Series: The Purge (Season 2, Episodes 9 & 10)

At last, tonight, I got back to Season 2 of The Purge, on Amazon Prime. Episode 9 was next up.. and what a riot of action, as the programme whips from one story to another, each at a critical moment. For the duration. I was seriously stressed by the end of it, as - as usual - we don't know who will survive, or even entirely what is going on, just yet.

And so - nervously - into Episode 10, which opens with a scene of them testing the security of the NFFA broadcast room, just prior to the very first Purge. Unfortunately - as with so many tech demos - it doesn't work, and the guy demonstrating is reduced to nervously video-calling the guy who installed the system. Who looks strangely familiar - it's Ethan Hawke! who starred in the first two films of the series. Fancy. You see, there is a logical timeline to the Purge - check it out on their Wikipedia page, linked to above (contains spoilers - don't read if you haven't finished the tv series). Anyway, nice throwback.

And then we're into our familiar characters' stories again, which start to make more sense, and start to join together. By the time we're substantially into the episode, it's apparent that this is the last in the series. :-( Aw nuts, two episodes fewer than the first season!

Anyway, not everyone survives - which is good, I hate an ending that's too happy. But the stories are nicely concluded, and we finish with the start of an anti-Purge movement - this links nicely into the timeline, coming just before the major anti-Purge swing in The Purge: Election Year. Man though, I'm really gonna miss having this to watch - especially when Season 2 has fewer episodes than I expected. Ah well.

Hey, in better news - my car is fixed! Whee, serviced n all, and sitting outside. So the plan for tomorrow is to go get it washed - as my taxi driver friend remarked, it's so green it looks like Kermit's car. Now, there's an excellent handwash car service - cheap too - on the way in to Ennis. So you know what I'm thinking.. if I get done in time, Don't Breathe 2 has a matinée showing at the Arc Cinema in Ennis.. I wasn't so impressed with the original, but what the hey, I'll give it a go. Again, with hardly any seats booked as of now, I think I can afford to head in without booking. Of course, parking isn't free on Saturdays, nuts - just have to grin and bear it. (And I'll be tempting fate, because I was at a film in the same cinema, the day my car broke down. Ah well..)

Series: The Purge (Season 2, Episode 8)

Now, one point today saw programmes that I'd be happy to watch, showing on three different tv channels. I know this, because they were all repeats of episodes I'd seen before! Seriously, there are so many repeats it's ridiculous. So I squeezed in another episode of Season 2 of The Purge, on Amazon Prime.

Each episode in the series starts with a kind of general observation on the Purge, unrelated to any of the specific characters. This one has the world's weirdest teenage dress-up party, with the girls donning crazy, sexy outfits - and masks, of course. When the dad of the girl whose room it is makes the mistake of knocking on the door and opening it, he's faced with her swinging a silver morning star and threatening him that he'd better get out NOW! which he hastily does. Ah, teenagers, eh?

Why are they trying on outfits? Well, welcome to the next Purge Night! The season takes us through a whole year, Episode 8 starting on the next Purge, a year after the one in Episode 1. And how things have changed, for all our characters. Not all are still alive - of those who are, a couple finally know who tried to purge them last year, a few others have had their entire world-view changed.. and one has gone postal, ultra-violent. And as we hunker down for another night of threat and menace, it turns into a mini-horror film. The suspense is dreadful - and by the end of the episode, we're still only a few minutes into the Purge. And because we've spent the whole season with these characters, acting out fairly normal plots (apart from the intense plot twists), being dropped back into the mayhem is all the more frightening. And we care about them from the start, as they barricade their windows and arm themselves..

Awesome series, and I'm still dying for the next episode.

Still waiting for my car to be returned - it's to be serviced as well before he gives it back, and as soon as I get the ok that nothing remains wrong with it, I can book a car test. And then, all sorts of things become possible..

Series: The Purge (Season 2, Episode 7)

This weekend, tv kept me well-occupied with the Olympics. Ireland had its largest team ever, and for once, it was terrific that we had someone in action every day! First time that's happened, and our first time in a number of disciplines. And well done, all! Anyway, no time for Season 2 of The Purge, on Amazon Prime. But I sneaked in an episode today, finally. ;-)

In the time-honoured tradition of including something political at the start of each episode, Episode 7 starts with a mask company - that produces masks for the Purge - basing a new design on that of a real-life serial killer. Ooh, tasteful.. as the episode progresses, the different stories start to coalesce, and at least one thread gets resolved. Not that that's the end of the story! As usual, these are terrific storytellers, and the plots are truly unexpected.

Looking forward to continuing the stories..

As to what is happening next - the car can be fixed with an alternate cable, as he finally told me when I asked. It'll be drivable, but the gearstick will feel a bit looser. The proper cable needs to come from the UK - and because of the ever-troublesome Brexit, will take weeks to arrive! So, he asked, do I want the alternative cable? Duh, YES! And why he had to wait for me to message him in order to tell me that.. So, watch this space, everything is up in the air.

Series: The Purge (Season 2, Episode 6)

I sneakily squeezed in another episode of Season 2 of The Purge, on Amazon Prime. Episode 6 begins with a scene that introduces another cute Purge idea.. the new symbol of social status is this website where you can track how many people want to purge you! (i.e. kill you on Purge Night). So, we have one radical spokesperson, who attracts a lot of opposition, and is only thrilled to have over a million hits! Oh well, each to their own..

Later in the episode, there are plenty of "ooh" moments, as the stories take unusual twists. Terrific storytelling, as usual - and one chase scene that's straight out of a thriller, someone trying to evade capture on a street full of pursuers. Yep, a real must-see, this..

And with the car still at the garage, and no news, and Cultureseekers having moved their quizzes midweek in favour of in-person Meetups at the weekend - this will be my main diversion, for now!

Series: The Purge (Season 2, Episodes 4 & 5)

I've squeezed in a couple more episodes of Season 2 of The Purge, on Amazon Prime. The angles that the series takes continue.. Episode 4 starts with a viciously hard-hitting "remembrance day", taking place three months after Purge Night, where families who have lost loved ones are presented with a finely crafted souvenir box, containing a framed photo, and an urn of ashes, among other things, and are thanked for their "sacrifice".

