Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Worked from home this Bank Holiday, now I know what Rebecca's life felt like while I was enjoying my furlough holiday. I started off with a few easy jobs, sent a few emails and the like, but since most other people were enjoying a bit of freedom today I ended up having little to do. During my lunch break Mark, Dan and I joined forces online once again to do a bit of space mining and, wow, we had a good time together. 

With no Youth for Europe or Eurovision this year, I'd been feeling a bit out of synch with my body calendar. Thankfully, Netflix's film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga was here to provide me with all my annual Euro goodness. For the most part anyway. Will Farrel has always been a marmite comedic presence, I've personally never found him hysterical in anything, he's somehow still earned a lot of good will from me. He was one of the lead writers for this film and since he's the main star attached to it it makes sense the movie would get the most milage out of him as possible, often to the film's detriment. The first 15 minutes honestly didn't make a good impression as many joke fell flat. Luckily, Rachel McAdams bounced off Ferrell's character naturally, and their relationship slowly grounded the heart of the film.

Miraculously, the film nailed the Eurovision vibe, I actually couldn't believe how successful the film was in this department. Even the fake Eurovision songs sounded legit which is more impressive the more you think about it. At it's core, the movie works but it feels like it's running a three legged race every step of the way - it never quite manages to combine his individual 'comedic' scenes into the fold of the film. We didn't get a proper Eurovision this year, but I'll gladly take this as a one-off substitute.

Crystal Bearers

Squeezed in a bit of time this Sunday to finish the script for my next video. I was so stoked after finishing it I jumped right into recording my voice over, which turned out to be a total nightmare. Noisy neighbours, dead batteries and a dry throat all stood between me and my recording, I flew in the face of that adversity and I've already cut all my dialogue into sequence. So glad I did that too, the hardest and most time consuming part is behind me, now I get to do the fun, creative side which I can bash out over the next few days.

Louis and Rachel popped round tonight too, mostly so Louis and I could go on a nostalgia trip by playing the newly released remaster of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, but also to share my schnitzel recipe with them. Louis even said it may be the best one he's ever had which is pretty high praise - always room for improvement in my opinion, but I appreciate the sentiment. This marks my third big social function in under a week and I've noticed I've been fairly withdrawn during all of them. Perhaps I'm a little tired from work, I just don't want to come across as rude or disinterested while chatting, but I'm ever conscious that I've got less and less interesting things to say as of late.

Bridge of Spies

Slept in like a champ and woke up feeling like a new man. The past two evening finished super late so my forty winks was long overdue. Rebecca was out most of the day tending to her various cat-sitting appointments so I settled into a groove on the sofa and dove into some games and some TV. After lunch though we thought it'd be good idea to get a bit of sunlight and fresh air so we headed up to Rebecca's favourite Oxfam shop at the top of Park Street and to grab a coffee and some cake. I just enjoyed letting the day wash over me, I went at its pace and I found myself enjoying the moment all the more because of that.

Tonight was also the night we watched Bridge of Spies, a film that's been on my watchlist for far too long. Predictably, it was pleasing. Tom Hanks was good, the camera work was good and Thomas Newman's score was good. And yet, there was something missing. Something that made it feel a little mechanical and aloof compared to Spielberg's other works. Maybe it was the pacing disparity between the film's two half's? Truth be told I can't quite put my finger on why it wasn't a stand out film, my gut was simply satisfied, not mesmerized.

There and Back Again

Took the bus to the site of last night's office part so I could pick up some bits and pieces, though an early morning spanner got lodged into my morning plans. There was no one at the office reception to let me in, so first thing I had to do was drive back home to pick up a key card I had knocking around and head back again. Did a bunch more driving around this morning, including heading out to a Thai restaurant for lunch to pick up a giant order for everyone in the office - a rewarding meal after a turbulent morning.

After work I struggled again with the buses and waited 30 minutes for one to arrive and take me to a friends house for dinner and board games. We hadn't seen them properly since lockdown started so it was lovely to just hang out with them again. Got introduced to an adorable board game called Everdell. I came joint last, but still found myself grinning at all the whimsical illustrations. Looking forward to the weekend now!

