I suddenly had this strange urge yesterday (I blame the fever--I am enjoying a cold at the moment) to watch a lot of drag films. So I watched La Cage aux Folles II, Privates on Parade, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Victor/Victoria. I was also going to see Der bewegte Mann, but didn't have the time. Had to see Matthew Kelly turn nasty for a return of the Cold Blood series, you see.

But when it comes to the four films I did see, I think they're all brilliant. I have also seen them numerous times. La Cage aux Folles II is the one I have seen the fewest times, only thrice. The rest? Well, considering I saw Victor/Victoria thrice within the first 24 hours I had it...you get the picture, although that ratio has not kept up, mind.

The dubbing in La Cage is just awful, but is redeemed by the fact that Michel Serrault is extremely funny. Even with my limited French I understand that his timing is good.

Privates is just a deeply underrated dark musical comedy (yes, they do exist) and I just cannot believe I missed the chance of a lifetime of seeing Roger Allam as Captain Dennis in the 2002 stage version in this very city. I hang my head in shame. But I missed quite a lot of gems in the few years before I moved here and will eventually just have to get on with my life.

Priscilla...well, it's where I first spotted Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce. Bill Hunter I already knew through watching way too much Aussie telly (once again: Why isn't Aussie telly more popular here in the old country? You're missing out on some fantastic talent, people!) when growing up. Terence Stamp as Ralph...uhmm...Bernadette is just amazing. I constantly have to remind myself he is actually not a woman!

And V/V, with the most ridiculous turn by Dame Julie as the count/Victoria...the way she looks even the most skilled makeup artist would have major difficulties making her look the least bit masculine...obviously. But the film is very funny, the music is swell (I use that expression way too seldom, probably because it had its heyday in the fifties?) and it's sort of like the musical version of The Pink Panther. Only with a more interesting story. And James Garner, which is always a plus.

On Monday we ventured off to see Ocean's Thirteen which I think was way better than Ocean's Twelve. It helped having more of Eddie Izzard (for there can be only one Eddie...until another one comes along, that is). I was fighting against a very runny yet blocked nose (weird, I know, but perfectly natural when you have a cold) throughout parts of the film, but was saved by my trusty (but evil) Otrivine nasal spray and managed to enjoy the rest of the film. Even with overly salty popcorn.

On Tuesday I played Civilization IV. I wasn't going to, but once I got stuck on Monday evening, it just poured over into Tuesday morning, afternoon and evening. After 21 hours I finally won my first cultural victory, and immediately started a new game. What an idiot. However, it was fun watching my Viking civilisation suddenly, in a mad rush over a few decades only, manage to convert the whole world to Islam, their chosen religion. It's history in the making, I'm telling you.

I have also started buying Blu-Ray films. I was so impressed with the quality of Casino Royale (yeah, that was probably Sony's point when they gave it away for free, you sad git) that I simply had to get a few more. Not full price, though, they're much too expensive for that. And always check the online reviews before buying, as some of these films are too old to give you any effect over DVD when it comes to visual quality. I have pre-ordered The Patriot and bought Black Hawk Down and I swear it's not so that I can scrutinise the pores of Jason Isaacs. Honestly. I also bought Vertical Limit and Hellboy and of these four I already own three on DVD. I haven't even managed to upgrade my VHS collection to DVD yet, and now they want me to flesh out on a new system? Bastids.

Labels: eddie izzard, film, gaming, james garner, jason isaacs, roger allam, technology, theatre