Film: Cure

Tonight, I was thinking of film again - Cure is an unusually highly rated horror film, showing at the Prince Charles tonight only. Set in Japan, where a detective is flummoxed by a series of inexplicable murders, committed by people who all seem to have lost all trace of memory of the event! Now, I mentioned this to the organiser at the Frost Descends social - and lo, it turns out to be a film he always wanted to see, and never got to! Not only that, but it's said to have kick-started the subsequent wave of Asian horror. So.. it got transformed into a Meetup, with The Hideout! Unusually for events in the area, we headed to The Bear & Staff - well, he did say he wanted to find a different place. And I'd eaten there before, and found it good - so I booked to eat there beforehand.

I was in the office today - the very day they decided to put up the Christmas tree!

The office was walking distance from the pub; I left a little later than intended, so arrived a little late for my booking - no problem at all, as it transpired. I was to be glad I'd booked, though - it was packed! 

Service was quick and friendly - I had the chicken schnitzel, which was gorgeous. And just as I was finished, and on my second glass of wine, the organiser messaged the group to say he'd arrived. Lo, he fetched up upstairs! I guess the upstairs dining room is really the only place to meet a group. Anyway, by that stage the room was beginning to empty - so we had no problem finding a table big enough for the four of us who ultimately gathered. And he had the chicken too - and I do believe he enjoyed it as much as I did. Anyway, chat was excellent, and we headed over to the cinema together when it was time.

To the downstairs bar first, where we ran right into a crowd of Rocky Horror fans, obviously dressed for the occasion! And there was a queue for the toilets.. never mind, we came out in time, I got another drink, and we traipsed all the way to the upstairs cinema.

So. Cure is - in general - a really subtle film; only a few scenes could be described as shocking, and even those are tame by modern standards. Still.. it's an interesting premise, when we discover what might be behind this. And while I would probably have preferred a more full-on approach, as I say, Asian horror fascinates me, and I was intrigued to see how this developed. And more modern horror would do well to return to the first principles of this kind of film - the simple, quiet approach displayed by this film has produced some of the best horror ever since. Roll on the next - and roll on the next meeting with this group, I always have a good time!

That's the second of four days of Meetups in a row. Tomorrow, I'll be joining the World Music Meetup - if I can find them. They're headed to the British Museum, which is currently running a Silk Road exhibition - and tomorrow night, they're running an event called Music of the Silk Roads, in the midst of exhibits relevant to the music. So, that sounds good.. as to whether I'll come across the others, we shall see. They're supposed to be headed for a drink afterwards - again, we shall see.

Saturday is going to be a busy one for me. First off, I'm back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies - the walk is Birthday Boy! Winston in Westminster - it was Winston Churchill's birthday, d' you see. And we're headed for lunch afterwards in the Lamb & Flag, Covent Garden - where Helen is joining us (nice n Christmassy). And in the evening, I've finally managed to persuade Ivan and James to meet - first time since September! And with Ivan rehearsing, as most Saturdays, we're headed up in that direction, to the Approach Tavern.

On Sunday, there's a carol service at St. John's Hyde Park, so I might take myself over there. Trying the local Maximini Chinese restaurant beforehand.

On Monday, I'm with CT for Shake it Up - the Improvised Shakespeare Show - at the Hen & Chickens.

On Tuesday, our company's Christmas Party is lovely and convenient for me - at The Oyster Shed, walking distance from home! So I might skip heading into the office that day, which is likely to be manic anyway.

Wednesday is the Christmas Social for The Hideout and their sister group, Movie Roadhouse London (MRL). At the BFI again.

Next Thursday, back with MRL for Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow as cardinals involved in the election of a new pope. Isabella Rossellini shows up as a nun. Shenanigans are promised. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

Back in London, two nights of music beckon. On the 9th, I'm at a Conductors' Podium student classical concert at the Royal College of Music. 

And on the 10th, I'm at another Jazz Night at Americana. Courtesy of CT.