Woody

Pretty quiet but relaxing weekend; there's something so nice about lounging around in the garden, drinking, reading, chatting, tickling Dizzy's tummy then thinking, mmmm, time for some dinner, hey, it is still light, still warm, let's have the food out here too. And more drink. Ate and drank outside until dusk fell and the bats came squeaking out, flying overhead with that disctinctive, leathery flapping sounds they make (doesn't sound remotely like a bird) - Mel hates them, I, of course, love them. Finally head back inside(except for Dizzy who has been dozing inside the open window sill for ages but not decides she needs to go out and explore the dark garden), finish stuffing ourselves with yummy cheesecake, more wine and watching Annie Hall on Mel's new LCD TV.

Brilliant movie, it has a classic Woody Allen moment where he tires of listening to a too-loud boor in line behind him at the cinema trying to impress his date with his knowledge of media theory. Woody eventually tells the man he is a fool, the man smugly declares he teaches a class in this subject at a prestigious school. So Woody turns round and declares "I just happen to have George Marshall McLuhan right here, why don't we ask him?". McLuhan tells the man he is a fool and doesn't understand his books at all. Woody turns to camera "wouldn't it be great if real life was like this?" Love that scene (plus McLuhan was one of the few mdea writers I respected during my college years).

I had forgotten about the blink and you miss him appearance of a young Jeff Goldblum in there (and apparently Sigourney Weaver, who is a guest at this year's 60th Film Fest in Edinburgh, is in there too, but I must have blinked and did miss that). Also has the priceless scenes where adult Woody not only has flashbacks to his childhood, but actually walks into the scenes, including the one where he kisses a girl in class then argues with the teacher. Teacher in flashback telling off young Woody as old Woody exclaims he was only manifesting an honest interest in sexuality. That's not normal for a young boy that age the teacher points out; it was for me, he replies. With him there, it was for me too, although I sometimes worry I peaked at that tender age; still at least I haven't married my own step-daughter. How snoggable is Diane Keaton in that movie?