A Man Called Mike
First time in yonks, I got together with Mike this evening for a drink and some food, and a catch-up about all sorts of things, but especially what he has going on with Underhand.
In fact, I think it's probably the first time ever that Mike and I have just been out together. Which is a bit odd now I come to think about it. Maybe we should aim to change that.
It’s Official
Joss Whedon, John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men in May.
I'm getting seriously hyperventilated here.
Katharine Hepburn
As she was one of those who appeared in the 'Those Who've Died' segment of the BAFTAs, I thought I'd take a moment to share a photo of her I have in the flat - it was given to Chris and I as a housewarming gift in the first place we lived together - it's in a very cool frame, and it's a stunning photo, which this image of doesn't do justice, but I thought I'd share it anyway.
BAFTA Blog 2004
As I've occasionally done with film awards shows before, I'm going to keep a running blog through this evening's BAFTA film awards. This could be quite an interesing set of awards for me, as 2003 ended up being my least cinematically-active year since I first started taking a professional interest in the subject. It will be an unusal occasion for me to have seen so little of what's under scrutiny.
I'll refresh this posting as the evening goes on.
21:12 - I've noted before that Stephen Fry is absolutely brilliant at hosting these gigs, but I don't know that I've ever before noted the other thing that ought to be said of of him: It's that despite coming nowhere near any classical definition of the word 'attractive', he nevertheless manages, by a combination of wit, charm and intelligence, to be a very attractive man.
A bit like me, really.
21:19 - Bill Nighy keeps being touted as a great choice for the next Dr Who, and I've never quite been convinced. Though I find myself open to persuasion based on his Supporting Actor acceptance speech. I'm still not remotely interested in seeing Love, Actually though.
21:25 - I'm hoping that Belleville Rendezvous wins Best Film Not In The English Language, though as I *still* haven't seen Spirited Away, I'm not in the best position to judge.
21:26 - I know nothing of In This World, I'm ashamed to say, but it seems to have been a popular winner. I should check it out.
21:30 - Is it just me, or did Anthony Minghella just give a speech accepting the Best Music award that sounded like he's not expecting to pick up anything else this evening? Why else would he have thanked all the actors as well as the musical people?
21:38 - Now this one I approve of. The Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film goes to Working Title Films. Good choice.
21:44 - First award for ROTK - not surprising that it picked up Cinematography - that's a film that couldn't conceivably have looked better.
21:57 - ROTK has won the public vote for the Orange Film of the Year, which is not hugely surprising. There were *loads* of films on the shortlist, including, inexplicably, Johnny English....
You can find out what's yet coming up on the TV broadcast here, by the way.
22:24 - Ah - the first full-on gush of the evening comes from Renée Zelwegger. Mind you - she certainly seems to have been the most entertaining element of the otherwise monumentally-dull-looking Cold Mountain.
22:31 - If I didn't already want to see The Station Agent once it opens here anyway, I would after watching Thomas McCarthy pick up his Best Original Screenplay gong. What a sweetie.
22:47 - Well I knew Peter Weir was going to get Best Director from the BBC News item. Someone who's seen it tell me - Is Master and Commander Etc Etc worth seeing?
23:05 - ROTK is Best Film, which of course is only right. And John Boorman is getting the Fellowship of the Academy, which I can go along with. I think his record's actually a bit patchy, but generally he's a reasonable choice.
Lacking Charisma? Lacking *Everything*
I've been meaning to post for a week about having heard the plot of Angel's 100th episode and the permanent departure of Charisma Carpenter from the show. I wanted to post, because I think that it's a real loss to the show. Since the intruduction of the rather vapid Cordelia in the first episode of Buffy, Ms Carpenter developed a brilliant character who, by the start of Angel was at the emotional heart of the show. The thought of Angel without Cordelia is like Buffy without Xander. I wanted to post to say that I was saddened by her departure, even though I know that she effectively left a season ago.
But more than that, I now need to note the departure of the entire series. It's been confirmed that the WB will not be renewing it past the current fifth season.
So that's it. No more Buffyverse TV in production. No sign of any cinema development on the horizon.
Era. End.
Sad.
Gay Marriage
I was going to add my six penn'orth to Darian's posting on gay marriage, but I thought it would be unfair to monopolise his comments box. Interesting discussion he's set off there though - worth checking out.
