Paranormal Activity

Yesterday, my Main Squeeze and I decided that we'd go to the movies. He wanted to see Paranormal Activity, I reluctantly agreed. I may have said in the past, I'm not good with horror. I hide behind cushions, jumpers, doors and people. I jump and squeak. Even in dire horrors when the film-maker practically shouts 'This is a scary bit! Scary bit coming up!' I still cringe and quake.

When he first floated the idea, I did a bit of research on the interweb and thought it looks promising. It's a ridiculously small-budget film, that has grossed millions. Someone, somewhere is rubbing their hands together. It's done in the same style of the Blair Witch Project, everything filmed on hand-held camera, which given the subject matter, works very, very well.

Meet Katie and Micah, two normal love-birds with a spot of bother happening in their new house. Micah buys a camera to try and document the parnormal activity surrounding Katie. This has been happening on and off since she was 8 years old.

The film itself is exceptionally well paced. The escalation is gradual and more importantly, believable. Micah is the sceptic, who wants to play with technology and Ouija board, not so much scared as fascinated. Katie on the other hand, is uncomfortable with the camera, concerned that it is inviting trouble, which of course it does. A psychic visits early on in the proceedings and delivers the news that it isn't a ghost, but a demon. He suggest contacting a demonologist and states that they can't out run the phenomena. Micah doesn't want to bring the demonologist in, in a very sweet, but misguided opinion that he can sort things out. When he eventually realises that events are moving well beyond his control, the demonologist is out of the country. The psychic comes back, but is so uncomfortable by 'the presence', he is soon forced to leave. The couple now thoroughly frightened want to leave the house, however, 'the presence' has other ideas.

Because it is presented so normally, you are drawn in to the characters' experience. They are likeable, quirky and seem to have genuine chemistry between them. The film manages with little effort, to get you to suspend your belief. You leave with a creeping feeling of 'Oh My God, this could really happen'.

I didn't watch the movie from under my seat, a fact of which I'm quite proud. Though, that could be due in part to the pint of cider I had beforehand. There were bits that were uncomfortable and really made me jump. I would recommend it, definitely. That was time and money worth spending.

Best Laid Plans

Today, I was going to get up early and head out with my camera. Instead, I saw boy off to school and went back to bed for another couple of hours. I then pottered round the internet for the rest of the morning. I didn't really feel like going off into the cold and damp, bus or no bus. So I put on Chocolat. A fabulous film, I laughed and cried my way through it. After the credits I had a line running round my head so I sat at my desk and wrote it out. I didn't stop writing until boy came home to get changed before he went off to the coast to see his dad and family.

He had his grandad and his grandad's new Love Interest in tow. She was lovely and I have to say I heartily approve. She is obviously very fond of him and vice versa. Certainly from the conversation it was clear that she has been introduced to the rest of the family. I still miss boy's nana, she was quite a woman. It's been 4 years now and I know she is not forgotten, but happiness does not have a timetable. I think he's a lucky man and I hope they continue have fun together. I quite like the idea of naughtiness late in life. Boy seemed quite comfortable with with her and he's a good judge of character.

After they left, I returned to the keyboard and only stopped to get some fish and chips and to watch Chocolat again. Unlike Dianne, I can watch films over and over again in quick succession. I then returned to my keyboard and now after 4,458 words my brain is fried. I have about another 1,000 words to go and then my story is done. Hopefully, that will be my prose submission for my degree done. Well, the first draft anyway. I'm not even finished and I already have marked out passages to be changed.

When I popped into the fish and chip shop, the owner gave me the once over and announced how pleased she was that I didn't look so tired. Bet she won't say that next week. I have five shifts waiting for me over the next week, starting tomorrow.

Friday Feeling

Hottie says I've corrupted her, a bit rich considering she descended upon us bearing the Colonel's finest and Banrock Sparkling Red (yummy and kind to the environment). We caught up on all the news and latest gossip and in the midst of this she let slip that she had never seen Dirty Dancing! The horror! It was immediately rectified. Boy stalked off to his computer in disgust while she and I lusted over Patrick Swayze as he gyrated and looked moody. However, boy refused to go to bed until the dance finale and very kindly handed out tissues to the two of us saps.