Meantime, our characters' stories continue, with ever-more intriguing twists and turns (as seen in Season 1). Honestly, I keep changing my mind about which story is most interesting to follow. A couple of them, however, examine the NFFA claim that Purge Night leads to a decrease in violence for the rest of the year.. expect more intriguing developments on this theme, I think. And ooh, I'm dying to see how they turn out, unconstrained as they are from having to take place over one night, now!

Trip to Dublin & Series: The Purge (Season 2, Episodes 1 - 3)

Now, our office got a bit antsy at the fact that so few of us had scheduled holidays. They had visions of us all demanding them at the same time, and leaving the office bereft. So they urged us to schedule them asap. Which I did - taking what I need for Christmas, I calculated I had four days per month. So what I've mainly done is to take four days from the last week of every month - making sure to include Mondays, with their atrocious early-morning meetings! So - this week was the first! I had four days off, woo-hoo.. and boy, was I looking forward to it. 

On Tuesday, I headed up to Dublin - leaving it till then because of that morning's Tesco delivery. I have a friend up there, you see, whom I'd promised to go for a meal with, her and her fiancé, before I went back to London. And I thought this would be an excellent opportunity! It wasn't until after I booked it that the government announced the resumption of indoor dining for the fully vaccinated, this very week! Well now, if that wasn't a sign.. With the car still banjaxed, and no word of when I could expect it to be fixed, I asked my cabbie friend to take me to the station. Which he did, arriving promptly - well, he doesn't have much business these days! Good to see him again, and we we had a great chat about films en-route.

I was to be glad I hadn't taken the car - the station now has a resident group of travellers, and I wouldn't have been happy, leaving it there overnight. As he let me off, he pointed out to me that I needed to have booked online (which I had) - the ticket machine at this station is for collection only, not purchase. At that, I had to input my reference number three times before it'd work - it was a relief when it did. But I'd left plenty of time, and still had time to wait. On board the train, I noticed that the windows had to be left open - not that everyone was following that rule. Just as well the weather was warm!

I have to give credit to the WiFi - on all the trains I used, it was much better than I remembered. However, alighting at Limerick Station, I had none at all while I waited for my connection, which was a while away - in the meantime, I perused the poster on display, with lots of interesting facts about Limerick:

I eventually discovered that sitting at the far end, I could get WiFi from the adjacent bus station - which was when I got reconnected, and was able to communicate my progress to my friend, who'd been checking. I had no idea what was wrong with my mobile internet, which wasn't working at all. Anyway, in due course I boarded the train to Limerick Junction, and then onto the InterCity to Dublin - no reservations, they just advise people to sit apart from people not in their groups. And I'd forgotten how nice these trains are! Actually, I think they've improved since I last travelled on them - happily, these windows don't open, so I wasn't forced to endure a breeze.

Staying in the Clayton, as usual - too far to walk from Heuston Station, and anyway I was meeting people and wanted to get there in reasonable time. I couldn't get a direct bus, so took the Luas tram - with my only other trip on public transport being the return journey, the balance remaining on my Leap card from last time I was here did me entirely for this trip! And you'd better make sure to have paid, with the small army of ticket inspectors that boarded with me. Unfortunately, with a choice of two destinations into town, I chose the wrong one - it is really annoying how few Luas stops have route maps. Anyway, they both go the same way - it's just that one stops earlier than I needed. So I ended up walking two stops further than I needed to - which would have been all right, except for the lashing rain that coincided with my trip, which make the smooth pavements too slippery for comfort. I was relieved to get to the hotel, at last.

I'd tried to check in online, but had assumed that I'd have to wait until that day to do it - when I tried though, I discovered that I should have done it prior to my arrival date. It wasn't made clear. Anyway, there was no problem checking in on the spot - she made sure to tell me what was different, giving me a list of Covid rules about wearing a mask in public areas, and prebooking breakfast and dinner - neither of which I was having there anyway. She also explained that my room wouldn't be serviced for the duration of my stay, unless I requested it - and if I did, I'd have to move my stuff out of the way, as they'd start by spritzing the room with disinfectant. If I wanted anything, however, I could request it and pick it up from reception - and room service, available 24-7, was bookable online and could also be picked up from reception. I also noted the advice by the lifts, to avoid travelling in the lift with people not in the same party. Which is handier, generally!

The cheapest room available when I booked was the Executive King, ooh-la-la! (which includes complementary chocolates). A box of five chocolates, it was. And the bed was king size. Otherwise, no better than a regular room. And the decor leaves something to be desired, with peeling paint on the window frame, and a bubbly finish on the varnish of the work table!

Having said that, I still like this hotel - the staff are unfailingly friendly, cleanliness is impeccable, and I slept like a log in that big bed - happy to spread out, which was cooler in the overheated room. Gorgeous pillow, too - and another happy side-effect of Covid, they've done away with unnecessary and fiddly throw cushions. I freshened up and let my friend know I'd arrived. Another quibble with the bathroom though - when I stay in a hotel, I'm used to having a magnifying mirror in the bathroom, attached to the wall by an extendable arm. I find it very handy. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have heard of them, here.

We'd booked Cafe Milano for that evening - we had a bit of a worry, with the government saying that Covid certs, proving full vaccination, would be required, and them not yet having received theirs. But it was finally confirmed that, in that case, HSE cards, received at vaccination centres, and including details of both vaccines, would be accepted, with photo ID. Anyway, they conscientiously phoned me as I was waiting for my companions, just to confirm the booking - he asked whether we had our certs, and I explained to him that two of us had HSE cards. Which he said would probably do.

The rain was clearing as we embarked on the short walk to the restaurant. My word though, it was worse than an airport, having to show ID and proof of vaccination. It was kind of easier for my companions, who had two physical items to show - I had to present my phone, get the code scanned, then dig for ID! When that was all done, I was asked to scan the QR code at the door, and enter my contact details. I never did get it to work, and gave up, anxious to get to my meal.

Lo and behold, another QR code at the table, which the waiter explained to us was instead of a printed menu, although they had those if we preferred. Unfortunately, I was the only one at the table who seemed to know what to do with it - and when I did get it working, I had to read the menu to the others. Now, we'd discussed getting a bottle of wine, so I started at that section - however, it only seemed to list small glasses! With this proving so difficult, my friend's fiancé suggested that we ask for printed menus - this was much easier. We could all decide simultaneously, and the wine was offered in a variety of measures - including full bottles. Yeah, dunno whether the QR menus are going to prove a hit.