Paella Pals

Just returned from a big old work party. Our Producer whipped up a giant paella for us all to dig into, and I was so hungry after a full day of work I dove in for a third portion! We chatted the night away and I learnt plenty about our crew's childhood lodgers, passions for magic and tales of broken bones - it was a real bonding exercise and though I didn't contribute much to the conversation (I'm one of life's great listeners) the night was a ton of fun.

Zoom Wizard

Spent the day acting as a Zoom call moderator for a cast script read through. Funnily enough, even though I've been on my fair share of video calls during the heart of lockdown, my exposure to Zoom has been minimal, so when the team asked of I could record a meeting and host a chat for 40 people I was a little anxious. But, a lot of research and testing meant that I was ready for the task! The day went off without too many dramas and folks were very pleased with how it all went down, plus I got to listen in on how the finished product will sound - very cool.

A Wild Goose Chase

Big order of business at work today was going on a wild goose chase. Some post got misdelivered and I was brought on to help try and find it. I called up Hermes's customer support, I called three places it could've ended up at and everything was a dead end. On a blind hunch, I tried the very first place I called again and begged them to recheck the mail... Turns out it had been there all this time. All I could do was shake my head while sounding congenial over the phone.

Otherwise, I did some cool stuff today. I put up around 80 storyboard pages across a panoramic corkboard and did another mail run. Plus, I'm doing a bit of party organizing for a little work shindig later this week, really looking forward to that now.

Script Sitter

Got up earlier than usual to sort out something for work that'd been bugging me over the weekend, felt elated once it was all sorted though - like the Sword of Damocles had been lifted. After that, I did some very stereotypical Production Assistant duties: I printed scripts, stapled them together and drove them to the post office to get mailed for guareneed next day delivery. Feels good holding scripts, still get that  sense that they're the reason we all have a job at the moment. I'm holding the story, the adventure and the characters in my hands.

Distanced Jam

An old face popped round to visit this afternoon. Jamie was on his way into Wales but took the time out of his day to sit and chat with me and Rebecca at a social distance in our home. We laughed because last time we saw each other was literally the week before lockdown begun, when we all naively thought the virus would pass us by without affecting much. He's doing well for himself though, his course is all but complete and he's got an album coming out which I'm keen to listen to. Evenbif it was just a fleeting visit it was lovely to see him again, hopefully we'll be back to playing games on the sofa in no time at all.

That was the day's social highlight, the culinary peak was breakfast. Scrambled eggs with creme fraiche is what you want to wake up to every morning, especially when there's a bakery-freash pain au chocolat for 'breakfast pudding'. Grass was getting long again so I felt duty bound to deal with it, this time though I wanted to use some shears instead of a mower - the job was so much more pleasurable that way. Hope our lil' mower gets another shot in the sun, otherwise we may have to flog him off.

Been a while since I've had a 9 til 5 kinda job so the Sunday blues felt foreign to me. Had a really lovely weekend though, feel recharged now and ready to hit next week with all I got.

Darling Saturday

Just had the Saturday everyone dreams about having. Kept the alarm off and had a mini lie-in, then I got up to cook up a batch of porridge, a breakfast treat I've been sorely missing this past week. A weekly shop was in order, along with some other 'round the house' activities. We had some stuff to hang up on the walls mostly which is something I've been putting off doing in fear of damaging the paintwork, but we got a mirror and some little bits of art hung up now so the house feels much more lively. 

The afternoon was dedicated to games and loloping around on the sofa, until it was time to head out on a date night out on the town. Rebecca and I booked a cute little Italian restaurant, we've both been suffering from a craving for a decent pizza since lockdown started so this meal was absolute heaven. Giddy from good food and a shared tiramisu, we retired home just before the rain started (phew) and watched a bit more of The Wire. 

That's it - the ideal Saturday!

Behind the Old Vic

Rebecca loving peeped out our bedroom window this morning to watch me set off in my car first thing this morning. Secretly I think she was more invested in watching whether or not I smashed into her car or not, but the sentiment was appreciated. Felt like I spent more time on the road than I did at my desk today, most interesting journey was for a little tour around the backstage areas of the Bristol Old Vic. I was there doing a mini recce which went really well, got to see all the rehearsal spaces and tucked away offices, its a great venue and it was real cool to peek behind the curtain.

