Small Murphies XLV

Seeing the first domestic Christmas tree of the year.

Small Murphies XLVI

 Watching live stuff.

Small Murphies XLVII

 Shining sun after two wet nights

Two Days in Paris, Hallam Foe, Black Sheep

 After a disappointing double bill of The Counterfeiters and Death Trip I had higher hopes a week last Monday. 

I have very fond memories of Before Sunrise, in which Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke wander around Vienna and try not to fall in love - and I was relieved to find it standing up when I showed it to N, who has wider taste than I often credit him for. Before Sunset was more of the same, a decade on and in Paris, and adds did-they/didn't-they? to will-they/won't-they? I didn't love it as much - we've seen it - but I hope they do Before Midnight and Before Noon in due course, and I must watch Waking Life which sort of features the same characters.

( Two Days in Paris )

Back in the day Spielberg screwed up and actually made a decent movie, Empire of the Sun, with an unknown child star Christian Bale. He's made the difficult transition from child to adult actor, and whilst he's not one of those actors I go out of may way to see, The Machinist and The Prestige are both pretty impression. Now him out of Billy Eliot - a film I had problems with - is following in his footsteps.

( Hallam Foe )

Whilst I'm catching up, I should mention

( Black Sheep )

 

Best Laid Planzzzzz

I need to creep up on an early night. 

For some reason I seem to be going to bed at 2am, and it's not good as I need to be up at 7.30. Last night I had a cunning plan: catch up with some of the stuff I've videoed, watch an episode or so of QAF, hack out that article for Extrapolation, watch another episode, get to bed by one. No point in going to bed too early and then not sleeping.

(I've ruled out going to the pub as it's football, and once we lose it will be a depressive atmosphere. I mean, all we need is a draw to get into whatever championship it is, having apparently been handed a miracle by Israel beating Russia [and I find it hard to believe I know this] - so the most likely result is to clutch defeat from the jaws of a tie.)

So it's nearly one time I start the DVD for the winding down episode. And getting on for 2 when it's finished. And I ought to check if I've won chess or Scrabulous yet... Read a couple of chapters of Frenchman's Creek.

Yes, 2.40am bedtime.

The alarms go off at 7.15, 7.20 and 7.30. I think, let's listen to the radio. I doze and ponder why Melvyn Bragg is presenting Saturday Live. Realise it isn't Saturday but Thursday. I could do with being in by ten so that gives me 45 mins to be up dressed and walk twenty minutes to work.

Argh.

Maybe I shouldn't try going to bed early.