“You’re Not That Far”

I turned 32 this week. I used to joke when I was very young (and stupid), that I was going to die in a plane crash when I was 27. Spoiler alert – that didn’t happen. Little did I know when I was spurting that little nugget of bullshit that my life wouldn’t be completely awesome until I reached my thirties.

Being 31 was probably the best year of my life so far. But that’s how it should be, right? Surely every year should just get better and better? Anyway, 31 was the age when I got married to the love of my life, took the trip of a lifetime to Maui, and moved to a part of the world many people would kill to visit. The pressure is on 32. You’d better deliver the goods!

My birthday weekend was great. Will and I met up with my friend Karen and her husband, Corey, on Friday. I hadn’t met Corey before, and I’m pleased to report he is an absolute delight. Turns out, he’s a bit of an Anglophile, and one of the highlights of the night was singing the theme tune to The Young Ones with him. Very weird, but absolutely hilarious.

On Sunday, Will and I visited Santa Cruz, which is about an hour’s drive away from us. We’d visited Santa Cruz a couple of years ago, when we did our PCH road-trip, and there was a mini golf score to settle. We went on a few rides on the Beach Boardwalk (if you’re a fan of being thrown around, and would like an authentic feeling of impending death, I can highly recommend The Giant Dipper). Then we played mini golf, which Will unfortunately won. Here’s a picture of him offering you his ball.  Then we spent some time Downtown, as I wanted to visit Bookshop Santa Cruz, which is an absolutely amazing bookstore. Their graphic novel section is unbelievably good, and they offer quite a lot of used books too. Surprisingly, I didn’t buy anything, as I’m currently working through my ever-growing pile of library books. But still, I am never happier than when I’m surrounded by books.

Then on my actual birthday, I did a great deal of chilling out, and then went for drinks with more friends. We went to First Street Alehouse in Livermore, which has the best waiting staff ever, hands down. Not only did one of our favorite servers buy me a drink, it came with a candle in it. Amazing. Look at my happy little face. You can’t buy that kind of joy (you probably can, quite cheaply).

Will bought me some awesome things, the highlight of which is an amazing hummingbird feeder called, wait for it… 
Amazing. Hummingbirds are quite common in Livermore, but I’m still absolutely fascinated by them. So I’m very happy Will gave me the means to start my own hummingbird army.

So turns out my first birthday in California wasn’t too dissimilar to the ones I had in Manchester. Booze, friends, fun, all the good stuff. I’m very, very happy out here.

Volunteering

I’m proud to have clocked up quite a lot of hours volunteering in the few months that I’ve been here. It’s enjoyable, but extremely humbling. I treasure my time with my Korean student; she tells me some amazing stories and is absolutely hilarious. Her English is already showing signs of improvement.

Working at the thrift store is fantastic. The people I “work” with are great, and the store has recently employed a new manager who is making some really positive changes to the place. But I am often reminded how fortunate I am, as some customers HAVE to shop there, as they can’t afford to buy new things. It will not come as a surprise to those of you who know me, but I’m incredibly nice to everyone, and I’ve already got some favorite customers. I also get a lot of comments on my “exotic” accent.

But I suppose the most humbling volunteering I do is my position with Incarcerated Voices. There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about prison inmates, which I’m sure I was guilty of before I actively sought to change this. Every week, I hear from fiercely intelligent and articulate inmates, speaking about topics that they have in-depth knowledge of. Their opinions and insights are extremely valuable, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to expand my knowledge and understanding of the world through them.

And before you start assuming I’m having some kind of mental breakdown and am a “pen-pal” to these people, take a minute to have a look at the valuable work Incarcerated Voices does. I’ve found the whole thing incredibly rewarding, and if this sounds like something that appeals to you, I highly encourage you to get involved. It’s not scary in the slightest.

https://www.incarceratedvoices.com

Spooky Special!

I bloody love Halloween. Probably more than I like Christmas. So it’s pretty cool to live in a country where they completely embrace it. Look at this house, just down the street from where we live.
Amazing.

The main reason I love Halloween so much is that I’m slightly obsessed with the supernatural. I prety much always have been. I think I got it from my Grandma, who is convinced she’s seen at least two ghosts in her life. My Grandma also introduced me to the wonders of Tommy Cooper and Morecambe and Wise. In short, she’s an absolute badass.

Anyway, the point of this is to share with you a few recommendations for reading, watching and listening for Halloween. Please feel free to share any obscure terrors with me!

