Bram Stoker Festival & Film: Trumbo

Yesterday, the annual Dublin Bram Stoker Festival went virtual. Whoopee! Several events happening over the weekend - and most seem to be free. One, I booked for yesterday evening - called Eternal, it's an immersive audio experience, designed for someone lying in bed, alone, with headphones on and the lights off. Woohoo, was looking forward to that! Something to do with how far you'd go to achieve eternal life - and of course, vampire-related, for the festival that's in it. I borrowed my mother's headphones - didn't have room to pack my own, when I moved back.

They advise you to start to prepare 20 minutes beforehand - certainly, it took me 10 minutes, and I had already installed the Darkfield Radio app, as instructed. Well, I did have to unpack the headphones, whose packaging was as tricky as you'd expect - they're new. You do have to allow the app time to "prepare" the event - oh, the suspense as the countdown clock ticked down. When the instructional voice comes on, you're advised, again, to lie on a bed on your own, in a darkened room. And to close other apps, and turn on Do Not Disturb on your phone. Interestingly, you're also advised to have space in the bed, to your left..

As you'd expect for something that insists on headphones, this immersive experience has sounds coming from specific angles - you really do need the headphones. And yes, there does appear to be someone in the bed, to your left.. although he moves around. It's only 20 minutes long, but oh wow, that's quite enough! The scariest part is - you're not supposed to open your eyes. The instructional voice recommends, if you think you'll be tempted to open your eyes, that you use a blindfold. And let me tell you, it is terrifying to lie there for 20 minutes, as realistic sounds appear to come from different parts of the room, and not be able to open your eyes.. if there really had been a door in my room where the sounds indicated there were, crikey, I'd have been even worse!

Let me assure you, I was creeped out for a long time afterwards. Very, very eerie - as they say, not recommended for those of a nervous disposition. Four more shows this evening, and again tomorrow - and I highly recommend it for horror fans! Darkfield also has a couple of other shows running, for couples - again, had I someone to try them with, I'd love to experience those myself too.. And just as I took off the headphones at the end, wouldn't you know it, my mother was making noises in the bathroom next door, and I hardly knew whether they were real. Timing!

Another spooky thing to do for Hallowe'en is Paranormal Researchers Ireland's livestream from Loftus Hall, advertised as Ireland's most haunted building. €9.99 covers you for the weekend, and I've signed up. In fact, they're streaming right now - and it's quite spooky watching t cameraperson explore dark and deserted hallways - glad I did this. They're going interactive from 9 tonight, apparently, so you can tell them what to ask the ghosts.

Later last night, it not being Hallowe'en yet, I watched a non-horror on the telly. I'd never seen Trumbo, but was always interested - Bryan Cranston, in the most serious role I've ever seen him play, is the real-life Hollywood screen writer who's blacklisted and imprisoned in the 40s for his left-leaning political views, under the House Committee of Un-American Activities. They think he's planning a Communist insurrection, you see. Diane Lane is his faithful and supportive wife, Helen Mirren an influential gossip columnist and staunch supporter of the Committee.

It's really interesting - it is truly terrible to see how writers, among others, were blacklisted and unable to find work - through sheer prejudice. Trumbo, in particular, who continued to write under an assumed name after his release from prison, won two Oscars that he couldn't even openly acknowledge until years later! It wasn't until the more enlightened days of the 60s that he could reveal that he had really written the script for Roman Holiday..!

Afterwards, back to the Bram Stoker Festival, and another couple of (free) audio clips - I tried Dracuha, a compilation of specially commissioned spooky stories, set in Dublin, by different writers, and Warmbloods, a tour of some items in the National Gallery of Ireland, courtesy of two lady vampires. Pictures are included. Mainly jokey, these were very enjoyable - I still have things to check out in the Bram Stoker Festival, and will give it another look tonight.

I also decided to check out the Raindance site - this is an annual film festival in London, which this year has gone partly online. What's available seems to be in the short film categories, and is free. Anyway, I registered for the mailing list, and got an email today about a livestreamed horror film - started late because of technical difficulties, running right now. Check the festival out.. runs till the 7th.

What I must also do is watch the concert we were reminded of at the last minute, courtesy of the World Music Meetup, which took place on Thursday at St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe. A sell-out, apparently, and now available at several different links.

And after all that, on Monday, wooo.. the Crick Crack Club is celebrating the Day of the Dead with a livestreamed show featuring just about everybody! I booked my ticket weeks ago.. it's listed as Tuesday on the site, which is a misprint. I think it's being broadcast from Bristol. They just sent me my Zoom link.