I had garlic bread to start - seems to come with cheese by default now, and it was delicious! So long since I had it. They shared chicken wings to start - and offered me one, but I had plenty of garlic bread, and knew I didn't dare take more food! As for mains - I was a bit disappointed by the selection, which I'd thought would be wider - never mind, my friend and I had chicken pesto (with penne pasta), and her fiancé tried the new "BBQ Burnt Ends" pizza, in the Romano (thin) section. And everything was lovely (including the pizza, which I was persuaded into trying a slice of). By 'eck though, we stuffed ourselves - to the extent that I literally couldn't finish my dessert of chocolate fudge cake. I did manage the scoop of ice cream with it, though - should probably have gone for ice cream on its own. My friend had cheesecake. And we had a lovely time, and a good old chat - he was worried about there being a time limit, but I was able to reassure him that they've finally scrapped that. Hallelujah, some normality at last! They insisted on paying - well, I hate to argue. And so we had an early night.

On Wednesday, the plan was to shop - I needed clothes. My friend's fiancé had other plans, so it was just the two of us - and first, I suggested lunch (brunch for me, as I don't pay for hotel breakfasts separately). So I suggested Flanagan's, and we set off on foot - the rain had cleared, and it was sunny, if breezy.  We had a lovely walk along the quays:

(That's the famine memorial, where you can pay to have your name included on a plaque.) Anyway, braving quite strong winds that kept blowing things into our eyes, we made our way there - and were delighted to find that, not only did they have space for us, they don't even take reservations! And mercifully, they couldn't be bothered with QR menus - they had great fun trying to scan the code on my cert, though. Sensibly, they tended to all the ID business when we were seated at the table, and I wrote my contact details on the sheet provided.

I had soup to start, she had garlic bread - and it was so long since either of us had had these! My, they tasted good. For mains, I had a half roast chicken - just because it was so long since I'd had a relatively plain chicken dish - and she had a burger. Again, we were sated. Conscious that it was now late in the day, and had a booking that evening for The Good World Chinese Restaurant, I suggested we skip dessert. But it was all good, and we'd both be happy to return!

Our shopping trip was fruitful but exhausting - and when the blasted rain started again, we decided to make for the restaurant, despite being a bit early. With my damned phone still refusing to connect to the internet, I had to depend on her directions - but she got us there just fine. (When I checked later, it turned out that mobile data was switched off on my phone, for some reason.) And we were seated immediately - this time, she took my contact details herself. And let us sit before checking our ID. In all cases, only my contact details were requested - was that rule changed? There was to be a rule that you had to take everyone's details - which led to a lot of opposition from businesses. Perhaps they reversed it.

Anyway, neither of us was one bit hungry at this point. So I suggested we skip starters, and I ordered a Kung Po chicken - she had a chicken curry, and we both ordered fried rice, which came in a big bowl. And we had a bottle of wine - I suggested one of the "light and fruity", with us being so full. Sadly, neither meal got finished - she ate about half the curry, I couldn't even manage half of mine. The chicken was a bit chewy, and I really couldn't handle it - ate the cashew nuts, appreciated the lovely sauce, had some of the rice, and that was that. They were most understanding. We shared a mint trufito for dessert - that got eaten, all right!

She was kind enough to pay for a taxi back to the hotel, and we parted ways - she was busy next day, and couldn't meet me. Another early night for me, woke in plenty of time to check out next morning. Which I did, online. On the way back to Heuston, I passed Epic, the emigration museum - and it occurred to me that I could have spent some time there if I'd thought of it, nuts. At Heuston, I had time to kill, so I explored. And found some confusing signs:

(So.. where is one supposed to drink one's pint?) They also have plenty of material explaining the station name's origin, with a member of the Easter Rising:

Mainly, I sat near Insomnia Cafe, which had unlocked WiFi, and read my long-neglected book on Kindle. (It was hard enough to get seating, what with all the seats blocked off for Covid!) I thought I'd better get something to eat - but didn't fancy much, with all I'd eaten for the past two days. So I availed of the station's branch of Supermac's! Here, if you want to eat in, there's no problem - they have a large seating area at the back, and when they take your order, they give you a number for the table, and bring the order to you. And while I was there, sat directly in front of a large tv, I caught a replay of Ireland's gold-winning Olympic rowing race! Stirring stuff. As for my dinner - I had the cheeseburger meal. Which was fine - except the sauce was wrong! It was plain ketchup. :-( Ah well, it was decent.

And so I ultimately did my train journey in reverse. When I got to Limerick Junction, I got a nasty shock - when I last travelled through here, the InterCity trains in both directions stopped at the same platform, just across from the platform from the trains to/from Limerick. Now, however, the southbound InterCity trains - such as I was on - stop at another platform entirely.. and you have to cross one of those blasted high train bridges to get where you want to go. I nearly had a coronary, with all that unanticipated exercise. Came down panting so hard that a girl walking in front of me thought she was being stalked.. Anyway, we were 10 minutes late, but the connecting train had waited for us (what else was it going to do?!), and we got to Limerick five minutes late for the next train, but that had waited for us too. I messaged my cabbie friend that we were running five minutes late - and lo, he pulled up just as I left the platform!

Turned out that work meeting I was avoiding was cancelled anyway. And that manager that I predicted would forget I was on leave? Yep, he did! Ah, the joys of not being there. As for the car - I explained the situation to the cabbie, who kindly volunteered to push it into position so it was facing the gate. Which was good timing, because the mechanic finally came for it last night. Watch this space..

In the meantime, I've squeezed in a few episodes of Season 2 of The Purge, on Amazon Prime. This takes a different tack from Season 1, which was almost all action - Season 2 is more philosophical. Episode 1 shows us the purge from different points of view - we see an entertaining audition by the woman who provides the warning voice for the start of the purge: we follow a couple of college boys on a scavenger hunt on purge night, which doesn't turn out at all as planned: we see a bank robbery, by a gang who need the money for various good reasons: we see a couple under siege in their own home: and we enter the NFFA offices, focusing on a woman whose job it is to watch surveillance videos and make sure nobody's breaking the rules. While she's watching, though, she sees someone she knows, who's in trouble..

