Early Showing

I haven't been to an 11 o'clock showing at the cinema for quite some time. I remember going to the Mickey Mouse Club showings at the Baker Street Odeon regularly when I was little - they were always at 11.00. I got to wear a big badge with Mickey on it and saw all the big hits. I don't remember if I ate chocolate, perhaps it was popcorn only and definitely kiora orange with a straw through a specially designed central hole in the lid. But I digress.

I took the tube. The only people on the tube at 10.25 on a Saturday morning are tourists. People with luggage going to Heathrow who forget not to block the exit with their mound of suitcases. People who don't know where they are going and stop dead the minute they have stepped off the carriage or who stand at the platform exit reading a map and pointing at the signs. People who walk incredibly slowly and spread themselves across the whole width of the tunnel. Finding it hard to slow down from commuter pace I kept tripping over people.

So anyway, I was going to an early showing of Hard Hat - a short film that we funded some trainees to shadow filming making processes on - at the Curzon in Soho. I sat on the periphery of the bar drinking tea by the DVD collection, while some around me had beer. 3 kids came up behind me to survey the films.
"I've seen that", one pointed out.
"No you haven't," one of the others retorts, disbelieving.
"Yes I have."
"What's it about then, Jude?" he asks, quickly covering the box with his arm so Jude can't make something up based on the picture. Jude says nothing for a while.
"I have seen it," he insists.
"Where have you seen it?" the inquisitor demands.
"On a DVD."
"I know you're lying, Jude. Sid! SID! Come 'ere a minute." Sid struts over, maybe 9 years old, short cropped hair, white suit, trainers, silver cross on a chain. "So has Jude seen this film, Sid?"
"Nah," says Sid and saunters back towards the crowd of adults.
"I HAVE seen that film," protests Jude.
"I'm going to ask your Dad."
"But he didn't watch it with me." Jude goes off.
"I KNOW YOU'RE LYING JUDE!"

The film was excellent. Funny. Sad. Good narrative. And would you believe it but Sid was in it. No wonder he was strutting around!