Film: Us

Tonight, I booked for The Amatis Piano Trio, at the Purcell Room in the Southbank Centre. Set off in good time to catch a bus - in fact, Google Maps said I could have caught one after it, and still made it! Now, it turned out the bus wasn't actually going all the way - never mind, I thought, I was due to be early anyway, and perhaps I could walk the extra distance in time, especially if we made good time on the way.

Well, we started off at a fair pace. Unfortunately, we hit such terrible traffic in the City that I knew I'd never make it. Not with the bus route terminating early. So when I got off, I hung around looking things up on my phone - film is always my emergency backup. Unfortunately, I hadn't updated the film list in ages, and knew it'd not only be too much of a chore to do it on my phone, but would take so long I wouldn't get to see anything! I contented myself with checking the ratings of the existing films at the top of my list, then checking to see whether they were showing.

Most didn't seem to be still showing at all, some had lost ratings. What actually came out top of the list in the end was After Life, showing only in the BFI - ironically, right beside where I'd been headed! That, of course, turned out to be sold out. So I trawled down through the list, my hands numb with cold, and me wondering whether I should just give up and go home. Until I hit Us.. and that was that. Actually, a more thorough trawl would have indicated that the rating for Wild Rose had risen, and that was now top of the list. But nyeh, I really, really wanted to see Us, so.. I checked where the next showings were, and what I could manage to get to in time, and the Vue West End it was. Cheaper than the nearby Odeon, where it was also showing - even taking into account the optional donation to Medicinema!

So I legged it over there, arrived during the ads, and sank gratefully into a plush, leather, pullman seat - the advantage of expensive cinemas. Endured a seemingly endless stream of superhero movie trailers, and the ignoramus in my row who wouldn't turn off their phone, but was fiddling with it for the whole film.. And off we go, at last!

Us is the latest horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele, who did the same for the excellent Get Out a couple of years ago. So, much was expected. The general consensus has been - and I can't disagree - that this one works better as a straightforward horror, whereas the previous film had a strong social commentary.

Ah yes, but that hardly does it justice. We all know the basic premise at this stage - that a family on holiday is attacked by their doppelgangers. The mother of the family is played by the excellent Lupita Nyong'o - as is her doppelganger, with a vastly different outfit and haircut. Also keep an eye out for her pal, played by Elizabeth Moss. Each character plays their own doppelganger - and it did strike me, in the midst of the chaos, how much fun that must have been!

One point that I noted in the IMDB spoilers for the film - which I hadn't noticed myself, earlier - is how the doppelgangers' weapon of choice - a large pair of scissors each - mirrors the "doubles" idea of the rest of the film. But hey, these are all questions for after you've watched it. Because I'll say this - I have never, in all my years of watching horror, watched a film as wide-eyed as I did tonight. The constant sense of dread, the consistently odd camera angles, and the sheer oddness of just about everything that happens, add up to a truly memorable and disturbing experience. And my goodness, I'll never listen to Minnie Ripperton's Les Fleurs again without bringing this film to mind.. Truly recommended for horror fans everywhere.

Funnily enough, there wasn't a single bus running as I was coming back! I took the Tube. And the scariest thing of the night to happen to me was, as I walked home, the guy across the road, beatboxing - but weirdly - who got progressively louder as he crossed the road to my side and came up behind me. I was seriously freaked - luckily, he didn't follow me down my road.

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for a charity gig at the Backyard Comedy Club. Then I'm back to Ireland for Easter - by the time I got around to booking flights, that was the closest reasonably cheap date! Flying back to London next Monday.

On the 23rd, with UITCS again for Come From Away, finally, at the Phoenix. I've heard so much about this award-winning show, it's about time I saw it, eh?

On the 24th, back with London Literary Walks for his Elephant and Castle Walk. Another popular one.

And on the 25th - considering I'll still be on garden leave, and my days will be nice and free - I'm meeting 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners! for a walk about A History of Chelsea - from quaint to Quant. Starting in the morning, we're meeting in the bar of the Royal Court, and will have lunch after the walk.

Film: Don't Breathe

Hallowe' en. Love it. Do have problems finding something decent to go to, though. I was supposed to go on a guided walk - London for a Tenner or Less, advertising Funzing as usual, and wouldn't you know, I was on a walk with the same guide last month. Wasn't massively impressed - I finally cancelled it (Funzing gives a refund if you cancel at least 48 hours in advance), and since I had the film list done, decided I'd go to a film instead. Horror, natch. Top rated horror, as it has been for a while, is Don't Breathe, about a group of thieves that break into a blind man's home to rob him, but get more than they bargained for.. unfortunately, locally it's only showing quite late at night, but I could grab a showing at Vue West End at 6:30 or a bit later, depending what suited. Actually, Train to Busan is rated higher - but I don't really like zombie films.

