Not only does Sainbury’s have the nicest cassiers (they really do, they are always friendly), they are also the most considerate supermarket in London. They really do take care of their products.
(Sorry for the blurry picture, I still have to get used to the autofocus feature on my mobile.)
Stress and deadlines
Writers block
My blood pressure too high
There’s only one thing saving me …
– Oh come on, “saving me” don’t overdo it, it’s pukey.
1. I wondered how he would be. Would he be just as funny as on tv? Oh yes he was, he was hilarious, he has a very silly sense of humour and made everybody laugh a lot.
2. Charming, oh so charming and down to earth.
3. Little chance Michael Palin will do film again, waiting in a trailer for hours a day, he just doesn’t fancy it that much anymore. He left the door open for more unusual and compact film projects though. But he loves travelling too much to give up on those programs (and having nearly free hands from the BBC is worth a lot too there) and would love to do radio. A bit of a shame though about not doing any filmwork anymore.
4. L-o-v-e-l-y voice. (I know, I have a voice fettish)
5. John Cleese was there too!
6. Oh that wasn’t about Michael Palin. Well here then : he doesn’t want to be a politician because he hates meetings!
7. Evenings like this make London a good place to be.
8. His Diaries : The Python Years are now available in an internetshop near you, and there is a fair chance I am going to buy it.
9. Did I mention he was charming? How do they do it, those British men?
So yes it was a part of the NFT youth program, but they had the preview, and I couldn’t wait to see Flushed Away (imdb) longer than absolutely necessary. It will be released this weekend, and it is safe to say that this is a film suitable for the whole family. Children (and the young at heart) can enjoy the story about pet posh mouse Roddy St. James (Hugh Jackman) from Kensington being flushed into the sewers of London. And adults can enjoy all the jokes and references to other films that are thrown at you along the way. It’s Aardman, so the characters do resemble the likes of Wallace & Grommit, but they are done through CGI. If you loved W&G you are going to love this.
There is a highly enjoyable voice cast with Ian McKellen (as the Toad), and Bill Nighy and Andy Serkis (Gollum) (as his henchmen) as the absolute highlights. And you’ll never look at slugs the same way again after this film. The soundtrack is rocking, the story entertaining and original. Take your family and go see it, it’s fun.
For me the whole reason to mingle into this youth program was of course Whitey, the big, not too bright, albino rat, brain damaged by all the shampoo tests they have done on him. “When I went in I was grey” is one of his remarks about this testlab, which he luckily seemed to have escaped to now work for The Toad, a big fat green monster, ruling it all in downtown London. Whitey is supposed to be the tough guy, he is much bigger than the others and wears lots of bling bling (think stereotype mafia bodyguard type). But he surely has his softspots, embarrassing his mate Spike by wearing pink woolen gloves with red hearts on it (it’s all Love Actually). And ending the story with “Oh I love a happy ending”. Absolutely Billiant.
Let’s see if they can keep the Penguins from snapping the Oscar for Best Animation Film this year. Highly recommended.
If you don’t believe me, check out the slugs : Everybody Dance Now!
[rating:4.5/5]
Hence the gap.
He is tall, somewhere in his 20’s I think and he is here with his little sister (which is about 12) to see Flushed Away, in the NFT’s Movie Magic program, a program with film for younger audiences. Let’s not get into what a 40 year old was doing there.
I like him instantly, it’s the way he takes care of his sister.
“What do you want to be, odd or even?” he asks his sister holding the tickets.
“What do you mean?” she looks at him.
“Well seat 16 or 17, odd or even?”
She choses even, seat 16 on row G.
“That means I am the odd one then” he says to her, giving her 16, keeping 17 himself.
“Which is very appropriate” he mumbled after that. She didn’t hear him, but I did.
“Oh and you are a square too, 16, 4×4.” He started laughing and so did I.
I loved this guy, he was odd but very funny, and he had exactly the witty sense of humour I like.
I check my own ticket.
Row D. Seat 17. So odd.
(More about Flushed Away soon, the quote is from Jennifer Unlimited)
But I have an Eye on The London Eye.
(The words in red are from Peter Gabriel)
OK, so I left work at 5pm, because I thought 2 hours and 15 minutes would be enough to travel to the end of the world. Or the end of the tube map rather, I needed to go to Uxbridge which is the end of the Piccadilly Line, there were the trains drive of the map and disappear in the land beyond. From there the Tardis would be waiting for me, and I would be flown to Pinewood Studios where I would attend the TV recordings of the Weakest Link. the Dr. Who special. With David (The Doctor) Tennant.