The rest of the series takes place in the days after the purge, examining its aftermath. One of those mild-mannered college boys develops a bloodlust after his purge night experiences, the bank robbers plan another heist, the man who was targeted in his home discovers there's a bounty on his head - the question is, who's funding it? and the woman who saw someone she knew on screen on purge night seeks to find the reason behind what happened to her: and in doing so, seems to bring several stories together. Like I say, there's always a new angle to The Purge.. still enjoying it!

Cultureseekers actually didn't have a quiz today - it's on Tuesday instead, which I can't make. Today, they seemed to be doing a guided walk instead. Which I couldn't make either. Ah well.. 

Series: The Purge (Season 1, Episode 10)

I still have more of The Purge to see on Amazon.. and when there was a gap in programming, that's just what I did. This one turned out, finally, to be the last episode of the season! In which things come to an end, pretty much. Some things are resolved satisfactorily, some less so - but I have to say, what a season! Twists and turns, terrific writing, suspense.. Roll on Season 2, also available..

Tonight, there is something interesting on tv - would you believe, I've never seen Mary, Queen of Scots! The title role is taken by Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth I is played by Margot Robbie. It's slated for its historical inaccuracies - it seems they claim that Mary was trying to depose Elizabeth, which I've never heard, although enough plots were raised in her name (Mary was Elizabeth's closest relative and heir, a Catholic, and the focus of many Catholic plots against the Protestant Elizabeth).

Not to mention that, in real life, Mary probably didn't have the pronounced Scottish accent she adopts here; having taken the throne as a baby, she was raised in France from the age of 5, for her own safety - Scottish nobles were notorious through history for killing royals so they could take the throne themselves - and stayed there until she was 18 (France would have been a natural choice, as her mother was French). So I'm guessing she had a touch of French about her, although I guess that would have made the story a tad more complicated. Finally, she definitely never met Elizabeth, despite begging her for years for an audience. A review I've just read describes their meeting as a spellbinding encounter, though. Ah hell, I couldn't miss it, now could I?!

Series: The Purge (Season 1, Episode 9)

I still have more of The Purge to see on Amazon.. and I was dying to see the outcome of the latest twist! Which I did, yesterday - I ended up being a bit busy to blog though, and was tired last night.

Well, well, well. The twist makes sense - and leads to another surprising development, when one of the major characters gets axed. And by the end, we have yet another desperate situation to be resolved, amid seemingly impossible odds. But you know - the entire story makes sense, it's very cleverly written, and I have never seen so many twists and turns and shocking conclusions. Definitely keeping me hooked! And there's at least one more episode in this season - and, I suspect, more than that..

Tonight, there is something interesting on tv - would you believe, I've never seen Mary, Queen of Scots! The title role is taken by Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth I is played by Margot Robbie. It's slated for its historical inaccuracies - it seems they claim that Mary was trying to depose Elizabeth, which I've never heard, although enough plots were raised in her name (Mary was Elizabeth's closest relative and heir, a Catholic, and the focus of many Catholic plots against the Protestant Elizabeth).

Not to mention that, in real life, Mary probably didn't have the pronounced Scottish accent she adopts here; having taken the throne as a baby, she was raised in France from the age of 5, for her own safety - Scottish nobles were notorious through history for killing royals so they could take the throne themselves - and stayed there until she was 18 (France would have been a natural choice, as her mother was French). So I'm guessing she had a touch of French about her, although I guess that would have made the story a tad more complicated. Finally, she definitely never met Elizabeth, despite begging her for years for an audience. A review I've just read describes their meeting as a spellbinding encounter, though. Ah hell, I couldn't miss it, now could I?!

Series: The Purge (Episodes 6 - 8) & Films: The Forever Purge & The Secret Scripture

Well, I had a look at cinema listings for the weekend - and wouldn't you know it, the Arc cinema in Ennis has a matinee - of The Forever Purge! (Only showing in the evening in Limerick.)  Decided to head to that on Sunday - free parking on Sundays, dontcha know. Nobody'd booked by the time I left, so I thought I'd rock up on the day and buy a ticket, given that they have a booking fee.. I kept an eye on it. 

In preparation, if you like, I started to watch the series The Purge on Amazon Prime. Online reviews say it's not as good as the second series (also available) - I have to say, if the second is better, I'm really looking forward to it. I'd thought I was coming to the end of Season 1 - apparently not, although you'd be forgiven for thinking so, given that almost all the stories are by now resolved. Except.. this series has more twists and turns than anything I'd previously seen, and as I trawl through episode after episode, they keep spewing out more! Episode 8, in particular, has left me gasping to find out what happens next. These people are really having an eventful night. And there's still more in Season 1..

So, off I headed to the cinema on Sunday, in good time. I'd wondered whether the glorious weather had tempted people to the beach - sure enough, there was plenty of space in the car park this time. I found a space in relative shade, and when it was time, off I went - not getting lost this time! I see the cinema's hand sanitiser had been filled. Bought my ticket at the concession desk, and was dying for an ice cream, so was grateful that they had some left - I had a choc ice.

She remarked to me that I had the place to myself.. nearly forgot to ask me where I wanted to sit. Why is it they always ask "front or back"? I like the middle.. anyway, off I went, ticket and choc ice in hand. This is in Screen 7 - which is in the building across the lane, reached by a corridor in the cinema that runs through a porch over the lane. Found the screen, took my seat, and removed my mask to eat my rapidly melting choc ice. All the doors had been left open, and it was decently cool in there - lovely. Much nicer than baking outside. I finished just before lights down - and given that nobody else was there, I left the mask off. V nice indeed.

I love the Purge idea - don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating it, but it's such a handy hook to hang ideologies on. The Amazon series explores many associated ideas - and The Forever Purge has another; what do you do if, after time is up, people just keep purging? We follow the story of a Mexican couple who've paid to be smuggled to the States. She, in particular, is a fan of the American dream - although at the moment, she's working in an abbatoir. He's working on a ranch - the owner is a lovely bloke, but his son isn't massively keen on mixing with the Mexicans, and there's one overtly racist worker who's a constant thorn in his side.