Talk on the Tudors

For yesterday, jeez, London Social Detours finally had an afternoon Meetup again! She was reading from one of her Tudor books again - this time, it was a talk about Edward VI, Queen Jane, and Mary I. Well, it'd been ages since I was at a Meetup - it'd make a nice change, so I signed up.

And it was actually very informative! We learned such things as that Edward, whom we'd always thought was a sickly boy, was actually quite healthy until his last few years. We learned that Jane wanted to marry someone else - and we learned that Mary might actually have been quite a good ruler, had she stayed alive long enough. All of that didn't stop the narrator's voice nearly putting me to sleep again, mind. (Funnily enough, during the chat afterwards, she mentioned that - embarrassingly - someone had once fallen asleep during one of her talks! Not just me, then.) A couple of minor glitches saw her first forget to start the slideshow, then forget which slide she was on. Nothing major, though.

It was nice to see everyone again - and as I was the only participant from Ireland, they were keen to find out what the lockdown was like over here. Frustrating, is the answer - I need a battery in one watch and a strap on another, but the nearest place I can get that done is well over the 5km limit that's been imposed on us, and it wouldn't be classified as an "essential purpose". Actually, the jeweller's must be closed anyway. Ditto, I need to activate a new bank card, but need to go that far for the right bank's ATM. But I never thought it was so ridiculous as when I heard this evening that newsagents, while still open, are being banned from selling greeting cards and flowers!  Jeez, just as well I squeezed in the purchase of a card for my mother's birthday, then! Not to mention that you'd better not run out of underwear, because that's not essential either. The sheer obstinacy of the politician explaining that to us on a current affairs programme this evening.. all I can say is, they ain't being re-elected..

Anyway, I digress. Frequently. Back to the chat, which went rapidly downhill when someone mentioned that she'd bitten the bullet and joined an online dating service. Several people chipped in with anecdotes and advice, and as for those who didn't - I've never seen so many people drop off a call so fast. Including me - first time I've done that, but my back hurt, I couldn't change position because of the position of the light, and I was bored out of my tree. Ah well, at least the talk itself was interesting.

Now, today was supposed to be film again. I decided to check out the Raindance site - this is an annual film festival in London, which this year has gone partly online. What's available seems to be in the short film categories, and is free. And it's taken me this long to go through the offerings and see what's worth seeing! Most aren't yet rated on IMDB, but I'm happy to have a look at what's there - when I get a moment. Not tonight, I think. Some are very highly rated. Check it out.. runs till the 7th.

Or indeed, what I might do - perhaps tomorrow, if I have an opening - is watch the concert we were reminded of at the last minute, courtesy of the World Music Meetup, which took place this evening at St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe. A sell-out, apparently, and now available at several different links.

Tomorrow, the annual Dublin Bram Stoker Festival goes virtual. Whoopee! Several events happening over the next three days - and most seem to be free. One, I've booked for tomorrow evening - called Eternal, it's an immersive audio experience, designed for someone lying in bed, alone, with headphones on and the lights off. Woohoo, looking forward to that! Something to do with how far you'd go to achieve eternal life, it seems. I have to borrow my mother's headphones - didn't have room to pack my own, when I moved back. I'll check out what else to go to, over the duration of the festival.

Another spooky thing you could do for Hallowe'en is Paranormal Researchers Ireland's livestream from Loftus Hall, advertised as Ireland's most haunted building. €9.99 covers you for the weekend, it seems.. I am curious! Again, won't start tonight. Or there's Alternative Dublin, which is running virtual walking tours over the next two days.. evenings only, at a time that doesn't work for me, sadly.

And after all that, on Monday, wooo.. the Crick Crack Club is celebrating the Day of the Dead with a livestreamed show featuring just about everybody! I booked my ticket weeks ago.. it's listed as Tuesday on the site, which is a misprint. I think it's being broadcast from Bristol. They still have to send me my Zoom link, mind..

Film: Crazy, Stupid, Love

For today's film from Amazon Prime, I had quite a choice, as I was now moving down a level in ratings. Decided on Crazy, Stupid, Love, in which Steve Carell's wife, Julianne Moore, tells him she's leaving him. In fact, she's having an affair with Kevin Bacon, who works with her. So, Steve's back on the dating scene again. His new pal, Ryan Gosling, takes him under his wing. We have Emma Stone as Ryan's love interest, and Marisa Tomei for Steve - who is also his son's teacher. Poor guy loses his good friend, John Carroll Lynch, over it - his wife decided they should side with Julianne in the marriage split. Anyway, promised to be fun.

