Challenge Excepted: Spain

We're back in Europe! This time in Spain with Jamon Jamon.

Described as a twisted relationship comedy drama with ham. For this was a crazy romantic comedy drama that ended up being really weird and confusing, especially the end shot.

Not only was this the film where, now married actors, Javier Bardem and Penlope Cruz first met but it is Cruz's debut feature film.

The story is set in the Monegros desert in Northern Spain, Silvia (Cruz) has become pregnant by rich spoilt mummy's boy Jose. He wants to marry her but first he has to stand up to his parents, especially his mother, Conchita. Of course she disapproves as after Silvia's father left his family, Silvia's mother, Carmen, became the town prostitute.

In order to stop her son, Conchita pays ham factory worker Raul, to seduce Silvia. But soon Raul starts to fall in love with Silvia which makes Conchita jealous as she now wants Raul all to herself.

The story, up to a point, is very rom-com but because of a few elements it turns to drama. All the characters (except Silvia) lie, cheat and betray one another, due mostly to lust and greed. It was great! All the characters acted melodramatic, Silvia saying every now and then if she can't be with the man she loves, she'll kill herself. Or Jose saying how much he is in love Silvia he'll do anything but then goes and pays Carmen for sex. Conchita is the worst, let's just say, she's the one who starts it all and the one who ruins it all.

There are few odd scenes in the film which involve food or the talk of food, the crowing moment being the fight scene with legs of ham. They can really do some damage.

I really enjoyed the film until near the end where everything that had built up was rushed. The ending felt lazy. For me the film needed an ending that either rounded things up or ended things completely but instead it was slowly abrupt, if that makes sense. It was slow but then just ended, no exclamation.
"The films ends with a peculiar grieving scene, which reiterates the recurring themes of primal instincts, infidelity and destruction." As I said, the films begins and continues as a comedy then end with drama.

End line: Twisted heated relationship drama filled with food metaphors galore.

Next: Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, Denmark, South Korea

Challenge Excepted: Taiwan

First film outside of Europe, The Wayward Cloud from Taiwan.

For anyone who hasn't seen this film, I'm sure you've seen at least one of the images on the poster, certainly the watermelon theme going on.

There is a water shortage on Taiwan and people are being encouraged to drink watermelon juice in replacement of water. Hsiao-Kang, an adult film actor and Shiang-chyi, a woman who scrounges for water, meet again and start a relationship.

I say 'meet again' because the characters met before in 'What Time Is It There?' also directed by Tsai Ming-liang. The Wayward Cloud is something of a sequel.

There is very little dialogue and hardly any camera movement, something Tsai is known for. Apart from the very explicit sex scenes (most) of the musical numbers are fantastic. There is great contrast between the solemn reality and extremely colourful and camp musical scenes. In particular the scene filmed at the landmark Dragon and Tiger Pagodas with all the awesome watermelon umbrellas is really amazing. As the film went along the musical number became more exaggerated and stranger too.

Having watched it without muck knowledge of the film before hand I was actually taken aback but  quickly got used to the feel of the film. I'm not sure how to recommend this and the musical number where the lead is dressed up as a penis and running around a giant bathroom is a bit too far for me. Another element is the lack of dialogue, for some stories I can see why its not needed but for this film I wanted to know more but without dialogue the story didn't really move along.

End Line: It's basically a porn musical.

Next: Spain, Sweden, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark and Japan

To Be Young, In Love and Struck By Lightening

This is the follow up to Wes Anderson night, this is Moonrise Kingdom.

Most of you must know that I have talking about this film and the director for quite some time and that I was VERY excited to see it. It was beyond brilliant.

The story goes like this; it is the summer of 1965 and on the fictitious New England island of New Penzance two twelve year olds runaway. Suzy is from a family who live on the island, parents both lawyers (Frances McDormand & Bill Murray) and three younger brothers. She is in love with Sam who is an orphan Khaki Scout. They have been writing to each other for a year and plan to runaway together. When it is discovered that they have runaway, Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) is quick to call the only policeman on the island, Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) to start the search.


There are other little bits if stories that intertwine but if I told them all it would spoil the film.

The film was brilliant. Having seen/read a few interviews with Wes Anderson before the film it was great to know how he cast the two young leads, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. For both of them this is their first acting role and were both picked out from schools. In other reviews the writer has tried to simplify them both by calling the character Sam, a geek (just because he wears glasses) and Suzy, a young IT Girl, compared to Kristen Steward. This is all wrong, both characters are strange and at times violent, in their own way and it seems sad to give them labels which most definitely don't fit. 