My corrupting influence did not stop there. Oh no. Please note the new link on the side bar. I'm such a bad person. Hottie paid me back though. This morning when I surfaced I wandered into the kitchen, and there she was in her sexy jammies doing 3 days worth of dishes to the Beach Boys. Slightly disconcerting considering it wasn't even 7 am.

Right, I'm off to get dressed and face the day. I'm on earlies over the weekend and Monday, so I'm not promising that I'll be about. I'm not sure what it is about starting my day at 5.30 that fries my brain but I'm not able to do much else. Oh yeah, it's starting at 5.30.

Did Do List

1. De-flead and brushed cat. Sprayed around the flat where she sleeps.

2. Ate part of Indian takeaway.

3. Watched Motorcycle Diaries for the 2nd time as part of my dissertation.

4. Slept and got up late.

5. IMed with Britwitch, checked up on my fave blogs, left comments where appropriate.

6. Ate more Indian takeaway.

7. Watched Ivanhoe, lusted after George Saunders. I just love those medieval epics. It's the dresses.

8. Despite myself, watched Sister Act II. Very cheesy, but enjoyed it. Don't tell anyone.

9. Laughed my way through The Full Monty. It's just excellent British cinema. My favourite scene is when they're cuing for the dole and Donna Summer is piped through. Another one for my Yule list.

10. More blogging.

How do I feel? Pretty good. Nearly ready to take on the world. Just give me a few more minutes.

Sunday Left too Soon

Yet another blog with nothing to do about buses...you'll have to make do while I finish my training. Once my preceptorship is out the way and I'm on to my shifts, I'll be able to go back on the buses. Normal service will be resumed, I promise.

Today has been a mix of chores and hanging out with my homie (my pre-teen). We watched Spirited Away again. I love this modern fairy tale, it is breathtaking at times and always leaves me feeling slightly awestruck. So much so that we'll be curled up watching Princess Mononoke after dinner. There is just something about the waterscapes that I find myself wishing these fantasy places were real, so I could go visit.

Yet another obsession coming on. Water journeys. I'd love to take a boat trip from the beginning of a river right down to the sea. When I was a teenager, there used to be a travel programme called River Journeys (I think. It was a long time ago) on early Saturday evenings, showing people doing exactly that. I seem to remember one done through the Black Forest, it was amazing. It was so atmospheric. Hmmm....something to do before I die.

Junk Food and the Meaning of Life

Today I can honestly say, I haven't had anything resembling a normal meal. Mother Hubbard's cupboards are packed compared to mine. In the end I just gathered together foods I liked and hoped for the best. Yes, I did cut the mould off the tomato first. And anyway, everything was stir fried in olive oil, so obviously that process killed all things dodgy.

Last night I watched The Ice House. A faithfully TV serialisation of the Minnette Walters novel of the same name. It was great. Really enjoyed it. The adaptation kept to the atmosphere and wit of the novel. Today I watched The Sculptress. A less enjoyable experience. The screenwriter cut out a major character and the pacing was awful. It dragged it's concrete boots from scene to scene, the really interesting parts got left out and they shuffled events, so the impact was watered down. Minnette Walter's subtlety got completely stomped on, so the twist in the tale became a chinese burn.

Found this really thought provoking article from The Observer Woman on women and their preoccupation with their weight by Mimi Spence. Definitely worth a look. One of the points she makes is that fashion designers want skinny models because they make their clothes look good. My jaw dropped. I had been taught through my various snore-worthy economics classes, that there was an inexorable link between Supply and Demand, and that we were in the Consumer Age. No more Fordism where we can have any colour car we want as long as it's black. We the consumer are supposed to rule; here we have the ridiculous situation that these fashion producers are setting the agenda to what a 'normal' size woman should be. Thus, fashion designers are so lazy, they can't design clothes to fit real women. Or perhaps they're just badly trained?

