March 2010
Yesterday we were in the company of Mr. Mark Rylance! What a treat, winner of this year’s Olivier Award for best actor for his fantastic portrayal of Rooster Byron in Jerusalem.
Mark arrived, at the sell out gathering in our beloved Lexi Cinema, and made his entrance dancing down the aisle to a Calypso track with vocals provided by Robert Mitchum and enticed the entire cinema to stand up and join him.
Mark then lead us in a recital of the hymn 'Leaning, Leaning, Leaning in the Arms of the Lord' prior to using the candle lit ambience of the cinema as a backdrop with an essence of a spiritual revivalist meeting in honour of the great Robert Mitchum.
Mark then settled to read an extract from Davis Grubb’s novel 'The Night of the Hunter', as is the flicker club's tradition, but not without warning us that the good Lord saw all sin and sinners, should anyone dare harbour any criticism of his recital, suitably chastened, we sat in deep, respectful, silence as he began.
However, even the simple matter of sitting down is a routine that Mr. Rylance refuses to adhere to without a fight. First he discovered a foot switch that controlled the cinema’s lighting system and tried his best to create a strobe effect by rapid peddling. Then he ended up perched precariously on the back of the chair, feet on the seat, as if to heighten the sense of danger in the text.
The reading itself was excellent, as you might expect, quiet at first, drawing you in, taking his time, allowing the brooding menace of the evil preacher, Harry Powell, to build.
The candlelight flickered across his face as the malevolence of character and plot seeped through us. Then came the famous speech, the LOVE and HATE sermon, which encapsulates the entire story. It was rivetingly told and gave a tantalising taste of what a stage production might be like with Mark as the preacher...
You know you have a fine guest when the audience includes, up and coming Hamlet, Mr. John Simm, and legendary film director, Mr. Nic Roeg and his lovely wife Harriet Harper.
This event had a fantastic punchy ‘flickbook’ designed by James Brown. The image was a fist coming at you first with ‘LOVE’ tattooed on the knuckles then ‘HATE’, very powerful. Thank you James.
The poster was just wonderful. There was Robert Mitchum, flick knife in tattooed fist, bearing down on the innocent children cut out of the very dollar bills that entrap them and for this we thank Graham Humphrey's.
Then, of course, the film itself:
The Night of the Hunter
It is a cinematic gem and for that, thank you Charles Laughton.
As to the next one?
Well, us flickers meet tomorrow and pick through our wish list and begin planning.
... watch this space...
