Pop - Art - House

My cinema project of watching a film every week for the whole of 2015 continued yesterday evening with a one off screening of The Light Shines Only There, part of @showroomcinema's Japanese Film Season. Celebrating its 20th birthday this year, The Showroom is a proper good cinema, and a social enterprise at that. Admittedly it can do with a bit of a facelift, like so many of the actors that graces its screens have been and got done, but it's still a great place to watch great movies. You can support the efforts to raise funds for their planned refurb by donating money. Alternatively you can contribute by actually going to see their films. And why wouldn't you want to? Their programming is laudable, particularly in the face of mounting commercial pressures, screening even the more obscure art house films alongside select blockbusters. I salute.

There's now an art house rival in the shape of the brand new Curzon so it'll be interesting to see if the people of Sheffield are discerning enough to support two independent cinemas. Curzon has got the upper hand when it comes to sound and picture quality but they're part of a profit driven company and grossly over-priced. Charging London prices up t'north isn't really a winning formula. The Showroom on the other hand is cheap in comparison. Particularly when films such as The Light Shines Only There are shown as part of their Eye Opener moniker. At £5 a ticket, there is certainly only one winner in the art house cinema price war of Sheffield. For more than double that price we could've 'enjoyed' Fifty Shades of Grey at Curzon yesterday. Tough choice. Whilst on the subject of the Fifty Shades craze, good on ITV for jumping on the bandwagon with their 'bondage for beginners' slot on This Morning the other week. Christine Bleakley and Phillip Schofield getting educated on the virtues of silk blindfolds, feathered spankers and scented candles cum (so to speak) massage oil must surely be enough for some viewers to spew up their elevenses. Try it yourself here.

Anyway, there was certainly no Hollywood gloss whatsoever about The Light Shines Only There. A relentlessly bleak depiction of life at the bottom of Japan's social ladder, there was virtually no let up in the misery. In pop culture reference the tagline 'We found love in a hopeless place' would've summed it up perfectly. The female protagonist was living a hell that even Von Trier would've baulked at and moments of (supposed) tenderness between the central couple somehow managed to disturb. Curiously it was Japan's entry for this year's foreign language Oscar, pretty sure the Academy voters who had a mental or physical wank over American Sniper would've choked on their elevenses at a film that depicts a major taboo subject.

All things considered though, it was a good film. Albeit one that required you to laugh hysterically as you left the screen just to remind you that life isn't quite as shit as the film would have you believe. Just 'Shake it off' like Swifty, pop culture reference #2, and back to normality. Films like these will either leave you feel rather solemn or serve as a reminder that whatever's currently bugging you, someone else has got it far worse. Essentially life is good, and not just because LG says so. Sometimes people need a kick up the arse to be able to see beyond their own life bubble of perceived agony/frustration/stress/other source of moaning, excluding those experiencing proper hardship obviously. It's all about a positive mental attitude. Change your life or change your thinking I say. Remember 'If I surround myself with positive things, I'll gain prosperity'. Pop culture reference #3.

I'm 100% in favour of literally lathering oneself with positive things. It's the quickest shortcut to a prosperous life, not necessarily in monetary terms but in general wellbeing and life experiences. Besides there's little point in doing things that make you feel miserable. Whilst I really rather enjoy bleak and harrowing motion pictures, when it comes to most other popular culture I much prefer the playful, colourful, unpretentious, unserious, hence I LOVE pop art. If there's pop art on display when I'm in town I'm there. It's graphic and tongue in cheek, and most importantly it doesn't require an accompanying essay to make sense of it.

Needless to say I jumped at the opportunity to purchase these fridge magnets at a recent visit to the British Library.

Rather randomly I'd been on the hunt for some good fridge magnets for a while, so imagine the exaltation at finding these ones in the sale, for 2 quid. Grab and go. I had actually been to the Comics Unmasked exhibition they accompanied but somehow failed to spot them in the shop afterwards. All's well that ends well, and they certainly brighten up the greyest of fridges.

By happenstance I was also very kindly and aptly given a set of fridge magnets for my birthday. My hankering for magnets must've become public knowledge. These aren't just any fridge magnets, they're Clueless fridge magnets. Gotta love a bit of Clueless, the most supreme symbiosis of cheesy teen comedy and sharp wit. 'Do you prefer fashion victim or ensembly challenged?'. As much as I love art house cinema, sometimes you just need to watch something jolly and upbeat. The quote factor on display is sky high and it contains the best description of Monet ever: 'From far away it's ok, but up close it's a big old mess'. Precisely my sentiment. I'm not afraid to admit that I've watched Clueless more times than most sane people would, so the magnets are practically perfect in every way.

There you have it, my fridge has become a veritable feast of pop art and a visual representation of all things fun in life. Because at the end of the day, 'Don't worry, be happy'. Pop culture reference #4. The world's our oyster, make the most of it, others do, you can too. That's my 2 pennies of cod psychology life coaching for the day. Plenty more clichés where that came from though, watch this space.