Film: Evil Dead Burn

Tonight, The Hideout were headed to Evil Dead Burn. Now, I don't usually go for these - gore isn't my favourite thing - but more than I dislike gore, I dislike a boring horror film, as so many are. And if this looked like anything, it didn't look boring.. I particularly love the touch of a zombie literally drinking the wax from a burning candle, as shown in the trailer. Kind of deliciously wicked.. Produced by Sam Raimi. Showing in the Vue West End, drinks in Victory House beforehand as usual. And I booked to eat in Bella Italia Cranbourn Street before that.

Rushed out the door - and the bus drive in was exciting, what with a guy in Aldwych who had a temper tantrum, which he took out on his phone, smashing it repeatedly on the ground.. and then an ambulance, attempting to squeeze its way through impenetrable traffic.. and then there was more impenetrable traffic.. and with it all, I was 10 minutes late for my booking. Never mind, he seated me upstairs..

I'd never before seen them take 20 minutes with my starter. The food was all lovely, but when my main didn't arrive until 6.53pm (by which time the organiser was already in situ), I knew I was going to be late. The minute I finished, I legged it back downstairs to pay, apologising for rushing off. Happily, I had a £15 voucher to spend..

Got to Victory House, joined the group, had the best horror chat in ages. When we went to the cinema, I queued for a drink.. which, unusually, took ages, with the server engaged with serving ice creams to people who couldn't decide. When another server was co-opted to the bar, she couldn't find the glasses..

Right. My first Evil Dead film. Yup, checked off all the bits I saw in the trailer - sadly, yes, I think that was the best of it. The rest of the film was a wee bit.. not predictable in the moment-to-moment events, but overall predictable.. we didn't know how we were getting there, but we knew where we were going. Some interesting elements along the way - and one interesting bit at the end - but meh, I expected more than I got, quite simply. Too obsessed with interesting ways to kill people - there's a reason I don't go for gore, and this is a good example. And therefore, this, my first Evil Dead film, is also going to be my last. Won't trust them again.

Sadly, no drinks option afterwards, nor an opportunity to suggest one. I miss our currently indisposed organiser, who would always take us for a drink.. hey-ho.

Getting a packed bus, I missed my stop because there was no button anywhere near, nor could I go in search of one, with the crowd. And when I was getting on the next, I was bemused that the stop was supposed to be closed, what with buses stopping there, and taking people on..

Tomorrow, I was supposed to go to another social with the London SciFi/Fantasy Group in the Mad Hatter - but wouldn't you know it, just like last time, the pub has now cancelled the booking because of the World Cup! Instead, I'm now heading with CT to Dark of the Moon, at Charing Cross Theatre. Chose the matinee, and am eating in L' Ulivo afterwards - it's been years!

Finally, on Sunday, I was thinking of yet another film.. and what's coming up is The Last Viking, a crime comedy with Mads Mikkelson, who plays a man under the delusion that he's John Lennon. Closest showing at a reasonable time is Picturehouse Hackney.. 

But well.. remember the kerfuffle with London Museums A-Z being put on hiatus? Hee hee, I might have expected it.. with a gag on the main WhatsApp group, a few of the organisers have created an "underground" one, called alternately "LoMAZ Hiatus" and "LoMAZ Refugees"! Where they're merrily scheduling new events.. 😀 One of these is a watch party for the Wimbledon final that day, free on a big screen at Battersea Power Station! Thinking I might schlep along to that..