More stuff that shouldn't happen in a cinema

Announcing a 12 minute short film before the main feature and then, unexpectedly and unexplained, only show the first half. However, in this instance during the recent D.W. Griffith season at the BFI, not sure if it wasn't for the best (the first half was very, very, very long).

Something else that shouldn't happen in a cinema

There's a Maggie Smith season and the BFI is showing a rare late 1950s TV play, Somerset Maugham's "For Services Rendered". Yet, the version is in colour and Maggie Smith-less. On the plus side, the version they actually showed is so rare, it's not on IMDb.

One more thing that shouldn't happen in a cinema

Showing a Technicolor cartoon (a Disney Silly Symphony, to be more precise) in a black and white copy. I wonder who made that decision... ("Birds in the Spring" shown before "Sleeping Beauty", last night at the BFI)

(stupid) Swine Flu Panic

Today, in Lisbon, I had the dubious pleasure of being asked to clean my hands with an disinfectant gel before I could enter a public building (the National Library in Lisbon, should you care).

That, along with similar bottles I had seen and the many, many, many posters telling me how to wash my hands (it seems I might not know how) or how to sneeze to my sleeve (it captures the germs and doesn't allow the virus to rest on your hands - yes, I know... and moreover my mother always told me never to use my sleeves as a tissue) makes me think swine flu panic in Portugal is to stay...

Ritter no more?

Why are these lovely chocolates disappearing from London shops? Suddenly I realised that most of the places that I knew that sell them are no longer doing it - that includes a local shop which had the most amazing variety. Life is definitely NOT fair.

Yet another thing that shouldn't happen in a cinema

The film starts and instead of the opening credits, it starts with a scene about an hour and half into the film, and no one seems to notice... ("Once upon a time in the West", yesterday at the BFI)

Another thing that shouldn't happen in a cinema

I'm sure everyone has accidentally spoiled a film for someone else they know - my mother revealed the end of "Dial M for Murder" without thinking, and I assume my brother has yet to forgive me for revealing the ending of a film I didn't even see...

However, how about this - you go to the cinema and the film is introduced by a scholar, and it's actually quite an interesting introduction up to the point where said scholar decides to reveal the ending, which as you might imagine was not the most popular move with the audience.

A very minor irritation...

If like me, you're someone who hardly ever loses things (not counting misplacing them in my room and only find them when they're no longer needed *) you get annoyed when you do lose them. Especially when it's freezing cold outside. Especially when you have your woolly hat in your hand when you're on one tube line, and as the doors close on you after you change trains you realise it's no longer there.

So lunch hour task? Go and find a new hat.

* - I did find the missing book...

Little things I hate II

To look for one of my books in London, not finding it, become convinced that it's in Lisbon, arriving in Lisbon and then also failing to find it. And I do not like missing books...

8 things that shouldn't happen in a cinema, but they do...

Inspired by number 3 below, a small collection of particularly curious experiences at the cinema:

1. The film burns - it did in one screening of an animated silent short at the Portuguese Cinematheque last Christmas. Big burning holes were projected on the screen, just like in a cartoon (spot the irony) growing and growing. I think I saw the last screening of that particular copy;

2. The film is shorted unintentionally - one of the songs in My Fair Lady (at the BFI in 2004) was cut in half, bound to happen again, because I think the problem is with the print. Why I didn't complained is beyond me;

3. The reels are not projected in the right sequence - it jumps one reel, although this was corrected in a few minutes (Period of Adjustment today at the BFI);

4. No one checked the quality of the print and it's inaudible for about 5min (The Devil and Daniel Webster at the BFI). This one I think they apologised just before the start, but I did complain because the room was freezing;

5. The film is long and has a break, but somehow no one stopped the projection - this one happened to my brother, in Lisbon during a screening of one of The Lord of the Rings trilogy;

6. The film has electronic subtitles projected onto it, and the machine breaks. Oh, and the film is in German, with French subtitles but only for part of the film (don't ask me why) - Max Ophuls' Libelei in Lisbon a few years ago;

7. There's a problem with a copy so a VHS is projected instead - Lola Montés at the Cinema Lumière in London, with extra bonus that you paid full price (although they did say what happened before the screening started and I decided to stay - which was a good thing cause the film is brilliant);

8. The wrong film is projected - instead of one particular version of "The Phantom of the Opera" another one was shown (again, the at the Portuguese Cinematheque). On this one I walked out and got a refund.

One box of aspirins

Today I went to Boots to buy aspirins and I was told that I can only buy one box at a time. A first, as I usually buy two boxes at a time. I was also given instructions how to used them - since it clearly looked like this was the first time I bought this most rare and unusual product.

I can only assume that the reason for this measure is to prevent an overdose of aspirins. All it did was to make me believe that I was being treated like a complete moron. Even with my lack of belief in mankind, surely no one accidentally overdoses on aspirin? And what's more, if you actually want to do it, all you have to do is to go to another branch!

Little things I hate

1) That after a week of playing around with Christmas flights, when I finally decide on dates and times, the stupid website is down...

2) That Ugly Betty has restarted last week (after an hiatus of nine months) on C4 and no one told me! Update: it seems C4 lets me catch up for free. Yay!

Without a watch...

My watch's strap died a death a few days ago, and after a week of trying to cope without the evil object (and miserably failing) and relying on my mobile I finally got a chance to take it to a shop and ask for a replacement strap... which will take at least another two weeks... aaarrrrggghhhh!