It was also great to see Edward Norton and Bruce Willis playing against type. It was, as always, great casting. These actors can do Wes Anderson humour, and they can play slightly pathetic and wounded very well. The costumes of course helped, Norton in school boy shorts and knee socks, Willis is short legged trousers and greyish hair, they created characters that were essential to the film, although I may be a tad biast (Norton is one of my favourite actors).

The look of Anderson's films are so distinct this film is not exception. Each frame was like a beautiful photography I wanted to put on my wall. The colours were so vibrant, every shot was a master piece that needed attention. I particularly enjoyed the scenes on the woods and beach where the young lovers set up camp. (For other delicious shots, look on my other Wes Anderson posts)


All the quirks are in there too; slow motion scenes, quick pans, issues with white middle class people, family issues, use of inserts and super soundtrack.

A fantastic story with a satisfying end. It was close to having a disappointing one but it switched right at the end, after all, young love can't always be doomed, that's just dull. It's all about the adventure.


I saw it at Curzon Soho cinema and they had decorated the bar and area downstairs in the film's theme. There was fire wood and camp lanterns placed everywhere, with Scout flags and things too. There were also displays of stills and posters of the film. I tried to capture a few but the lighting wasn't great plus I only had my phone with me.

I will be seeing it again.

Wes Anderson Night!

It's only one more day until Moonrise Kingdom comes out and I am VERY excited!

The premiere of the film was at Cannes Film Festival and Wes Anderson with his marvelous cast stepped out on the red carpet for the opening night of the festival. I would have paid good money (if I had any) to have been there.

 The whole cast (apart from Frances McDormand) was in attendance which rare and beautiful.

Here in the UK on Thursday night is Wes Anderson night on Film 4 where they are showing Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited and Fantastic Mr Fox along with footage from Moonrise Kingdom and interviews with the man himself. This means I will be taking a break from my film challenge and indulging. Well I will after some much needed Theory Test revision and driving practice.

Here is a link to Film 4 website: http://www.film4.com/videos/article/wes-anderson-night-on-film4

Hope you're all as excited as me now!

Challenge Excepted: Scotland

Having previously only seen 10 minutes of this short film, upon discovering it is actually a Scottish film made for BBC Scotland, I went back and searched for rest of the film.

The film is, Franz Kafta's It's A Wonderful Life.

It is written and directed by none other than Peter Capaldi. This name will probably mean more to British readers, but for those outside the UK he's that guy he says fuck a lot in the TV show 'The Thick of It' and in the film spin off 'In The Loop'.

The title refers to the author Franz Kafka and the film, It's A Wonderful Life directed by Frank Capra. The plot take the concept of the two elements to strange and unusual places. The writer, Kafka is trying to write his most famous work, The Metamorphosis but is struggling to find any inspiration. While trying to write is also continuously interrupted by neighbours, visitors and random people

Richard E. Grant plays the author and he plays it rather well. He starts to resemble his subjects' appearance before he turns into a beetle. Pale skin and dark rings under the eyes, makes me think of German expressionism films.

The film changes from dark comedy to very sinister when Ken Stott suddenly appears from the shadows asking where is pet Jimminy Cockroach has gone. But just as quickly as that happens, the mood turns to sentimental when everyone in the film appears with jar of insects for Kafka after he has a breakdown. It ends on a happy, if not odd note with Gregor Samsa, Kafka's creation now in beetle form, singing in bed.

An odd but well staged and written short film that twisted genres. This film inspires me as I too try to write genre twisting tales. If you're interested in watching the whole film (20 minutes), you can find it on youtube.

End Line: Genre twisting nostalgic literature piece.

Next: Taiwan

Challenge Excepted: Norway

First of the Scandinavian films, its Troll Hunter from Norway.

 

When this film first came out, it was made a big deal of. It got good reviews at home and abroad and as the poster says was 'pretty damn spectacular'. 

Set up like how 'The Blair Witch Project' was, found tapes, no one knows where the filmmakers are, ends on a cliffhanger type of film. At first it follows three University students making a basic documentary, following a suspected bear poacher through Western Norway. They follow him to various camp sites and wait for him to emerge. These places are also spots where illegally slain bears have been found, but hunters and locals are confused because the tracks don't look like bear tracks, it looks like the bears have just been dumped.