Not being funny or anything, but I really can't go the whole Victoria Beckham route to skinniness. I really can't work up the energy to be that obsessive. And as for that whole sticking your fingers down your throat business. Eeewww!! What a miserable way to live. I like food. I really like junk food. If I would exercise more, I suspect I'd be a lot happier, but as for the misery of a constant diet? Not me.

Friday Nite's Alright for Theatre

I was desperate to blog last night, and the site was down for 'essential maintenance. Typical. On the recommendation of my sub-editor I watched The Motorcycle Diaries, the story of Che Guevara and his buddy who would go on to found Cuba's medical school. It was brilliant. Fitted right in with what I'm working on. What starts out as a couple of lads on the back of a clapped out bike riding round Southern America, turns into a thoughtful exploration of the inequalities that existed at the time. The inequalites that turned a young medical student into a revolutionary. I think I've now got my dissertation sussed. Next week I meet with my CP tutor and I intend to pick his brains so I can get this project off the bloody ground. It's beginning to drive me nuts.

Tonight, I was out with the girlies. We went to see Return to the Forbidden Planet which was just fabulous. If I say it is a musical Sci-Fi version of The Tempest, you'll start scratching your heads and questioning my sanity. Trust me when I say it is great fun. The music is pulled from 50s and 60s rock'n'roll and the actors are such talented musicians that they swap from instrument to instrument with ease. At the end of the performance everyone was dancing along, clapping and singing badly. Okay, so it was me doing the singing badly, but no one heard me over and above the clapping.

All in all a good night out. Life is good.

Lazy Days and Tuesdays

This has been a very, very sore day. When I woke up this morning, I couldn't laugh it hurt so much. So tomorrow, I'm going back to the easier Nell McAndrew workouts, definitely. My goal tomorrow is a whole push up. Wish me luck.

My boy and I have been watching some serious hero stuff. Yesterday, we watched The 13th Warrior, with Antonio Banderas. Today, it was Kingdom of Heaven. Of course, I was researching journeys. After all, the 13th Warrior is a re-telling of Beowulf, based on Michael Crighton's Eaters of the Dead. In this instance the film is way better than the book.

Hmmm...I think I'm going to have to watch both movies again, next time I'll have to try and apply some cultural theory to them.

Easy Sunday

Today, we did a whole lot of nothing. As the state of my carpet can verify. But I don't feel guilty, that's what Monday's are for. Boy and I watched Conan the Destroyer right through to the end. Another example of how perception changes through age. I remember thinking when I was 14, how cool it was. Now I think it lacks cool, acting and decent special effects. In the midst of it, I had to go and sort out a row between a blackbird and the cat.

As it's summer and hot, I leave my front door open and the cat likes to wander out and about, or sit in the sun on the carpet. Blackbirds have the most amazing, piercing alarm call; a kind of 'chuck, chuck' noise and they can go on for as long as the crisis lasts. After 10 mins of racket from this blackbird, I go out to see the cat looking innocent and a lady blackbird with a beak full of caterpillars giving it up large. I chase the cat inside and the bird off the balconey and return to Conan. The next minute the ruckus has started up again. Boy had let the cat out and the bird objected, vociferiously. It was just like dealing with small children. 'Stop winding little Johnny up. Johnny, leave Suzy alone'...that kind of thing. Honestly. And don't tell me that cats can't swear under their breath either.

Saturday Morning (just)

Hottie arrived last night bearing a bucket of Colonel's finest. Within 4 minutes I opened a bottle of white wine and we ate, drank and we very merry. Why is it, all the things that taste so good, are so bad for you? Why can't butter, double cream etc, be free from calories? Plans for today hopefully will include going to Waitrose and getting some more of that red sparkling velvet, not that I'm getting addicted to it, of course.

Thanks for your comment Bear, I feel slightly less stupid about it now. We saw the rest of Aeon Flux (the movie) last night. I quite enjoyed watching Charlize Theron kick ass. The trick will be to use it to wax lyrical about cybercultures, which given the blandiness of the film, is going to be doubtful. As enjoyable as it was, I don't think I could cope with watching it more than twice. Next up will be Ghost in the Shell. At least that is an intelligent manga.

I'd better head into the shower, the natives are getting restless.