Bewitching Books

The Loney – Andrew Michael Hurley

No, that’s not a spelling mistake. This book really is called The Loney, the name of the mysterious location where this book is based. A teenage boy, Tonto, goes on a pilgrimage to this strange location with his family, a priest, and other strange characters, in the hopes of healing Tonto’s brother, Hanny, of his learning disabilities. Throw in a few weird locals, an unnerving local ceremony, and you can almost hear Edward Woodward’s cries of “Oh Jesus Christ!” on the wind.

For fans of: The Wicker Man, Kill List

A Head Full of Ghosts – Paul Tremblay

I thought I’d already mentioned this in the blog, and frankly I can’t believe I haven’t. This is one of my favourite books of this year; I devoured it in a day. A Head Full of Ghosts is about the Barrett family, as they struggle to deal with their oldest daughters mental health problems. When the word “possessed” is mentioned, father of the family John sees a quick money-making opportunity, and the family find themselves the subject of a reality TV show. And then, of course, shit goes bananas.

For fans of: Ghost Watch, The Exorcist 

The Silent Land – Graham Joyce

I will be eternal grateful to Neil Gaiman for recommending this book on his blog. I first read it about four years ago and it has stayed with me ever since. It’s about a couple who go on a skiing holiday, and get caught in an avalanche, they somehow manage to survive. However, the ski resort is now completely empty, and weird things are happening. I think it’s probably the one book I actively had to put down because I was so scared (I should have followed Joey’s advice and put it in the freezer). Joyce died last year of cancer, and I was absolutely heartbroken. I can’t express how atmospheric, terrifying, and ultimately beautiful this book is. It’s wonderful.

For fans of: Neil Gaiman, beautiful fiction

Spooky Sounds

The Same Dog – Robert Aickman (read by Reece Shearsmith)

This story is taken from Aickman’s short story collection, Cold Hand in Mine. I struggle with Robert Aickman. I find some of his “short” stories a little long, and too short on terror. However, this one is incredibly disturbing. It’s a story about a man recalling his youth, and a strange girl he made friends with. When he tries to revisit the place where they met as an adult, things get very peculiar indeed. It’s one of those stories that willl have your bloody running cold by the end, and Shearsmith’s narration is just perfect. It’s available in its entirety on Soundcloud. Click here if you dare!

Radio 4 Fright Night

You can’t really beat Radio 4 for spooky radio plays. Over the years they’ve done amazing adaptations, such as The Willows by Algernon Blackwood, The Exorcist, and a terrific series of scary shorts (which I still regularly listen to) called Fear on Four.

Anyway, this year we’ve got two cracking new adaptations to look forward to. First up is Ring, based on a film that you’ve all hopefully seen already. If not, don’t fear. Yet. The captivating premise of Ring is that there is a video tape that can cause you to die within a few days of watching it. So, of course, people try it, don’t they? What can possibly go wrong? Anyway, I won’t spoil it, but you should definitely listen in on Halloween.

The next adaptation you may not be so familiar with; Nigel Kneale’s The Stone Tape. This was originally a TV play (remember those?!) that was broadcast in the 1970s. It’s about a team of scientists who discover that stones can “record” bits of history. Unfortunately, some bits of the history they discover aren’t very pleasant. I bloody love Nigel Kneale, as he’s a bit of a hero of mine, and this adaptation looks very promising indeed. Both plays will be on BBC Radio iPlayer (available worldwide, thank god) for a month or so after the Halloween broadcast.

More info on Fright Night

Link to the original Stone Tape TV play – worth a watch. Incredibly good.

Vile Videos

The Signalman

The BBC used to do this bloody brilliant thing in the 70s called A Ghost Story for Christmas. And rather than them being full of laughable CG ghosts and pointless jump scares, they were properly horrifying. My personal favourite is The Signalman, based on the Charles Dickens ghost story, and starring the delightful Denholm Elliot. Elliot plays an isolated railway signal worker, who is visited by a man who immediately unnerves him. They eventually warm to each other, and our eponymous hero shares a few disturbing stories concerning the railway.

If you watch this, and like it, I’d recommend Whistle and I’ll Come to You (the 1960s one, not the recent one), A Warning to the Curious, and Lost Hearts. There is a lovely box set including some great extras if that’s your bag too.

Link to The Signalman

Ghosts on the Underground

This is probably my favourite documentary of all time. All the information you need is in the title. There are some seriously creepy stories contained in the film, so if you ever want to travel alone on the tube at night again, you might want to steer clear. But I love it. The one about the weird photograph is especially unnerving.