The filmmakers finally catch up with this suspected poacher and successfully follow him one night. They follow him into the woods and hear strange sounds and noises. Then suddenly he comes running out of the trees shouting 'TROOOOLLLL!!'. This is first moment when we and the filmmakers realise that this is not your average hunter and prey.

The film continues in this way. The Filmmakers join the Troll Hunter on various missions and along the way we find out about the secret organisation TSS (Troll Security Service) and how they have been keeping an eye on trolls and their movements.

Everything that is laid out in the film feels plausible and matter of fact. I particularly enjoyed the short scene where the Polish company who are responsible for dumping the bears in areas where animals have been eaten, bring the wrong species of bear. They bring a Russian one instead of a Scandinavian one and claim no on will know the difference. One scene later, a news reporter points out this error and confusion.

The story is slow and doesn't go over the top with troll sightings or action scenes. The characters are interesting, especially the Troll Hunter, Hans, himself.  Well known Norwegian comedian, Otto Jespersen plays the title role and although his expression hardly changes, he is still so fascinating to watch and listen to.

The fact that the 'mockumentary' and 'found footage' genre is usually used in horror films, it was so refreshing to see something new and exciting on screen. Yes I did get freaked out a few times but who wouldn't when a giant troll is on screen. I saw this as more of a thriller than anything as I was on the edge of my seat.

Last element of the film I'll mention is the special effects, the trolls were amazing. All the trolls had their obvious own looks and were down in such detail. Another major part of the film were references to folklore and common descriptions such as trolls have tails, can have multiple heads, they eat rocks but love meat, they can smell a Christian man's blood and that they turn to stone upon contact with sunlight. The latter is used frequently in the film as the Troll Hunter uses UV lights to kill the trolls. 

A fantastic film and I urge you to watch it. An exciting thrilling, interesting film that didn't come Hollywood, broaden your minds people.

End Line: A rare stroke of mockumentary genius.

Next: Scotland

Challenge Excepted: Ireland

From Greece to Italy and now to Ireland.

The film, Ondine.

I came upon this film by chance when, as usual I was flicking through a film related magazine and saw a review of Ondine. I was intrigued because it starred Colin Farrell playing a 'dad' and it was an Irish film. I thought how rare it is to see a actor who has climbed into the Hollywood bed, climb out of it and go back their roots.

The story is about Syracuse (Colin Farrell) an Irish fisherman who lives on the outskirts of a Irish coastal town. His life is changed when he catches a mysterious woman in his nets. His daughter believes her to be a magical creature, a Selkie, a seal in the water and a woman on land.

Below is a picture on a stamp showing the capture of the seal woman.

Called a modern fairytale it feels exactly like one but only because Syracuse's daughter Annie believes the story to be one. The whole way through I kept changing my mind whether it was true or not, but of course it didn't matter by the end if she was a Selkie or not. She is in love with Syracuse and he is with her but there is always going to be something in the way of happiness. It is a modern fairytale after all.

I thought the film had a reality feel mixed with a mysterious magical undertone. There are a few very sad and tragic events in the film, things that I didn't expect which made it feel too serious but the overall tone of the film was a calming magical experience. But I always feel that way when a story is set in a small town by the sea. Except Breaking the Waves, that was just plain awful.


End Line: An unusually, gentle modern fairytale.

Next stop, Norway.

Old Movie Day

With all the things happening, the challenge, friend's birthday, work, my bike having dodgy gears, I had no time to watch old movies.

Last year I claimed that 20th May was Old Movie Day and I missed the day yesterday, mostly because I was working and partly because I was so tired when I got home I just sat on the sofa and watched Robin Hood with my family because I simply couldn't move.

BUT I will still have my tradition, even if its a tad late. I had planned to watch some Charlie Chaplin shorts and maybe some Marx Brothers and I will later this week.

I also hope you had a good Old Movie Day if you celebrated.

Challenge Excepted: Italy

As my challenge continues with Italy I also struck gold when searching for films from other countries including Taiwan, Norway, Poland and a film from Germany that I never got to see the end of.

First up, Italy and the film, Gomorrah.

Back in 2008, Little White Lies had a Gomorrah issue, this the cover.

I had wanted to watch Gomorrah ever since I read an article in Vanity Fair about the Camorra, the name given to crime organisation in Naples, Italy. I was so intrigued by the story of the Camorra and how this still function today I wanted to see for myself.