Friday is here at long last though and after a busy, but positive first week I cannot wait to put my feet up.

Honey, I'm Home...

I don't actually know where the morning went today. Just had a plethora of bits and bobs to do, I even acted as the Covid supervisor for a few hours - got to temperature check people with a little thermal gun and everything.

Drove the car home this evening since I've got to make an uptown journey first thing tomorrow. It should've been a real homecoming moment. A picture perfect scene where I pull up outside of the house and declare 'Honey, I'm home'.

Instead it was more like 'Honey, I'm home... And could you please come help me park the car on our narror road because I'm struggling to do a reverse hill start.' I'm very grateful for Rebecca's love and patience, she keeps me going.

Covid Compliant

Had mini meeting today about managing Covid in our workspace. Already everyone needs to wear a mask if they're not parked at their desk, but now we might be incorporating our own private track and trace system. It's all rather sophisticated, its just going to be a bit of a mission getting our cast and crew all using it. Otherwise I got cosy with the laminator while I prepped some signage. Something about the smell of hot plastic reminds me of primary school...

Day 2, Drive 2

Jumped back in my rental car for another trip which went totally fine. I was visiting a Bristol based puppet workshop to pick up some forgotten COVID protocol equipment, odd reason to go but it gave me the perfect excuse to look in. I've been by that workshop on many runs in the past and I've always fantasized about what's inside, couldn't believe I found a legitimate reason to get a mini guided tour. 

I'm getting more into the swing of things at work now too, made some phonecalls and even had a bizarre bonding session with a bloke one of our packages got misdelivered too. The odd jobs really are the best.

All Gas, No Brakes

First day on the new job done and dusted. Like most 1st days, I spent it finding my feet and acclimatising to the office environment. There's a big push for COVID friendly protocols there, whenever you scoot away from your desk you gotta wear a facemask. Its the modern way of working alright.

 After lunch I was handed down the task of driving up to the old offices to get some bits and pieces. I think Mark spotted the flicker of fear in my eyes since this would mark the first time I'd ever driven a car by myself. But with Google Maps shouting directions at me, it actually turned out to be just fine. Stalled once at a busy junction but I recovered with some scraps of professionalism. I'm a long way off enjoying driving (the whole affair was quite sweaty) but I it wasn't as daunting as I made it out to be in my head.

Sunday Bucket List

Yesterday I made a little list of all the things I wanted to do on my final day before starting my new job. I watched a film (the endearingly dysfunctional documentary American Movie), I played some games with my buddies and I finished up a bunch of jobs around the house. I'm still beavering away at my next video's script and took it from 96% to 98% complete (conclusions are so hard to nail). Lastly I packed up my new rucksack with all the little bits and pieces I'll need for tomorrow. Felt nice to strike items off my itinerary, even if it was a Sunday I didn't want to waste the day. 

I'll let everyone know how my first day goes tomorrow!

For the Love of Writing

Though it was my day off, I actually found myself yearning to do some more writing. I've got no game to get stuck into right now, and with Rebecca out in London for the weekend I figured now was the perfect chance to polish off the script for my next video. It's bizarre to think that I'm actually starting not to see the writing process as work, but rather as something enjoyable. I think of it almost like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle as I solve the best way to convey my thought process through the written word. With any luck I'll get it all done for tomorrow before I start my new job, then I can park my headspace for a bit and climb down from the clouds.

Furlough Pho

Today marks my last weekend on furlough so I wanted to do something a little special, so I spent the whole afternoon preparing a Pho for dinner. I went all out making it, I even picked a pepper from my pepper plant for added spice... I quickly learnt that I can't handle them so I had to sheepishly pick them out my broth, but they lended some nice colour regardless. The dinner acted as a nice send-off to my months of inactivity, though the long holiday has been nice, I am oddly excited to get back to doing some real work.

Sayonara Coffee #1

Dove deep into a textual analysis for Sayonara Wild Hearts, the next game I'm doing a video on. Amidst my research I discovered that while 'Sayonara' is a colloquialism used in Japan, it's a word that's rarely used since it has such strong connotations with finality - it's a final farewell. Today I said sayonara to Coffee #1. Tomorrow is technically my last day on the payroll and tonight was my farewell drinks at a local pub. It was a bittersweet occasion, though it was sad to say goodbyes, everyone knew I was moving on to pastures green. 