Link to Ghosts on the Underground

The Woman in Black

No, not the one with Harry Potter. This is another Nigel Kneale masterpiece, based on Susan Hill’s incredible novel. No CG, no happy ending, just out-and-out terror. You probably know the story already; Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer, is sent to the mysterious Eel Marsh House to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased client. Things go bump in the night, there’s a curse on the village, it’s all very horrifying. But this film mentally scarred me as a youth. There’s a particular scene (and you’ll know it if/once you’ve seen it) that gave me nightmares for years afterwards. My English teacher made us watch it in our second year of high school. And I’m eternally grateful for it.

The whole movie is available on YouTube, link below. Settle in.

Link to The Woman in Black

26 Foreign Films – Week 8

Film: The House at the End of Time (2013)

Country of origin: Venezuela

*Sneaks back in, hopes nobody noticed that she was gone.*

Ah yes. Now, where was I?

I’m a huge horror movie fan. But my preferences fall more towards the supernatural side of things, rather than the gorefests which unfortunately make up the majority of recent horror offerings. Personal favourites include The Exorcist (which may not be “scary” any longer, given the countless parodies, but there’s no denying that it’s an unsettling movie), Rosemary’s Baby (the book is one of my favourites too), and the original Nigel Kneale Woman in Black (again, great book).

But anyway, this is beside the point. I was very excited to find a foreign horror movie to fulfil this week’s quota (and in the spookiest month of the year too. Despite the blazing California sunshine). However, The House at the End of Time isn’t exactly what I would consider a supernatural horror film. Throughout, the threat always feels human. And even though there was some scary moments, it’s ultimately a story about a struggling family.

At the start of the film, we meet Dulce (played by Ruddy Rodriguez), just before she finds her husband murdered in the basement. She also catches sight of her son, before he disappears into thin air. Dulce is charged with both of these murders, and is imprisoned. After severing thirty years, she is permitted to return to the house of her nightmares. She is convinced that the house itself is to blame for the murders, and enlists the help of a local priest to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The first thing that struck me about this film, was the baffling decision to not employ an older actress to portray the elderly Dulce, but rather apply questionable make-up to Rodriguez. Maybe with later plot developments, it kind of makes sense, but it just looks really terrible. Almost hysterically so.

Luckily, the plot of the film is very interesting, and undoubtedly original. You just have to stick with it for a while before the mist clears. On the surface, this is yet another haunted house movie, relying on jump scares and dark figures in the periphery. But it turns into so much more than that. Although, to be fair, the highlights of the first half of the film come from the connection the audience forms with this struggling family. The horror comes as much from real life tragedy as it does from spooks.

I really don’t want to give too much away, but this movie is certainly worth your time. It may not be immediately apparent, but it’s a very clever film. The performances are all great too; I’m always impressed when child actors manage to be likeable as well as dramatically convincing, and the young men who play sons Leopoldo and Rodrigo manage this with aplomb (kid from The Babadook, take note. Jeez). Ruddy Rodriguez is fantastic, even with unconvincing “old lady” make-up.

This is writer/director Alejandro Hidalgo’s first movie (according to IMDB anyway), and it’s an extraordinary achievement. And apparently, Venezuela’s first supernatural thriller! Please, give it a watch. By the end, I was genuinely shouting (at the screen, on my own, in an empty apartment), “Fuck, this film is amazing!” Next to “yes, mate”, that’s one of the highest honours a film can receive.

What I’m Reading – October 2015

Brace yourselves, September was quite a big reading month!

Graphic Novels

Yep, still reading the comics. Still getting strange looks for being a seemingly grown woman in a Batman t-shirt reading what is essentially a picture book on a Wednesday afternoon. Not really, I don’t think they let people into Livermore library if they aren’t lovely.

I’ve read many graphic novels since my last post, so I’ll do a very quick breakdown (you can click on the links if you fancy a more in-depth look).

The Guild – Written by Felicia Day, she of internet fame. The Guild is a sweet, short graphic novel about a girl liberating herself from her awful musician boyfriend and finding joy in online gaming. I’m aware it’s based on the TV show, which I haven’t seen. To be honest, after reading this, I don’t feel particularly inclined to check it out. Make of that what you will. Not earth-shattering, but quite enjoyable. And Felicia Day seems pretty cool.

Y: The Last Man – This was interesting. It focusses on young Yorick (as in, alas poor), who is literally the last man on Earth. This first volume sets up the scenario and the characters nicely, including a monkey called Ampersand, Yorick’s only fellow male. I really enjoyed it, and wanted to read further, but the library only has volumes 1,3 and 4. Doh!

