Month: September 2006

That what’s his name calamari

thegirlinthecafe 5 Comments

South Croydon station
My colleagues did discover my blog a while ago already. I don’t really mind, if I didn’t want people to read me, I shouldn’t write here to begin with. What I find hard though, is that they are discussing it loudly while I am sitting next to them.
“Ingrid – You’ve been out with Davy! Ha, now we know who you are dating !!”

I was tempted to say – guys let me explain you a bit about who Davy is. But decided not to, this is much more fun. Just let them think they got something on me.

Another remark I heard recently:
“Wait a minute, wait a minute, you are going all the way to New York, to see that, what’s his name, man ?” (Add an enormous portion of disbelief here)

Wait a minute, yes, I do ! I had to answer, losing a fair bit of my respect here, and I got the “you are insane” look from them, again. Life’s tough at the office.

While I ate a few pink shrimps in the Caterham train home that evening, my eye fell on a quote in the London Paper, from that, what’s his name, man.

“Johnny Depp played a swashbuckling pirate, and then there was me, a giant calamari”.

Well this giant calamari better shows up in NY in December, otherwise I will have to have paella for dinner soon.

Tomorrow will be spend taking pictures around London, not just any pictures, but stills of locations we will use for shortfilm number 2 I am going to help out on. As an assistant DOP again, and no I didn’t write the script. I just take in every film making experience I can get, so if people want me to help out, I will. Next Thursday is going to be interesting too, as that day I will help out on a casting for shortfilm number 3. Here pairs of actors have to show their very best in order to get a role in this upcoming short. Lots of things happening on the film making front lately, good thing. Weekends are way way way too short lately, bad thing.

Wireaddict

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Hide Place
A great place to be

We wanted some Rock ‘n Roll, Davy and me, but the man in the TKTS booth said that the places left in the theatre were not particulary good ones. So we decided to drop it, and try to get cheap tickets for it on another day. No rush with this one.
“What shall we do then?” I asked Davy.
“Go home?” he suggested.
“We still don’t have internet at home and half of our tv channels are out of order for the same reason”.
“So?”
“Let’s go to the internet cafe and check if there is a film we would like to see?”
“Mmpf” was all he said.
There wasn’t a film we particularly fancied seeing, so Davy got what he wanted, we shortly visited Waterstones for a book check, and went home.
“Gosh I miss my internet”.
“You sit behind a screen all day at work, don’t be silly. And – you could write.”
“Write. Yes I could, but I can’t write on my laptop when not online.”
“Why not?”
“Well, I want to check my mail, I want to have messenger on, I want to be able to google”
“That’s ridiculous”
“Wha’ – What?”
“All those things, they will distract you from your writing”
“Well …”
“You need to be more disciplined, I heard you say that yourself a few days ago. Well, this might be a good time to start.”
“When did you suddenly become this clever?”
So annoying that he is right all the time.

Moon over Spacey

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I haven’t slept well since I wrote my bad review of A Moon For The Misbegotten, I still feel bad about it to be honest, because I have so much respect for Kevin Spacey. I have to stand by my words, even though people have explained to me that O’Neill plays aren’t always easy, but this was how I experienced the play, the acting was terrific, the story just wasn’t my cup of tea. That can happen.

But it pleases me enormously to read that the Independent (review isn’t online yet, I’ll link it up when it is) is raving the play and the actors to hights far beyond the moon today. So does the Guardian (Watching Best and Spacey together is like seeing two desperate people stripping their souls naked.), and the Times (Is there better acting to be found anywhere? I?d be surprised.)

Kevin Spacey gets what he deserves for the hard work and passion he puts in the Old Vic. Now London (critics) better stop nagging, and go appreciate him in stead.

And while we are at it, London, how can you even consider closing the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. All the people saying that it doesn’t belong in the West End are simply stupid. There, I said it.

Eternal ramblings from a messed up mind

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To follow up on the friday post:

I didn’t go to the Pinewood Studios because it was a “ball”. Like in the guys wearing a tuxedo, and the girls wearing something I am never ever going to wear. Well, I can only think of one occasion, but that has an improbabillity factor of 100%. And no it isn’t my wedding. But Pinewood Studios, I will probably go there in November for a set visit. Without having to wear silly clothes.

And then there was the film shoot I had on Saturday. I took the above picture there, and I really like how it looks. (I manipulated it a bit in PS, and not sure it is allowed to post it here, so don’t tell anyone).

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The Girl – still going strong

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Bill Nighy in The Girl In The Cafe
Bill Nighy/Lawrence in The Girl In The Cafe

Let’s attempt to write something that makes sense, which is hard, as millions of balls are bouncing in my head at the moment. It is inevitable that Nighy will be a regular here the coming months, so be warned.

