Vagabond

My Dad came over and took me to a shopping centre.  We went to Starbucks where I had a mocha and a stack of pancakes, then we looked around on our own.  I bought a five year diary and a couple of books:  An Inspector Calls and Other Plays by J.B. Priestley and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

Dad and I went back to my parent's house.  I gave my Mom her Mother's Day present and card.  I drew a picture of a cat in  her card, and she seemed to really like it.  For lunch we had a selection of Indian food.

Dad took me back home.  This evening I watched the movie Vagabond, directed by Agnes Varda, who died on Friday at the age of 90.  It's a bleak and disturbing film which opens with the discovery of a young drifter (played by Sandrine Bonnaire) dead in a ditch, and then details her last days wandering through wintery rural France.  It's a bleak, grim and powerful film.

I finished reading the book Mindhunter:  Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, which was really good, and genuinely quite suspenseful and gripping.

It

Last night I went out and saw It, based on the Stephen King novel.  I saw the two part miniseries adaptation from 1990 when I was about 15, and it was really my introduction to Stephen King, and I saw it several times.  I also read the book when I was 15, and I was on this massive King kick and buying pretty much everything I could find from him.  It is still one of my favorite Stephen King works.  The movie is good, and sticks fairly close to the book, although the setting is updated to 1989.  It's set in a small town in Maine (where else?), which is being terrorised by a string of mysterious disappearances of children.  Seven outcast kids band together to find out what is going on.  They soon learn that the culprit is a weird clown called Pennywise, which is just one manifestation of a hugely powerful, evil, shape-shifting entity, that the kids just call "It".

I saw the show with my friends Alan and Jackie, and we went out afterwards to Five Guys for some food.  I had a bacon cheeseburger and fries.  Then we had some drinks before heading home.

I went along to my parent's house today for lunch, which was fun.  When I got home I got the book I Am Behind You by John Ajvide Lindqvist delivered.  I had pre-ordered it a few weeks ago.  Lindqvist is a Swedish horror writer, who is probably best known for Let the Right One In which was turned into a hugely successful Swedish movie, and was re-made in the US as Let Me In. 

I also got some writing done.

Dreamcatcher

I finally finished watching Game of Thrones season four, which I really liked. I'm hoping to start season five this evening. 

I went in to work today, and I was pretty busy. I listened to the Just a Story podcast which was quite a dark episode about situations where actual dead bodies have been confused for Halloween decorations. 

On a lighter note, I listened to the How Did This Get Made? podcast which was discussing the movie Dreamcatcher, probably the worst movie ever based on a Stephen King novel - and that's saying a lot. It's about four psychic friends on a hunting trip who come up against aliens that burst out of people's butts. I saw it when it first came out in 2003, and according to the notes I made at the time, it's garbage. The podcast was funny though.

I also heard Talking Movies which was about those movies that you loved when you were younger, but are now reluctant to watch again for fear that they might not be as good as you remember, or movies that you once loved, but now think are terrible.

Inferno

I went out today and saw the movie Inferno, directed by Ron Howard, based on the novel by Dan Brown. It stars Tom Hanks as a professor who finds himself deciphering clues in Italian renaissance art and literature in order to track down a lethal virus set to be released at midnight. It's not great, but it's okay. if you liked The Da Vinci Codeand Angels & Demons then you'll probably enjoy it. I reviewed it here: http://permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/inferno.html

Hitchcock/Truffaut

Last night I watched the documentary film Hitchcock/Truffaut, directed by Kent James. It's based around a book length series of interviews with Alfred Hitchcock by fellow director Francois Truffaut, which has been acclaimed as one of the greatest books on cinema ever written. The documentary is a celebration of Hitchcock's work, and to a lesser extent a celebration of Truffaut as well. It has contributions from filmmakers Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Olivier Assayas, Richard Linklater and Paul Schrader among others. It was a really interesting movie.

It was a long day at work. I listened to an episode of Mystery Theater about an elderly recluse who hires a woman and her small-time crook boyfriend to "live" for her. It was pretty good.

Back home I had microwave sausages and mashed potatoes in onion gravy.

When Marnie Was There

I stayed in today, mainly because I had a cold. The new issues of Fortean Times andSight and Sound arrived in the mail.

I half watched a movie called Killer: A Journal of Murder which stars James Woods as a serial killer in prison, who strikes up a strange friendship with a guard who encourages him to write his autobiography.

