1. Matinee film at the Empire cinema in Newcastle
At £1 per ticket we don't really mind too much if the film isn't wonderful. Today's (Planet 51) wasn't bad - plot/characters not brilliant, but gorgeous visuals of a 1950s-style alien planet. Definitely worth £3.
2. Buns from the Chinese bakery
Bread Point, just on the outskirts of China Town in Newcastle is the place to go. £5 buys you an enormous box of buns - filled with ham/sweetcorn, sausage, Taiwanese chicken, char sui pork, pork mince and our favourite, 'peanut milk'. It's probably some tooth-rotting conglomeration of peanut butter and condensed milk but we don't care.
3. The allotment in the sunshine
Some weeding, digging up of things and picking is usually the order of the day in September. Today I dug up potatoes and beetroot, and picked yet more chard, and a huge punnet of blackberries. It was beautifully sunny, and there wasn't a slug in sight.
4. Bicycle riding
M's learning to ride a bicycle without stabilisers on. She's just about mastered balancing and freewheeling after a lot of riding up and down the street - next stop, adding the pedals back to the bike for some proper riding.
5. Strictly Come Dancing
It's back! The perfect eye candy while eating 'telly tea'. I'm looking forward to seeing what Ann Widdecombe makes of Craig Revel Horwood.
6. Making blackberry and apple jam
See 3. It was a *lot* of blackberries. There are now five jars on the kitchen worktop, gradually cooling down. I may need to try some out on some toast before I go to bed...
Showing posts with label film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film. Show all posts
11 September 2010
19 January 2010
Arts Corner: January is film month
Now the sledging season's ended, I seem to have taken up film-watching. I've caught more films this month than I probably did in the whole of last year - I suspect that's because (a) they're quite good for keeping small folk amused at the end of a long, cold day and (b) I've been ill, and there's only so much of Radio 4's afternoon play you can listen to before becoming slightly deranged.
So far, the list includes:
Fantastic Mr Fox at the Sunday morning cinema (followed by some rather excellent buns at the Chinese bakery). It was fantastic in every way - I especially loved the design of the sets, and the opening sequence when the two foxes chase across the farm.
Ice Princess, while swathed in blankets on the sofa. Don't laugh, it was quite good, especially if you're partial to a bit of ice skating. Might watch it again with the girl at some point.
Nanny McPhee, on a freezing cold Sunday afternoon while recovering. We made popcorn, and snuggled up on the sofa. I loved this - it was brilliant at working on grown up and kid-levels. M liked the silly things - the worm sandwiches, the toad in the teapot, the dyed lambs at the wedding (and, of course, the magic). I loved the set design again (gorgeous use of colours), and the timeless nature of the story (you know it happened sometime in the past, but it doesn't really matter when). Oh, and Colin Firth's quite watchable for an hour or two, obviously.
Up in the Air, at a real, grown-up cinema (the Tyneside). Comfy seats, mocha coffee, the works. Fabulous. And a fantastic film too - funny, not-too-schmalzy (I loved how the ending was relatively downbeat instead of the usual romantic nonsense) and with some great shots out of aeroplanes. Gorgeous George was pretty good too.
I'm not sure what's next. We found Moulin Rouge and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the charity shop for 10p, and got Bolt on DVD for Christmas...I'll let you know.
So far, the list includes:
Fantastic Mr Fox at the Sunday morning cinema (followed by some rather excellent buns at the Chinese bakery). It was fantastic in every way - I especially loved the design of the sets, and the opening sequence when the two foxes chase across the farm.
Ice Princess, while swathed in blankets on the sofa. Don't laugh, it was quite good, especially if you're partial to a bit of ice skating. Might watch it again with the girl at some point.
Nanny McPhee, on a freezing cold Sunday afternoon while recovering. We made popcorn, and snuggled up on the sofa. I loved this - it was brilliant at working on grown up and kid-levels. M liked the silly things - the worm sandwiches, the toad in the teapot, the dyed lambs at the wedding (and, of course, the magic). I loved the set design again (gorgeous use of colours), and the timeless nature of the story (you know it happened sometime in the past, but it doesn't really matter when). Oh, and Colin Firth's quite watchable for an hour or two, obviously.
Up in the Air, at a real, grown-up cinema (the Tyneside). Comfy seats, mocha coffee, the works. Fabulous. And a fantastic film too - funny, not-too-schmalzy (I loved how the ending was relatively downbeat instead of the usual romantic nonsense) and with some great shots out of aeroplanes. Gorgeous George was pretty good too.