Nathan has participated in the TGITC on tour project and written a wonderful review about the film. (It is a long review, and if you are waiting for the film, you might want to wait reading the review until you have seen it, it might contain spoilers) But I am very happy to read that he loved the film.

I was totally astounded by the superb acting by Bill Nighy. He was so convincing as the somewhat older man, who didn?t feel home in this world, not any longer in his job, disappointed in himself, in his achievements.

No I didn’t pay him to write that. But quotes like that make me happy. Men like Bill Nighy too, that is good to read. Nathan wrote the same review in Dutch too for those interested. A Big thank you to Nathan for participating.

The list of people wanting to participate continues to grow, recently New Zealand has been added, and shortly Canada will be added too. I am very happy that the The Girl is travelling around the world like this, as she is carrying an important message.

Would you like to join ? Read more about TGITC on tour here, and signup.

Everyone is welcome.

Love can?t change
what?s wrong in the world.
But it?s a start.

makepovertyhistory.org

I’m in a New york state of mind

thegirlinthecafe 14 Comments

The Vertical HourBut I know what I’m needing
and I’m not going to waste more time
I’m in a NewYork state of mind.

It was so easy living day by day
out of touch with the rhythm and blues
Now I need a little give and take
the New York Times and the Daily News, ohh

Comes down to reality and its fine with me
cause I’ve let it slide
I don’t care if it’s China Town
or up on Riverside
I don’t have any reasons
cause I’ve left them all behind
I’m in a New York State of mind …

I just spent an enormous amount of money.
On 2 tickets.
For a theatre show.
In New York.
Around christmas time.
It has Bill Nighy in it.
IT-HAS-BILL-NIGHY-IN-IT!

I am nearly dying of happiness here.

Christmas time in New York, I wonder how that is going to be.
Now I all I need is a planeticket, and a place to sleep there.

Oh, 2 tickets you might wonder?
Yes. It is for 2 different dates. One time just isn’t enough.
Call me crazy. Go on. I am crazy. Still. Crazy.

Going crazy in an internetcafe gives you a lot of attention…

Due to temporary loss of mind

thegirlinthecafe 1 Comment

and loss of internet connection at home for a few days, no milk today.

But I will return on Monday, with:

  • a story about how it has been, working as a runner on a film set the whole weekend (and why starting at 8am on my free Saturday morning is supposed to be fun, and if I still think filmmaking is fun after a busy weekend like this. I don’t have to get them coffee by the way, I am going to assist the D(irector)O(f)P(hotography), which is a cool thing.)
  • something about why I didn’t accept an invitation to go to the Pinewood studios tonight
  • and hopefully one thing more

Enjoy the weekend. It rains in London.

A Moon for the Misbegotten review – or Lost in Spacey

thegirlinthecafe 10 Comments


And so I saw The Moon for the Misbegotten. Just a few facts before I give my verdict:
For me Kevin Spacey is the second best actor in the Universe, I think he is fantastic, no matter what he plays.
I also saw him on stage as Richard II in the Old Vic last year, and loved it, despite my total lack of Shakespearian background and my ears not totally geared to tune in to old English.

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Cool, cooler, coolest

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Kevin Spacey in front of the Old Vic (Picture AP)

Cool.
gregarius feedreader
I have long been looking for a feedreader that does the things I like a feed reader to do. Now I found it. I will add the sites I regularly read to it, press refresh once or twice a day, and voila. You can add del.icio.us feeds to it too, to make it even cooler. And what a beautiful default template. A real gem this feedreader with the slightly odd name.
Download here

Cooler.
Print your flickr photo’s as business cards
Ironically I just had a stack of business cards made last week, in The Cafe style with the big cup (from the header of this blog) on it, and in the same colours as the blog. But these moo cards are very cool too, select a bunch of your best pictures, and turn them into small business cards. I want some made from my Postcards in London photoblog. They are so cool that I am not even sure I want to hand them out.

Coolest.
The coolest thing of the day :
It is the 20th of September. After a long wait, tonight is the night for a visit to the majestic The Old Vic to watch one of my heroes perform in A Moon For The Misbegotten. I haven’t seen any reviews yet (it is still in preview stage), but I’ll write mine tomorrow. And I am going to see it again when it is out of preview stage.
I look very very very much forward to this. And if you are in London before the end of December, I would buy tickets for it if I were you.

Where the heck is the DVD?

thegirlinthecafe 5 Comments

Lawrence (Bill Nighy), at the G8 in the Girl In The Cafe
Lawrence (Bill Nighy), at the G8 in the Girl In The Cafe

A short update for the people on the list on the whereabouts of the Girl DVD.