There are five intertwining stories in the film, each seen from the perspective of an individual and one duo. Toto is a 13 year old groceries delivery boy who joins a gang after helping retrieve one the gang's weapons and drugs after a police raid. Don Ciro is a middleman who delivers money to the families of imprisoned clan members. Roberto works in waste management and his boss, a wealthy man, illegally dumps toxic waste in abandoned quarries. Pasquale is a haute couture tailor who's bos has Camorra ties. He has a night job working for a rival Chinese factory which doesn't sit well with the Camorra. The duo, Marco and Sweat Pea are two cocky wannabe gangster teenagers who get on the wrong side of a Camorra clan.

Each story intertwines with the other as the film is set in the Naples and Caserta, mainly in a derelict housing estate. Everyone seems on edge, except the children, who throughout the film seem content, apart from a shooting that takes place in the middle of the street near a playground.

The film is brilliant, even though I didn't feel attached to anyone in the film. The stories are all staged yet it felt it could a be a documentary after reading that article. Everyone is out for themselves yet they demand loyalty from others. Matteo Garrone is great director and you can see this, not in only in the film but in the behind the scene featurettes, he works well with everyone, especially the children.

You can describe the film as gritty realism but it is more than that, as I said it felt more like a documentary and all to real to be just a film. The stories might not be about the inside of a clan but you see how dangerous it is to just know someone who knows someone in the clan, they have a far reach and they will get you, even if you have done something so small. At the end of the film, facts appear on the screen.

'In Europe, the Camorra have killed more than any terrorist or crime organisation; 40,000 deaths in the last 30 years, one every three days.'

'The Camorra have invested in the rebuilding of the Twin Towers.'

Just a couple of facts, the first one really does shock me.

Its a great film and I recommend anyone to watch it.

End Line: Don't go to Naples, watch the film.

Next up is Ireland.

Challenge Excepted: Greece

The challenge has begun and I have watched one film so far, I'm starting slow I know.

First up was Greece, the film, Dogtooth.

To be honest I don't know many Greek films and I know next to nothing about their film industry. I would have to consult my giant BFI Cinema book for advice. But I managed to get a copy of Dogtooth and as it fitted perfectly into my challenge I thought why not.

First of all, I found this film disturbing, mostly because of the situation the children are put in and because of the incest that goes on.

The story is about a husband and wife who have kept their two daughters and son within their property, sheltering them from the outside world. The children are all adults now but still act like children. They are kept ignorant of everything beyond their walls and are told things such as the planes that goes over the house are toys. Only the father leaves the compound to go to work each day and only one other person, a woman from his office visits to have sex with the son from time to time.

The characters either seem cold and hurtful or naive and at times pathetic. The story and how it unfolds made me feel uneasy. I wanted to know if any of the children would escape but also wanted the story to end. Near the end you can see how uncomfortable the eldest daughter is and this is brought to a head when she pulls out a tooth. She does this because her father has told her and her siblings that in order to leave home they first have to lose a dogtooth.


Yorgos Lanthimos who directed the film has been praised in Greece and Internationally, claiming the film to be 'a horror without the splatter'. I couldn't agree more with this statement.

For anyone who is interested or intrigued by the story, which how I originally became interested, I suggest you watch this but probably no more than once. And it is definitely not something to watch with your family.


End Line: Disturbing family film

Next: Italy

Challenge Excepted!

No one challenged me, apart from my self.

I recently watched Julie & Julia, which (I will mention it in my May Watch List at the end of the month) inspired me to come up with my own challenge. I needed something film related, of course, and I needed to be an actual challenge. My first thought was to watch ALL of Hitchcock's films but because I've already watched quite a lot of them I thought there was little point in it. Ideally I would have loved to try going to a film festival on each continent but that's very expensive. So, drumroll please, my challenge I have set myself is . . . .

To watch a film from as many different countries as possible and I am giving myself 6 months to do this in. Starting from now until October (just in time for the BFI London Film Festival and also because I already have a few films lined up.

To give you an idea of how many countries I am attempting here is my map that I am going to use:

Already lined up are Italy, Ireland and Japan.

Wish me luck and if anyone has any film recommendations for any countries please let me know!

