It started late, so I had a nice, relaxed evening in an almost empty office, grabbing a bite to eat and finishing the wine I'd nearly finished on Monday. Moseyed on down there around 7:30.. and after a sad passing of the Opera House, the corner where the Man with the Hat used to stand with his clipboard, and the pubs where he used to take us, came across some lovely views:
Was having a very pleasant stroll down the South Bank, when I realised I was headed in the wrong direction! I'm so used to turning left from the Hungerford Bridge - but this time I'd crossed Waterloo Bridge! Had to turn back, but happily was in plenty of time.
Queued at the box office - until someone working there saw the printed confirmation I was brandishing, and informed me I was on the guest list and should head down to the last desk! Kewl.. never been on the guest list here before.. Well, ticket in hand, I moseyed along to NFT1 (the big one) and took my seat, which turned out to be dead centre. Awesome. I was set for a great night - love the BFI anyway. Now, the BFI provides fact sheets for its films, but I hadn't seen any at the entrance I'd used. So I headed back to one of the main entrances, and was sorted. Had it read in nice time for the start of the film.
I have a vague feeling I'd seen this before - couldn't remember a bit of it, though. Part of their Stephen King on Screen season, which runs this month, it was a collaboration between Stephen King and George A. Romero, and is an homage to the horror comics they grew up with. In a nod to the general disapproval of the comics at the time, the cover story is of a little boy (Stephen King's son, Joe) whose father very angrily confiscates his horror comic, throwing it in the trash. (The little lad plays a nicely furious turn!) Later that night, a ghost appears, reassuring the lad, and showing us the contents of the comic, whose stories form the content of the rest of the film, as the panels come to life - apparently, the first time this was done.
First story up is Father's Day, which has a very young Ed Harris (one of quite a few famous names in this film) coming to his in-laws' for Father's Day, where they're waiting on an elderly aunt so they can start dinner. As they wait, his mother-in-law tells him the creepy story of how her aunt murdered her father - on Father's Day - and every year, before coming for dinner, goes to mourn at the grave. However, that's not all that's going on at the grave that night..
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill, based on a short story by Stephen King, features him in his acting debut, as a gormless farmer who has a meteorite crash on his land. With unexpected consequences..
Something to Tide You Over has Leslie Nielsen discover that Ted Danson is having an affair with his wife. So he exacts a sadistic revenge..
The Crate, based on another Stephen King short story, has Fritz Weaver as the dean of a college, who finds a mysterious crate stored in the bowels of the university. Hal Holbrook is the downtrodden English professor who helps him deal with it, while also finding a way to deal with his nagging wife!
And finally, They're Creeping Up on You has E. G. Marshall as a germ-phobic rich recluse, who finds his apartment infested with cockroaches. As Stephen King remarked when asked, yes, this segment did make them all bug-phobes!
Don't miss the closing minutes, when we see what happens with the little boy and his comic.
I had an absolute ball watching this - so glad I came! Glad, also, not to miss this season. And after, we had a panel discussion:
..where we had a representative of Comic-Con, who were co-hosting, as well as a horror film writer, and a horror podcast presenter, who I see dressed up for the occasion! A fun, self-admitted nerdy discussion ensued, where 80s horror, 50s comics, and other enjoyable things were discussed. Late when we came out, but I decided it wouldn't take that much longer to walk, so I did. A nice night for it. Dare I walk these steps again..?
I was nearly home when I ran into a seriously drunk - or stoned (he was waving a joint) - enthusiastic young lad, who slurred at me that he was looking for Tottenham Court Road. When I directed him, he stared at me in amazement. "You're Irish?!" So, inevitably, I ended up in a discussion of where I was from. Lovely fellow, gave me a hug before swaying off.. I must say, his great big smile put me in a good mood, as I got ready for bed.
Tonight, I was to be back with North London Friends, and another talk on Fake News - different speaker, mind! This is the Fulbright Commission annual lecture, at the British Library. However, much more attractively, Let's Do This are reviving what used to be a regular Man with the Hat event - we're off to St. Martin-in-the-Fields, for some Vivaldi concertos. With a discount, yet! London Concertante, as usual.
On Friday, until the other day I was still technically booked for free comedy in Hammersmith with DiscoverLDN.UK. But, as I say - good atmosphere, but the comedy is usually pretty bad. I was saved - again - by Up in the Cheap Seats, who are off to see Doubt, a Parable, in Southwark Playhouse. Aww.. it's so long since I was there, and I have so many good memories of it from my time with the Man with the Hat!
On Saturday, Helen and I have our 25km sponsored walk, in aid of Haslemere's Cat Protection Society. We're going as Dick Whittington and his cat, respectively, and the route is the Thames Bridges Trek. You can donate here.. Got a pair of Skechers Go Walk 4s last week, woo! Dying to try them out on the walk.