The Arrival – This book is beautiful. Through gorgeous illustrations, it tells the story of a man leaving his native land to seek employment and money to support his family. It beautifully conveys the problems that come with emigration, such as language/cultural barriers, and trying to establish yourself in new surroundings, all without written dialogue. Highly recommended for fans of unconventional storytelling.

Beautiful Darkness – Don’t let the vibrant watercolours fool you, this book is bleak. This one is about a group of little creatures that make up the personality of a little girl. Except, the little girl is dead in the woods, and these little creatures have to fend for themselves. Like if the Brothers Grimm wrote Inside Out. Very weird, with lots of dark humour, this was another hit with me.

Displacement: A Travelogue – Lucy Knisley’s memoir of a cruise she went on with her declining grandparents. I appreciated Knisley’s honesty about how it can be frustrating to deal with aging family members, especially when you love them so much. Knisley also includes sections of her grandfather’s war memoirs, which was a wonderful addition. A genuinely interesting story, and I was completely engrossed.

Tomboy – Another graphic memoir, this time by Liz Prince, about visual expectations of femininity. I could completely relate, as I am perfectly capable of covering myself in make-up and sticking a dress on to conform to traditional expectations of how a woman should look, but most of the time you will find me in jeans and the aforementioned Batman t-shirt. There wasn’t too much a narrative in Tomboy, so it wasn’t as strong as Displacement, but still a good read.

I read some other graphic novels, but they weren’t too amazing. Black River, Sloth, and It Never Happened Again, if you’re interested.

Fluff

I’ve read a couple of lighter books this month, because why not? Surely any kind of reading is good, right?

Many moons ago, a good friend recommended Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I made a mental note of it, at the time not enquiring what the book was about. Recently, I learned it was about a young woman, Lou, who gets a job as a carer to a man, Will, who is recently disabled. The book is about their initially uneasy relationship, and how eventually how they bring out the best in each other. Possibly a little more chick-lit than my usual tastes (sorry, I hate that term, but you can’t argue that the genre doesn’t exist), but this was still an enjoyable read. The characters were realistic, and mostly likable. I’m sure the movie will be great, as Emilia “Daenerys” Clarke is playing Lou. I don’t agree with the casting of Sam Clafin as Will (too young), but what do I know, eh?

I also read a book called Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper, which is actually by celebrity ghost-writer Hilary Liftin. The book is about a young Hollywood starlet who is seemingly selected to fall in love with an older actor who is involved with a mysterious quasi-religious organisation. IN NO WAY IS THIS BOOK BASED ON THE LIFE OF KATIE HOLMES. DEFINITELY NOT. What does it matter that the main character was in a popular teen-drama, completely different from Dawson’s Creek, when she was younger? Or if this religion is highly secretive and makes people disappear? This is a work of fiction, my friends. Yep. It’s also pretty entertaining. If you want something for a flight, or a few hours by the pool, this might be the book for you.

The Good Stuff

Yes Please, by Amy Poehler – I worked my way through this inspirational, funny, and powerful book within two days. Put it this way, when I begin to have negative thoughts about myself, I now imagine a tiny (tinier? She’s the same height as me) Amy Poehler beating up my inner demons for me. And it works too! She’s badass.

Seriously, this book is great. I love Poehler. If you can get through that difficult first season of Parks and Recreation, it is a very rewarding series. Poehler’s section about her favourite memories of the show and the cast are wonderful, and frequently reduced me to tears (much like the show does). But my favourite parts of this book are when Amy is sharing her very personal experiences, and passing her wisdom onto the reader. There is also a very moving chapter written by her friend Seth Myers, where he (rightly) sings Amy’s praises. (Self-indulgence time – it reminded me of the time a dear friend wrote something similar for me.)

Yes Please is now up there with Caitlin Moran’s How To Be a Woman in terms of a survival guide for me. It is such a wonderful book. Everyone should read it. Or listen to the audiobook like I did. Hearing Patrick Stewart read haikus about plastic surgery is like an instant injection of joy.

Hangmen, by Martin McDonagh – I probably miss having the opportunity to nip to London to randomly see a play more than I miss Manchester at the moment. Martin McDonagh is one of my favourite playwrights, and his play Pillowman is in my top four plays of all time (along with Blackbird, Orphans, and The Last of the Hausmanns, since you asked). So I was gutted when I saw Hangmen was opening at the Royal Court once I’d already left the country. Especially since of my heroes, Reece Shearsmith, is in the cast.

