After a few little Eastwood jobs we decided to go to The Odeon in Mansfield to see the new James Bond film, Casino Royale, which we had been looking forward to seeing.
The timing of the showing suggested lunch beforehand would be a 'good idea' so we went to The Widow Frost. A light and airy Wetherspoons at the top of Leeming Street. Picture 1. It is more of a restaurant really and Bungus prefers the more 'pubby' version down in the Market Place. The food was very good again. Y had a gammon steak and egg and the usual accompaniments, while I branched out and had a rack of BBQ'd pork ribs with coleslaw and sweet-corn. I'm glad I decided to try it 'cos it was v.tasty and tender. Y's gammon was also excellent but left her thirsty.
We needed Santa-type presents and I needed a new watch strap and we succeeded with those things. Picture 2 is looking down the hill towards the Court House and the Market Place. I had a good mooch while Y mooched M&S etc.
After lunch we went to the Cinema. Our timing was first-rate and we got 2 nice seats and the adverts and trailers were just finishing. We thought at first we were going to be troubled by paper-rustlers but once the film started on full volume there wasn't a problem. The film disappointed us slightly. Daniel Craig was excellent as Bond, Judi Dench, the Bond-girl and the villains were great, but there seemed a lot of dashing about (which was good) but, I thought, at the expense of plot and narrative. Probably the truth is that we are getting a tad too old for Bond films, preferring something a little more demanding. It was enjoyable enough but we couldn't echo the peons of praise heaped on the film.
Then home, pot of tea, Xmas cake (for me) and mess about doing odds and ends. Then it will be Strictly Come Dancing and, at 9pm, Simon Scharma on Mark Rothko.
Last night at the camera-club was good and I had lots of interesting chats to people. My 'publication success' was read out in 'notices' and I got a round of applause! The lecturer was good and very expert at his job as geologist researching the thousands of old metal-mining workings in Derbyshire. The problem was that he could have used a firm editor. I learnt more about 200yr old lead-mines than I actually need to know.
Byee.........
Aah !! the red, the red !!! It needed the blue mist of highlighting to bring Wetherspoons' brickwork down to my eyes’ acceptability level.
ReplyDeleteI accept that I am excessively colour sensitive **
(must be those Nordic winters?).
An independent observer, when asked for an opinion, said:
“It’s a pub.”
“What about the colour?”
“A bit bright.”
** So, and it should not come as a surprise, it isn’t just the reds. I quite often find your grass too GREEN !
I suppose I just prefer my colours muted. We shall have to agree to differ but please don’t think I shall shut up about it.
I understand that, in general, the critics’ view of ‘Casino Royale’ is that it was the most realistic of the books and that this film is nearer to Fleming than the earlier adaptations. For me, only the first three were really good, mainly because of the tongue-in-cheek added humour and Sean Connery’s seizure of the role (even though very unlike Fleming’s vision in very many ways). I think Bond, particularly on film, has always been more about light entertainment with added sadism. For ‘proper’ espionage I very much prefer John le Carre, who you feel gives the real, unpleasant flavour of the job.
I will give you a proper opinion on this latest Bond version in about five years time when I have seen it on TV.
I watched Simon Scharma on Mark Rothko and thought it interesting in its facts but, overall, a rather overwrought, occasionally tedious, production. Nevertheless, without getting analytical, I like Rothko’s stuff; pretty powerful for me. And it occurred to me that the sample of James Turrell you mailed me had echoes of Rothko.
Better keep away from me until you have received positive clearance from lead poisoning, subsequent to camera club (the ramifications of the current Russian spy saga are not lost on me).