My, this is a step above your average romcom. Starts out rather depressing, with Steve coming across as a bit hopeless - I was too sorry for him to find him funny. Things pick up dramatically, though, when Ryan appears - all suave sophistication, he takes Steve under his wing. Teaches him how to dress, how to chat up women - gets him down the gym, gets him a new haircut. And for the new and improved Steve, all sorts of things are possible..

In typical romcom fashion, however, there are multiple plotlines - most of them romantic - which end up intertwining. And as the film approached its hilarious climax, two things became apparent: firstly, I'd seen it before. Only remembered during the truly memorable final scenes. And secondly, the moral of the story is that true love conquers all. Ah, if only that were true.. but it sure improved my mood!

For tomorrow, jeez, London Social Detours finally has an afternoon Meetup again! She's reading from one of her Tudor books again - this time, it's a talk about Edward VI, Queen Jane, and Mary I. Well, it's ages since I was at a Meetup - it'll make a nice change, so I've signed up.

Films: Ocean's 8 & Remember

Well, I'm taking this week off again - need to use up those days. And yes, thinking film - and next up on Amazon Prime for yesterday (and also risen in ratings) was Remember, where Christopher Plummer is an Auschwitz survivor who makes it his mission to wreak vengeance on the person responsible for his family's deaths.

Now, as it happened, yesterday was half decent for television, so I didn't get to watching it till later. It was also a bank holiday in Ireland, so they flooded us with films.. one of which I even watched, which was Ocean's 8. A kind of sequel to Ocean's 11, where George Clooney staged a spectacular art heist, in this, he's supposed to be deceased (maybe - we see a framed photo of him), and Sandra Bullock is his sister, newly out of prison and planning revenge on the guy who put her there. So she's planning a spectacular jewellery heist. To assist her in this, she enlists the help of her old partner in crime, Cate Blanchett - and some others, of course. All ladies - as she says, a "him" will be noticed, a "her" won't. They've decided to hit a gala ball; they get a designer - Helena Bonham Carter, with a passable Irish accent - to persuade a famous actress, Anne Hathaway, who's attending, to wear a fabulously valuable necklace, so they can steal it. Elliott Gould, who was also in Ocean's 11, even makes a quick cameo as a friend of Sandra Bullock!

Now, this is gorgeous to look at, of course - everyone glams up for the ball, and the jewels are spectacular. And the whole thing is quick, clever, and terrific fun! You might miss some plot points, but just go along with it - the gist of the story is obvious. A great way to spend a bank holiday evening, and highly recommended for a movie to please pretty much everyone.

So, I eventually got around to my other film. Christopher Plummer has dementia, his wife has just died, and his friend, another resident of the care home, is quick to remind him that he'd said that, once she died, he'd do something for the friend. Something the friend can't do for himself, as he's confined to a wheelchair and on oxygen. Christopher's dementia could be a problem in itself, of course - but his friend has kindly given him a letter to carry with him, with all the instructions he might need. All he has to do is remember to read it. Basically, a camp supervisor at Auschwitz is living in the States, under an assumed name - there are four possible candidates (well, one is across the border in Canada), and Christopher has to determine which is the right one, and kill him.

It's great how he manages to get around - just has to keep remembering to read that letter. Includes addresses of hotels he should stay at, and addresses of the men on the list. Very organised, his friend! (And wow, am I jealous of him, staying in hotels.. I miss it!) It's also astonishing to see how easily he manages to get a gun - and later in the film, he sets off a security alarm when leaving a shop, having bought a change of clothes - he didn't bring any with him. It's not the gun that set it off, mind - it's a security tag that was mistakenly not removed. And when the security guard checks his bag, and finds the gun - is he phased? Not a bit of it - he smiles nostalgically, and remarks that it reminds him of his first gun. Jeez, I shudder at the thought of living in a country where guns are treated so casually..

As you might expect, the man he's looking for is last on the list. And as he meets each in turn, we learn some different perspectives of German men about the war. Sometimes it's shocking, always thought-provoking - and the twist at the end is quite unexpected. A journey of discovery for himself, as well as for us. Highly recommended. Very happy with yesterday's films! Mind you, with a Tesco delivery this morning, by the time this was over, it was time for me to go to bed, so I didn't have time to blog.

For today's film, I have quite a choice, as I'm now moving down a level in ratings. Thinking of Crazy, Stupid, Love, in which Steve Carell's wife, Julianne Moore, tells him she's leaving him, so he's back on the dating scene again. His new pal, Ryan Gosling, takes him under his wing. We have Emma Stone as Ryan's love interest, and Marisa Tomei for Steve - although I think she's also his son's teacher. Also stars Kevin Bacon. Should be fun.