Anyway, I did the next best thing, and read the script. It’s fantastic, I knew it would be. It’s about a group of ex-hangmen dealing with the abolition of their “trade”, amongst other things. And of course, it’s full of McDonagh’s sharp, hilarious dialogue, and beautiful devices that keep the reader/audience exactly where the playwright wants them. Luckily, the play is transferring to the West End just in time for my brief Christmas visit to the UK, so I may get chance to see it yet. But Shearsmith won’t be in the cast. Arses.

Pretty Is, by Maggie Mitchell – Another book following my strange fascination with child abduction (see Room, Our Endless Numbered Days, Tiger Tiger, to name but a few), this is about two girls who were kidnapped by a stranger when they were 12, but were rescued six weeks later unharmed. As grown-ups, Lois has written a novel based on the incident, and Carly May is an actress who has been cast in the movie adaptation. The two girls fell out of touch over the years, and mentally revisit their experiences in anticipation of their upcoming encounter. The two female characters are interesting, and the book is okay, but it ended a little abruptly for me. I got the sense that things weren’t fully resolved, but I guess that reflects the fact that the girls never found out why they were selected to be kidnapped by this strange man. If the theme of this book appeals to you, I’d recommend the three books I mentioned earlier over this one.

Eileen, by Ottessa Moshfegh – I spent most of this book having no clue where it was going, but thoroughly enjoying the ride. And when everything was revealed, it was extremely exciting. A definite “holy shit!” moment. I won’t say too much about this one, but if you enjoy the work of Shirley Jackson, or any novel with a strange, insecure female protagonist, please pick this up. One of my favourite books of this year.

Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin – I’ve saved the best, or certainly the most personal, for last. Eilis, an Irish teenager, is given the chance to leave her small-town life to start an exciting new chapter in America. Once she arrives, she falls in love, makes new friends, and has limitless potential. But when a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland, people assume she will resume her former life as if she’d never left. They also think she gives the impression that she’s now better than the people she left behind. She has to decide whether she wants to continue the stagnant life of her hometown, or resume her exciting life overseas.

Like the graphic novel The Arrival, the book is about establishing yourself as a new person in unfamiliar surroundings. It is also trying to ignore any jealous attempts by the people you’ve left behind to devalue your new experiences. Given my circumstances, it spoke extremely loudly to me. I’d recommend this book to anyone who has ever attempted to change themselves, but felt dragged down by people who have never taken any steps to change themselves in a positive way. Alternatively, there’s a movie adaptation by Nick Hornby coming out in November, which looks great.

So that was September! At the moment I’m making a start of the Maus graphic novels by Art  Spiegelman. I’ve also got Hanya Yanagihara’s The People in the Trees, although after the trauma of A Little Life, I’m not sure I’m emotionally ready for it! I’ve also got Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, as well as The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue. And I’m still listening to Carsick, by another one of my heroes, John Waters.

Free Horror Audiobook!

Audible have done an audio adaptation of Joe Hill’s graphic novel series Locke and Key, and it is FREE for a limited period. No catches, you can just log into Audible with your Amazon details. I haven’t listened to it yet, but I enjoyed the graphic novels, as well as Joe Hill’s work in general, and the cast includes Kate Mulgrew, who is a phenomenal voice actor (as well as Janeway and Red). Click here to have a look!

26 Foreign Films – Week 7

Film: Gloria (2013)

Country of origin: Chile

Oh yes, we’re still going. And I’m quite pleased I’ve been able to find such a wide variety of films so far. Well done, Netflix. This week, I watched Gloria, the story of a fiery divorcee.

Gloria isn’t incredibly happy with her life. She has failing eyesight, two children who don’t really consider her to be part of their lives, and a crazy neighbour who rants and raves until the early hours. She tries several things to try and improve her quality of life, such as awkward-looking laughter therapy, and attending dances. It is at one of these dances that a small glimpse of sunlight enters her life, in the form of Rodolfo. Rodolfo is also divorced, but his family are still heavily reliant on him. His mobile constantly rings with innocuous requests from his grown-up daughters.

Gloria, the eponymous character, portrayed by Paulina Garcia, is wonderful. Flawed, devilish, and ultimately fearless, she is incredibly appealing. Extremely watchable (with the exception of one pretty graphic sex scene), she exudes warmth. When Rodolfo begins to treat her with decreasing respect, it’s extremely frustrating for the viewer. But Gloria doesn’t take his shit. Why would she? She’s amazing. And the very final, liberating scene is very satisfying.

