On 6th January 2020, I wrote...
Well now. What did we have by the 6th, this time around?
- A third lockdown
- Highest COVID rate since last March
- A violent mob storm the US Capitol as the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect are being certified
Same old, same old, it seems. I wonder what Week One of January 2022 will offer. An enormous meteorite flattens Wales? Giant rabbits take control of the UN? Stefan Dennis elected as Pope? Why not? They're as batshit as any of the other examples that came true. Except the other examples that came true were not batshit. They were events that were wholly predicted by anyone that had followed the stories over time. From the rise in the COVID rate and the need for a stricter lockdown, to the domestic terrorism that was incited by the soon-to-be-former US President. All obvious from the start. No one should be surprised.
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I'm going to see off all
challenges with my wrist. |
So here, in my non-surprised state, I've got another lockdown to navigate. I'd really hoped not to keep banging on about it this time. I did A LOT of that in 2020. But best laid plans, and all that. We've at least seven weeks of this thing, so just as before, it's an idea to plan. Plan the arsenal of defence you need, to not only get through it, but to find pleasure in the randomness along the way.
Planning can be tricky though. We're in an interesting alignment of situations. At the same time as the post-Christmas comedown, we've got the severity of the lockdown and the freezing weather. On top of that, it's about now that many of us start to think about holidays. The fact we can't book anything, may add to the general misery. So many issues at once. Bam. A cocktail of emotion. You'll be pleased to know I've given this some thought and come up with the best way to deal with the unique situation in which we find ourselves. No really, it's my pleasure. The answer is simple. Movies, of course.
First is my post-Christmas film schedule. These include...
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My garden last night. As
a sideways Mr Burns looks
on, I am happily wallowing
in snowy films. |
These films are not Christmassy, but they do include snow, New Year, or cold weather. (Also TW for Spotlight - child abuse. Perhaps not the cosy watch the rest of them bring, but the gloomy weather, haunting score, and dogged reporters chasing down their story, fits perfectly with a January vibe.) They are all are films I love - some only released in the last twelve months - but they're an excellent way to wallow in the cold from the safety and privilege of a blanket and central heating.
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Call Me By Your Name
ID.YLL.IC |
But what's this? Wallowing in the cold is too gloomy? You want to be out and about feeling the sun on your skin? You want travel, you want adventure, you want a holiday? Well, OK then, you crazy fools. You'll be wanting my second list. The list of films that transport you elsewhere. When you can't book that much-needed trip, these films might help.
That list is sun-kissed and warming. It'll take you away from 'all this', even when you're sitting in your armchair and there's snow on the ground. It'll change your environment, warm you up and chill you out. Maybe. Who knows. But definitely worth a try.
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A terrible photo of my telly, but
it marks a moment I felt
all chuffed and lovely about life. |
As for me, I practice what I preach. The other day I had a spare afternoon so I turned on Shirley Valentine that I'd recorded over Christmas. Initially, this was not the soothing balm I had anticipated. The censored words that Ch5 deemed unsuitable for this middle-aged woman, were not delicately dubbed, nor subtly substituted. Oh no. Entire lines - and in one instance, a complete scene - were cut willy nilly. Whole punchlines were gone, making several jokes' pointless build-up, result in a character seeming deranged. I was NOT impressed. Even less impressed was I, when I checked on IMDB to see which part of Liverpool, Shirley's house was filmed. I had guessed Childwall or Woolton. It turns out it was the famous Scouse borough of Twickenham. Hmmm. Not cool. I almost turned it off at one point, deeming the censored version unwatchable. But then something marvellous happened. Shirley stormed off to Greece and real scenes from Mykonos were on my screen. (I checked. Definitely not Twickenham.) The cut lines and the nonsensical script changes didn't matter. There were blue seas, there were whitewashed buildings, and there were sunlit conversations on seafront tavernas. It was glorious. I tuned out the words - knowing them off by heart, I could insert the correct lines as and when they were needed - and focused on being somewhere else. It was idyllic.*
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Jessica is currently on the
61 going through Runcorn. |
It might not be your cup of tea. Shirley Valentine, I mean. But there'll be other films that take you somewhere you would love to be, all from the comfort of your locked-down home. In related news, I saw a chat on Twitter from someone who had taken a tour of Venice with her son's Virtual Reality headset. It sparked a convo about using city Instagram accounts and worldwide webcams to visit far flung destinations. It's human nature to want a break, to need a break. We just have to be creative with how we do that right now. Creativity is usually the first thing to depart when anxiety kicks in. Let's not allow that happen this time. Let's build our arsenal of defence. We can make it work, one film at a time. Defo.
Have a lovely week, folks.
*I think it's fair to say that Tom Conti's attempts to 'look Greek' would be considered bad from today. I'm not saying the film is faultless. But it did take me to Greece for a bit. And there's the scene where Shirley defiantly challenges the casual xenophobia of her fellow holiday makers. Swings and roundabouts.
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