It wasn't booking out, so I didn't book. Made it back in time to get to the cinema just in time for the trailers - if I took the quick option: train to Waterloo, Northern Line to Leicester Square. At least it's quite near the Tube entrance. With nobody at the box office, and queues at every till, I got my ticket from a machine, and made my way upstairs.. all the way upstairs, to the top floor. Thank goodness they have escalators. I'd been able to choose my own seat, and was sat quite central, but a bit away from everyone else. Not hard - there weren't many there.

Was in time for the trailers - none of which looked decent. And so to the film, which opens with something of a spoiler. Don't worry, it doesn't spoil much. I was much more disappointed in the film's first scare, which was a stupid jump scare involving a big, scary dog jumping at a car window. Yes, it makes you jump - but it's a cheap scare, and as someone recently said on YouTube, that's everything that's wrong with modern horror.

I see Sam Raimi is a co-producer - well, he would know what scares. And, to be fair, there are things to like here. There were a few scenes that had me clutching at whatever came to hand, there's obvious tension in trying to creep around a blind man without him hearing you (particularly when he's armed), and the scenes in the dark are well done. However, most of it reminded me of nothing so much as a videogame. Find the money! Get the code! Find the door key! Whoops, here comes the scary blind guy again - avoid! People keep apparently getting killed, then not - and the film makers seem to take real pleasure in confusing us as to who's still alive.

So, unnerving rather than really scary, and one scene that made me gag. Sod IMDB's 7.4 rating - I gave it a 6, and only that high because there were some well shot scenes. Avoid - I can't think of a single audience member that this would appeal to, who couldn't find something better. Waste of another Hallowe'en. Hey, at least I got home early enough to eat and blog.. and there was a terrific busker, playing an instrumental version of Mad World. Which suits my mood - I still haven't definitely heard back about that interview, but I think I've seen the job readvertised..
 

Tomorrow, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club, who are back in Rich Mix, with the appropriately titled Day of the Dead. Includes the excellent Nell Phoenix and - my favourite - Clare Muireann Murphy.

 

Wednesday, I'm at a classical concert called Goyescas: Music in the time of Goya, in St. John's Smith Square. I'm going in the company of Kensington Classical Music.

 

Thursday, I was to go to the much over-advertised free comedy in Hammersmith - called Bonfire Special, and I'd signed up to go with five different groups (just because I can): Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, Random London, London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers, London Live Comedy, and London for a Tenner or Less, who advertised the thing no fewer than three times themselves. However, I then got word that it's been cancelled for a private event! So it was ironic that I was considering how many groups I might have to cancel - that's exactly what I ended up doing! Still haven't come up with a plan for that night - we'll see.

 

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, and we're off to Aida at the University Concert Hall that Saturday. Another thing to remember to print off tickets for - website permitting!

 

On Monday 7th, I've booked for a talk given by a new group, Org London, whose theme is Digital Dystopias: Orwell's 1984 and the Internet Age. Or I might go to a film - we'll see.

 

Tuesday 8th, yippee, I'm back with free comedy in Hammersmith! (so far). Only with three groups so far - Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, London Live Comedy, and London for a Tenner or Less (just the once).

 

Wednesday 9th is back with the Man with the Hat, who's taking Let's Do London - for less! to Southwark Playhouse, to see Orca.

 

Thursday 10th - yes, you guessed it, free comedy in Hammersmith! Think of it as a placeholder. Funnily enough, I'd just booked with London for a Tenner or Less, and only just noticed that Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and London Live Comedy, were also advertising. Again. So I've booked. Again. What the hey, it's free.

 

Now, on Friday 11th, London Dramatic Arts are off to see King Lear at the Barbican. Haven't seen that since I studied it in school. Well, I'm off to see it too - cheaper, and sat in the very back row! Hopefully, with the maze that the Barbican is, it'll be fairly easy to avoid them.

 

And I did have something to do on the 12th - or rather, the Man with the Hat did, until hardly anyone booked, so he cancelled! Bah humbug. Might go to the Lord Mayor's show, which is on that day. Or perhaps a film..