Easter weekend is an institution in London. Everybody legs it to the countryside. The city empties, hotels fill, roads jam, and trains are filled with the cries of children and tinnily reproduced MP3.
Given the nice weather it would be criminal not to do something with the bonus days off (the Friday is also a holiday in England). Therefore Saturday was a train trip to Brighton. Marks et Spencer picnic for the pebbly beach, replete with deckchairs, carousels and endless chip shops. Not nearly as many near-death pensioners as expected; a 20s/30s weekend bunch with young families. A good atmosphere.
Up on the pier for doughnuts and cheap rum, arcades, tuppeny falls and funfair rides swinging out over the sea. Some nice afternoon drinking and a healthy pinkening of the forehead achieved. Spent the last of the sun today lazing around on Potter’s Field, a wee park just completed where I live.
lynch
The best news I’ve heard this year is that the second run of Twin Peaks is finally coming to DVD (it’s only been six years). No release date for UK yet but must be within weeks. My complete but sadly scattered set of VHS can at last be retired and a marathon watching organised. To prepare I’m going through eps 1-7 again with commentary – always something new to be picked up. Amazing fun picking out common elements from that series (1990) and INLAND EMPIRE (2007), by which I spent Friday afternoon being pummelled.
EMPIRE does contain some classic dizzying moments where frames of reference are juggled. And some unforgettable images to go with the Red Room. There is also a lot of arguably cuttable time. This film definitely pushes the audience tolerance for confusion wayyy further than Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive – this is the most openly puzzling film since Primer.
In a way the most rewarding aspect comes out in the hours and days afterward. Your memory of the film distils down to the essential parts and you’re left to discuss the stuff that happened and collaborate to work out possible angles and meanings.
meta
Been doing some work on TF… a much tidier Archives link on the left. A new set of tabs for navigation will have to wait until I can get it looking OK on IE.
PS. if you track the TF comments and use Firefox, try visiting this link to create a Live Bookmark. The magic of RSS…
09-Apr-07 at 8:48 pm | Permalink
I’m still patiently awaiting Berlin Alexanderplatz on DVD. I’d be happy if it was available on VHS.
10-Apr-07 at 10:12 am | Permalink
Forgot to mention, Fun Thing #14 to do on Brighton Pier is hurl pieces of doughnut high into the air for the seagulls to catch (with impressive agility).
A trick Stu and I picked up playing with the foreign shitehawks on Charles Bridge in Prague.
10-Apr-07 at 1:48 pm | Permalink
I bet Inland Empire is nowhere near as good as Ghost Rider. A lot of that was arguably cuttable as well.
13-Apr-07 at 7:22 am | Permalink
Talking of TF, in order that CJ not be embarrassed further, the URL http://takingfire.org (or you can add ‘www’ if you really want) will redirect to this page.
Hopefully they won’t notice the sneaky change in the address bar and respect will stay intact ; )
14-Apr-07 at 8:58 pm | Permalink
Ah! Brighton. I’m glad you went. Tis a most special place. From my experience, in order to survive in London village it’s most fundamental that you keep your manners to yourself, or people will steal your seat, push in front, charge you too much and tell their friends to do the same. Brighton, in my experience is an oasis of sandal-wearing, barber-shy happy types who will point you in the direction of the train station without asking for money and understand the importance of please and thank you. I wanted to cuddle folk quite a lot.
Also Fred lives there, mostly.
15-Apr-07 at 12:58 pm | Permalink
New nav tabs finished up the top there ^^.
Looks OK in Fireyfox and IE – can you please shout if it looks mangled on your kit. Thanks.