I spent much time blogging and expected to spend a lot more time on them both today and in days to come. I didn't have anything much else to do as I wasn't seeing Mr Smart tonight. Luckily for me, at around 4:30pm as I began to feel a little bored and lonesome, I had an unexpected but delightful invitation from TwoWrongs. Would I like to go see the latest James Bond film Skyfall at the historic old Astor theatre? Yes!
About an hour later TwoWrongs picked me up and we headed into Chapel Street. It had been a while since I'd been in Chapel Street, definitely a fair few months if not more, and even longer since I'd been at the Astor. I think the last movie I saw at the Astor was also a Bond film actually, but it would've been about 13 years ago.
We parked behind Paintspot near the Dandenong Road, Chapel Street intersection. I hadn't known about that carpark, metered parking but very convenient to our planned activities. It was about an hour and a half until the film started so we headed down Chapel Street to High Street and then back up in search of a bite to eat before the movie.
They brought 'hydration' to the table in a suitably 'effortless cool' second-hand looking bottle and left us to look over a couple of menus. I chose a betel leaf starter, fried tofu and yum taleh (mixed seafood salad with lime, herbs and fish sauce).
Any and all pretension was forgiven when the food arrived because it really was all rather good. TwoWrongs had a Thai beer with his meal, a Singha, and we joked about having a Singha on a Singer. It wasn't an expensive meal in the least and I'd probably go back there again if I was in the area. I prefer the way Cafe 58 does betel leaf but what I had here was also very enjoyable.
We headed up to The Astor which is on the far side of the Dandenong Road, Chapel Street intersection. The Astor is the last old single screen cinema of it's kind. It's got an old fashioned box office, an old fashioned candy bar (though selling some up to date treats and alcoholic beverages) and it even has it's own resident cat!The Astor's 75 year run of bringing joy to movie goers was placed in jeopardy this year. St Michael's Grammar School, who owned the building, were planning to shut down the cinema as known and convert it into a performing arts centre for the school. Luckily a knight in shining armour, St Kilda businessman Ralph Taranto, bought the building and stated publicly that his plan it was to continue operating as Melbourne’s most iconic film house. Phew!
We headed up the stairs to grab snacks and our seats and found Marzipan, The Astor cat, sitting on one of her many sofas trying to convince a patron to part with some of her icecream and we had a quick pat as we went to line up for snacks. She's getting on in age now and has that delicate thin feel about her but she seems very content in her surrounding with throngs of people buzzing around her in various queues.
I selected a Spearmint Choc Top and a 100g box of Maltesers to assist in my viewing pleasure. TwoWrongs got a Wildberry Choc Top and a coffee. We managed to get sets up the back in the middle. Almost the back row but not quite. Regrettably, two of the most annoying bloody children it's ever been my misfortune to endure a movie with were in the back row.The start of the movie played and then the iconic Bond title sequence began, so did the incessant rustling of popcorn brought in a plastic bag from home. They sell it in cups for a reason people!! Cups don't rustle! TwoWrongs and I were forced to turn and glare and even verbally insist that they bloody shut up. Their mother innefectually snapping at them to be quiet and 'put it down' just didn't seem to sink in without the assistance of strangers.
The film itself was fantastic! I had not seen any of the Daniel Craig Bond films, partly because I just hadn't gotten around to it but mostly because I'd heard that they had strayed recklessly away from the Bond film traditions. This however, was back to Bond basics and utterly fabulous. The crowd roared with laughter at the pithy but oh so appropriate jokes and squealed with delight at familiar sights and sounds. Actual applause was heard on at least two occasions. I would probably even go and see that one again. I grabbed the classic Astor timetable poster as we left. I may not have been to The Astor much recently, but I think I'm going to start again. I'd forgotten what a great experience it was (rudely noisy children notwithstanding).
TwoWrongs and I debated having a coffee somewhere but both needed sleep so we decided to get home. As we walked into the now eerily dark and vacant car park we were approached by a young man, rather drunk "Can you believe it, my battery's just died, you wouldn't have jumper leads wouldja?" We looked at the car, a shiny black brand-new looking thing with a beer carton and empty bottles all around it. "Sorry mate, don't have any, and my piece of shit car doesn't have the power to jump start you anyway".
We got into the car and left quickly. He did in fact have jumper leads. When you have an older car they are kind of a necessity, but we both agreed we'd got a really really bad vibe from that guy. Maybe they'd just been drinking in the parking lot listening to loud music and genuinely run their battery down that way, but neither of us thought so.
TwoWrongs dropped me home and headed off himself, a busy day of family-stuff ahead of him, and I went in to finish posting a few catch-up blogs.
Jess
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