Things beginning with F

[venta]

Having been given a recipe from a genuine person genuinely living in Switzerland, I thought I ought to try making a proper cheese fondue. I was slightly beset by problems, like the supermarket near work maliciously not having any Gruyere, and us having no real means of keeping the pan warm, and the recipe being a little vague as to quantity... But we managed to dip bread in it, and it tasted quite nice, which was the main thing.

Note to self: a jury rigged Bain-Marie is not enough to keep a fondue hot.



ieyasu, lured by the promise of runny cheese and wine, brought his copy of "Ring" round to watch. This being the original (subtitled) Japanese film of which the current Hollywood effort "The Ring" is a remake.

I haven't seen "The Ring", but I don't think I will, now. "Ring" is really very good, and most of the things I think are good about it are not things I associate with Hollywood. Things like, oh, understatement and, er, subtlety.

Anyone who's ever watched a film with me can vouch for my ability to jump upwards of three feet when anything remotely sudden happens. I don't think this film made me jump once, but it maintains a very strong atmosphere of tension and fear among the characters, and has a slow-burning creepiness about it. And has what I think is possibly the scariest single scene I've ever seen (I can't think of a way to describe it without including spoilers. I reckon anyone who's seen the film can probably guess :)

Sadly, this film apparently conforms to the grand cinematic tradition of a sequel that sucks, but the prequel (Ring0) is rumoured to be worth watching... I'll be looking out for that.

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[addedentry.livejournal.com]

The director's latest film, Dark Water, is equally chilling. It adds emotional tension between a mother and her small daughter to the nameless dread.

Apparently our DVD player *does* do region 3...

[venta.livejournal.com]

Well, on a whim, I went looking online to find out if a DVD of this was to be had.

It is, and, because whims are good, I've ordered a copy.

There will be a Grand Showing for any interested parties when it arrives. If you know where I live, you're invited.

(addedentry, you're also invited; dunno how much you're in Oxford these days.)

Re: Apparently our DVD player *does* do region 3...

[davefish.livejournal.com]

Oh definitely.
I think that I would make the journey over to see that.
Bounces