Which will tire me out nicely, just in time for my flight to Prague on Sunday morning! I'm at a conference there, Sunday to Tuesday. (What a nice company I work for!) Gee, but I love Prague - most beautiful city I've ever seen, and I've seen a few. They're putting me up at a nice hotel too, just down the road.
So, I fly back on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at Sadler's Wells, for the Hofesh Schechter Company grand finale.
Next Thursday, I was at another talk with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts - this one, at Southwark Cathedral, is about the River Effra, South London's Secret Spine. Another free Eventbrite event, this is to publicise a book about the subject, and the talk is again given by the author. Another thing that had no tickets, then it did (no notification)! Now I've changed though, and will be off with Up in the Cheap Seats to Loot, at the Park Theatre. Got the last £20 ticket, yay! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 18th September, I was off to Showstopper! at the Lyric. Ticket courtesy of From the Box Office again. I have actually seen this before - but, being an improvised musical, it literally is different every time! But you'll never guess - the Crick Crack Club finally announced their autumn schedule recently, and now, that night, I'm off to Eaten Father, Eaten Mother by Ben Haggerty. In Soho Theatre, first time in ages. Finally advertised by their Meetup group, jeez!
On the 19th September, I was back with the Scarlet Ladies, for a talk entitled 100 Women - Their Breasts, Their Stories. No longer, of course - now I'm joining London Science Talks and Museums Meetup for a talk at the Alan Turing Institute about the future of data in public life. Most pertinent, given the talk I was at last Thursday.
On the 20th September, Funzing (London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night, as usual) and Jennifer Rees again - this time, a fun talk about the Psychology of Batman Villains! The first of hers for which I managed to get a 30% discount.. and it's on nice and close to me again. Seems to be a feature of her talks!
On the 21st September, it was free comedy in Hammersmith - with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, and DiscoverLDN.UK. But yay, I have my alternative at last! Going to some comedy I have to pay for, which will probably be better. Mae Martin is at Soho Theatre. Advertised by a group called Moxie Ladies.. good luck to them, but as they charge extra, I'm going solo.
And on the 22nd September, the same free comedy - with DiscoverLDN.UK. I rather doubt it though - don't you?
On the 23rd September, I was to do the same, but am now headed to the launch of Rob Luft's new album, Riser, at King's Place. As advertised by The London Jazz Meetup. I finally ended up paying their membership fee after booking an event with them the other day, for November, which someone is attending that I know. So I figured it was wiser!
I had booked the same free comedy, with the same group, on the 24th September, but was again saved - this time, by the World Music Meetup! They're off to see Kefaya, in Nell's Jazz and Blues bar, back in my old stomping ground of North End Road! Happy days, when I was working there..
On the 25th September, a group called Theatre and Stuff is off to see Prism, at Hampstead Theatre. They're charging extra to go with them, though - so I happily bought my own ticket. What the hey, odds are I won't know any of them anyway.
On the 26th September, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats - to see Wings, at The Young Vic. Accidentally booked standing, I think.. :-/
On the 27th September, with Up in the Cheap Seats again - for Jekyll & Hyde, presented by the National Youth Theatre, at the Ambassadors Theatre.
On the 28th September, with another new group: London, Surrey and Beyond.. for an event called "A Unique Experience. Olde Pub, Gerry's Private Club, 2 'i's Famous Fish 'n' Chips". Which says it all, really! Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 2nd October, I had booked at Hampstead Theatre, for No One Will Tell Me How to Start a Revolution. North London Friends are attending - and charging extra, so I was going it alone! But now it turns out I'm spending the week in the Stockholm office - back on the 8th.
On the 3rd October, it was free comedy in Hammersmith - nominally. With Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich. So, that was easy to cancel, for Stockholm!
On the 4th October was Up in the Cheap Seats and Labour of Love, with Martin Freeman, at the Noel Coward Theatre. Cheapest tickets from the venue, for once!
On the 5th October, same group - headed to see the Company Wayne McGregor, at Sadler's Wells.
And finally! on the 6th October, headed to see Chekhov's The Seagull, at the Lyric. Third night in a row for that group - almost as busy a group as I am a person! So, four things in all I had to cancel, without refund.. what the hey, I'll doubtless be saving money in Stockholm! Expenses paid, after all.
On the 9th October, I'm finally going to see the show so many people have asked me whether I'm seeing. Ink is showing at the Duke of York's Theatre.
On the 10th October, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Ballet Boyz at Sadler's Wells.
On the 11th October, back with Funzing for a talk on Revolution in Iran: Girl with a Gun. This will be an interview with a female Kurdish revolutionary.. on the Battersea Barge, which I believe can get choppy. Never mind. This is one I got for free, for completing a loyalty card of three talks.
On the 12th October, Let's Do This are back to St. Martin-in-the-Fields, where London Concertante is performing Bach Violin Concertos. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
And on the 16th October, back at Southwark Playhouse with Up in the Cheap Seats - this time, it's for A Day By the Sea.
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