And for tomorrow, jeez, London Social Detours finally has an afternoon Meetup again! She's reading from one of her Tudor books again - this time, it's a talk about Edward VI, Queen Jane, and Mary I. Well, it's ages since I was at a Meetup - it'll make a nice change, so I've signed up.

Film: A Dog's Journey

Today was back to film again - and I was intrigued by one that's come up in ratings. A Dog's Journey turns out to be the sequel to A Dog's Purpose, which was on telly some months back - that covered the story of a dog living multiple lives, but ultimately coming back to his original owner, now grown up into Dennis Quaid. And which I found touching. The sequel has the same, reincarnated dog looking after the granddaughter, as she moves away. Also on Amazon Prime.

Didn't take long for there to be another gap in decent programmes! so I got it watched early. Now, by the end of the last film, Dennis Quaid (ably assisted by his dog) had rekindled a relationship with an old flame, who had a son by now. By the time of the sequel, they've married - except she's now played by Marg Helgenberger, which works fine; certainly, it rings true to me. Years have passed and they're a lot older. Her son, tragically, has been killed in a car accident, leaving a young widow and little daughter. The widow is chafing against single motherhood, craves her old life, and isn't a terribly good mother. When her mother-in-law tries to help, she thinks she's trying to take the child, and leaves with her. The dog's life is ending - as he lies dying, Dennis whispers to him to take care of their granddaughter. In his reincarnations. Again, he's voiced by Josh Gad.

Now, I found this even weepier than the last - but that might be because I missed bits of the last, which I was watching while doing something else. Honestly, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to shed a tear - and not only because the doggie dies so many times! Delighted to hear Josh Gad's voice back again - he's perfect for it. Another truly heartwarming tale with plenty of humour as the dog, in various incarnations, vets her friends and acquaintances, not holding back with his opinion. And as she is reunited with her grandparents at the end, everything comes full circle. All good dogs go to heaven, they say - and heaven, appropriately, is a huge, grassy meadow, where the dog can race around to his heart's content. Ah, the perfect weepie for a dog lover..

Well, I'm taking this week off again - need to use up those days. And yes, thinking film tomorrow - and next up on Amazon Prime (and also risen in ratings) is Remember, where Christopher Plummer is an Auschwitz survivor who makes it his mission to wreak vengeance on the person responsible for his family's deaths.

Film: Kim Swims

For today, next film up on Amazon Prime was Kim Swims. Another story of someone who bucks the trend, this is a documentary about a woman who, eh, swims in the shark-infested waters off California. Well, each to their own..

And with almost nothing but sport on telly, I had plenty of time to watch it! A good day to be in too, with intermittent torrential showers. It's just over an hour long - and apparently this wasn't a random course, she had in mind the stretch of water between the Golden Gate Bridge (she lives in San Francisco) and the Farallon Islands, a wildlife sanctuary about thirty miles offshore. Turns out she wasn't the first, two men had preceded her - but no women. They had both swum back to shore - she had it in mind to swim the other way, out to the islands - until someone tried it, and had to abandon the idea. The waters out by the islands are shark-infested, and as they say, if you're going to meet them, better you be rested and clear-minded at the start, rather than exhausted at the end of your swim!

They're short on practical info in this film - I couldn't catch the name of the islands until they put it on screen, having mentioned the name several times already. The start of the film is the story of a young woman with an almost unbelievable level of determination - one of the most poignant moments of the film is when she tells us how a simple fall down the stairs, when she hit her leg on a ceramic vase, meant she nearly lost the leg. But they never mention at all that she got into swimming during rehab, after that accident.

So, you know, never one to do things by halves, she duly became a "marathon swimmer", completing the Ocean's Seven challenge, swimming seven of the most difficult straights in the world. One of her pals describes how, before swimming the coldest - the North Channel - she spent six months taking cold showers, to prepare. And although I quickly detected a foreign accent, it isn't until after over 20 minutes in that they mention she's a Kiwi! Ah well then, that explains the bloody minded determination - they're a bit crazy, down there. It's not for nothing that a Kiwi was first to climb Mount Everest. They cannot see a challenge without wanting to give it a go.. and the harder the better.

So yeah, for someone such as myself, with no interest in swimming, the details leave me a bit cold. But the film itself is cleverer than that, finding lots of interesting folk to interview. Such as the first man to complete this challenge she's set herself - old and wizened now, he's happy to chat as they cuddle inflatable sharks. And when it gets into the swim proper, and her mother flies over from New Zealand, and all her friends are backing her - ah jeez, it's quite moving. 17 hours, it took her - imagine constantly swimming for that time. Yep, very interesting - and quite soothing, with the vast expanse of water lapping around her. I had a nap after.

