Film: Obsession

I'm finally back on an overdue trip to Ireland for the weekend - first in two months..! (And it's looking likely to be something the same before I'm back again.) One thing I do miss about these trips is the downtime during the flight - no internet, just fluffy clouds out the window for an hour or so.. time to sleep, or on this occasion, to get almost half of my work's book club book read! 

Arranged to have lunch with my friend from there today, in Jade Cottage as usual.. beat him there this time (only just, as he pointed out), and we had the lunch menu. I decided to try the satay for once, for my main course - I love the General Tso's Chicken, but it always defeats me, and the szechuan is too hot for me. My friend had that, with a satay starter, out of curiosity since I was having it. My starter was the chicken spring rolls, as usual - they're so tender. So, with chicken in each of those dishes, as I remarked, many chickens died in service of this meal.. Anyway, the satay was an inspired choice of of mine, and I'll have it again.

Well, we had a great chat - long overdue - and afterwards, I intended to head to The Sheep Detectives, with Hugh Jackman as the farmer who reads detective stories to his sheep, which then use their learned skills when he is murdered! They are voiced by Patrick Stewart, Chris O' Dowd, and Bryan Cranston, among others. Showing in Ennis. But Lordy, we had delayed so long, I missed the start! I discovered I could make the showing in Limerick Omniplex in time though.. so off I went.

..Only to discover it was sold out! First time I've seen that here - a small screen, obviously. So I consulted the film ratings, to see what my options were - and discovered that Obsession, which The Hideout saw in London last night, had shot up in ratings! So I decided to go to that instead.. except both this evening's showings of it in the Omniplex were also sold out! Checking the other local cinemas, I found there was a showing in the Odeon, but I'd never make it in time.. and another at 8.50pm. I finally plumped for the Vue, which had a showing at 8.15pm, and was the cheapest of the three - had to use Google Maps' satnav to find my way over there, which turned out to be back the way I'd come..

Well, there I was blithely playing my phone game, when it occurred to me that I hadn't had a chance to shop - and it'd be too late afterwards! In particular, I was out of wine, which it'd be a shame to be without during the evening at home.. well, consulting Google Maps again, I discovered there was a supermarket over the way, and I could just about make it.. so I scuttled over there, quickly shopped, and scuttled back again. Just made the cinema in time - only to be stuck in a queue for concessions; I was thirsty, and ordered a regular 7 Up to go with my Minstrels. Crikey, that's a lot of drink though - I got halfway through it before I started to burp, and had to leave the rest.

Ooh heh heh, I've rarely seen a film as good as this! It's actually a lot of different things.. it's a horror film (because it's scary, including one of the best jump scares I've ever seen, causing me to shriek for the very first time in a cinema). It's quite a plausible examination of obsession.. and it's downright, and frequently, hilarious.

The premise is simple - this guy has a crush on one of his female friends, but is too shy to do anything about it. On hearing that she lost a crystal necklace, he heads to a shop that stocks them - but can't seem to find anything he thinks she'd like. He does, however, find a curiosity - boxes that contain a willow stick, and include instructions - make a wish, and snap the stick to make it come true! So he uses that, wishing her to fall in love with him, and love him more than anyone in the world..

As they say, be careful what you wish for. Oh man, she's, well, obsessed - and things are great for a while, until he wants some time without her, or shows any kind of interest in another woman. So, it's all lovely.. until it's psychotic. And the film does a great job of introducing scenarios where she might show herself as psychotic. Let me also give a call-out here to the wonderful Inde Navarette, who plays the obsessed girl - after giving a winning performance as the girl he would be crazy not to have a crush on, she does the best job of switching instantaneously between sweet and adoring, and batshit crazy.

There is an interesting supernatural angle, where it looks quite like she's actually possessed.. that isn't really explored, or explained. But that's not to take from the entertainment of the whole. And with her able to turn on a sixpence, we're always on edge when she's around.. her reactions can be so extreme, you find yourself laughing out loud. And as I say, in my case, shrieking at one scene. Yep, highly recommended - not for the squeamish, I must say.. so glad I saw it though.

