Just started three days of film. Tonight, I headed to California Schemin' at the Curzon Aldgate. It's a comedy about two youngsters from Dundee trying to break into hip hop, who discover it's much easier if they pretend to be from California! Looked funny, and is James McEvoy's directorial debut - he stars as well, as a record company exec. And it's based on a true story! Funnily enough, I didn't use one of my free tickets (well, £65 for five, pay upfront, then they're free) for this, it worked out cheaper to buy a discounted one.. I booked to eat in Cote St. Katharine Docks beforehand.
Could walk there, and I did - earlier rain cleared off, to give us brilliant sunshine. Have to say, I always love their location, overlooking the marina. Unfortunately, my watch was a little slow, so I didn't realise I was slightly late for the booking - never mind, it wasn't a problem, and I was quickly seated and quickly served. My calamari was crisp, fresh, and delicious. I had the steak frites again - not on special offer today, thankfully - not that they advertise it here; perhaps this branch doesn't do it. Now.. speaking of the offer I didn't get on Monday.. I have to give credit to AI for advising me to try a review on Trustpilot - that was the first thing that got Cote's attention. They asked me to email them the details, which I did, and I have now been promised a refund of the difference. Funny how it was only after that that the other reviews I had posted started to reap dividends, Cote offering to help..
Anyway, today I was in time, for once, for dessert, and had their delectable salted caramel ice cream. Walked to the cinema from there - again, slightly late - and didn't fancy chocolate, for once! Got a wine, and trotted off to the very end of the cinema, where the ads had just started. I have to say, it's nice to go here - screens are bigger than in the Curzon Bloomsbury, which means more space when you're squeezing past people, for instance - plus, you get a little table on the arm of every seat, so handy for leaving your stuff on.
I've always had a lot of time for rap - coming from a tradition where they have to compose on the spot, it requires real skill with words. So I loved any and all performance scenes in this film - if you don't like this kind of music, you might be better off staying away. They're really good, and how they were treated is a travesty, the narrowmindedness of record company execs focused on Americans is galling. It's a compelling watch, as you're first rooting for these kids, then worried for them as their fake lives start to clash with their real ones. James McEvoy has fun being mean. Yes, recommended - acting is good, music is good. Ends on a bit of a downer, I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say.
Next, two days with my somewhat neglected horror film group, The Hideout! Tomorrow (first of three days with Meetup), we're seeing I Saw the TV Glow, a psychological horror that I was disappointed to miss at the time, now showing in the Prince Charles. Meeting in Victory House beforehand as usual - and yay, I've booked for Bella Italia before that. Leaving an extra hour for eating, after the rush last time, and the organiser is joining me again. And again, I have a £15 voucher for there, lovely.. and so much easier to redeem than Cote's offer!
And on Friday, we're headed to see Lee Cronin's The Mummy - details TBA, but we're apparently having a mummy quiz beforehand!
For Sunday, a friend asked whether I was interested in Patel's Millions 2, a Bollywood-inspired musical comedy (sequel, by the sound of it) about the owner of a corner shop who comes into money, then loses it, but his family are still spending like there's no tomorrow. Does sound good - showing in the Beck Theatre, which I've discovered I can get to in under 1.5 hours. Isn't that nice? However, she's selling two tickets, so she said she'd try to sell them as a pair, and would sell one to me if she couldn't. Failing that option, it'd be cinema again, and I was looking at My Father's Shadow, in which a father shows his young sons the sights of Lagos during the inflammatory election of 1993 - closest showing to me (that's not too early) is in Picturehouse Hackney.
On Monday, second day in a row, I'm also looking at film - and thinking of Project Hail Mary at last! It's one of those that a lot of people I know have seen, but I haven't gotten around to it - stars Ryan Gosling in a dystopian future where the sun is dying, and he has to go into space to perform some kind of rescue mission. Along the way he meets a cute little alien being. I've heard people rave about it, and he's always watchable, so perfectly happy to give that a shot! Closest showing to me is in the Everyman Borough Yards.
Finally, on the 25th.. well, someone from LoMAZ suggested creating an event to eat sachertorte. Apparently the Lanesborough Hotel is hosting a temporary pop-up, giving you the chance to eat sachertorte and apfelstrudel prepared to the original recipe of the Hotel Sacher in Vienna. However, wouldn't you know it, that's the only day this month that suits James to meet! And he, Mark, and Martin aren't members of that group, and it's a private group event.. the group is headed to a ceilidh that evening, but I said I'd skip it and hang out with James and Mark and Martin, if it suits.. ah, the difficulties of scheduling!
But then, when I asked about timings, the organiser said he'd completely forgotten about it - and was it on the 25th or 26th? Well, I don't have anything for the 26th, so asked for that, and he was fine with it.. but a couple of others aren't. Unfortunately, I was outvoted.. I'm going to skip it, it's too much hassle.
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