TV: Love/Hate; A Brief Critique

For a recent application I had to write about a drama show that I hated and one that I admired. Below is the brief version of the critique I wrote:

In the last twelve months there has been many great dramas and many poorly constructed ones.  The programmes that stood out for me, for different reasons, were Black Mirror (Channel 4) and Dirk Gently (BBC 4). 

‘Black Mirror’ was given some much adverting space leading up and during the time it was shown. It boasted that it “taps into our contemporary unease about our modern world" and that Charlie Brooker, the writer of the moment, wrote it. When it finally aired and the story revealed, it felt as if it were a joke. After a member of the Royal Family is kidnapped and held hostage, The British Prime Minister is given an ultimatum, have sex with a pig on live television or she will be killed. The plot is ridiculous and not in a clever satirical way, it is just awful. The acting was fine, nothing to say about there. The production on a whole was well done but all that is overlooked because the writing and story are appalling. What is a drama without it’s story and characters.

For weeks it was advertised as a dark comedy yet there was no a single moment where it was amusing. Dark comedy comes from situations that aren’t meant to be funny but are made to be. The entire ‘National Anthem’ episode was disturbing, it felt like Charlie Brooker pulled a cheap shot; embarrass the Prime Minister but making him perform an unspeakable act for entertainment.

On the other hand, Dirk Gently, a drama programme about a self proclaimed Holistic Detective trying to solve weird and wonderful crimes was a piece of brilliant television. This detective show, adapted from the novels of the same name, was given close to no advertising and was not hyped up. It was given modest reviews and had been given a series after the success of the pilot episode that aired months before it.

Each episode was creative and original and very amusing. The casting was inspired; Stephen Mangan was fantastic as the odd detective, he was free to experiment and was at his best comic timing since Green Wing. The writing for each episode was also well thought out, each episode had a purpose and was well constructed and all had a surprising end. To describe Dirk Gently it is has a one star budget and a five star script.

The only improvement to the series would have been to make it twice as long as it was. Once the audience has grown to love the characters they are deprived of any more episodes. The drama is unique and cannot be compared to another, which is what should be on television more often, unique programmes.

Marvelous Mugs

Behold, most of my mug/cup collection!

Some people collect figurenes, some people collect toys, some people collect old coins but me I collect DVDs and mugs, glorious mugs. If the design is creative, awesome or just fun, I've got to have it. Instead of buying the t-shirt or jumper I'll buy the mug (or poster) to show I'm a fan.

From the top left: 1. Alice in Wonderland mug, Urban Outfitters 2. Disney's Alice in Wonderland, Disney World (a present) 3. Kelloggs Frosties, Urban Outfitters (also a present) 4. Moustache Mug, Urban Outfitters (also a present) 5. Forever Friends, Paperchase 6. Seal, Chessington World of Adventures 7. BFI, Movie-Con 2 event 8. My mug that I painted, somewhere in Surbiton 9. Tea cup, Charity shop 10. Snorkmaiden mug, Ebay (where else) 11. Eeyore sketch mug, Disney Store 12. Kermit, Disney Store 13. Candy striped, Berlin

14. A new addition, which I bought after this photo was taken. Game of Thrones: Targaryen, Forbidden Planet.

Supernatural Soap Opera

When searching for this image I was offered a choice of 'Dark Shadows' and 'Dark Shadow the hedgehog'.  When I clicked on the latter, of course I was disappointed to find the image below. I was expecting a real hedgehog with some kind of evil glint in its eye.

Moving on. Dark Shadows is an ensemble piece, with Johnny Depp at the head. Having not seen or heard of Dark Shadows until Tim Burton announced he was making it, I was intrigued to find out it was a 70's US soap opera, especially when I found out it has obvious supernatural elements to it. This was the main reason I wanted to see it. A combination like that is always a winning formula in my eyes.

The film's plot is basically this; Barnabas Collins, with his family sail from Liverpool to Maine in 1760. The family set up a fishing port and the town is soon established as, Collinsport. Barnabas seduces the maid, Angelique who is madly, note madly, in love with him. But when he throws her over a falls for another woman, being a witch, she puts a curse on his family in revenge. She murders his parents, makes his love jump off a cliff and turns him into a vampire. After turning the entire town against him, they capture and bury him in a chained up coffin and there he remains for 200 years.

In 1972 the Collins family, struggling financially and some mentally live together still in Collinwood Manor. They have seen better days. Their business is in almost ruins because of their rival, Angelbay which is run by Angelique. Being a witch she doesn't age. But when Barnabas's coffin is unearthed but accident by a construction crew, things start to change.

