Movie News

Been a good week for movies, or 'a chance to catch up' as some might call it. Started on Monday with our first ever visit to the longest, continuously-running cinema in the world, the Curzon at Clevedon. It's 95 years old this year. It really is a wonderful place with a good sound system and comfortable seats but lots of trips down flea-pit memory lane at the same time. The organ and the corner kiosk are both a wonder to behold. Hard of hearing usherettes are a nice touch. The £5 entrance price and the non-overpriced confectionary (two waters and some Minstrels = £2) are a delight.

We saw Simon Pegg's Hot Fuzz. It managed to be a comedy thriller which both thrilled and comedied. Added bonus was that it was filmed in Wells so we saw an evil clan meeting on the Bishop's Palace lawn, a handbrake turn in the Market Square and a shoot out in Somerfield. For real.

So impressed were we that we bought Shaun of the Dead on DVD to watch the next night. Realised that some of the Hot Fuzz jokes relied on a knowledge of Shaun. Equally funny. Even Liz laughed and she doesn't go near the horror/slasher genre however tongue in cheek, or wherever the tongue and cheek end up.

On Tuesday I picked up two early Coen Brothers movies in Fopp! for £10 and watched them at once - Barton Fink (genius) and The Hudsucker Prodigy (merely brilliant).

Today I went to the multiplex (risky in half-term week) but it was to see a film that has been out for a few weeks so I figured it would be OK and it was. Sunshine was the sort of spectacular that needs to be seen big-screen. Almost everything Danny Boyle touches turns to gold and this low on budget high on talent movie certainly does. There is a terrible dearth of great endings to good films these days so the final act disappointed a little but there was plenty to enjoy on the way. Even though the cinema wasn't hot the subject matter (send space ship with nuclear bomb to restart a failing Sun) ensured I drank most of my litre of water.

Good week despite doing a couple of days work too. Have prepared delighful end-of-week treat supper for Mrs T who is stuck on the motorway.