In the meantime, I noted at the end of the week that San Francisco allowing gay marriages in contravention of state law. In fact, they've triggered a rush to the city by those wishing to get married.
I'm acutely aware of the significance of these events in an America where 'the defence of marriage' has become a rallying cry for the religious right, though I've always felt that the need for 'defence' is slightly misunderstood when all these people seem to be rushing to support it as a concept by subscribing themselves to it. Think about it - marriage is hardly under attack if even people who aren't allowed into it are fighting for the right to join the club. True, one very narrow definition of the thing might be challenged, but the basic idea, two people pledging themsleves to fidelity and love before man and (if you must) god, appears to be regarded by many as a significant goal. In this light, the ongoing effort to define marriage as being only between a man and woman look more and more like the bigotry they really are, rather than an attempt to maintain respect for the institution.
Let's also note that it's an institution which is doing a pretty good job of dissing itself. Divorce rates aren't exactly dropping, and faithfulness seems to be a somewhat flexible concept among many couples. You'd think the pro-marriage lobby would be happy to have the number of people in the smug club increased by any method available.
I'm not a fan, as you might have spotted.
One of the glib phrases I occasionally use to sum up my position on life is that I'm 'the foe of matrimony'. I don't use this phrase to condemn anyone who becomes connubially blissful, by the way. Just to note that it's not a state into which I can see myself entering. I used to say that the only thing marriage gave a couple was a piece of paper that made it more difficult to split up when they fell out of love with each other. In a lot of ways I still believe that - I'm not a believer in life-long love, but perhaps that's more because I've never had one than for any other reason. I'm certainly not averse to the idea of one coming along - it's just that past experience hasn't made me very optimistic.
But regardless of that, I'm pretty much anti the idea of gay marriage anyway. The idea of what is effectively apeing a heterosexual convention smacks me a bit too much of seeking approval and validation for something that requires neither.
I've joined a couple of couples I've known over the years in what I suppose we'd sensibly call commitment ceremonies, though 'ceremony' is perhaps too strong a word. This I like - standing up and declaring your commitment to one another. But I dislike the equivalent where doing so makes your relationship somehow more legitimate than those of people who haven't.
The only thing that I can see being advantageous to properly-recognised gay marriages would be if all of the rights and priviledges of straight marriage accompanied it. Next-of-kin status for same-sex partners is a huge issue, and one that I'd put far ahead of tax status and other financial recognitions. If I never have to hear about another partner excluded from critical decisions about their other half's life or death at the expense of a family who doesn't know them or rejected them years before I'll die a happier man.
But full-on marriage isn't for me, I don't think. And I don't think it would be even if I was straight but in every other regard still 'me'.
Best of luck to everyone who got married in san Francisco the last few days though. I hope you'll be very happy.
Gaining Knowledge
I've occasionally wondered what it is about the corner on which my flat is situated that makes it so significant. It's just a corner in a residential area, far from any particular landmarks and generally unremarkable.
But every weekend (and every Sunday in particular), a steady stream of bike-riding Knowledges Boys (using the term in a generic, gender-independent way) come along, stop across from my windows, tick off something on their little clipboard, then consult their list and map for the next place they're heading off to.
It makes me feel like I'm right in the heart of things.
Okay, Now I Feel Bad
Having been so unpleasant about Valentine's Day last night, I've received an extraordinarily sweet, thoughtful, heartfelt token of the day this morning.
It's handmade, very personal, and avoids all the commercial crap I despise so much about this day, so fortunately I can appreciate it without turning entirely into a hypocrite.
Seriously - *very* sweet.
VD
The true spirit of Valentine's Day.
My feelings on this most pointless and indeed offensive of 'holidays', having previously been established, I'll only say that Dave has pointed me at the best antidote to all the commercial and over-indulgent crap I've yet come across.
Go on - send someone a VD card....
Reactionary, Moi?
I'm starting to get a little worried. I keep reading news items and finding myself (in an internalised, non-apparent-to-the-other-people-on-the-bus way) spluttering with indignation about them. I'm thinking of rounding up a few over the weekend and offering some thoughts on them, but I'm worried about starting to sound like one of those people who writes to Metro about one thing or another.
Admittedly, a number of these items are in fact in Metro in the first place, which tends to put them in the right-wing, sensationalist, hackles-raising part of the scale anyway, but even so, I do worry about what I'm turning into....