Come Purge Night, the Mexicans join other poor folks in an armed compound for the night, and the rich white folks roll down their steel barriers and settle in too. And on this night, not much bad happens - that we see. No, for once, this film concerns itself with the following morning - when the sirens have gone to signal the end of Purge, but there are still people in scary masks, terrorising the locals - whose reaction is shock that they're not following the rules! Cue some shocking deaths, and locals rapidly arming themselves - this is Texas, so that's quite doable. Travelling any distance is best done in some kind of large vehicle, preferably bulletproof - we see the same thing in the Purge series, where people use a variety of large vehicles to get around. Again, easily done in America.

Apart from a few jump scares near the beginning - I hate those, they're cheap - I really liked this. So, it seems this anarchy is nationwide, the NFFA has called out the National Guard nationwide to deal with "Forever Purgers", and the country is going to hell in a handbasket. A Native American is interviewed on television, uttering dire predictions about how the white man's hate will destroy his civilisation. In due course, as our central characters are figuring out their next move, they hear that Mexico and Canada are opening their borders to refugees for six hours - and then closing them indefinitely. So it becomes a race for survival - to the Mexican border.

This, of course, isn't the first film to portray Americans as refugees to Mexico etc. Always a fun idea - and particularly when one of the characters fleeing there isn't sure how he actually feels about Mexicans. So it's now a pacy action film - and it's done really well, with epic shots of the Mexican border at El Paso, lines of cars trying to cross. I also love how that Native American ends up being the one to show the way. Plenty of overt politics here, then - but as I say, you can hang lots of politics around the idea of the Purge, which is why it endures so well.

Well satisfied, I headed off - and decided that, if I wanted a Chinese, it made no sense to bring a takeaway all the way from Ennis when there's one in Tulla! A shorter distance to travel meant the food would be hotter. So, I headed off. And wouldn't you know it - as I drove out of town, the car started to play up whenever I slowed for one of the many small roundabouts. I figured that something was wrong with the gears - anyway, there wasn't much traffic, and once I got out of town, I could change into higher gears, and the car was fine! It troubled me, though - but on the way, I figured that, if there was a problem with the lower gears, I could get around it by pointing the car down the large hill in Tulla, to aid with starting off. So that's what I did, parking directly opposite An Teach China.

I checked the menu on the window, then went straight in and ordered - not a long wait, but long enough for me to be reminded that they have those lovely, frozen chocolate desserts here. I was, in fact, standing right beside a picture of one. So I ordered one of those too - paid in cash because their cash machine is broken (fine, I have far too much cash these days anyway! not using it up), took my purchase and headed off in the car. Which was just fine - until I got to the junction with the main road, and had to stop for a car travelling on it. Jeepers, could I get the car to move again.. just as well there was no other traffic. I eventually managed to force it into first, and get up enough speed to change to third - awful stench from the engine before I changed, but it was fine to get me home. I was a bit nervous about slowing to turn into the yard, but managed it. I've rung the garage, and they're coming in the morning - dunno what time, so I'd better get to bed!

The meal was lovely - but as usual, too much. I didn't eat the dessert until this evening, and it was gorgeous - and we're still making our way through the prawn crackers! which are staying fresh, so far.

That night's tv movie was The Secret Scripture, in which Vanessa Redgrave plays an inconvenient, doddery old lady in a mental hospital that's being converted to a hotel. Adrian Dunbar plays the particularly unpleasant director of the institution, who throws all her stuff in a skip to persuade her to go - however, a sympathetic young doctor (Eric Bana) and nurse manage to salvage it. He says he'll take responsibility, and inside her bible they find a diary! So they piece together her story, which is then told in flashback - her younger self is played by Rooney Mara.

Hers is a story of a more repressive Ireland - which is, honestly, quite depressing, if rather compelling. I will say this, though - the twist that is required to complete it is one of the more unbelievable I've seen. Still, it's touching, and quite watchable.

For Saturday.. Cultureseekers will have another quiz, though the topic isn't announced yet. And there isn't any point in looking up what's on in the cinema, as I'm not sure I'll have any way of getting there! Meantime, I still have plenty of The Purge to see on Amazon..

Series: The Purge (Season 1, Episodes 2 - 5) & Quiz: Connections in UK Culture / History

Well, I had a look at cinema listings for the weekend - and wouldn't you know it, the Arc cinema in Ennis has a matinee - of The Forever Purge! (Only showing in the evening in Limerick.)  Will probably head to that tomorrow - free parking on Sundays, dontcha know. Well, I mentioned as much to my boss during the week - and wouldn't you know it, she reminded me that there's a series on Amazon Prime called The Purge! So I've now managed to squeeze in five episodes.

An online review said it's not as good as the second series (which, I'm glad to say, is also available), but I am impressed. As the episodes continue, we switch from one character's story to another around the city - and as each takes twists and turns, we delve into the soul of each character. Via a whole gallery of imaginative rogues! They really go to town on this festival, and roaming the streets in a variety of heavy-duty vehicles, you'll find all sorts, with all kinds of aims - not to mention some games that are laid on, carnival-style, and a spectacle specifically for the delectation of the NFFA (New Founding Fathers of America), whose swish party is a feature of the night. This is an ingenious expansion of the world of the films, where they explore the idea of ambulances being off-limits, and some gangs of vigilantes whose job is to rescue victims. I really dunno how anyone gets to work the next day - everyone seems to be out!

Each character's story advances mightily through the episodes, and in unexpected directions. Still got me hooked - just the one episode left in this season, I guess. I wonder whether the same characters are carried through to the next season.. those who survive, of course..

In the meantime, I squeezed in Cultureseekers' quiz earlier today - Connections in UK Culture / History! Given a series of words or phrases, say what the connection is, or what the next in the series should be. I didn't win - nor come close to it - but I did ok.

And as I say, I'll probably go to The Forever Purge tomorrow. Nobody's booked yet, so I might rock up on the day and buy a ticket, given that they have a booking fee.. I'll keep an eye on it. And I'm thinking a Chinese takeaway might be nice - I always liked Jade Cottage, but I'm not sure whether they offer outside dining. It should be a gorgeous day.. we'll see.