That was my plan.
The subtle difference between knowing what you want, and knowing what you need is probably one of the hardest things to learn. Yes I am a Tragic Romantic.
Cos you’ve got my heart in a headlock
You stopped the blood and made my head soft
And god knows
You’ve got me sewn
(Too late …)
Mr. Blue Eyes
The first time I saw the new Bond was in Oxted cinema. Oxted is far, it’s even beyond the M25, which, for Londoners, nearly categorizes it as being on the country side.
The idea was nice, seeing Bond in a small independent cinema away from the West End, and it was cheap too. And the cinema was cosy, but absolutely not geared to show a film like this. Crappy sound (we had a hard time hearing what they were saying), and chairs making the noise of doors in a haunting house. Very. Annoying.
All that, and the fact that this is one of those films you simply have to see in the Odeon (mega screen and brilliant sound, but so overpriced) on Leicester Square, made me go again. Today.
Daniel’s blue eyes looked even more blue, and his b…
Bzzz. Just a sec, telephone.
Daniel Craig is Bond, James Bond in Casino Royale
Daniel Craig is soooo hot.
I didn’t write that. Did I just write that?
Nice pickup line now that I think about it.
I need to deliver a one page treatment (this time for real, there is no more postponing now) on Monday, which means that my brain is trying to make sense of the gazillion of loose story ends that are orbiting inside in my head. And things not making it better – the tutor’s remark that people not writing in their own language (foreigners = me) could have a hard time. Too many spelling errors in the script = not passing. That worries me a bit. I might have to look for some friendly creative and imaginative native English people out there who would like to be my human spell checker. And the fact that I don’t really have a crystal clear story is slightly worrying too.
So that’s why it was very tempting to fall back on a meme. You know, the ones I normally don’ t do. But sometimes I am weak.
Remembrance Day London
Lot’s of paper poppy flowers.
(Written in a Cafe on Magrathea)
A short landing around Tottenham Court Rd yesterday, before we took off again.
“I know where to go.” S. said.
“Oh Comedy. That is where you are supposed to laugh isn’t it. Don’t like it” that was the state I was in.
“He’s funny trust me.”
“I’m not really crazy about standuppers.”
“His last name is Mack.”
“Ha Ha. Very funny. And his first name is Billy right?” I said.
“Truly it is. Lee. Mack. Oh come on, come with me”
I did. To Drill Hall. Ha ha for a funny name for a place.
But it was here the BBC was recording the Radio 2 Lee Mack Show.
And 2 hours with Mack turned out to be exactly what I needed. Of course S. knows what I need.
2 hours so much laughter that the tears rolled down my face.
Hilarious jokes coming in such a high speed that it was hard to keep up.
And Mel C. performed 2 numbers live, after having been harassed about her Spice Girl career by Lee.
What a talent and what a crazy guy.
If you happen to live in London, you can visit the Lee Mack show for free, read more over here at the BBC.
Highly recommended, it blasts all your upcoming winter depressions to pieces.
Empty in head and Lost. Mostly Lost.
So.
I texted S.
“Please come and pick me up”.
Half an hour later I heard him making a reasonably silent landing in my back yard. He didn’t even stumble over the bin this time.
“Where do you want to go my child?”
“Just off, away from here, into space” I said.
So, I’ll be back when I’m back.
With a specially designed and very limited edition The Girl xmas double postcard (like in paper postcards, you know, the ones you have to put in an envelope and put stamps on) offer you can’t refuse, for one. And anything else I might find on my way.
Spike and Whitey in Regent Street
We have a serious problem.
What, what do you mean?
She absolutely hates Christmas.
What can I say, Bart doesn’t like Bill Nighy. Ouch.
I am not entirely sure that he likes the film either, but read his review yourself.
In the mean time, one Girl is trying to catch some sunlight in Spain before flying to Holland, and the other one is in the States and will stay there for a while. Here is a list of people participating and if you want to be added to this list : read more here and join in.
There are 3 simple rules : Watch the film, Write a review on your weblog, Send the DVD to the next person. Easy does it.
Everyone is welcome.
Love can?t change
what?s wrong in the world.
But it?s a start.
He is a huge man, filling nearly two seats in the bus. Bold head, and in both his ears a golden earring. He reminds me of Whitey. I assume he is Irish seeing as how his mobile phone chain has Ireland written all over it. On the big fingers of his hands I count, and recount in amazement : 15 golden rings.
He picks up his mobile phone and starts dialing.
He is a man of little words:
“Make sure there is a beer on the table for me”
is the only thing he says.
