My date with Ingrid Bergman
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Just got back from Glasgow. On Sunday I saw, for the first time in full ... Casablanca. No, I don't know why it took me so long to see one of Holywood's greatest films either, but there you go. Anyway, it was worth the wait. I enjoyed every minute - and I wasn't alone. At the end the audience greeted the closing credits with warm and prolonged applause.
Better still, we watched it at the Glasgow Film Theatre, a hugely evocative venue that retains all the charm of an old-fashioned picture house without compromising on modern creature comforts.
In fact, the GFT is immaculate, the perfect place to see a movie, old or new. The ticket office is at the end of a dark wood-panelled foyer and early arrivals can have a drink and a bite to eat at Cafe Cosmo (named after the original art deco cinema that was built in the 1930s).
I have just found these comments online and I couldn't agree more:
"Facilities are old school but equipment is modern and sound system is just perfect."
"Two screens and a wonderful cafe serving actual proper food (no popcorn!) and alcohol which can be taken into the theatre with you."
"One of the coolest places to hang out in the city."
Glasgow Film Theatre - warmly recommended.
Image courtesy ukmovieposter.com
Simon Clark
It's half-term so blogging will be light this week. Don't forget to sign up to the following Twitter accounts: Forest, The Free Society, Amend The Smoking Ban.
Reader Comments (4)
I have very fond memories of the GFT. Think that the last film I saw there was "Play Misty For Me" thirty years ago. God, I feel homesick!
CAPTAIN RENAUD: "Rick, I'm SHOCKED to discover that there's been SMOKING going on here."
RICK: "Sorry, Louis - it won't happen again. Promise. Sam's just finished the smoking shelter."
CAPTAIN RENAUD: "Good ! Now, where's my winnings......?"
Great film. I didn't see it until about 10 years ago. A classic in every sense of the word. Of course that means it'll probably get impressionable kids hooked on tobacco... and Nazis.
Question: have they edited out all those nasty cigarettes yet (not to mention, ahem, alcohol...)? Maybe they could replace them with lollypops and dub in a voiceover explaining that the clouds of visible breath are due to cold weather...in Morocco.
It's been done before....
Don't Bogart my lollypop! I think I'll smoke now... thank God I live in America, land of the -- er, well, nevermind. 25 feet from the entrance to any building. Hmmm. Well at least here in the land of [mumble] I can proudly own my own chain. I call it liberty.
Amazingly some 67% of Americans (who don't smoke) are in favor of slapping another $1 tax on cigarettes (50+% is not enough) to cover budget shortfalls. Why bother building a consensus or making difficult choices or even spread request that we all chip in when it's so easy to just screw those disobedient third hand smoke generators? Screw them!
The tyranny of the majority sure does love kicking the misbehaving scapegoat. The same poll made it quite clear that the popular "kick the smokers" tax was the only 'solution' that the majority agreed upon: make someone else pay...once again! It worked last year!
So happily the smoking issue brings people together.
I guess President Bush was right: freedom isn't free... Oh bugger.
Thanks Simon. Now I don't have to create my own blog. Cheers!
Richard -
You must remember this (to coin a phrase):
The Founding Fathers set out to create a Constitutional Republic - NOT a Democracy.
The idea being that Law - rather than the variable opinions of men - should be the guarantor of certain fundamental liberties.
This reflects William of Bracton's view that the Law - like God - is above the King.
Kingship now takes many forms, but has brushed God aside, and now makes laws solely to suit itself.
And Modern Kingship has decided that it DETESTS smokers.
"There never was a Democracy yet that did not commit suicide"
(John Adams)
Or, one might add - ALLOW itself to be murdered................