After seeing the film I was intrigued about the characters and wanted to see the actual show. It was never shown over here originally but I bet with release of the film, box sets will start to become available. I also found at that Barnabas' character was introduced until a year into the show's run. Ghosts were introduced first in the show, only six months into the run and they do play a heavy part in the film. There were also a few revivals of the show in 1991, which was short lived (look at the trailer and see why, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97m6aBjqXLo) and in 2004 where a pilot was cast and filmed but never picked up.

Although on paper it looks to be a winning formula, on screen I'm not so sure. I was expecting to see melodramatic performances and soap opera dialogue but there was hardly any of this. The characters were all so brilliant and the casting couldn't have been better, especially Eva Green as the evil witch Angelique, but I felt there were too many unanswered questions that weren't answered. What actually happened to Elizabeth's husband? How did Angelique pretend to be her ancestors? Why did Roger Collins marry if he's such an arsehole? Why were those hippies in the wood? Hasn't Christopher Lee retired? Why is Victoria Winters so dull? Why Helena Bonham Carter in this film? Was that the end?

Just a few things that I wondered while watching the film and on my way home. I also wished that more time was spent on the other characters instead of Barnabas. The elements of soap operas that did shine through were that the characters were very stereotypical, the teenager was a bitch, the witch was a slut, the guy who works for the family was a drunk and so on.

Not to lead you astray, I did enjoy the film, I just wish it could have been even more over the top. The costumes, set design and style of the film were all amazing as you would expect from a Tim Burton film and I would recommend the film to people, just warn them, its not really like a soap opera, just based on one.

Foxes Day Out

Last week (tad late in writing this) my friend Foxo and I went for our second adventure.

This time we went to the London Film Museum. I had been wanting to visit this place for years and finally my dream came true.

After rather hilariously trying to find our way through all the passages and corridors we made it to the start the museum with an exhibition of the costumes from The Iron Lady. That was rather odd as most of the costumes were similar but different colours. More excitingly, round the corner was the original gong used in the Rank Films studio icon. You know the one where the man, half naked (later found out more than half) hits a gigantic gong. If not, here it is below along with a very bad photo I took with my phone.

After the gong excitement, there was plenty of information about all the studios in England and about their history. There were also various film themed rooms, including a DC Comics, Animation and Harry Potter one. There was a horror room which I couldn't even enter. I caught a glimpse of several severed heads and freaked out. I waited on a giant bench opposite a yeti.

We experienced what it would be like to sit in an old fashioned car and be in an old black and white film at the same time. Most enjoyable but only wish we could have taken it out for a real spin, especially as we are both learning how to drive. Unfortunately the photos I tried to take were pretty rubbish, this is the best one.

Then we wondered around some giant objects for a while until we realised they were props the film The Borrowers. Not a great film but hey we got to see the props. We also had a look in the Sci Fi room where a giant Queen Alien was guarding her eggs, really freaked me out. Next door was the Sherlock Holmes room, with a complete set up the detective's room. Along that corridor was various bits and pieces of film memorabilia including photographs and stills. There was a Ray Harryhausen
 exhibition showing all his work in animation, including a giant statue of Medusa from the original Clash of the Titans. This led on to the Star Wars room which had all the characters behind bars and then half a tube train carriage.

But all this was mere exhibits compared to the best part of the museum, the Charlie Chaplin exhibition!!!!!!

I had a whale of a time. Apart there being a massive timeline with photographs, posters and such, there were gigantic portraits on the wall and a mini Chinese Theatre, modeled after the one in LA where the Oscars are held. There were some old fashioned theatre seats and various clips from his films. It was amazing. We stayed in there for quite some time until we started to get hungry and I almost tripped and had an accident.

After that shock we treated ourselves with some delicious cake and coffee and a well deserved rest. Yes I think we did deserve it. We then searched for a cinema in London that was showing the newly released Dark Shadows. This film had come out that day but we still couldn't find a cinema that was showing it and at a decent time. We had a quick coffee/hot chocolate in really nice restaurant type place in Covent Garden, I forget the name, before dashed back to catch the film. We settled on Empire in Leicester Square and oh my was that a wonderous theatre. If you've never been do try as it is MASSIVE! No quite as big as the IMAX but damn close. Such a beautiful screen, but as for the film, more on that in another post.

All in all it was a grand day out and the next plan is already in motion.