Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown A staple sleepover film when I was growing up was Clueless . It was and still is a brilliant film. I re-watched it today - it's a bit like having a catch up with an old friend, I know it so well. Clueless was one of my generation's defining films - everyone coveted Cher's tartan mini-skirt suit and had fluffy topped pens sticking out of their pencil cases. Clueless was responsible for key phrases such as: "What-ever!" "Ugh, as if!" And these gems: “Do you prefer fashion victim or ensembly challenged?” “She’s my friend because we both know what it’s like to have people be jealous of us.” “She’s a full-on Monet. It’s like a painting, see? From far away, it’s okay. But up close, it’s a big old mess.” And to us over here in the UK, I think we imagined all American secondary schools to be just like the one in this film. If you haven't seen it for a while or (gasp!) have never seen it, find ...
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Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I am fortunate to have a job at the moment and I have some annual leave to take before a certain date. I am normally one to hang to my annual leave and not use it willy-nilly, but the date is looming and with no-where to go I am at a bit of a loss with what to do. Personally, I don't fancy going anywhere at the moment. I really don't feel inclined to get on a plane to go anywhere - I don't particularly enjoy flying at the best of times - and the idea of having to wear a mask for the duration of the journey doesn't appeal. In previous years, the idea of just being at home with no-where to be was incredibly appealing, but as that's kind of the status quo at the moment, it's lost some of it's magic. So what to do with my leave - well, I think the garden and a book do still beckon and maybe a whole series on Netflix...
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Yesterday Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested. This is a story which will be continually updated but she is accused of grooming underage girls to be abused by her and Jeffrey Epstein. There is an excellent documentary on Netflix "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich" which provides a timeline and a voice for some of his many victims. I find the arrogance of men like Epstein and the people who enable him like Ghislaine, reprehensible. We see it time and time again. Men in positions of power and with wealth who go around behaving exactly as they choose and getting away with it. The law, it seems, can be bought. Epstein, Maxwell, Weinstein, Nassar. People always know and they help cover it up. Are they as guilty?
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown The Freeview box is back to 18% - clearly I need to watch a bit more recorded TV. This week I watched the superb " When They See Us " on Netflix. If you are a subscriber, I would highly recommend it. Based on the true story of the Central Park Jogger case in 1989 it follows the story of The Central Park 5 - five black teenagers, children really, who were falsely accused of the rape & assault of Trisha Meili who was left in a coma for 12 days. It is a truly heartbreaking story. I thought the acting (and casting for that matter) was brilliant as was the direction. https://parkmadisonnyc.com/collections/shirts/products/brotherhood-tee
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I love a crappy film. You know the kind, usually on Channel 5 in the afternoon, staring people you've never heard of, set somewhere in America that you haven't visited, with a storyline encapsulated in the title. Here are some I've watched recently: Girlfriend Killer Who Stole My Daughter? The Other Mother Cheat Sleeping with my Student Can you guess the plot outline from the title? Of course you can. The thing is, these films aren't that bad. The acting is usually pretty decent, the stories often have a good twist you didn't see coming and the production values are high. So why do they have a bad rap? I've seen plenty of over-hyped, big studio backed crap, with big stars that I'd happily swap for one of these little gems. On a technical note, a title that tells you what the film is about is actually quite a skill. "Four Christmases" - yep I have...
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Theatre is probably going to be one of the last type of venue to open and is going to struggle. The Nuffield in Southampton has already gone into administration. 50 members of the House of Lords have signed a letter urging the government to provide financial support to the performing arts industry. The letter is below. What I find incredibly sad about this, is that there was virtually no reporting of this. At all. Google it, you won’t find much. I know that at a time of economic uncertainty it will be low down the list of priorities of things and people who need money. So, let me just ask you a question. During lockdown, have you watched tv? A film? Read a book? Listened to music? The artists which brought you that work need to be paid and need support now and for the future so that the very entertainment that has helped keep us all sane and t...
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Creativity If you're feeling creative right now, great! Be creative! If you are coping brilliantly working from home, that's amazing and I'm genuinely pleased for you. If you're feeling like you'd prefer to hole up with a bottle of wine and Netflix and that the outside world can do one - that's also fine. I have to keep reminding myself of this because of the seemingly constant pressures to be doing something. I'm my own worst critic at the best of times and now is no different. We all have our good days and bad days, these just seem to be amplified at the moment because our surroundings are more monotonous and less inspiring. Here are some people who have been fantastically creative - I imagine they did wonder if they had slightly lost the plot at some stage though! https://www.boredpanda.com/quarantine-gerbil-art-gallery/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_c...
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Accidental/unintentional self-containment day 1. Why? Well, I had to stay in for the builders. 4:45pm Boris Johnson tells us that we should avoid everyone and everything. I'm supposed to be going to the theatre and refresh Twitter until SOLT announce that theatreland is going dark. And I got released from a pencil for a job. Overall, pretty shitty day. My local Sainsbury's now has no actual food - pasta, rice, tins all long gone - now there is no fresh fruit and veg except grapefruits, beetroot, green peppers (the worst one) and spring onions - Ready Steady Cook anyone? I buy three bottles of (vegan) pinot grigio and far too much chocolate and spend the evening exchanging Disney song voicemails with my old drama school buddy and watching Cheer on Netflix.