Attached to my 'so long and good luck' card was a little poem I forgot I wrote. I silently planted it within a company notebook over a year ago, waiting for some unassuming reader to impart some meaning onto it. The page had been torn out and tucked into the card and it hit me harder than I care to admit. If you can bare to read my handwriting, I think you'll see why too:

 

  

Dealing with Lil' Bits

Despite being in the coolest room in the house, the heat melted me down all morning. There really wasn't much I could do about it beyond complaining... And buying ice lollies to savour while tapping away at my desk. I completed a lot of 'life admin' stuff too, booked a table at a pub, rearranged an escape room voucher and gave a hire car company all my driving credentials. Once that was all done I continued refining an idea for my next video. Might not have time to finish it before I start my new job but it could be something fun to tinker with on my off days.

Battened down the hatches tonight too. Storms brewing tonight.

Photoshop and Pilates

 Back to writing for me so I finished up what could well be my last Sick Critic article for a while. I submitted the first draft then got to work on photoshopping the supporting images which took the remainder of the day, one or two of which are actually chuckle-worthy. I did learn just how toasty our spare bedroom/office gets in the middle of the day though, even with a constant stream of ice water at my disposal, I was simply sweating far too much for most of the day... Perfect timing then to try out my first ever pilates session! I rolled out my mat next to Rebecca and tuned into a live session from the comfort of my own living room. The session though was anything but cosy as I stretched muscles I forgot I had. I felt wreaked by the end, but in a good way. I won't be necessarily be jumping to join another workout, but it has got me a little more fitness conscious.

How's the Mowin' Goin'?

Though Rebecca and I took this Monday off it felt like a full on working day. I sent out a few emails then we dashed out for an early morning shop. Shortly afterwards we drove just outside of Bristol to pick up a little lawnmower we bought second hand online. The early afternoon was spent putting it to good use. In the heat the garden had turned into a jungle, but now we were somewhat prepared to deal with it. That said, I'd forgotten just how tough pushing around a manual mower was, especially through near foot-long grass. By the time I trimmed it all down I was saturated in sweat, but the job' a good 'un.

Just after dinner Rebecca convinced me to go spend some time with the cat she's looking after this week since he's apparently 'lovely in every  way'. The rumours were true. Not only was this cat (who goes by George) extremely relaxed around people, he's also adorable. Clearly this visit was a not so subtle way to charm me towards a cat-owning lifestyle, though I'm not fully swayed, Rebecca's cause earned some points.

Holidays End Too Soon

Poked around Winton highstreet one last time this year before packing our bags and heading home. The 'holiday is over' feeling hit Rebecca only about halfway through our journey back, which in turn invaded my mindset. Though it's a little sad to be back, it's been a really nice break for the both of us. I daresay it's the longest we've been away since we moved into our house, I know this because the building's original smell came back for a small moment. Today also marks the 'one more week of furlough' period as I start my new job next Monday. I've still got to round off a handful of smaller projects over the next few days, once that's done I'll have a beautiful clean slate and a great head to start my new job.

Farewell Fridge

Feels like I did loads today, but mostly I just moaned about the heat. We all headed up to Hengistbury Head to drink in the breeze and the views. Then Dad and I dealt with the old fridge that's been in this house for longer than I remember. I had no love for it though, especially after some nefarious yellow liquid spilt onto me while we hauled in to the tip. Got a fancy new fridge here now that I'm actually a bit jealous of. Last but not least we met up with a Uni friend who was also in Bournemouth for the weekend. We sat in the garden and had a very brief chat with him before he dashed off to his next social call. Though it was a short stay, it was undeniably pleasent to see a familiar face after lockdown - here's hoping that'll become a much more regular occurrence.

Kimchi Burgers

 Raced to the beach today to beat the punters, not just for Covid reasons, but to get a good spot too. For the first time this year I plunged into the sea and even deigned to try floating on my back, something I've always been dreadful at.