I'm not sure what's next. We found Moulin Rouge and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the charity shop for 10p, and got Bolt on DVD for Christmas...I'll let you know.
07 August 2007
Arts Corner: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Well, Harry Potter 5 belonged to Imelda Staunton, didn't it really, in her perfect pink suit. Everyone else was allowed just enough time to say hello and advance the plot a fraction, but she rather stole the show.
And I loved the kittens.
And I loved the kittens.
22 July 2007
Arts Corner: It's a weird mix, but I like it...
Somehow, this weekend I managed to see The Sting, and Dodgeball. Hmm. Not sure what that says about my taste in films.
I know The Sting's a classic that everyone should see, but it's taken me 30-something years to get round to it (slaps wrist). The idea of watching Robert Redford didn't appeal - there's just something so smug and Jude Law about him that really puts me off. That and the fact that in every film he seems to be playing Robert Redford.
Still, I quite enjoyed it in the end. The film's not exactly zippy by modern standards, but I liked the twists and turns. And Paul Newman was excellent.
The downsides? Too many shots of Robert Redford preening, and some characters looked and sounded too similar to each other (although that was probably more of a problem because I didn't watch the whole film in one sitting, and managed to forget some of the plot in the meantime).
Dodgeball. Well, it's pure Saturday night schtick, isn't it? Funny (but blessed with warmth). There's not a lot that's sophisticated, but it steers away from the gross-out humour of the Farrellys which I really can't stand. Not bad, if you're going to watch an ironic sports movie, just for the hell of it.
Coming up shortly: Harry Potter number something or other (I'll actually have to go to a real live cinema for that one), and more sofa surfing with Children of Men.
I know The Sting's a classic that everyone should see, but it's taken me 30-something years to get round to it (slaps wrist). The idea of watching Robert Redford didn't appeal - there's just something so smug and Jude Law about him that really puts me off. That and the fact that in every film he seems to be playing Robert Redford.
Still, I quite enjoyed it in the end. The film's not exactly zippy by modern standards, but I liked the twists and turns. And Paul Newman was excellent.
The downsides? Too many shots of Robert Redford preening, and some characters looked and sounded too similar to each other (although that was probably more of a problem because I didn't watch the whole film in one sitting, and managed to forget some of the plot in the meantime).
Dodgeball. Well, it's pure Saturday night schtick, isn't it? Funny (but blessed with warmth). There's not a lot that's sophisticated, but it steers away from the gross-out humour of the Farrellys which I really can't stand. Not bad, if you're going to watch an ironic sports movie, just for the hell of it.
Coming up shortly: Harry Potter number something or other (I'll actually have to go to a real live cinema for that one), and more sofa surfing with Children of Men.
21 April 2007
Adventures in Cinema (part 2)
Not content with sitting on the sofa and watching Any Dream will Do, I decided to be intellectual again this week, and went back to the tiny Star and Shadow cinema, to see some films by a team called Desperate Optimists. Now there's a title for a song, if ever I heard one.
They screened three short films from a series called Civic Life, and another slightly longer film called Daydream, developed as part of a cultural initiative in Liverpool. I went along thinking it would be several documentary-type films, but it turned out to be a more experimental and poetic business - the premise of the Civic Life films are that they're shot in one day, and are mostly one long-take. There's often a story in there, but you have to work out for yourself what that is. Sometimes that worked (the third film, Leisure Centre, about a young man who goes back to work after the birth of his child, managed to take you on a physical journey through the leisure centre and engage you emotionally as well), sometimes it didn't (Twilight, set on the Tyne, was technically very good, but just dull). Sadly, I suspect I'm rather traditional in my film watching, and prefer something that has some semblance of a plot, so the one that I liked most was closest to a traditional "story".
The longest film, Daydream, was harder work with ten scenes (eg a man falling from a balcony in a concert hall, a school party getting lost in the woods...) of varying length but a single take. It was supposed to show "the connection between a city during a moment of great change and how this moment can be reflected in the emotional world of its citizens", but it didn't really come across. Yes, the stories were on occasion emotional. But to a non-Liverpudlian, who didn't necessarily know the locations, the connection with the city itself wasn't apparent.
Saturday night popcorn thrillers they weren't. Interesting, though.