I also saw When Marnie Was There, an animated Japanese film about a girl who is sent to the country for her health, who becomes fascinated by a mysterious girl who lives in a run-down mansion. It's a good movie. I reviewed it here:http://permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/when-marnie-was-there.html

Dune

Last night I did watch Dune, directed by David Lynch, and based on the novel by Frank Herbert. It's a very strange science-fiction film about two feuding families, struggling for control of a barren, desert planet, which is the only source of a powerful substance that extends life, expands consciousness and facilitates interstellar travel. It stars Kyle MacLachlan in his first film, along with Francesca Annis, Sean Young, Dean Stockwell, Patrick Stewart, Max von Sydow and Sting. I reviewed it here: http://permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/dune.html

From Up on Poppy Hill

Last night I watched From Up on Poppy Hill, directed by Goro Miyazaki. It's an animated Japanese film, based on a 1980s manga, set in Yokohama in 1963 about a teenager who helps run the boarding house where she lives, who gets involved in a campaign to save the school's ramshackle clubhouse and falls for an aspiring journalist. It's a really sweet, nostalgic film. I reviewed it here: http://permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/from-up-on-poppy-hill.html 

The Blu-ray of When Marnie Was There arrived in the mail. it's the latest and possibly last ever Studio Ghibli film. I saw an episode of Supernatural, a 1970s British show about a weird club where prospective members have to tell a true story of supernatural horror which, if it fails to scare all of the club's members, means death for the would-be member. 

I went to the movies and saw Hell or High Water, directed by David Mackenzie. It's a kind of neo-western crime thriller about two brothers who commit a string of bank robberies through Texas, while being pursued by a pair of laconic Texas Rangers. it's exciting, dark and genuinely funny, with Jeff Bridges at his best. I reviewed it here: http://permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/hell-or-high-water.html

I went to Nandos this evening with my parents. I had olives and garlic bread to start, then butterfly pir-piri chicken with piri-piri fries and coleslaw and a slice of chocolate cake.

Schalcken the Painter

I saw Schalcken the Painter, which is a surreal made-for-TV Gothic horror story based on a short story by J. Sheridan LeFanu, inspired by 17th century Dutch artist Godfried Schalcken.  It was pretty good, and well made, about a student painter who falls in love with his patron's niece, however she is married off for money, to this ghoulish, strange old man.  The student doesn't protest or try to help her, because of his own ambition.  Eventually becomes famous and successful, but is always haunted by the woman who he basically abandoned.  A lot of the scenes and images were composed and lit like old Dutch paintings.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

I'm off work now until Thursday, so that should be fun.

Tonight I saw I saw the 1976 movie The Man Who Fell to Earth tonight. Directed by Nicolas Roeg, it stars David Bowie as a humanoid alien who arrives on Earth intending to use his alien technology to finance the construction of a spaceship to provide water to his dying, drought-stricken home planet. However he soon falls victim to the darker side of alcohol, drugs, money, television, sex and human cruelty. It's a strange, heavily symbolic film, but David Bowie was pretty much born to play the lead.  I reviewed it here:  http://www.permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/the-man-who-fell-to-earth.html

Bicycle Thieves

This evening I watched the movie Bicycle Thieves, directed by Vittorio De Sica. It was released in 1948, and it's about a man struggling for work, who gets a job putting up posters. However, on his first day at work, his valued bicycle, which he needs to do the job, is stolen, triggering a desperate search, with his eight year old son in tow, through the alleys, backstreets, markets and tenements of post-war Rome to find his stolen property. It's a very good movie and very powerful. I reviewed it here:http://www.permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/bicycle-thieves.html

Book of Shadows

After work I went and got my groceries for the coming week. I also watched the movie Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, directed by Joe Berlinger. Everyone seemed to hate it, but I quite liked it. It's not great, but it is entertaining and there are some really good moments. I reviewed it here: http://www.permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/book-of-shadows-blair-witch-2.html

Blair Witch

After work I went to the comic book store and got Civil War II issue 5, Seven to Eternity issue 1, Batman issue 7, The Hellblazer issue 1, Cyborg issue 1, Trinity issue 1 and Aliens: Life and Death issue 1.