Series: The Purge (Season 1, Episode 1)

Well, I had a look at cinema listings for the weekend - and wouldn't you know it, the Arc cinema in Ennis has a matinee - of The Forever Purge! (Only showing in the evening in Limerick.)  Will probably head to that on Sunday - free parking that day, dontcha know. Well, I mentioned as much to my boss today - and wouldn't you know it, she reminded me that there's a series on Amazon Prime called The Purge! So, in a quiet moment, I checked it out..

Aw, I love it. An online review said it's not as good as the second series (which, I'm glad to say, is also available), but I was impressed with the first episode, most of which is spent in the suspense prior to "commencement" - the beginning of the annual Purge night, during which all crime is legal from 7pm to 7am. All weapons up to "Class 4" are allowed (in real life, at least, this includes grenades and rocket launchers). 

So basically, the wealthier hole up in safety, while those without the wherewithal are forced to buy as much weaponry as they can afford (and there's a run on it), and defend themselves and their family and property as best they can. Hospitals and high-ranking government officials are exempt. In this episode, we follow three stories. One is of a businesswoman, working that night with her colleagues on an important deal, in a secure building - they've all signed agreements not to engage in purging. But she's up to something. Another centres on a young, upwardly mobile couple, invited to a NFFA (New Founding Fathers of America) party - they're politically very important, holding power, and having instigated the purge - and the husband is hoping to sign a major deal at the party. The NFFA hold one every Purge Night, which lasts for the duration. Finally, a young man with a bulletproof vest and weapons is unwisely driving around the seedier parts of town, looking for someone.

I love it. So glad to have found another good series! And I love the suspense, as everyone rushes to get to safety before zero hour, and everyone you pass is carrying weapons, or boarding up their property.. Dying to get to the next episode, to see how the stories started in the first episode pan out.

So - Cultureseekers' quiz on Saturday is Connections in UK Culture / History! Given a series of pictures, say what the connection is, or what the next in the series should be. Not sure I'll do well, but I'll have a go.

And as I say, probably The Forever Purge on Sunday. Nobody's booked yet, so I might rock up on the day and buy a ticket, given that they have a booking fee.. I'll keep an eye on it.

Film: Evil Eye

Wow, tv was terrible tonight. Well, it was all films, and I'd either seen them, or didn't want to. So when I finally escaped up to bed, it was straight to Amazon Prime, to trawl through in search of a horror film again. Working off my list, the first one I came across that was actually available was Evil Eye, an Indian film (in English) about a woman, a big believer in horoscopes, who comes to fear that her daughter's oh-so-perfect new boyfriend is actually the reincarnation of the man with whom she was in an abusive relationship before her daughter's birth, and who nearly killed her.

The film list promised me twists and turns, and one of the scariest movies available. Wow - who paid them to say that?! There are a couple of scary scenes near the end, but by no stretch of the imagination is this a scary film. Having said that, it's interesting, the characters are appealing, and I stuck with it to the end. It's also got an empowering message about women standing up for themselves. Watch it as a cautionary tale about control freaks - but don't go into it expecting a horror film..

Well, tomorrow, Cultureseekers are back with another quiz - this time, it's Driving in the UK! I mightn't know everything, but I have driven in the UK a few times, so I'll have a go.

And you know what? Today marks two weeks since my second vaccine dose, which means I'm as safe as can be to get out and about. So - I am! With Irish theatres still closed, I checked the cinema listings in Limerick (there's one closer to me, in Ennis, but there's no parking near it, so Limerick is handier). Unfortunately, my evenings are still tied up watching tv with my mother - else there are a few horror films I could have gone for. Instead, I've booked for Supernova at the Omniplex - I'll just be in nice time to get there after the quiz. Colin Firth accompanies his partner, Stanley Tucci, who's been diagnosed with dementia, on a road trip to relive old memories, while Stanley still can. D' you know, when I booked it, I was the first to book - and nobody else has booked yet. :-) So I think the fact that they blocked five seats around me is neither here nor there..

This is the first thing I'll have been to, in person, since 18 March last year. Which was also a film.

I might take advantage of its proximity to a KFC, while I'm there. Lordy, the last time I was at a KFC was the 13 January last year.. Granted, it'll have to be a takeaway, but for KFC that's fine.

As I say, that was the only film I could make and that I was interested in - I'm steering clear of the summer blockbusters, from lack of interest. But then, it occurred to me that I could check what was on in Ennis, for Sunday - and lo, The Father is on there, also in the afternoon. This is one that did really well in the Oscars: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, who plays the title role of a man developing dementia, and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Olivia Coleman, who plays his daughter. Also nominated for best picture, best film editing, and best production design. Sounds worth seeing - again, I'm the only person to have booked, and this time they've blocked out six seats around me! I'll say something for social distancing - it'll make it a lot less annoying to be in the cinema when others in the audience are eating popcorn!

Hmm.. might check out Supermac's in Ennis, on Sunday. Now, that's somewhere I really haven't been in ages - in fact, I don't think I've been since I moved to London! (It's not in the UK.) Jeez, but I used to love their cheeseburgers..

Film: When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Well, it's not that there wasn't anything on tv tonight, but what there was was underwhelming. I wasn't tired enough to go to sleep yet. And I really wanted to check out what other horror films were on Amazon Prime. So I had a trawl through. One thing I do NOT recommend is just looking through the "horror" category - there's just too much there. I ended up going back to the online lists that have done the sorting for me.

And what I found there was When a Stranger Calls (1979). This starts with a horror trope so classic that it's become an urban legend - a young, female babysitter, alone in the house with the kids, keeps getting these freaky phone calls, telling her to check on the kids (who are asleep upstairs). Unnerved, she finally calls the police, who tell her that they'll put a trace on the phone the next time he calls - when they call her back, they tell her.. that the calls are being made from INSIDE THE HOUSE!

This film has the caller as a lunatic, who's locked away in a mental institution, then does a Michael Myers and escapes, returning to plague the young girl he wanted to kill before. There's an underwhelming chase sequence in the middle, but the film is incredibly strong at beginning and end, as the killer hides in the shadows, whispering threats, and you don't know where the danger is coming from. Truly terrifying - by the end, I wanted to hide myself..

For Saturday, the St. Patrick's Festival website will still be there, if required..