Once I'd rubbed every last grain of sand out from between my toes my attention shifted towards making a stunning dinner. Rebecca and I hit the high street to pay a butchers and a Korean supermarket a visit to get the bits for some kimchi burgers. Dad and I lit the fire while he reminiscened about the age of the BBQ (it's older than me and still capable of feeding a family). Rebecca rustled up some sweet potato wedges for us, and bless her, the first batch got a little too crispy. Still, we pulled through and delivered a tasty dinner.

Toot Toot

I did something I haven't done in 13 months this morning: drive a car. I got insured on Rebecca's little Vauxhall and hopped into the drivers seat for the first time. Rebecca obviously sat next to me while I retrained my brain for the handling and steering and thankfully, it all came back to me. Even went down Winton highstreet in a car which is a horrific road even on a good day but it was pretty good. Looking forward to learning more now and getting more confidence.

After my little jaunt we all headed to Christchurch to meander through the estuary and gawk at the wild horses. Its a good soulful walk, I remember going there three years ago and being smitten with it, glad I got to show Rebecca round too. Once dinner was done we all gathered round for Dad's new board game Splendor. We all went in with trepidation, the rules were worryingly brief and it outwardly appeared complicated. 10 minutes in though we all got the hang of it and now we can't wait to play more.

Echoes of Spice

Been weirdly sleepy all day. I snoozed on the way down to Bournemouth, started to doze off in the garden and after a big meal out this evening I just felt ready to hibernate. The meal in question was at a Korean restaurant and since Mum is a self-appointed expert in all things Korean she was teaching us all about the various delicacies. All of which I might've been able to enjoy a little more hadn't I burnt off all my tastebuds trying to eat a very spicy starter. Its a testament to the strength of my main that I still managed to enjoy it despite sweating out half of my body weight moments beforehand. I'd never had Korean cuisine before, but if you every get the chance, give it a shot - just know your spice tolerance!

Pepper Pocket Rocket

Packed my bags, ready to go on a brief Summer family holiday. Rebecca and I will be heading to Bournemouth early tomorrow morning for a small break from home life. Though we've both been cooped up at home, neither of us have really stopped to enjoy some proper time off for quite some time so we're looking forward to kicking back.

Just before that though we had to muscle through one last day of work. I spent most of it seriously racking my brain for new lines for Louis' vegetables but kept hitting dead ends. I stuck with my work schedule for the most part, but came up pretty short compared to some other days. Win some, you lose some I guess. I did at long last get to try one of my home grown chili peppers, I sliced it up and mixed it into some couscous, then immediatly wished I hadn't. These things are pocket rockets! I'm chuffed I have access to some DIY spice, but I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with a whole bunch of hot chilies after a while. Maybe I need to look into freezing ore drying them out...

Double Chicken

Had Louis and Rachel over tonight to indulge in some Miss Millie's fried chicken. It's a local fast food chain that was set up by a relative of Coronal Saunders, we've been living in Bristol so long it was only a matter of time before we got to taste this homebrew KFC and it didn't dissapoint. The real test will be how well it keeps in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch.

We paired our chicken dinner with a movie about... Chickens. Rachel had never seen Chicken Run and with the recent announcement of a sequel it felt right to reevaluate this childhood favourite. I'm happy to say it holds up incredibly well thanks in large part to its wonderful imagination. Every scene features little gags or creative use of household knick knacks that made my heart smile all over again.

Wild at Heart

My big project for today was attempting to make caramel covered popcorn. Catch was, I'd never made caramel before so the whole thing was a learning exercise. I skimped on the caster sugar and used granulated instead which was a big old mistake. It clumped up pretty badly as a result and never came close to its intended silky texture. So it crystallized, hardened and once 'scooped' onto my popcorn all the allure had vanished and I was left with chunky, overly sweet popcorn with wildly uneven coating. Still tasted good though. 

It was my turn to pick a film for us to watch tonight so I chose Wild at Heart. I was under the pretense that it would be a fun, but weird romp that Rebecca would dig. Instead we got a David Lynch joint. Following two eloping love bird, it's a film told through post-coitus cigarettes and twisted manifestations of The Wizard of Oz. It's a world that doesn't shy away from telling us we're all just animals wearing clothes and thanks to Lynch's signature style I was transfixed the whole way through. It was also oddly optimistic for one of his films, which might explain why I enjoyed it so much. Though there's an almost suffocating degree of ugliness in its world, there are a pair of untainted souls capable of rising above it all.