Back to London tomorrow, and on Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats in Soho Place for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - a musical based on the true story of a boy in Malawi who built a wind turbine from scrap materials and provided necessary power to his community. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who starred in, and directed, the film, is executive producer. I got my ticket on Seatplan, which I used a Seatplan voucher for, and which garners me extra Seatplan points! Eating in Bistro1 beforehand - and I must remember not to have the calamari..

On Tuesday, I'm with TAC for Way Upstream, a dark comedy performed by final year students at the Court Theatre Training Company, at their onsite theatre, The Courtyard. Eating beforehand in Schnitzel Heaven.

On Wednesday, yet more storytelling from the Crick Crack Club (CCC)! This one is Downright Rude! with TUUP (wow, it's ages since I've seen him), Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, and Nell Phoenix, in Folklore. (How they'll all fit in there, I dunno - it's tiny!) Eating beforehand in The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch.

On Thursday, back with CT at the Backyard Comedy Club.

On Friday, Movie Roadhouse London are finally having a social again! Ah, it's been so long.. so, back at the BFI Balcony Bar, and I've booked to eat at The Archduke beforehand. I tell you, without the main organiser in town, these things don't happen.. strange that numbers are limited, mind- never happened before.. Sadly, it isn't in conjunction with The Hideout any more, and also the cap on numbers means some were excluded.. 

Next Saturday, The Hideout organiser is talking about heading to a cat cafe.. watch this space. Anyway, that evening I've signed up to go with him, and The Hideout, to a new slasher, Corporate Retreat - details TBA.

On the 24th, talking about heading back to The Lanesborough for sachertorte, this time with Mark and Martin.. our monthly catch-up. Waiting on Martin to confirm a time.

On the 25th, going to see Player with CT at Riverside Studios.

On the 26th, back at last with Rune for a medieval concert in St. Bartholomew the Great - this one is Saints and Miracles. I've booked to eat beforehand in the Old Red Cow.

On the 27th, taking instruction from LGBTQ Culture Lovers again, who kindly shared that CT has cheap tickets for a performance of The Creation by Haydn, in the Royal Festival Hall. So, headed to that (solo), and eating in The Archduke beforehand.

Then I have two appropriately vampiric days! On the 28th, I'm back with The Hideout for Vampire's Kiss, an old comedy with Nicholas Cage, in which he thinks he's been dating a vampire, and is now turning into one himself. Showing in the Prince Charles of course, and we're meeting in Victory House beforehand. I've booked to eat in Bella Italia before that - took two goes though, the site was down the first time!

And on the 29th - well, one of the things LoMAZ were talking about doing for the series of Dracula events was going to a ballet - and sure enough, there is a Dracula ballet in town! Supposed to be good, with a classical soundtrack - and sure enough, when I checked, it was almost completely booked up. The only tickets left were on the evening of the 26th - which I couldn't manage - and the matinees of the 27th and 29th - so I'm taking the 29th off, being a Friday, and will go to it that day! Can't see I'll persuade anyone to go with me though - they'd either have to take time off work, or if not, they might not be in work, and might baulk at the price! Showing in the Palladium - I had to take the Second Circle to get the lowest price, and as legroom is reportedly tight, I made sure to get an aisle seat. Eating in the Shakespeare's Head (Soho) afterwards.

On the 30th - back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies for his Nooks and Crannies of London walk - and damnit, Meetup is charging for RSVP again! (plus an extra charge, of course). And afterwards, back with The Hideout for Backrooms - the film version of Backrooms on Creepypasta, a series of liminal horror stories about featureless, unending rooms and corridors, sometimes with hostile beings in them.. stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, as his psychiatrist, as - well, he might be expected to need one, with this kind of tale. Details TBA.

Then, two days with CT.. On the 31st, I got a cheap ticket for the Sunday concert at Conway Hall, with Francesca Dego and Alessandro Taverna.

And on the 1st, back with Shake It Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Company, first Monday of every month in the Hen & Chickens.

On the 2nd, back with London Fun for Churchill's Urinal, about a female Chancellor of the Exchequer wanting the urinal in No. 10 removed.. showing in the King's Head. The organiser bought the tickets - and later informed us we'd been upgraded. As he says, another reason to buy the cheap tickets!

And on the 3rd, the last scheduled from the CCC's Story Pick + Mix in Next Door at Theatre Deli - this time, it's We Are Fox, with Alys Torrance and Lucy Lill.