Tomorrow is back to film again - and I'm intrigued by one that's come up in ratings. A Dog's Journey turns out to be the sequel to A Dog's Purpose, which was on telly some months back - that covered the story of a dog living multiple lives, but ultimately coming back to his original owner, now grown up into Dennis Quaid. And which I found touching. The sequel has the same, reincarnated dog looking after the daughter, as she grows up and moves away. Also on Amazon Prime.

Spanish Classical Concert

Tonight, a change in tv schedule meant a gap in decent programmes - that I hadn't seen, at least. So I was looking for an alternative - and today, I'd seen on the news about RTÉ broadcasting a Spanish classical concert tonight. So I looked it up.

And it is a very pleasant hour or so - coverage doesn't start until about 2.5 minutes in, mind. It is interesting to see the different orchestra sections separated by perspex. I think the highlight of the show comes when the lady comes on, about halfway through, for some impassioned singing and flamenco dancing. And what you have to remember about her - is that she's not a professional at all! Nope, she actually.. works in a nursing home. They were looking for someone to perform this work, couldn't bring anyone in from abroad, then heard about this lady from Seville who was trained in flamenco and worked up the road.. and the rest was history. (The conductor is Spanish too, and I guess also lives here.) Very cool story..

Anyway, for tomorrow, next film up on Amazon Prime is Kim Swims. Another story of someone who bucks the trend, this is a documentary about a woman who, eh, swims in the shark-infested waters off California. Well, each to their own..

Film: Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year

Yesterday's film was Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. Available on Amazon Prime, this is an Indian comedy about a young man who decides to go into sales - but soon finds the job unfulfilling.

Honestly, I hated the first half-hour of this. A feckless young man wastes his time in college, and graduates, but not with anything spectacular. A friend's advice to do an MBA is pointless, as he doesn't have the funds. So, he gets a job as a salesman at a computer company. Sadly, it doesn't work out well for him - he's actually quite honorable, a man of integrity, and hates the company's standard practice of bribing clients. When this becomes apparent to the company - well, he is absolutely vilified. And I hated it because, well, it's actually quite realistic. Imagine working in an office where it's dog-eat-dog, and some employees are second-class citizens. Prejudice and petty insults are commonplace - no wonder he hates going to work every day.

Ah but am I glad I stuck with it - only because I was distracted by something else! Because, one fine day, he's inspired with an idea.. and it's not too much of a giveaway to say that he goes into business for himself, bringing in other discontented employees. He quite simply builds a business model based on respect for the customer's needs. As his business grows and grows, it starts to steal customers from the company he officially works for! And the CEO of that company has a lesson or two to learn..

I ended up absolutely loving this film. Yes, the triumph of good is a bit fanciful - but hey, it's very feelgood. And the growing of the business - at the back of the office, at night, and avoiding the eye of the ever-more suspicious CEO - is gripping! Very happy to recommend this - it's an excellent piece of work.

It's a long one, so I broke about halfway through - and was then too tired to finish watching it last night. Finished it just now. Anyway, for Saturday, next film up is Kim Swims. Another story of someone who bucks the trend, this is a documentary about a woman who, eh, swims in the shark-infested waters off California. Well, each to their own..

Film: Pawn Sacrifice

Well, tonight saw many films on telly that I had already seen, and one I hadn't, and which caught my eye - Pawn Sacrifice is the story of the "match of the century", in which American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer (played by Tobey Maguire) played the world champion, the Russian Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber). Peter Sarsgaard plays Fischer's second, US chess grandmaster Fr. Bill Lombardy. The match took place in Reykjavík in 1972 - so involved a whole heap of Cold War politics.

Chess, huh. See, I like chess, I play it - most people, however, wouldn't find the intimate details very interesting. Happily, they don't bother to try to teach you the rules - all you need to know for this is that one side plays black, the other white, and white always starts. Each player takes it in turn to move, and moves are allotted a set amount of time, which is measured by a special clock to the side - each player presses their button when they've moved, and the clock starts to tick for the other player. Oh, and despite the pursuit of the king being the object of the game, the queen is actually the most powerful piece - you might like to know why it's considered significant that Fischer sacrifices his in one of the matches.