Some scenes feel quite voyeuristic. For example, when Gloria attends her son’s birthday, and she is reunited with her ex-husband after thirteen years. When Gloria comments in how beautiful her ex-husband’s new wife is, it perfectly displays how huge her heart is. However, when the alcohol starts flowing, and the old family photo album comes out, emotions run high, and things get extremely uncomfortable. It’s completely believable.

Gloria is a pretty simple film about a woman trying to get the most out of life. I read in a Stephen King short story the other day that when parents see their children grow up and become independent people, it’s almost like a divorce. And it’s a good point, perfectly illustrated in Gloria. The film feels extremely realistic and authentic. And I defy you not to fall in love with this incredible character.

Review – Between Riverside and Crazy – A.C.T’s Geary Theater, San Francisco

Even from the front balcony in A.C.T’s Geary Theater, I had a great view into the lives of Walter “Pops” Washington and his family. Indeed, from my perspective, I could also see the bedrooms and bathrooms down the corridor from the kitchen and living room. In my previous experience, the plays of playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis come to life through vibrant characters and crackling dialogue, but it sure didn’t hurt that the set for Between Riverside and Crazy was beautifully realistic.

It’s a standard weekend in Pops’ New York apartment, as he sits eating his breakfast with Oswaldo, a friend of his son, Junior. Oswaldo is currently seeking refuge with the family. Through quick, quirky, and hilarious dialogue, we learn that Pops’ wife, and Junior’s mother, is dead. Junior has recently been released from prison, and his girlfriend, Lulu, is also helping to fill the decreasing empty space in Pops’ apartment.

Pops is a retired police officer, and is somewhat disgruntled by the circumstances under which his career came to an end, the full details of which are beautifully and steadily revealed. We are also introduced to Pops’ former working partner Audrey, and her fiance Dave, who become more central characters as the details of Pops’ downfall becomes apparent.

I don’t want to give too much away, as everyone should see this Pulitzer Prize winning play. But don’t let the lofty accolade but you off. This is a very human story, with a healthy amount of swearing and humour. Pops, played in this production by the incredible Carl Lumbly, is a frustrating character. He is a man set in his ways, and feels like the world owes him something. He continues to fight for what he perceives as justice, even to the detriment of his failing health. He loves his family, and trusts those around him, but to a fault. At several points in the play, he hands money to the dubious young people occupying his apartment like he was dishing out candy. And they accept with absolutely no questions whatsoever. But Pops’ brutal honesty provides some of the biggest laughs in the play, and by the end of the play we learn that this man is by no means stupid.

The rest of the cast are kind of at a disadvantage, as Pops is such a wonderfully written character, who provides the heart of this play. So it would be difficult to describe the other actors as anything other than “supporting”. Which isn’t to say they didn’t deliver some stellar performances. Elia Monte-Brown was adorable as the naive Lulu, and Stacy Ross and Gabriel Marin do a very convincing “good cop, bad cop” double act as Audrey and Dave.

Director Irene Lewis lets the material speak for itself, but this is not a sparse production. Like I mentioned before, the set is very realistic, and the infrequent set changes are quietly impressive. One particular moment that brought me to tears was at the very end, where we realise Junior is sitting in the exact same position at the kitchen table as Pops was at the beginning of the piece, suggesting the cycle of dissatisfaction with life continues. This image lingers through the closing scene, which was very subtle but extremely moving.

Between Riverside and Crazy is a play about a lot of things. Race, health, anger at the system, police officers, corruption. And yet, on the surface, it’s just a story about a man who feels that the world has deprived him of so many things, and wants to ensure his family don’t suffer the same injustices. It runs until 27th September, and you should see it if you get the opportunity.

More September Stuff

It’s been a bit of a mad week. I’m starting to settle into my routine, now that all my volunteer positions for the rest of the year have been sorted.

I’ve officially started as a literacy tutor at Livermore Library, which is great. I get to spend a couple of hours with my student each Monday, essentially having a chat, and occasionally correcting their grammar. We’ve set a few goals, so it will be great to see how much progress is made over the next few months. I’m already finding it to be extremely rewarding, and we’ve only had a couple of sessions.

I also did another shift at the thrift store, and did a few hours working on stuff for Incarcerated Voices (which continues to be very interesting and fulfilling). I also had a (successful) interview about another, more involved volunteer position next year, which requires over 60 hours of training. So that’s another new adventure coming up in 2016.

Over the weekend Will and I went to see Between Riverside and Crazy, the latest, Pulitzer Prize winning play by Stephen Adly Guirgis. It was our first visit to ACT’s Geary Theater, which is a beautiful building. The play was wonderful; I intend on doing a full review at some point this week.