Film: Triangle

I'm enjoying tracking down horror films on Amazon Prime..! So, with another gap in programming this evening, I turned to it again - and the next I could find on my list of horror films - that is, indeed, showing on Amazon Prime Ireland - is a little horror I never heard of, called Triangle. So I had a go at that.

It's set in the Bermuda Triangle - hence the name - and is the story of a group of friends who go sailing, only to have their yacht capsize in a freak storm. Happily, a cruise ship passes that way, and they climb onboard - only to find it completely deserted. Well, almost completely - and what happens next will make them wish they never bothered.

There's a hooded killer. But no, you really can't tell the plot from that - well, bits of it, but not fully. You won't even come close. This is a lovely piece of psychological horror, which I can't go into detail about without giving far too much away. I'll just say this - I found the beginning of the film confusing, but I later found out why. Also, anything you might be confused about throughout the film will be explained. Piece by piece, you'll put it together. I spotted one thing that might be considered a minor glitch, but maybe that would have been explained too, if the film had gone on for a bit longer! Stick with it - I loved the ah-hah! moments, when they began.

For Saturday, pending the Cultureseekers quiz announcement, there's always the St. Patrick's Festival website..

Quiz: The British Royal Family (1980 to Present) & Film: The Vast of Night

Cultureseekers finally announced today's quiz on Thursday - and wow, this is what you might call my specialist subject! The British Royal Family (1980 to Present) was one I might reasonably expect to do well in..

And I did. The first question kind of threw me, though - I knew that Charles and Diana married in 1981, but he wanted the exact date. I'd have been at a loss if it hadn't been multiple choice - but it was, and I had a choice of June, or early or late July. Now, I remember watching this on tv, and that we were on holiday at the time, and I had a feeling that it was late July. Which it was! He asked two more questions about royal marriage dates, also multiple choice, and I was fine because I knew the years, and each choice was for a different year. Similarly, the question about whose marriage lasted longer - theirs or Andrew's and Fergie's - was really easy, given that we'd already established, from multiple choice questions, that Charles and Diana married first. So, all you had to know was that both couples divorced in the same year..

In all 25 questions, I only got four wrong:

1. How long were the Queen and Prince Philip married? I know they were married in 1947, and of course he just died this year, but I didn't know what month they were married in, so I had to guess 74 - it was 73.
2. What restaurant did Andrew say he was eating in, during his disastrous tv interview in 2019? I remembered it was a fast food restaurant, down south somewhere, but not exactly where it was.
3. For the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the character that the Duchess of Sussex played in Suits, back when she was an actor. I never used to watch it regularly.
4. And no, the closest city to where she and Harry live isn't L.A., it's Santa Barbara!

With double points for knowing their new baby's full name, I came out with 22 - which placed me joint fifth (two tied for the win at 24), out of 42 participants. Eh, not bad.. Oh, and he made one mistake; Peter Phillips is 17th in line to the throne, not 16th!

Almost nothing on tv afterwards, if you're not into sport. Mind you, having exhausted the first list of the best horror films on Amazon Prime, I took the precaution of looking at another last night - and so I had one lined up, and just finished watching The Vast of Night. Set in a small town in New Mexico at the end of the 50s, this tells the story of a young switchboard operator who hears a very weird noise over the line one night, when most of the town are at a basketball game. So she enlists the help of her good friend, who works at the radio station..

Not really a horror, this is like a 50s version of the X-Files. And in New Mexico in the 1950s - you know you're talking about UFOs, even if the radio operator is convinced it's the Soviets! Beautifully shot - the director's debut, and everyone is raving about it - the script is excellent, the pacing is excellent, and it's a real period piece, playing on the paranoia of the 50s, with the start of the Cold War. Why, even the opening shot tells you what you're going to experience - channeling The Twilight Zone, the camera zooms in on a television screen, on which all of the action will ultimately unfold as part of one of those "mystery theater" shows. Lovely piece of work, quite compelling.

If I'm stuck for something to do tomorrow, there's still the St. Patrick's Festival website.. or indeed, Amazon Prime; I'm in my last month of free subscription, so have to make a decision soon about whether to keep it up..

Film: Suspiria (2018)

Last night, nothing on tv, and I wasn't quite ready to go to bed yet. So I decided to try Suspiria (2018), which is available on Amazon Prime. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, after having watched the supposedly superior original. But I was curious.

Straight away, you notice the difference - for a start, there's a terrific Thom Yorke soundtrack. The action has moved to Berlin, some time when it was still divided - the school is right across the road from the wall. The American student is played by Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton is the school director - and, looking at the cast list, I see she also played the school founder (who, to be fair, is hardly ever seen, and heavily made up when she is) and, more impressively, she plays the psychiatrist who treats the expelled student, whose ravings gradually lead him to believe that something suspicious is going on behind the school's facade. Really versatile, that woman.

I said that the trailer led me to believe that the film is greyer - it is that. It is also a revelation. An hour longer than the original, it really is a remake - the American student falls more readily into the role they have prepared for her, and the story is generally more coherent. Oh, and they've completely changed the ending.. I absolutely loved this, it really appealed to my darker side.

Unfortunately, I was too tired afterwards to blog. TV was good enough today to keep me ticking over, and for Saturday, there's always the St. Patrick's Festival website to fall back on..

Film: Suspiria (1977)

Well, another dearth of programmes this afternoon. So I said I'd treat myself to Amazon Prime again. :-) Trawled through the list of horror films that are supposed to be on it - sadly, many actually aren't.. but then I came down to Suspiria (2018). Now, I remember when this was released - I was curious, but as with so many, never did get to see it. Then, when I checked further.. I saw that the original was also available! Supposed to be a classic. So I watched that instead..

An American student comes to a prestigious dance academy in Freiburg. She soon learns that there's something very odd about the place, as strange things start to happen, girls begin to disappear.. and what she eventually discovers is more horrible than she could have imagined.

Wow, this is weird. Right from the start, it's a riot of colour - predominantly red. Indeed, a lengthy introduction explains how they restored and remastered the original. I took some time to get the volume right - every time someone is killed, the soundtrack becomes a deafening cacophony; happily, it doesn't happen too often.