You see, the match consisted of a series of individual matches - a score of 1 for a win, 1/2 for each player for a draw, and 0 for a loss, was totted up to give the total. I found it handy to have the Wikipedia article for the match - linked to above - beside me throughout, to have a more thorough description of what was happening; it's really glossed over, here. They do point out that the sixth match is a good indicator of the final winner - now, the only reason they say this is that, at this stage, a few matches had been played and, I guess, the players had had time to settle down - the scores were level at the start of Match 6. The film then seems to take the end of that match as the end of the whole thing - which is fair enough, in a way, if slightly confusing.

Yes, it's set during the Cold War - but the paranoia that Fischer is a martyr to has more to do with his inner demons; as the epilogue explains, his mental health deteriorated after the match. That's set up really well here, as he searches for bugs, spouts conspiracy theories, and refuses to play with cameras trained on him, as he says he can hear them. As they tell it, it's really Bill Lombardy's intervention that keeps him on an even keel. Mind you, it's also made clear to us that he was a chess genius - Lombardy remarks to him, after Match 6, that his playing is "inspired". And it's fun to watch the general public suddenly become chess fanatics..

And I'm afraid that's as far as I can recommend it. It's not one to watch, I think, unless you're interested in chess, and if you are, the detail given isn't sufficient. But Tobey Maguire does a great job of acting crazy, and both Liev Schreiber and Peter Sarsgaard are rather easy on the eye.

Tomorrow's film is Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. Available on Amazon Prime, this is an Indian comedy about a young man who decides to go into sales - but soon finds it might not be exactly what fulfills him.

Film: Milk

Today, back to film again for me.. it was about time I watched Milk, which was now coming up on my list. Stars Sean Penn in the true story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. Josh Brolin is a rival city official, Diego Luna is Milk's volatile boyfriend, James Franco his longterm ex-lover and enduring friend. Available on Amazon Prime.

It begins by educating us about how hard things were for homosexuals in the 70s - plenty of footage of police raiding gay bars. And indeed, we're left in no doubt that Milk is in danger himself - one of the early scenes has him recording a message to be listened to in the event of his assassination. As the film progresses, we get more snippets of the message - and it's no real surprise that he is, indeed, murdered towards the end. It's not even a surprise who does it - I suspected him from almost the first time I saw him.

It's really moving, actually. You feel for the gay rights protesters - I was surprised to hear how illiberal San Francisco was in those days. So different from the laid-back vibe we expect from there - but then, Milk, it seems, did a lot to bring gay culture into the open. A brave man - one scene, however, has him actually breaking into a run to get back home, when he thinks someone is following him. Not a crazy idea - a lot of gay men were murdered, and the cops were in no great rush to charge anyone with it.

It's very, very watchable - and the end, with the understated killing and his friends' emotional response, is devastating, as we've gotten to know them all so well by then. Highly recommended. Wow, another great suggestion from my list!

For tomorrow, a complete change of tone - with Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. Also available on Amazon Prime, this is an Indian comedy about a young man who decides to go into sales - but soon finds it might not be exactly what fulfills him.

Concert: Celine Byrne

Well, it was a happy coincidence that my mother got tired tonight of watching the endless misery-tv that now occupies the current affairs programmes. After an interview with an elderly celebrity terrified of catching Covid, another with a priest who's ministered to the dying.. she'd had enough. So I had the idea of looking online for the Wexford Opera Festival, which I'd heard was going online this year. Turns out it doesn't start till the 20th - but lo, they had a one-hour introductory concert tonight! A solo concert by soprano Celine Byrne, accompanied by a solo pianist.

Ah, but it's lovely to hear opera again! It's free - I invite all to listen in. A mixture of popular songs and popular arias - predictably, my favourite of the arias is Mi Chiamano Mimi, from La Boheme, my favourite opera. Also gorgeous to hear familiar tunes, given an operatic treatment. Fast-forward to 12 minutes in, though - they take that long to tune the piano! And stay on at the end for a Broadway musical encore.. What excellent timing that concert was, for me.

On Saturday, back to film again for me.. it's about time I watched Milk, which is now coming up on my list. Stars Sean Penn in the true story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. Available on Amazon Prime.

Talk: Pathology, Plague, & Pestilence in Old London Town

Today, London Social Detours was finally meeting in the afternoon again! So this time, it was a virtual tour of pathology, plague, & pestilence in old London Town - v topical.

Well, one might think so. What it actually was, was a talk with slides and short films, replicating a guided walk. We started with a couple of guildhalls, leading us on to hospitals and their attendant horrors. The connection wasn't clearly stated - the point of the guildhalls mentioned was that they were associated with the trades that eventually gave rise to the medical professions. Anyway, beautiful buildings! And our guide did her best to show us photos that indicated what we might have seen on a walk that covered this material.

