Film: Carrie & Storytelling: A Figure of Speech

So, I came to Picturehouse Central on Saturday night, to meet The Hideout and see CarrieI was just ensconced in the bar and settling in my seat, when lo, one of those messages came through from the organiser. Who was sat at the other side of the bar! sensibly, as it was more visible from the entrance. So I decamped to where he was. And we had a good chat - this night was much better attended than Friday's, and a good crowd of us were gathered by the time we needed to go to the cinema.

I'd read the book - never seen the film, though. There are differences - for instance, in the book, she destroys the town! Principally though, the main difference I found.. was that I thought the book was a lot scarier, in this case. I found the film more sad than scary - probably because of the morose music throughout. Which ensures you empathise with her - but it's not great for horrifying an audience, despite Sissy Spacek's wide-eyed stares! I'm not sure Piper Laurie really convinces either, as her religious fanatic mother.. she looks too innocent! Still, it's a shocking film, and well made. Also interesting to see John Travolta as the boyfriend of one of the bullies, in what I think was his first film role.. I enjoyed this, but again, if I want to be scared, I'll re-read the book..

Afterwards, the organiser retired home, and some of us headed out for more drinks - ending up in a place called Jack Solomon's. There seems to be a larger club downstairs - we stayed in the tiny, ground-level bar. Where the menu on the wall only lists cocktails - happily, it turns out they also do beer, and wine. I asked for a Sauvignon Blanc and was served possibly the tiniest portion I've ever had.. when I went back for a refill, she was out of that, and asked whether I'd be OK with Pinot Grigio, which I was. And she took pity on me - I bet she'd overheard me - and increased my portion for the second glass..

Also happily, we managed to get seats after a bit, and most of us stayed chatting until closing. Now, there was another, younger, Irish person in the group - and I have to say, for me, the most surprising news of the whole night was.. they've dropped Peig from the Irish language curriculum! Ah jeez, this is monumental.. whole swathes of Irish people would leap for joy if they heard this! It's kind of like a new triumph for Irish freedom.. and they seem to have replaced it with Cáca Milis (sweet cake), for goodness' sake.. with Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Bradley, in which he plays a blind guy on a train, who annoys her, so she tortures him. Surreal.. Anyway, I was too tired to blog that night.

Yesterday, back with the Crick Crack Club at the British Museum - this was for A Figure of Speech, by the excellent Daniel Morden. I love these sessions - it's been too long since they last had one. Anyway, it's a lovely, peaceful way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.

It wasn't peaceful getting there.. windy, raining, cold, and there I was, waiting for a bus. Got there with half an hour to spare, though - I'm used to the queues at the museum on a Sunday, and know I have to arrive early. What I'm not used to, however, is what I was confronted with when I arrived at the museum.. a queue, fair enough, and I started to walk to the end. And walked, and walked.. it stretched all the way to the corner, and around a good way into Bloomsbury Street. I wasn't the only one who was taken by surprise - the guy behind me said he'd never seen it this bad either! 45 minutes, I was in that queue - and that with fast track access, once I got in the gate - so, 15 minutes late for the performance. Which had, of course, started by the time I arrived. I took myself over to the far side for easier access to seats, and sat on the nearest free aisle seat I could see to the front. But I was too late to be able to figure out what was going on in the first story.. bah humbug..

Happily, after 10 minutes or so, he was on to another story - and so it went through the couple of hours' performance. Plenty of humour, plenty of Welsh mythology (he's from there).. much of it concerned the Angel Gabriel coming to earth in search of the proverbial "one good man". A war has just ended, and he ends up falling in with a de-mobbed soldier, full of tales. Always a good premise for an evening's storytelling. Suitably for the season, there was one that I considered scary.. a rather excellent story of a man whose wife is spirited away by the fairies. No Tinker Bells here - these are the original, scary folk that you mustn't displease, and some of the imagery is of the kind I haven't come across before: such as the illusions they cast, and how, when prompted by someone who can see clearly, he has to grab onto the empty air and not let go, regardless what he sees. An unnerving tale, as ever, beautifully told. He was selling books and cds outside afterwards - one of these days, I might splurge!

For now, I was hungry - and for once, there was space in the Museum Tavern! I sat right down the end, by the service station - jeez, you'd think that'd help with service. Nah, despite me catching several people's eye, it was ages before anyone bothered about me! I decided to call my mother in the meantime - and I daresay I was overheard complaining, because as soon as I was off the phone, someone apologised and took my order. Very, very handy technique. Anyway, I had chicken kiyev - with some garlic bread, because I saw some pass and it looked good - and some wine, and it was all delicious, if the food was a bit salty. I might have had more wine, if anyone had come around when I was looking for it.. ah well. It is worth stopping by, the food is good - just don't stop here if you're in a hurry! Anyway, despite the long evening I had free (what a luxury!), with all the blogging I had to do, it ran too late last night.

The next two days are film, although they're not booking out, so I haven't booked.. tonight, it's looking like The Outrun, finally, in which Saoirse Ronan plays the true story of a recovering alcoholic who returns to her native Orkney. It's been out long enough that, by now, showings are limited - but it is on this evening at Picturehouse Central.

And tomorrow - well, it was looking like Carrie. And showing in the refined surrounds of The Garden Cinema, no less! Of course, I've seen that now.. but I'm very happy with the alternative! The Apprentice is the story of a young Donald Trump, learning his Machiavellian business skills from Roy Cohn. The title is a clever nod to the tv programme Trump was involved in, too. Yes, I think I'll enjoy this.. showing in my local cinema, the Curzon Aldgate, happily.

Then on Wednesday, I'm headed back to Ireland for a long weekend, it being my mother's birthday on Thursday. I fly back to London on Sunday - and next Monday, I'm with The Horror Book Club (first time in an age) for an author talk at the Prince of Wales, their usual haunt.

On the 29th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for A Raisin in the Sun, at the Lyric Hammersmith.

On the 30th, back with The Hideout (and their sister group, Movie Roadhouse) for the Darkness Falls social (I think that's a lovely name). At the BFI, as usual - I'm eating at The Archduke beforehand - and then they tacked on a trip to see Hallowe'en at the end of the night! I've seen it a million times - but hey, it's a classic, I can see it once more!

Hallowe'en itself is always an important night for me to plan - I had dreadful trouble this year finding something, though. But now, London Social Detours has finally posted something for the day - a lunchtime talk about the World's Weirdest Deaths (happening at the Guildhall Library), followed by a mini horror walk, followed by a trip to the Crosse Keys. I've booked it, and booked the time off work.. wanted to wait until I had a good reason.

That evening, the London Irish Centre have a showing of the first ever Irish language horror film, An Taibhse (The Ghost)! So, I've booked for that too.. Eating beforehand in The Blues Kitchen Camden. So I'll have to watch my time with the Crosse Keys..

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