Films: Toy Story 5 & The Day Innocence Died

Last Monday, second film in a row, finally got around to Toy Story 5. Aw, I do enjoy them.. and this one has the traditional toys competing with AI. V topical. Nearest showing to me is in Everyman Borough Yards. So, out I went on foot, braving the heat.. by the time I got there, I felt cooked: medium-well, I think. Got there ever so slightly late, which means the trailers were just starting - I grabbed a glass of wine with my ticket.

Before the film, we had a introductory speech - the guy remarked at the unusual lack of under-8s for this film! and speculated whether it was nostalgia, or we were just all escaping the heat. Tsk, has the man never watched one of these..? Well, we start in the household of Bonnie, who has most of the toys, headed by Cowgirl Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), for whom the astronaut Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) holds a torch. He keeps trying to propose, bless him, and bottling it. Anyway, trouble arrives in the form of a new, internet-connected tablet, which Bonnie's parents feel will help her to make new friends. Yeah, but now she's neglecting all her other toys - so Jessie makes contact with Woody (Tom Hanks), hoping to make a stand for traditional play.

Ah yeh.. and the comic genius of the film happens early, with a spilled shipment from a lorry.. oh wow, it's lots and lots of - Buzz Lightyears! and these all have internet interconnectedness, and a unified dream to contact star command. This scenario is just bursting with comic potential - and thank you guys, you really made the most of it! From the sheer absurdity of Buzz x 50, to Woody's newly discovered bald spot (as someone says, pass the brown marker), to Conan O' Brien voicing an electronic potty trainer.. this is frigging hilarious. And poignant, also taking the opportunity to warn about cyber-bullying. Never fear, these toys won't let AI make them obsolete..

Adored it, wasn't bored for a second. Highly recommended, for all ages!

Now, like a responsible citizen, I had my phone off (well, on flight mode) throughout, turning it on again as I left. And as usual when this happens, I was greeted with a slew of messages. This batch, however, floored me - and I had something like a panic attack in the middle of the street. I was headed for the nearby Nando's, but was so flustered I could hardly make it there. See, I was wondering why the main organiser (let's call him Jonny L, for LoMAZ) of London Museums A-Z (LoMAZ) had been so silent - and his message was the bombshell. In essence, he has a lot of personal stuff going on, he's taking a break from organising, and he's blocked all but admin access to their main WhatsApp group! All existing events are going ahead, but no further ones are to be scheduled for the foreseeable future! Mercifully, given that I was catching up with the messages, there was already another message from another of the organisers, assuring us that the group is, in essence, not dead, merely sleeping, and will return after the summer..

Well, I got myself to Nando's, where the guy on the door recognised me, welcomed me, and offered me a table on the top level, which was empty at that point. So I accepted. And I have to say - service was quicker and friendlier, and the food was better, than Nando's Holborn the day before.. Meantime, I messaged the LoMAZ Dracula organisers group to see whether the moratorium on new events extends to that - and mercifully, it doesn't - we're allowed to go ahead with new stuff. So there's some in the works. And I'm happy to say that Jonny L is still slated to go to events with the group next month.. Why he had to put the group on hiatus, just because he's taking a (by the sounds of it, well-deserved) break is beyond me.. he and the group are not surgically attached, and there are plenty of people who can organise events.. Anyway, I felt quite "tired and emotional" after all that, so I stayed there for a while, drinking (well, it's good, and it is the cheapest around):

And so home, and it was rather cooler. And I was greeted by our friendly neighbourhood fox:

And yesterday, for my third film in a row, I found a new Meetup group - The DocHouse Documentary Adventurers Group: seems they head to the Curzon Bloomsbury for documentaries, which makes perfect sense with their dedicated DocHouse. With no reviews  yet, it's obviously a very new group! Anyway, they were off there that day to see

The Day Innocence Died, a documentary about Bloody Sunday - so I thought that sounded interesting, and I'd give the group a shot.

Headed to GBK first, and was well-fed - with the heat, I asked for a glass of tap water - which was literally hot when it arrived! She hadn't thought to add ice - when I asked her for some, it made a huge improvement. I left in time to meet the group organiser - I was the only other one to sign up - and was sitting in the cinema bar, wondering whether I should approach one of the strangers already there, when he messaged to say he was running a bit late. So we did catch up eventually, and had a nice chat before heading in.

As I'd said to him before going in, I've seen quite a bit about this. This was worth seeing all the same, more up-to-date as it is, giving the results of the families' search for justice - much of the film comprises interviews with eye-witnesses who were kids at the time, whose family members were killed. One is very open about his IRA membership, and having spent time in Long Kesh. Eamonn McCann is interviewed extensively - wow, it's ages since I heard from him.

It's thorough, but not sensationalist - it doesn't dwell on the atrocities, but does detail them. Gives quite a bit of context too, as well as the aftermath, which, of course, led to an exponential increase in IRA signups. But a substantial portion of the film deals with the fight for justice - and it's cool to see on film the separate Prime Ministers' apologies for Bloody Sunday.. and the jubilation of the massed crowds outside when the Widgery report, which demonised the victims and ignored civilian eye-witness testimony, was scrapped.

As they testify in the film, the one outstanding aim of the movement is to see the guilty soldiers prosecuted - and it seems that is the one thing they might not accomplish. The soldiers were promised amnesty in return for their honest testimony, you see.. and as Eamonn McCann remarked, well, you can hardly trust the British government to go after them now. The campaigners don't lack vigour - but they are ageing - and as one said, is it right to force another generation to carry on the fight..?

A poignant and thought-provoking documentary - as usual for this excellent cinema.

Anyway, this is the first chance I've had to blog. Tonight, a friend of mine cleverly got in in time to invite me to The Ladyboys of Bangkok, a burlesque in the Sabai Pavilion - he got free tickets. I've booked dinner beforehand at The Sindercombe Social. Rushing now before heading out to that.

Next, looking like three more films in a row! Tomorrow, back at last with Movie Roadhouse London for The Invite. Delighted they advertised it - the trailer looks promising. Based on a Spanish film, in this, Seth Rogen and his wife decide to invite the enigmatic couple upstairs - Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz - for dinner. They have no idea what they're letting themselves in for.. showing in the BFI, and we're meeting there beforehand, and for drinks after.

On Friday, their sister group, The Hideout, are 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 looks like anything, it doesn'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'm eating in Bella Italia Cranbourn Street before that.

On Saturday, 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. Eating in L' Ulivo afterwards - it's been years!

Finally, on Sunday, thinking of yet another film.. and what's coming up is The Last Viking, with Mads Mikkelson. Closest showing at a reasonable time is Picturehouse Hackney..