Unfortunately, I already knew most of this, so I tended to drift off - actually fell asleep towards the end. Well, her presentation was about two hours long! As someone pointed out in the chat at the end, we covered more today than we would have in a guided walk. She saw this as a virtue. I saw it as too damn long - so I didn't join in the gushing admiration uttered in the chat. Jeez, it baffles me - these people obviously can't have experienced anything better. Now, I appreciate the effort she put in - but as I say, it was way too long; she could easily have found a break point and said, "you know, I think I'll break this into two parts". As it was, she gave us far too much information to process. Of course, part of why it took so long was her constant fiddling when she had to switch between photos and video clips, and we all metaphorically drummed our fingers while she thumped away at the keyboard and tried to figure out what she was doing.

There were several videos - the most interesting of which, for me, was the (silent) virtual tour of the Museum of the Order of St. John. I've never been inside, and it's a beautiful building. She narrated over it, so it all worked fine. As I say, I didn't take much from the rest - but felt massively nostalgic at the photo of the Museum of London, just up from my office..

Afterwards, enough people stayed on to have a chat - the lady from Florida who comes to London every winter is looking forward to her trip, in two weeks or so: just worried about the logistics of the trip, and particularly the use of the toilets on the plane. Mind you, as there are only 26 people on her flight (she checked), I think she should be ok!

On Saturday, back to film again for me.. it's about time I watched Milk, which is now coming up on my list. Stars Sean Penn in the true story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. Available on Amazon Prime.

Film: Children of the Beehive

Film-wise, for today I had Children of the Beehive, as it'd come up in ratings since last I checked. Set in post-war Japan, it's the story of a band of orphans, searching for somewhere decent to call home. Sands Films again.

The actual stream starts about 8 minutes in, the film about 17 minutes in, after an introduction. As we're warned, the quality isn't great - it's a bit jumpy, and there are sound issues (as well as some imperfect translation). But perfectly watchable. There's virtually no plot - which I believe is typical of this director. Basically, a de-mobbed soldier takes the boys under his wing, as they wander the country in search of work. It's rather sweet -reminiscent of Boys' Town. You also get some interesting snippets of what the country was like, then. Very, very slow, mind - but stick with it for a satisfying ending, where what plot threads have been introduced are resolved. Also available on YouTube.

And tomorrow, London Social Detours is meeting in the afternoon again! So this time, it's a virtual tour of pathology, plague, & pestilence in old London Town - v topical.

Film: Freestyle - The Art of Rhyme

Tomorrow, with London Social Detours (LSD) meeting in the evening again, I'm back to film - next along was Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme - a rap documentary. Amazon Prime again.

But lo, there was nothing on telly to send me to bed last night - so I watched it then. Well, kind of.. I was getting tired, and frankly, the film did nothing to stave that off. Happily, it was just over an hour long - although buffering meant it was twice as long. Now, I like rap - I enjoyed the snippets that are heard throughout the film. I just have little interest in its origins, I discovered! Although the suggestion that one origin was from religious preachers with a sense of stagecraft is interesting! Apparently the film is award-winning - didn't make much impression on me, but perhaps if I were more invested in it.

So now, for tomorrow I have Children of the Beehive, as it's come up in ratings since last I checked. Set in post-war Japan, it's the story of a band of orphans, searching for somewhere decent to call home. Sands Films again.

And on Sunday, LSD is meeting earlier again! So this time, it's a virtual tour of pathology, plague, & pestilence in old London Town - v topical.

Talk on the Shelleys & Film: Jallikattu

The film I was due to watch yesterday - but didn't get around to because of the other films I had to watch - was Jallikattu, in which an Indian village goes berserk after a buffalo gets loose. Hey-ho! On Amazon Prime, this one.

Of course, I didn't get around to it before my Meetup with London Social Detours (LSD), for a talk about Percy Shelley and his wife, Mary.. I managed to be the first on, and we had a nice chat about bad weather while we waited for everyone to join. The talk was interesting, I must say - he'd led an extraordinary life, and our host included a YouTube compilation from some film or other, highlighting his and Mary's relationship. Our host also decided that a recitation of a couple of his poems would be in order, before showing us another video - this time of Mick Jagger reciting Shelley's poetry, back in 1969. She found it amusing. I found her reaction amusing, considering that he did a much better job than she did.. Apart from the mispronunciation of all the foreign or unfamiliar words, someone should really tell her that it's simply incorrect to break at the end of every line, in the absence of punctuation..