We also went to a huge book sale at Fort Mason, organised by the Friends of the San Francisco Library. I didn’t go too mad, and only picked up four books (The Leftovers, We Were the Mulvaneys, and a couple of play scripts. Four dollars in total, thank you very much).

One of the plays I’d never heard of, but took a punt because I liked the name (The Nerd, by Larry Shue). However, reading the opening notes, I was reminded of Manchester. The play premiered in the early 80s in Milwaukee, but guess where it ended up next? 

Madness.

On Sunday, we were invited by two wonderful friends to go and tour some wineries with them in a lovely little place called Murphys. There were basically more wineries than people. Amazing. All three places we went to were lovely. Links are below if you fancy a nosey.

La Folia

Four Winds

Mineral Wines

I also had a little moment of joy on Friday (pre-booze) that I thought was worth sharing. Will and I were walking out of our apartment complex, and I felt something catch the back of my shoe. I turned around expecting Will to be crouched behind me, trying to make off with my Converse, but I was greeted by a gorgeous little tiny puppy who just wanted to say hello. And possibly steal my shoe. I don’t know. But it was such an unexpected sight, and a pleasant one, that it made my heart swell. If I see that dog again, it’s going to mysteriously disappear into my handbag.

26 Foreign Films – Week 6

Film: Force Majeure (2014)

Country of Origin: Sweden

I’ve wanted to see Force Majeure for a while. It was playing at HOME just before we left the UK, and we never really got time to see it. So I was pretty pleased when it popped up on Netflix, and I was counting down the weeks until I got to the letter F.

The concept of the film is somehow quite dramatic, but very simple. Workaholic Tomas takes his family on  a skiing holiday, to give himself a little break and spend some quality time with his family. However, the family experience a small, controlled avalanche while having lunch one day. Tomas grabs his phone and legs it, leaving his wife Ebba holding both their children. This brief, but pivotal moment has a huge impact on the family, and the rest of the film shows Ebba trying to come to terms with her husband’s cowardice.

Hollywood wouldn’t make a film like this. They would spend a huge amount of time trying to recreate a believable and frightening avalanche, rather than dealing with the real terror of a fractured family. There were points where it felt like I was watching a play. The audience is privy to some intimate and often awkward conversations, which form the bulk of the script. Our opinions of the central characters are allowed to frequently change, based on the things they say during these conversations.

Tomas is fundamentally unlikable. Even before the incident, it doesn’t really seem like he wants to be there. And his constant denial of what he has done is infuriating. Even when he does have a little breakdown, he is not upset that he has become a horrible person, but that he will have to make the effort to change his behaviour if he wants to keep his family.

Ebba, Tomas’ wife, is a complex character. My opinion of her switched quite a lot, which I suppose makes her very realistic. At times, she seemed very reasonable. But at other times, she was extremely conflicted, especially when talking to her friend about fidelity. Ebba was trying to argue that monogamy was better than an open marriage, while the memory of her husband’s betrayal was still fresh in her mind.

I’ve never been skiing. I’m sure it’s great if you know how to do it, but it seems like too much work to me. To me, if feels like those trips I went on in primary school to the Lake District, where we were forced to enjoy canoeing, orienteering and all sorts of other bollocks activities while enduring sub-zero temperatures. However, whichever ski resort they used for this film looked amazing, and there was some wonderful shots.

I loved this film, because the bulk of it was basically discussing the flaws of humans. At length. Very eloquently. It could have been a play. While the film looked beautiful, and was filmed in a breath-taking location, the real beauty was to be found in the raw, realistic script, and the fantastic performances.

Oh, but the little boy in it was super annoying. Not Babadook levels of annoying, but still pretty awful.

Homesick?

I’ve been living in California for a while now. I haven’t set foot in a Manchester pub or theatre since May 2015. As far as I’m aware, they’re all still going, but I haven’t checked. I can only imagine that various plaques have been mounted in my honour.

Strangely, I’m not that homesick. Probably because I’ve moved about ten times since I was 18, so don’t really have a definite space that I would call “home”. The last place I lived in, which is also the first place Will and I lived together, will now be inhabited by someone else, and is no longer our home. But it never really felt like it was anyway. I guess when you rent a furnished flat, which contains someone else’s dodgy sofa and stained carpets, it’s hard to think of a place as your own.