One DVD is in Denmark, but after he did write a review I never heard from the person again, so I hope he is alright. Since this has been quite a while ago, I have decided to send the DVD to the next person myself. That has been done yesterday, so hopefully the girl will arrive in Aarhus shortly, before she takes off to Australia, and after that to the USA. At last, I know people over there are waiting for her !

The other girl is currently staying in Belgium, she is very fine, and will be travelling back to Holland one of these days.

So the project is still very alive, and to the people waiting on the list, please be patient, she is on her way!

Want to join the project ? Just step over here, and go for it.

Good Evening London

thegirlinthecafe 7 Comments

londonlite.jpgWe like your blog, can we use it in our London Lite newspaper (free evening newspaper for London) was the question in the email I got.
Sure I said, but let me know what you want to print, because there are things that I don’t want to have printed (including my name).
That was OK.
Could you tell us in short what your blog is about?
Sure:
“written by a girl living in London chasing her dreams. With daily observations, sometimes with pictures and often with ramblings about The Film, The Cafe or The Actor. “Life is too important to be taken seriously.”

is what I send them.

They chose a post I quite like. It got Bill in it, I got the film mentioned, and the best thing: the Cafe (including the address) is in it. A lot. All good.

I am just wondering : who do they think I have a relationship with? (Davy? That would be hilarious)
And who are those friends I have never ever written about, because I don’t blog about people I know out of a principle?

Anyway – Good Evening London.

(click for slightly larger version)

Goodmorning London

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Danger - Men working overhead
Don’t they always …

I step out of the door, and throw away the garbage. The milkman is there, in a vehicle that looks like it has ignored the last 50 years of technological development. A vehicle that is a milkman worthy, and that I never had expected to find in a city like London. Vincent Square is nearly empty. The first suits on their way to work, but it is quiet. Nice to slowly wake up like this. He is standing there already, near the door of Westminster Cathedral , on his crutches, holding up his cup with the hope of someone putting something in it. If I am really early I peep into the church. Not that I am a religious person, I am not, not in the way the church wants me to be. But I do believe. In things. And people. The church is a peaceful and serene place to be in the morning. I stay there maybe 2 or 3 minutes, just thinking about things. I step out again, pass the homeless guys in their carton street beds, slowly waking up to the noise of the traffic on Victoria Street. Quite a few of them sleep opposite the church, because the ventilators of the office buildings keep them warm at night. I have to throw myself into the continuous flow of people coming out of Victoria Station now, which is a challenge every day, and a big contrast to the quiet Vincent Square I came from. I manage. I enter the station. 5 minutes left, I grab a Metro walk slowly to my platform, my Caterham train is there, a faithful friend waiting to take me to work. A new day has started.

Good morning London.

Snow Cake review (10/10)

thegirlinthecafe 13 Comments

Snow Cake (2006)
Alan Rickman in Snow Cake

I wanted to see it, because I like Alan Rickman (where has he been?). But I missed the early evening film, because my bus didn’t want to show up, first time I waited for a bus for over an hour. But I enjoyed being outside after 2 days in my room, so I didn’t really mind. The bus came eventually, and I went. I was there one and a half hour before the late evening film start, sat a bit on Piccadilly Circus, and then … it started raining. I like rain.

I like watching people in the rain. How they start running, or how they just don’t care. Some of them pull their umbrellas at the very first drops. Some of them go with umbrellas like mine normally looks like – the metal pins sticking out. There are golfers (I think) that have umbrellas so big that they can cover the half of London. And there are people like me, who have forgotten their umbrellas at home. Now I don’t mind a bit of rain, but this was more than a fair bit, and I more or less considered taking the bus home again. But again, the bus didn’t show up. And now there was only half an hour left, so I went to the cinema and bought my ticket. And that turned out to be a very good decision.

‘Cause there it was, the best film of 2006. And it had nothing to do with rain, but everything with snow. And life. And …

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Driving Lessons (8.5/10) review

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Driving Lessons (2006)
Tagline: A coming of age story about a shy teenage boy (Grint) trying to escape from the influence of his domineering mother (Linney). His world changes when he begins to work for a retired actress (Walters).

If anyone is wondering why I love British films so much, and why they are so great – go see Driving Lessons. I know why they are great, they seem to have an unlimited stock of great actors in this country. Rupert Grint (Ron from Harry Potter) and Julie Walters (the dancing teacher in Billy Elliot) are doing such a great job in this warm and sympathic story. I highly recommend it. And I wasn’t the only one liking it.

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