Some Like It Hot

Just across from San Diego Bay, on the white sanded beaches of Coronado, rise the magnificent towers of Hotel del Coronado, otherwise known as simply The Del: one of the last surviving wooden Victorian beach resort hotels in America. When it first opened in 1888 it was the largest of its kind in the world.

The Del was home to many firsts in its time: it was the first ever hotel with electric lighting and the first to have an electrically-lighted outdoor Christmas tree, overseen by none other than Thomas Edison.

Legend has it that Edward The Prince of Wales had met Wallis Simpson – the American divorcee whose love would lead to a constitutional crisis in the United Kingdom and the Dominions and would ultimately result in his abdication from the British throne as King Edward VIII in December 1936 – at a grand banquet in the Crown Room of the hotel given in his honour when he visited Coronado in April 1920. Although this was established to be untrue, the royal seal of approval certainly made The Del the “in place” to stay.

The 1920s saw it become the Hollywood’s darling, with Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable amongst others making it their weekend party home during the Prohibition.

The Great Depression had wrecked havoc on the hotel’s brilliant history and for a while there was talk of demolishing it altogether. For those who had seen it at its height, it may have come as a surprise to find out that Billy Wilder, the director of Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe (1959) chose The Del as the setting for the fictitious “Seminole Ritz” for his comedy’s Florida segment in great part because it was very cheap to rent.

This timely addition of Hollywood glamour had the desirable side-effect of changing The Del’s fortunes and today, while maintaining its Victorian look, the hotel is as luxurious as any visitor may desire – although it is unlikely to ever regain its spot as one of the “Top 10 Resorts In The World” which it had boasted at its inception some one and a half centuries ago.

About this image: Shadows on Sand on the shores of Hotel del Coronado. Keepsake of a beautiful day spent with old friends and new under the California winter sun.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Treasure

Black Mirror | The Entire History of You

As a writer I often draw on history. At times it is my own, at other times it is something I have inadvertently witnessed. Whenever an idea coaxes me into action, I find myself wishing that I could go back – if only as an observer – so that the experience could be fresh on my retina before my fingers take to the keyboard.

There is a dystopic aspect to this intrusion into the past that I had not considered until I came across Charlie Brooker’s Dark Mirror. The final episode of his first trilogy explored the drawbacks of technological advances that would allow us the power to record and play back every event we had ever witnessed through the aid of a chip or ‘Grain’ implanted under our skin.

It made for uncomfortable viewing. The story focused on the implosion of a marriage, fuelled by the jealous paranoia of a husband who invades his wife’s privacy in order to confirm his suspicions. The broader implications of this technological invasion – what one may read in-between the lines – were far more disturbing, touching on the theme of alienation: the detachment that technology has brought into our lives. Facebook snooping comes to mind.

If you could relive the best moments of your life, replay them in detailed sequence again and again, would you choose to do so? Would the other side of the coin make you weary of wielding such power: having every mistake, every disappointment and failure only one click away…

Daily Prompt: World’s Best Widget

Legacy

It is not often that I feel strongly enough about a movie to write a review. The only reason why I am taking the time to write this one is simple enough: I’ve waisted ninety minutes of my life watching it. Perhaps I’ll save you the bother by keeping it simple:

A cold war spy yarn it may be, but a thriller it is certainly not.

The atmosphere at first reminded me of Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy – curtesy of the wardrobe and props department, but this is where the similarities between le Careé and Legacy came to an end. Even the protagonist’s name seemed like something out of a Dickensian do-over: Thoroughgood. He must be the “goody” then. Thoroughly so.

Such a pity too, because the premise was good: an MI6 trainee is charged with “turning” a former Oxford chum, now a KGB agent under cover as an embassy employee in London, and discovers instead that his own father may have been spying for the Soviets. There was a lot of potential there to go into the psychological innings that such a discovery would’ve prompted, but unfortunately Paula Milner’s adaptation seemed to have other priorities. Speeding through the plot without leaving any space for suspense to build up must’ve been one of them.

I’ve been going on and on about clichés last year and how writers ought to do all they possibly can to avoid them. Well. Film directors may do well to follow the advice too. Comedy Russian accent? Check. Dead prostitute? Check. Blonde love interest? Check. The list goes on, but truthfully, by the time they got around to the 70s fondue set I stopped counting.

Verdict? Don’t watch it. If you’re in the mood for a British spy movie, you’re better off re-watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or alternatively go modern and opt for Spooks. You’re in for a treat there.

#BenedictCumberbatch

Welcome to The Batch on Sunday: your online-home for all things CumberVic
The Batch on Sunday reports!

     Ever the resilient professional, Benedict Cumberbatch does not take bad reviews lightly. After an underwhelming performance in Sex with you-know-who, he attempts a comeback with a guest stint in Midnight Snog: long-awaited sequel and an integral part of writer-turned-director Vic Briggs’s Dreamscapes Epic.
The Batch on Sunday was astonished that Cumberbatch got a return invite all things considered, so we take this opportunity to interview co-star Vic Briggs on their latest joint project.

BoS: “Now that Midnight Snog has moved into post-production, can you tell our readers whether Cumberbatch’s snogging was up to par, or was it another ‘between the sheets’ fiasco?”

VB: “It was a relief to see him back in form. Of course, it is always tough to film intimate scenes, even for someone of Ben’s calibre and proficiency.”

BoS: “You last crossed swords with Cumberbatch over Sex with you-know-who. Given that you’ve described his –ahem – shall we say enactment? …as ‘rubbish’ and ‘absolute crap’, can we assume there was a lot of tension on set to start with?”

VB: “You’ll have to be the judge of that once the sequel is out.”

BoS: “Vic, you appear determined to be coy about it. Well, we all like a little mystery, but a preview would be nice.”

VB: “He-he. Ben was gracious about it. And there was certainly no trace of former wooden-ness in his performance. I speak for everyone, Benedict included; I’m sure, in hoping that was one limp act he can leave behind.”

BoS: “Is it fair to say that he’s keen to court your good opinion after the Sex with you-know-who disaster?”

VB: “He certainly wouldn’t take no for an answer. Ben is one determined cookie and a deliciously talented one too. But you’ll have to watch Midnight Snog to find out more.”

No flop then! With this The Batch on Sunday bids farewell to the Dreamscapes Epic director. If Vic Briggs keeps it up, we are in for one busy season. Watch this space, #BenedictCumberbatch aficionados everywhere!

While we wait for the premiere of Midnight Snog, you might want to check out the confession: I don’t fancy Benedict Cumberbatch. Daily Prompt: Pants on Fire and the umm… director’s x-rated debut Sex with you-know-who

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/daily-prompt-excitement/