Several times, I thought about quitting it - but something made me stick with it. And ultimately, as it reaches its conclusion, it does become a little less surreal, a bit easier to get a grasp of. The soundtrack did also produce a little snippet of tune that became a hook for me. So, ultimately I found it watchable. However, I don't think I'll be hurrying back to it. A brief look at the remake tells me that there seems to be less colour - it seems to be a more serious affair. Well, might give it a try.

In the meantime, there's always the St. Patrick's Festival website to fall back on..

Films: Coherence & The House of the Devil

You know, a few days ago, the letters page in the paper included one from an irate woman, who wondered why they had to broadcast mediocre repeats on primetime tv, then save the good film for late at night. She was talking about tonight, and the film in question is Mississippi Burning - a good film indeed, but I've already seen it. And with the dross on telly, I went to bed early - and thought to myself, you know, I have this new tv that's set up for Amazon Prime, and I've never really used it..

So I thought, I wonder what horror-type stuff is available. And I looked up a list online. As usual, many of the films on the list aren't available on my Amazon Prime library - but searching the list, behold, I came across one that is. Coherence is a sci-fi, and can be considered a slow-burning horror.. Basically, a group of old friends meet for a dinner party, somewhere in L.A., but the evening takes a peculiar turn when a comet passes overhead, and strange things start to happen. Imagine the shock our friends feel when they realise that there's a group of people, in a house over the way, that look just like them..

Now, this is best enjoyed by people that are into quantum mechanics, simultaneously occurring states of existence, and probability and games. Ooh, just like me! So I really perked up when they started going on about this. The basic premise is that the comet has somehow acted as a catalyst to bring several simultaneous realities (think Schroedinger's cat) in contact with each other. So, eh, this means that there's more than one dinner party happening on this night, with the same people at each..

They have great fun with this, and there are some really clever scenes where we realise that the people we're looking at, who are dressed the same, and look and sound the same, as the people we thought a minute ago that we were looking at, are not actually them. There's a little mystery to solve, involving seemingly random numbers written on the backs of photographs. And there's an interesting sequence that plays with the idea of choosing your reality. But.. this is no Christopher Nolan film, and they just can't resolve the ideas. All possible outcomes to the film finally collapse to a single plot twist that doesn't logically make sense in the context of the film. But hey, it makes for an interesting, and somewhat comprehensible, ending. Felt to me like a cop-out, though.

Afterwards, with nothing unmissable on telly, I decided to continue. Took me a while to find another that was available locally, but I eventually hit on The House of the Devil. As you'd expect from the title, this is a more conventional horror - a surprise throwback, indeed, for one made so recently! And sure enough, it's also set in the bygone era of the 80s - cue those flimsy headsets, cassette walkmans, Farrah Fawcett hairdos, and, crucially, no mobile phones! So much easier to stage a horror when you're dependent on a landline that can be cut, and when someone not answering might just mean they're not in, and you can't check whether they've picked up their messages..

So, it's the classic story of a cash-strapped student who takes a babysitting job that turns out to be in a massive old mansion, out in the middle of nowhere. Not only that, but the job itself isn't as advertised. Her friend (Greta Gerwig), who drops her out there, quite rightly thinks she's out of her mind, but she does desperately need the money. So the friend drives off and leaves her there, promising to return just after midnight. Oh, and in a similarity to the other film, there's an astronomical event - in this case, a lunar eclipse. And this is the best place in the world to see it, wouldn't you know!

It's a reasonably conventional story, but the terror is very enjoyably built up, the soundtrack is good, and those of us who remember the 80s will experience a burst of nostalgia at the props. A very decent horror film!

Tomorrow, I have my reliable Cultureseekers quiz to fall back on - tomorrow, it's The Great British Seaside! Hey, I might know something about it.. so I'm calling it a night on Amazon Prime horrors..

Series: The Family Man (Episode 1)

Today - back to Amazon Prime. And what was coming up next on my list was The Family Man, an Indian series about a government agent who has to keep running off to deal with his wife and kids - who have no idea what he really does for a living.

It's a great premise, really - one minute he's dealing with smugglers, then he gets a call from his daughter's school - she's in trouble, he has to come in because she's scared of her mother, and he gets a dressing down from the school principal for not spending enough time with her. And so, back to the day job. He switches between the two through a constant stream of fabrications.

Should've been good - I just couldn't relate to the characters, wasn't that interested. Handy that it's in English though, so I didn't have to keep my eyes on screen all the time! Anyway, I didn't finish the episode. I'll leave it there - I have other things to be doing.

On Saturday, Up in the Cheap Seats is watching a performance of The Sleeping Beauty, streamed from the Opera House, and available for rental for £3 in the UK, tax added outside the UK. So I've booked that, and will be delighted to join them. Available till the 28th.

Series: Undone, Episode 8

Well, tonight I said it was about time I got back to Undone, on Amazon Prime. This is an animated series about a young woman who, after a car crash, experiences a weird new reality.. Animation, of course, makes it a lot easier for the creators to realise their vision, here.

It's quite cool animation - rotoscoping is used, which is the tracing of live-action video, to give a more realistic effect. The acting is good, the lead character personable - and the plot is pleasantly weird. I'm guessing it's all a dramatisation of the mind of someone with schizophrenia, but it's very clever, and there is a plot involving her dad's death, which he's tasked her with solving. She learns to distort reality by shifting back and forth through time..

And so, tonight, I finally got back to Episode 8. Where, wow, things really hit the proverbial! Some questions are answered, more are raised - and it ends on a real cliffhanger; as you'd expect, she's starting to wonder whether this is actually all in her head, and then she sees something..

So, I was well ready to continue the story. And wouldn't you know it, this is - of course - the last episode in the season. And - you've guessed it - the next season ISN'T FILMED YET! Ugh. I am going to have so much to catch up on, towards the end of the year, with all these different series..

For tomorrow, the best is looking like another Sands Films offering. Their latest showing was The War You Don't See, a documentary on war propaganda, written and co-directed by John Pilger. Right down my alley.

And next Saturday - wow, at last, Meetup is running things early enough in the day for me again! Up in the Cheap Seats is watching a couple of contemporary dance shows by Grupo Corpo - Bach and Lecuona, each streaming on Vimeo and available to rent for 48 hours for £3.95. So I've signed up - will rent closer to the time, and we'll be chatting about them next Saturday. Phew, it'll be great to see these folks again, it's been ages!