A busy week, getting to grip with the last minute things that need to be done prior to a move. We had the formal handover of the house on Wednesday, which is really exciting although it feels a bit strange as I think we went for interview 5 months ago. Also, as it is a new build, the post code didn't exist until Friday morning which causes all sorts of hiccups. We did a quick 360 from outside the house, so you can see it is a bit of a bombsite around it. How are we going to keep mud off the new carpets?
We have spent some time this week pondering our really stimulating visit to Furze Platt last Sunday, and a wonderful lunch afterwards talking with old friends, plus the trip to St John's Kenilworth the week before. I have really vlaued being able to visit other Churches, especially those where I know the Vicar and have them as a frame of reference, as it were, and I was really impressed with what I saw Mark and Andrew doing. As well as ensuring I have enough time in the future for reading and thinking, I also need to have a bit of time to visit and be able to discuss.
In between all the decluttering and organising I have caught up with three films on the 'to watch' list. I rented two from iTunes and watched the third from a DVD I had bought ages ago in the sales. A week's worth of entertainment for £7.98 - awesome value!
The first was another Kubrick, Full Metal Jacket. This is one of a batch of Vietnam films from the late 80s which didn't go down the Rambo route, but rather sought to depict the horror and dehumanisation. Full Metal Jacket follows Private Joker, as he is christened by the monstrous Drill Sergeant, through his training and then into Vietnam.
The Drill Sergeant brutalises the men into shape by shouting, PT and rifle drill, but picks mercilessly on the clumsy and overweight Lawrence - here for sneaking a jam doughnut into his kit box because he was hungry. Joker is made into the platoon leader and he tries to get Lawrence into shape, but is nevertheless drawn into a night-time beating of Lawrence by all the men in the platoon as revenge because they are
Eventually Lawrence snaps and shoots the Instructore and himslef in front of Joker.
The second half of the film moves to Vietnam where Joker is now a journalist writing for the Marines in-house morale booster, but he is desparate to go into the field to see some action, so he is sent to the front where he meets his old training companion 'Cowboy'.
On a patrol sent to clear the wrecked town down to the river they get lost, and in chagning course get caught by a sniper. In flushing the sniper out Joker eventually has to kill and gains his thousand yard stare.
As is often the case with Kubrick none of the characters seem to make you want to be sympathetic toward them and there is the struggle between liberal values and the brutality of combat, hence his wearing a peace symbol and yet having 'Born to Kill' painted on his helmet.
The second film was Hitchcock's Rear Window. I love the way Hitchcock seems to deliberately chose ways of limiting his options, but then working with those limitations as a way of allowing his imagination the maximum opportunities - like most artists, I guess.
James Stewart has broken his leg and is restricted to a wheelchair, cared for by his girlfriend (Grace Kelly) and his insurance nurse. Bored, he spends his time watching his neighbours around the courtyard - even having nicknames for them such as Miss Torso and Miss Lonely-Heart.
As usual Hitchcock makes a little cameo appearance, here as the clock mender for the song writer in the penthouse rooms.
Stewart especially enjoys watching his neighbour opposite with the bed-ridden nagging wife, and this gives him every reason to avoid proposing to Lisa.
All the action and dialogue takes place either in Stewart's room, except for the movements of others as observed by Stewart - right up until the final scene when he leaves the apartment himself.
Mrs Thorswald disappears, but little clues glimpsed by Stewart seem to indicate that Mr Thorswald (Raymond Burr plays a baddy!!??!!) has done her in.
The Police don't believe him, but gradually Lisa and the nurse come to agree with Stewart, and so join in his attempt to find the evidence to prove it.
Slightly theatrically staged, maybe, but a great idea and a good film.
The last film of the week was Blake Edward's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. Having seen the stage play a year or two back I didn't expect some of the seamier sides of the story to make it into the film and so some things are only hinted at.
Peppard and Hepburn look very stylish, but Edwards seems to have resorted to one of his stock stereotypes (seen later in the Pink Panther films) of the ridiculous Japanese man - and played by Mickey Rooney! Outrageous!
It was good to watch on a cold night in front of a warm fire, so no real complaints.
This time next week we'll be in. Gulp - so much still to do.
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