A 600 mile jaunt to the pictures....

I went to the cinema last week.

Just me and a couple of mates.

Nothing earth-shattering in that, you may think ...........however, it involved a hasty 600 mile-ish round trip to Northern Ireland and back, in a 737 rather than a quick drive to the local Cineplex.

The film we went to see was “Beowulf & Grendel”, Sturla Gunnarsson’s epic tale of yore (when exactly WAS Yore?) being shown at the 6th Belfast Film Festival. Or should I say “fillum” festival, as it is pronounced in Ireland....... As a fully paid-up, flag-waving, certifiable member of the Gerard Butler Swooning Society, I was keen (to say the least!) to see the film on the big screen, ostensibly to fully appreciate the stunning Icelandic scenery, but more honestly to gawp at His Butlership big-time.

A flippant discussion on the England thread of the GB.net forum one night led to a mad impulse whereby several of us decided that it would be rude NOT to take advantage of the screening of B&G in Belfast, as it may be the only chance we get to see the film on the big screen, as it does not yet have a UK distributor. Before you could say “Trolls”, we were booked on a flight with film tickets reserved at the box office......

That’s been pretty much the way of things since I registered with GerardButler.net back in November of last year. Mad impulses, leading to fabbo fun times and lots of laughter, with a substantial portion of drooling thrown in. Being a Libran, I am supposed to be indecisive, but can’t make up my mind whether I am or not............ Nope - I will squeeze out of the astrological pigeonhole I have been put into, and make a decision here. I have been inspired by the people I have come into contact with through the site, and have not only started this blog with the intention of being more creative, but I am getting Out and About more, and embracing new opportunities whenever I can. I have DECIDED that I will grab any chance I can to have a LAUGH, because that’s what it’s all about, innit?

But anyhow, I digress - back to “Beowulfast” as the venture has been named. The final number attending dwindles to three, but undaunted, we meet up at Bristol Airport and jet off to Belfast as representatives of Gerry’s British Tarts, now affectionately known as the BritTarts.

Murphy’s Law kicks in as soon as we land, and discover there is a bus strike on. An arm and a leg later, a taxi disgorges us onto the grey streets of the city where we track down the theatre, cunningly disguised as a row of houses. After much waiting, the allotted hour arrives, and we settle down in comfy seats to watch and drool...............

The film is stupendous, magnificent and well worth the forty quid apiece we have paid for flight and film ticket. Like I said, it was rude NOT to go, really.... We have aah’d at the amazing bleak landscapes, cringed at the gore, drooled over the sublime Mr B and all in all had a jolly good time.

The next bit turns out NOT to have been one of our brightest moves - we hotfoot it back to the airport, another arm and leg poorer, and plan to sleep over in the terminal before catching our flight home very early the next morning. That is the plan. A plan which never comes to fruition, as the airport at night is cold, noisy and pretty spooky, and we manage about an hour’s sleep between the three of us. Relieved when dawn cracks, breaks, whatever - we hop back on the plane, then drive for an hour before reaching home. Which I promptly leave again to go to work, out of some misguided sense of loyalty to my company, who fail to appreciate the utterly useless zombie wandering around the premises.

There are two things which were made apparent to me after the Big Adventure. One is that “Beowulf & Grendel” is worth every penny you pay to go and see it, whether by bicycle or jet. Please, please, PLEASE let it get a UK distributor soon, as I want to see it again!

The second is that I am FAR too ancient to go dossing about in airports as if I was a teenager. Next time, it’s a hotel for me!