Film: Spirited

Back in Ireland for the weekend again - flying Aer Lingus for a change! My passport was up for renewal, as I say - I don't technically need one to travel between Ireland and the UK, but Ryanair demands it. Aer Lingus doesn't..

Well, the journey to Heathrow is quick and easy. Unfortunately, it's an absolute marathon from Heathrow Central Train Station to Terminal 2 - I'd probably have been quicker by Tube! Terminal 2 itself is nice and compact - it is interesting to note the differences in security protocols among the various airports, though. Stansted requires you, as always, to put your liquids in a sealable, clear plastic bag separate to your luggage. Shannon doesn't require any special treatment for your liquids. Heathrow kind of has a compromise, in that it requires the sealable, clear plastic bags, but then allows you to put them back in your luggage. Which is just weird, if you ask me..

Having survived the airport experience, the rest was pleasantly luxurious though, compared to what I'm used to. Aer Lingus charges extra for taking bags on board, where Ryanair charges you to check them. So this time, I checked mine - and how lovely it was not to have to fly with it! And of course, they use the airbridge, which is lovely in bad weather. I did notice that they check boarding passes more often than Ryanair. Seats are nice, comfy leather - and the flight wasn't completely full, like I'm used to, so I could spread out onto the seat beside me. Oddly though, I found it harder to nap on Aer Lingus than on Ryanair - something about the headrest, I think. Anyway, I was flummoxed by the path from the airbridge in Shannon to customs - I don't normally take that route any more, and it is so much longer than the walk from a Ryanair plane. Ah well.. Flying is never perfect, eh!

Anyway, film for the weekend was - Spirited, in which Will Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present to Ryan Reynolds' Scrooge, in a musical update to A Christmas Carol. Octavia Spencer plays Ryan's hapless assistant, and there's even a cameo from Dame Judi Dench. Well, it looked like fun - Ryan Reynolds is always very watchable - and frankly, it was the best thing on in the afternoon that I hadn't seen. Ennis would do - I prayed there wasn't a match!

I don't think there was - there were a few spaces in Aldi, so I parked there, and on my walk to the cinema, was glad I had; there didn't seem to be any more spaces on my route. Arrived slightly late, but happily just in time for that scene from the trailer in which the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is pointing ominously at someone. He certainly looks the part, as the victim is helplessly sucked into her own grave - and then he completely spoils the scariness of the scene by reassuring us that she isn't actually dead. This is just the first of many PC touches I was to notice in this film.

Oh, but don't get me wrong - I loved it! So - Ryan Reynolds is the most annoying "perp" these spirits could ever imagine. He's just not cooperating - he heads his own media company, he's got every angle, and he's not going just to do as he's told. He looks behind the doors he shouldn't, goes left when he should go right.. gets far too friendly with the spirits who haunt him.. Will Ferrell is encouraged to retire, at which point he'd be reborn - but he just can't get over the buzz of redeeming souls (they do one every Christmas). And then he meets Octavia Spencer..

Honestly, I didn't think much of Will Ferrell in this. But that's ok, because Ryan Reynolds is definitely the star! and he - is - hilarious. I mean, I thought the same in Deadpool - but here, you can see his facial expressions too (he had a mask on in that). He's got a mischievous streak that he uses here to devastating effect. Really, it's worth watching just for him.

But not just for him - the soundtrack is terrific. I fully expect to see some of this at the Oscars - the original songs are clever, they're entertaining.. and the whole thing is ridiculously uplifting. Including the stereotypical Dickensian London bit! Aw man, this is well worth a look! And to think, it's only by chance I saw it..

On Monday - yep, the London Chess Community again looked like the best option. Hmm. But just lately - hallelujah! I was saved by London Social & Cultural Meetups, who have scheduled a talk on The 70th Anniversary of the Great London Smog. (Although oddly, we're meeting outside - perhaps the venue is hard to find?) Anyway, I'm delighted - this is that friendly group I joined a while ago for Evensong at St. Bartholomew the Great, and I'm glad to be seeing them again.

On Tuesday, well, Free Stuff and Free Events are holding another online singalong. Again, I cancelled my attendance at the last of these I booked for, so was reluctant to rush off and book again.. Or the Garden Talks have one on How Did Language Begin? Unfortunately, my free trial has long since expired, and they won't let me take out another. Well, I might have paid - but I'd be paying for a month's worth, so I figured I might as well wait until closer to the date, and get the value.. And yay, then Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) jumped to the rescue again, with a comedy called Dinner with Groucho, at the Arcola. The setting is a dinner, somewhere in heaven, with Groucho Marks and T. S. Eliot the guests.

On Wednesday, I'm back with UITCS for Baghdaddy at the Royal Court. About a little girl, realising she's half Iraqi, just as the Gulf War is raging. I see CT now has tickets for this.. unusually for this venue!

On Thursday, I've signed up for another Watkin's Bookshop talk! This is Colin Stanley on Colin Wilson's Introducing the Occult. Well, the last talk I was at here was interesting, so..

On Friday, I'm heading to Lightopia, at Crystal Palace Park. As suggested by Over 40 Living the Life, who are not actually hosting a trip themselves, but just wanted to advertise it. 15% discount if you subscribe to Lightopia's mailing list, 20% discount for purchases of 10 or more tickets. And durnit if Groupon hasn't just advertised cheap tickets..

Next Saturday - well hallelujah, Bucket List London has finally scheduled something I want to go to, at a time I can make! He's off to see the Wallace Collection that morning - and so am I. 

That evening - I've bravely scheduled another meeting of Those who Do Not Come. It's my last weekend in London before Christmas, you see. Well, so far Ivan and my first boss in London are actually coming! while the one person who came the last two times probably not, for once. We shall see - I've booked The Lucas Arms - O' Neill's isn't taking bookings for that day. Deposit payable, refundable with cancellation up to 72 hours beforehand.

And on the 11th, I was vaguely thinking of heading to see Carnaby Street's Christmas lights.. and then CT advertised tickets for Love Factually - a kind of rewriting of one of the relationships in that classic Christmas romcom, Love Actually. Sadly, all their tickets were gone - but I got a full-price ticket from the venue. It sounds good. Showing at 2Northdown.