They screened three short films from a series called Civic Life, and another slightly longer film called Daydream, developed as part of a cultural initiative in Liverpool. I went along thinking it would be several documentary-type films, but it turned out to be a more experimental and poetic business - the premise of the Civic Life films are that they're shot in one day, and are mostly one long-take. There's often a story in there, but you have to work out for yourself what that is. Sometimes that worked (the third film, Leisure Centre, about a young man who goes back to work after the birth of his child, managed to take you on a physical journey through the leisure centre and engage you emotionally as well), sometimes it didn't (Twilight, set on the Tyne, was technically very good, but just dull). Sadly, I suspect I'm rather traditional in my film watching, and prefer something that has some semblance of a plot, so the one that I liked most was closest to a traditional "story".
The longest film, Daydream, was harder work with ten scenes (eg a man falling from a balcony in a concert hall, a school party getting lost in the woods...) of varying length but a single take. It was supposed to show "the connection between a city during a moment of great change and how this moment can be reflected in the emotional world of its citizens", but it didn't really come across. Yes, the stories were on occasion emotional. But to a non-Liverpudlian, who didn't necessarily know the locations, the connection with the city itself wasn't apparent.
Saturday night popcorn thrillers they weren't. Interesting, though.
16 April 2007
Arts Corner: The Departed
Dear Martin Scorsese
I rather liked this. Not sure I would have given it the Oscar for Best Picture, as I have a soft spot for Little Miss Sunshine and thought The Queen was spiffing, but it was a good, intelligent Saturday night thriller. I actually had to watch the film and think about it, rather than doing my usual trick of multi-tasking and reading the newspaper as well.
In fact, you got me a bit confused to start off with, because Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon looked so similar what with that haircut and the mumbling. But I muddled through all the same - I'd had some practice while watching Infernal Affairs.
It was a shame a lot of them died in the last half hour, though, especially that nice Martin Sheen. I was a bit surprised that his presidential bodyguards didn't manage to stop him falling off the roof, but I guess even the FBI have their off days.
Anyway, nice try - probably a 7 out of 10.
Yours etc.
Rach
I rather liked this. Not sure I would have given it the Oscar for Best Picture, as I have a soft spot for Little Miss Sunshine and thought The Queen was spiffing, but it was a good, intelligent Saturday night thriller. I actually had to watch the film and think about it, rather than doing my usual trick of multi-tasking and reading the newspaper as well.
In fact, you got me a bit confused to start off with, because Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon looked so similar what with that haircut and the mumbling. But I muddled through all the same - I'd had some practice while watching Infernal Affairs.
It was a shame a lot of them died in the last half hour, though, especially that nice Martin Sheen. I was a bit surprised that his presidential bodyguards didn't manage to stop him falling off the roof, but I guess even the FBI have their off days.
Anyway, nice try - probably a 7 out of 10.
Yours etc.
Rach
25 March 2007
Arts Corner: Exploring film
I headed out to Byker last night, to the Star and Shadow Cinema, a fantastic volunteer-run project in the middle of an industrial bit of the city. They've built a cinema in an old warehouse, with a bar and performance space alongside, and now run a magnificent series of odd films - it must be the only place in the north east to be running a radical, political programme, including an Anarchist Film Festival.
It all sounds terribly right-on so far. But actually, it was lovely. Really warm, welcoming and friendly, although the smell of patchouli in the bar did take me back all the way to student land... I have no idea how they make any money though, given that there were about 20 people at the screening I went to - a film called 'Be Fruitful and Multiply', from the Jewish Film Festival.
It was all about a series of women in Brooklyn and Jerusalem who have large families (large in the Jewish context seems to be around 10-16 children), which must be a popular topic at the moment, given that Channel 5 screened '10 Kids and Counting' this week. Hey ho. We'll be back to Daily Mail-style screeching about the fertility crisis next.
It all sounds terribly right-on so far. But actually, it was lovely. Really warm, welcoming and friendly, although the smell of patchouli in the bar did take me back all the way to student land... I have no idea how they make any money though, given that there were about 20 people at the screening I went to - a film called 'Be Fruitful and Multiply', from the Jewish Film Festival.
It was all about a series of women in Brooklyn and Jerusalem who have large families (large in the Jewish context seems to be around 10-16 children), which must be a popular topic at the moment, given that Channel 5 screened '10 Kids and Counting' this week. Hey ho. We'll be back to Daily Mail-style screeching about the fertility crisis next.
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