1 Day, 5 Films

Topped my all time personal high-score for 'films watched' today and saw five flicks back to back. Though I went over to Louis and Rachel's to watch the last film on this list, not much else occurred today - so here's five mini reviews of all the films I watched in order of me seeing them.

Ratcatcher (1999)

In which a young boy living in 1970's Glasgow dreams about a better life.

Supposedly in Fight Club David Fincher said he snuck a Starbucks coffee cup into every shot of his film. In Ratcatcher it would be easier to count the shots that didn't feature trash or bin bags. It's a truly filthy setting. The only thing piercing through the squalor is the hope and imagination of a young boy. Lynne Ramsay's work always features an almost poetic filmic language that's a wonder to behold. Shots of rats on the moon and golden fields of wheat are enchanting, capable of distracting you from the sordid slums of Glasgow for just a fleeting moment. The Glaswegian dialect is unbelievably thick here (it makes Trainspotting's dialogue look cuddly) yet despite only really comprehending 50% of the spoken dialogue, I could still feel every spoken word. A remarkable and beautiful film best enjoyed in the wee hours of the morning.

Starship Troopers (1997)

In which a Gung Ho and self-important American Military invade an Alien Planet in response to Pearl Harbor Earth getting attacked.

A cult favourite and I get why. It's a campy sci-fi with dialogue that's deliciously on the nose and features enough gore to keep you thrilled. Watching it though feels like being told a loosely funny joke by someone at a party. You both laugh at the punchline, but then they just keep laughing at their own joke way beyond a socially comfortable standard... All while you stand there and pretend to keep laughing to be polite. I 'got' the joke about 10 minutes in and it never really evolved beyond that, which is a pity because I was expecting something a little more. Special effects and art design still holds up though!

Capernaum (2018)

In which a young boy (Zain) living in Lebanon attempts to sue his parents for giving birth to him.

The set-up makes this one almost sound like a kooky foreign comedy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Told mostly in flashback, we see the conditions of Zain's family life and how his parents treat him and his siblings - it wouldn't be a spoiler to say that his life isn't peachy. An act of defiance leads Zain to another broken home where hopefully his presence can be a force for good.

The anamorphic look of the film creates the sense that Zain's city is omnipresent and all-consuming. No matter how many buses he gets on he'll never escape his hometown. It's a hopeless, sometimes angry film that evokes Grave of the Fireflies and isn't afraid to cast a light on the grim nature of growing up in the Middle East. Though heartbreaking at times, there thankfully isn't a big emotional score trying to squeeze the tears out of me. Every response and reading I had to each scene felt like my own as a result. That alongside the seamless performances kept me engaged the whole way through.  

The Wind (1928)

In which a young woman leaves Virginia to live on a farm where the wind blows eternally.

Seemingly set in the eye of a hurricane, this is a turn of the century fairy-tale from the silent era. I fell in love with the setting almost immediately. The howling winds somehow threaten and beckon toward the cast simultaneously and it's a delight to see the main players become increasingly wind-swept as the drama progresses. Ironically for a silent film, this had some of the best intertitles I've seen, with dialogue presented phonetically to give a greater sense of place. Admittedly though, it kinda lost me in the second half as the focus became less whimsical and more hysterical. The end does deliver a clever idea, then it just ends abruptly and in an unsatisfying way. Though the film has a genuinely unique setting, it never quite marries the merciless wind with the ongoing character drama in a meaningful way.

But there is bushy prospector character called Sourdough, so it gets some points for that.

The Lighthouse (2019)

In which a pair of lighthouse keepers are stationed on a lonely island for longer than they'd like.

Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe both lunge head-first into their roles as disparate seamen. Their performances are shocking and transformative as they spiral towards an electrifying madness that you can't take your eyes off. The film makes expert use of the 4:3 aspect ratio to make you feel just as claustrophobic as the two men- in fact, I could almost swear that the picture got narrower still as the film went on. It's a well-paced psychological thriller that knows exactly when to tighten the screw and when to make you chuckle at the mere insanity of it all. Off the top of my head my only criticism is the film lasted for two shots more than necessary, but otherwise it was a tantalizing watch.