Film: What We Do in the Shadows

Ah, the Pillow Cinema. Shows up so often in the listings! Usually, what they're showing is something I've already seen, or is booked out. Generally both. So it was great, finally to come across something I hadn't seen, and would be interested in seeing, and could get a ticket for! Price is per beanbag, which accommodates one or two. Yes, seating is on beanbags - although you lie down rather than sit - and although they pretend that a pillow is compulsory, if you check, it isn't at all - as they remind you repeatedly after you book. They suggest you might like to bring a blanket, pjs, slippers.. and if you don't want to bring a pillow, they have them for hire for £1. I decided to bring my own.

And so it was that my pillow came to work with me today, and this evening, headed off on an adventure with me in the backstreets of Whitechapel! They give good directions on the confirmation email, and so I was able to trace my route as Tube to Aldgate East and a walk up Brick Lane. The easiest route turns out to be to take the pedestrian alley just past Kinkao Thai restaurant - easily spotted as the only one on a street famous for its curry houses! The former Shoreditch Underground Station, venue for this pop-up cinema, is the graffiti-covered building at the end of that road. And I thought maybe I could eat at the aforementioned restaurant on the way out.

It's a very good job I left early - an earlier signal failure on the District Line meant "minor" delays. Which, in practice, meant that we were stopped at some stations for several minutes, and repeatedly stopped between stations for a couple of minutes per time. Mercifully, as I left a bit earlier than yesterday, the crowding was less and I had a seat the whole way. Interesting passengers on the outbound journey included the woman with the lovely, grey fluffy small dog in her arms, who only travelled one stop from Gloucester Road to South Kensington, and the Italian couple with very little English, who also only travelled one stop - from Westminster to Embankment, where they were going to change for Euston Square from what I could make of it. Not that they could get there directly on a train from Embankment - but sometimes, you just confuse people by trying to help them, and the Northern Line from Embankment would get them close enough.

I've been to Aldgate East just once before, to see Hard Façade at a club on Brick Lane. This was invaluable, as for instance it meant I knew to turn right when I got off the train - this station is unusual in having exits at each end of the platform. Also, I knew that Brick Lane is a continuation of Osborne Street, the first left after exiting the station. So then a long walk up Brick Lane ensued, past dozens of curry houses. Being on my own, and striding purposefully forward, I was only propositioned by one employee of one of these establishments. But I wasn't in the market for food right then.

I actually had to pass the club I'd been to before, and shortly after that came upon the Thai restaurant, which, sure enough, had a pedestrian alley right after it. Just as well I knew where I was going - all the lights in the alley were out of order, and it was completely dark. The old Underground station was at the end, the door open, and a very polite fellow there to check tickets - which they do like you to print out. They can just scan them then. There's a bar to the left, the cinema downstairs to the right, with pillows for hire at the top of the stairs. I popped into the bar for a glass of pinot grigio (they only do the small size) and a bag of chocolate, and then headed downstairs.

Problem no. 1: attempting to descend stairs whilst carrying a pillow and a fairly full glass of wine. Anyway, I didn't spill much. Problem no. 2: attempting to push aside the curtain leading to the cinema, whilst still carrying said pillow and glass of wine. Problem no. 3: attempting to negotiate beanbags whilst still carrying said pillow and glass of wine. The beanbags are packed fairly close together. I chose one by the wall. Problem no. 4: sinking into beanbag without spilling glass of wine. Problem no. 5: drinking said wine in a supine position. You can't sit up during the film - you'd block someone's view - so I found myself gulping it all down before the film started. Basically, bringing a drink to this thing is NOT a good idea!

They actually provide a fleecy blanket for each beanbag, which they don't mention on the website. So that's cool! And I do recommend using it - although it's toasty warm when you go down there, I think they do turn off the heating after a while, and there's a terrible draught under the walls. I was ok with the blanket though, and once I got my pillow right, and the girls in front of me lay down, I was very comfy. Oh, they do wander around with a camera beforehand, BTW, making promotional videos for the website - so be forewarned.

Being an independent cinema, they show no ads, and we were straight into the show. The film in question was What We Do in the Shadows, and opens with a logo of the "New Zealand Documentary Society". Huh?! A documentary? I thought this was about vampires sharing a flat. Well, yes it is! A documentary about vampires sharing what we would more likely call a house, outside of Wellington. Directed and written jointly by two of the stars of the film, this is a hoot! A droll fly-on-the-wall look at vampires of different ages, coping with the problems of sharing housework and cleaning up the blood after one of them has had guests over. And in the best tradition of such things, we also meet the local werewolves and zombies.

Really, if that sounds appealing, I do recommend the film to you. I liked it enormously. And as for the Pillow Cinema, it's cool too (booking essential) - although I don't recommend drinking in the cinema. It's just too awkward. And I didn't see a single person with pjs, slippers, or their own blanket. I wasn't the only one with their own pillow, though. There is no bar service to your beanbag, as advertised - you have to trek upstairs again for that. Honestly, it wouldn't be practical! And I hope they cleaned the place thoroughly after we left - there was another show, and one beanbag had popcorn strewn all over it.

We streamed out at about 8.30, and I was stunned to see the Thai restaurant I'd been considering already closed! Their website says they're open late - I guess it was a slow night. And, ironically, I didn't fancy an Indian. So I ended up not eating out at all!

Interesting passengers on the train back consisted mainly of three pals, occupying a set of four seats near me. I started to pay attention when the fourth person sitting there pointedly turned to the side, away from them. Although a young man, he seemed somewhat scandalised by the young woman sitting beside him, whom you might describe as fitting the description "posh totty". Young: big, blonde hair: pretty, with unobtrusive makeup: a big, warm winter coat like mine, and practically nothing on underneath it. Well, she did have a very short dress on, but you couldn't see it under the coat. So she was wearing a sheer pair of black tights. And between her rather scantily clad thighs, she was brandishing a screwtop bottle of rosé, which they were sharing among them, swigging straight from it, and which was now half empty.

To be fair, the conversation was interesting. She seemed to be a journalist, and had all sorts of interesting work-related stories, like the guy from UKIP that she had to interview, who was so right-wing she didn't know what to say. Or a mutual friend of theirs, who apparently punched someone in a checkout queue at Tesco, and it ended up in the Daily Mail.. Then one of them spotted someone waving in their direction from the opposite platform at one station, and waved back - except of course, she was waving to her friend, standing nearby. And then, as we were at the platform for a while, the friends proceeded to do a little dance, mirroring each other. Ah yes, I do like Friday nights on the Tube..

At Gloucester Road, we were delayed again - it seems the signals still weren't fixed. And that's when the guy of the group of three decided he really needed to go for a wee. For a minute there, I seriously thought he was going to use the rosé bottle. But the journalist exhorted him to hold on, it never normally takes this long - and they were only heading to her place in West Kensington. I never did find out what happened, as I was changing at Earl's Court - you can never catch a Wimbledon train East of Embankment. Luckily, one just pulled in as we arrived and I hopped across the platform to catch it. And found myself sitting opposite the most miserable-looking woman I've seen in a while. Young, heavily made-up, huddled in her coat in the corner. Maybe she was cold.


I was glad to get in from the cold myself. Tomorrow night, I'm finally heading to something I had considered for last Wednesday - it's the last performance by comedian Carl Donnelly, in the Soho Theatre (Downstairs). And since it's the weekend, I might actually make it there on time, for once!

And on Sunday, I'm off to Singing in the Dark Times, an evening of song about the work of peacekeepers around the world. In aid of Peace Direct. Takes place in Bush Hall, just off Shepherds Bush.. not too far away, and not too late, thankfully, with work the next day.