I went to the movies afterwards and saw Blair Witch, which involves the brother of Heather from the first film, heading back into the woods in search of his sister, after seeing an online video which hints that she may be alive. It's not very good. It's basically the original but bigger with less subtlety. I wrote a review here:http://www.permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/blair-witch.html

Blair Witch Project

After work I picked up a copy of SFX magazine, which was celebrating the return ofRed Dwarf.

I also watched The Blair Witch Project, which I remember seeing on it's first release in 1999. It's lost a lot of it's impact since then, with so many found footage horror movies around. I reviewed it here: http://www.permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/the-blair-witch-project.html

Adventures of Prince Achmed

I went out today and saw a 1926 German animated movie called The Adventures of Prince Achmed, the oldest surviving feature length animation. It's animated in silhouettes as shadow puppetry. The film was silent but it was shown with live musical accompaniment from a three piece band.

On the way back I got some take-out Chinese food.

The Soft Skin

I went out today to meet up with my dad. we went to Cafe Andaluz and I had an egg and bacon roll which was nice. 

Today I watched the 1964 movie The Soft Skin, directed by Francois Truffaut. It was a huge flop when it was first released, but it is really good. It's about a famous, married academic who has an affair with a younger airline stewardess. It all ends very badly. I wrote a review here: http://www.permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/the-soft-skin.html

A Trip to the Moon

I managed to get out sharp today, which made a nice change. It used to be that you could leave work pretty much when you wanted, but these days if you get the rare chance to leave early you have to take it.

I went to the supermarket on the way home to get my groceries for next week.

I saw the 1902 movie A Trip to the Moon on DVD. It's the earliest narrative film and the first known science-fiction film. It's about a group of guys who travel to the moon by being shot out of a giant cannon. When they are there, they are attacked by strange alien creatures, which fortunately enough, explode if you give them a light push or tap. It's one of the most important films ever made, and the famous image of the Man in the Moon with the space capsule in his eye, is legendary. It is slightly dated now, and special effects have advanced a little in 114 years, but it is worth watching

Cafe Society

Last night I watched the movie The Usual Suspects, directed by Bryan Singer. The movie is told in flashback as con-man "Verbal" Kint (played by Kevin Spacey) recounts the events leading up to a horrific gun battle at the Los Angeles docks which led to 27 dead. Events that began six weeks earlier when Verbal and four other crooks (played by Benicio del Toro, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak and Gabriel Byrne) are brought together in a police line-up. The film has one of the most famous end twists in cinema history. The movie won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (for Kevin Spacey) and Best Original Screenplay.

The new issue of Sight and Sound arrived in the mail, as did a new hat that I had ordered.

I went to the movies this afternoon and saw Cafe Society, directed by Woody Allen. It stars Jesse Eisenburg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carrell and Blake Lively, and is set in the 1930s and tells the story of a young man from New York who goes to Hollywood to work for his uncle, who is a big-time Hollywood agent, and where he falls for a girl who is already involved with a married man. It's not very funny, but it is one of the better Woody Allen films, it's certainly his best looking film, the whole thing is beautifully shot.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Last night I watched a four part Doctor Who story from 1983 called "Mawdryn Undead". It stars Peter Davidson as the Fifth Doctor, with an English schoolboy, Turlough (Mark Strickson), who is in fact an alien controlled by the evil Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall, radio horror host "The Man in Black"), and a luxury spacecraft full of immortal but deteriorating aliens desperate to die. It was quite good.

I went out to the stationary store and got a sketchpad, drawing pens, and three notebooks. Then I went along to the Filmhouse cinema and saw The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, directed by Isao Takahata. Based on a Japanese folk tale, it's an animated film about a bamboo cutter who discovers a miniature girl in a glowing bamboo shoot. The bamboo cutter and his wife raise the girl as their own, however the girl grows and learns at an astonishing rate. It's a beautiful film, and one of my favorites. The climax is hugely emotional. I reviewed it here: http://permanentlyweird.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/the-tale-of-princess-kaguya.html

Sicario

It was a pretty long day at work.

When I got back I watched the movie Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve, which is an exciting crime thriller starring Emily Blunt as an FBI agent assigned to a shady task force assigned with bringing down a Mexican drug cartel. It also stars Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin. 

I have a review blog now where I write about movies I watch and books I read. You can check it out here: http://www.permanentlyweird.blogspot.com