guy who played Mark Zuckerberg in that film about Facebook. He's really good. Oh, and Emma Watson shows up, although I wouldn't have known that's who it was if they hadn't named her, and I still didn't make the connection until someone called her Hermione.

Would've been nice if I had known them, but it doesn't matter so much, actually. For one thing, their names are repeated a lot, as well as some of their films, which is helpful. And for another, most of them rapidly disappear into a bottomless pit of fire that opens on the front lawn. No comment.

And it doesn't detract from enjoyment of the film, which throws as many disasters at our hapless actors as you can possibly think of. Really, you couldn't plan the Apocalypse better. The special effects are excellent, and the film is very funny. Despite the toilet humour that keeps getting in the way. I really enjoyed it.

Having come pretty much straight from work, when I got out I was hungry. So I decided to eat at the grill next door, Coal. It was a bit crowded, but I got a table no problem and was left with the menu. And left. And left. I caught a waitress' eye after a while, and she smiled at me, but didn't come near me, rushing on. After 20mins, a sheepish-looking young waiter came to take my order. I thought it odd that he wasn't writing it down. Anyway, I was left waiting again. And waiting. 10mins later, I still hadn't even got my wine, when the maître d' walked by and noticed my glum expression. He asked whether I was ok, and I said I was waiting. He asked whether I'd ordered. I said I had. He asked me what I had ordered, and started taking it down. Hmm. He then apologised profusely and said that the waiter had forgotten to put in my order, and that I wouldn't have to pay. For anything.

:-)

And it all arrived pretty quickly after that. Garlic bread starter was excellent - I hadn't even finished it when my piri-piri chicken arrived. The sauce was spicy, and by the end rather salty, but apart from that it was an excellent meal, and I left stuffed and very impressed with at least the maître d'. And with the fact that he had obviously not terrorised the waiter who'd forgotten my order - I felt sorry for him, he did look repentant. And I noticed that he wrote down the order of the table next to me, when they told him what they wanted..

So, the opera tomorrow night. Death in Venice, at the Coliseum again. More steps.. (sigh)