Here are some things I like to do to fight off homesickness:

Listen to BBC Radio 4, and 4 Extra – Oh my word, if the iPlayer Radio app wasn’t available worldwide I’d pack it all in right now. Nothing fills my heart with glee like listening to the dulcet tones of Barry Cryer or Miles Jupp. And since purchasing a SoundBot bluetooth waterproof speaker, I can ever take the likes of Ed Reardon into the shower with me. Result. But seriously, since I was very young I’ve always relied on a bit of background noise to enable me to function properly, so having Just a Minute on while I potter about the apartment certainly brightens things up a bit.

Sending messages to my UK friends – Just because I don’t see my friends every day doesn’t mean that they cease to exist. They might be in a different time zone, but they’re definitely still there. I take a lot of joy in sending and receiving lengthy messages and emails from my gorgeous friends and family. Indeed, if you’re reading this, and you fancy telling me what you’ve been up to, please feel free! But in return you may get a slightly daft email from me. Which is worth its weight in cola cubes. And yes, I do get occasional pangs of sorrow that I can’t go for a beer with my lovely buds, but I’m very fortunate to live in a part of the world where people actualy want to visit, so I look forward to drinking with some of you on this side of the pond someday soon.

Going to the cinema – Let’s face it, when you’re sitting in a dark room, you could be anywhere in the world. And I’m pleased to report that one of our local cinemas, The Vine, is very similar to the now-defunct Cornerhouse. So while I’m taking in the latest indie film, I find comfort in the thought that it’s essentially the same experience that I’ve always had, just a little further away.

Getting drunk with Will – I’m very fortunate that my favourite drinking buddy is here with me, and is the whole reason why I’m out here in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not on the bottle every night, but we do have a hoot on Fridays after Will finishes work. The staff in our favourite bar pretty much expect us now. I think they’d get worried if we weren’t there.

Talking to people – It’s easy to get a little insular when you’re in a strange place, and don’t really know anybody. I won’t lie, it’s often been difficult to get motivated when I don’t really have to do anything. But, I’ve found that setting myself, and more importantly completing, regular tasks is helping. I even had a lovely chat with a couple of Mormon lads last week while I was volunteering at a thrift store, who were extremely impressed by my knowledge of their religion, which is completely gathered from South Park and The Book of Mormon.

I know that it may seem like I’m a very outgoing, sociable person, but sometimes I do struggle with confidence, and it can take a lot of effort for me to open up sometimes. I do that awful thing where I try to anticipate conversations, and plan them in advance. Of course, once I’m in the outside world, everything comes naturally, and the panicking in the middle of the night is completely unjustified.

But it is important that I push myself to do things, and as long as I keep pushing myself, I’ll be fine.

26 Foreign Films – Week 5

Film: Escape (2012)

Country of Origin: Norway

I’ll tell you what, it was bloody hard to find a film beginning with E. A friend had suggested Elite Squad, and I thought I’d found it on Netflix (and was enjoying the pre-title sequence), but it turned out I was watching the sequel. Well done.

Luckily, I stumbled on Escape, a Game of Thrones-esque mini-epic from Norway, which was a lot better than I expected it to be.

Escape is set around 1360, and most of the population of Norway have fallen victim to the Black Death. Teenage Signe and her family have miraculously survived, but within the first few minutes of the film, Signe’s brother and parents have been brutally murdered. Signe’s life is spared, but a worse fate may await her. The gang that murdered her family tie Signe up, and their leader, Dagmar, seems set on allowing the men of the group have their way with our young heroine.

Luckily, evil Dagmar has a plucky little daughter, the amusingly-named Frigg, who helps Signe escape. The two girls run off from the band of nutters, resulting in a brief but frantic chase.

In terms of dialogue, it’s pretty sparse, but it definitely works. It’s quite clear what’s going on, as are the various motivations of the characters, so there really isn’t any need for padding. Signe is a fantastic character, cunning and capable. Her weapon of choice is a bow and arrow, so the comparisons to Katniss Everdeen are inevitable. But the real badass of this film is Dagmar, played by Ingrid Bolso Berdal. It was wonderful to see a woman leading the gang of male miscreants. While she is undoubtedly visually striking, no real attempt has been made to sexualise this character. She’s evil, she’s bonkers, she’s not an object of desire. You know, like an actual villain.

Director Roar Uthaug has created a very strong look, with some fantastic use of color (blues and oranges are very strong). And at less and eighty minutes, the story doesn’t overstay its welcome. I personally found the ending extremely satisfying. And it was refreshing to watch a genuinely good action film where the women aren’t reduced to eye-candy, but pack one hell of a punch. Simple and swift. Give it a watch.