The chat afterwards ran on for so long that it grew dark around me, and I had to turn on the light, then change my angle so it wasn't behind me. Lots about Covid - and all the Brits and Americans on the call (so, everyone but me) was dead jealous of Ireland's response, with our severity level system. The lady from Florida who comes to London every winter is still coming.. despite others' warnings about the increased Covid rate in Europe, she enlightened us to the fact that in Florida, it has become illegal to enforce any security measures at all! So, you know, she's safer over this way..

Well, my nightly bout of tv followed, but there was another lull in the schedule, so I finally caught up with Jallikattu tonight. My word, but I've never seen anything quite like this - apart from my brief description above, there really isn't any plot to speak of. The villagers are just waiting for something to set them off, breaking the veneer of civilisation that they've built up. And pretty much the entire film is manic, from beginning to end - brief moments of humour provide a slight distraction. Watch for the final sequence, when the message is made clear - the villagers and the buffalo have more in common than they'd care to admit. I'll say this for the film, it's a real antidote to whatever else might be bothering you..

And so, back to work, I guess. On Saturday, with LSD meeting in the evening again, I'm back to film - next along is Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme - a rap documentary. Amazon Prime again.

And next Sunday, LSD is meeting earlier again! So this time, it's a virtual tour of pathology, plague, & pestilence in old London Town - v topical.

Film: Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Now, I was due a couple more films in the last couple of days - and I fully intend to catch up on them. Next up in the list was Phantom of the Opera, from 1925, with Lon Chaney - available, again, on the Internet Archive. Sounded like a properly scary version..

So, tonight - not feeling too tired yet, and with yet another lull in tv programmes - I started it off. Slightly scratchy version, but perfectly watchable. I don't watch that many silent films, and it's interesting to see the differences (apart from the obvious) - facial expressions are exaggerated, and in Christine's case in particular, so are gestures! The poor woman spends much of the film contorted into extreme positions, intended to convey horror. The lack of speaking roles does allow for a fantastic, sweeping classical score, though.

The look of these scenes is also crucial - lighting, in particular. So, the Phantom's dungeon is suitably gloomy, whereas Christine's first appearance on stage shows her in a blaze of light. The Phantom's mask is interesting - quite cute, really.. and yes, when she finally removes it, Lon Chaney is suitably horrific underneath. The "man of a thousand faces", indeed.

Overall, there's little chance of a modern audience finding it scary - mainly, what I took from it was, as I say, the terrific score. And some memorable images - Lon Chaney's face will probably stay with me, and the masked ball is beautifully done. There are touches of comedy, brilliantly expressed by gesture and expression. Worth preserving, certainly, and worth seeing if you're a fan of any version of the Phantom story.

And after that, there's Jallikattu, in which an Indian village appears to go berserk after a buffalo gets loose. Hey-ho! On Amazon Prime, this one.

Dunno whether I'll get it watched before tomorrow, when I'm back with London Social Detours, for a talk about Percy Shelley and his wife, Mary..

Film: La Chienne

I was to watch film on Thursday - and decided to try La Chienne. This time, it's on the Sands Films playlist.

Of course, as usual I found lots else to do.. so it was actually today till I got around to it! But with an afternoon lull in decent programming, I bit the bullet. Took far longer than it should have, what with buffering, but anyway. I see this time they learned their lesson, and don't have ten dead minutes at the beginning - just an intro that lasts about as long.

The film is definitely interesting. Made in 1931, apparently it was the first "talkie" from this director. And while it tells a tale as old as time, it makes clear at the start that it's not meant as a morality tale - just an observation of life, if you will. So, the plot centres around a bourgeois man, living a humdrum life in Paris. He has a boring job as a cashier, is severely henpecked by his shrewish wife - his only passion, as he proclaims in one scene, is painting! Well, if he was hoping for a change, he certainly gets one when he gets involved with a pretty young prostitute..

I've gotta say, it's a lot more interesting to watch than most films I've seen from the era. The characters are drawn with depth, the story is non-typical.. with a couple of twists, you really can't predict where this is headed. No clichés here. Curiously, the pimp really reminded me of someone I used to work with - perhaps they're related! Anyway, well worth a watch to while away an afternoon.

Now, I was due a couple more films in the intervening days - and I fully intend to catch up on them. Just maybe not right now.. Next up in the list is Phantom of the Opera, from 1925, with Lon Chaney - available, again, on the Internet Archive. Sounds like a properly scary version..

And after that, there's Jallikattu, in which an Indian village appears to go berserk after a buffalo gets loose. Hey-ho! On Amazon Prime, this one.

Wonder whether I'll get them watched before tomorrow, when I'm back with London Social Detours, for a talk about Percy Shelley and his wife, Mary..