Twelfth Night

Some of these Shakespeare titles are going to be a doddle!

July 10th and it’s my Twelfth Night in Seattle, jet lag settled, new lap top computer purchased and I am installed in a coffee shop on University Ave drinking a double-shot soy cappuccino whilst the kids take an intermediate hip-hop class with the experimental college. How American can I get?

Well obviously not as American as the young Asian beauty in white summer frock, silver ear-rings and brown leather cow girl biker boots who just walked in who was probably born here, but I'm doing my best.
Hey, maybe she's really a male? That would fit the gender exchange that seems to be at the heart of the Twelfth Night, Viola becoming Cesario thus causing problems for Olivia etc, etc, etc; no, I think I’ll stick with the initial ruse, it's my eleventh plus one evening in the city.

And it's a magnificent evening, not a patch of cloud in the early evening blue sky: the sunset’s rays silhouette the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula and there is not a hint of the fabled Seattle rain (that even the guy in Safeway acknowledged to be of international renown - a shame that his name wasn't Henry). Everyone on the street is in shorts and t-shirt, so what better way to celebrate than to go to the open-air movies?

My first experience of American cities’ summer cinema, open air in any convenient public space with an appropriate blank piece of concrete wall, was here in Seattle two years ago. I had been cycling around the Freemont district when I came across a parking area backed by a massive concrete wall adorned with images of Bogart and Bacall. A discreet sign informed me that on Saturday evening they were screening Grease, one of my daughter’s favourite films so at the appointed hour toward sunset we turned up with blanket and chocolate.

The locals were much better prepared; the parked cars had all been cleared and in their place there were picnic tables and folding chairs, some had even carried their sitting room couch and were installed with red wine and hot food.
We took a seat in the centre, just in front of the DVD projector and waited for dusk to settle enough to allow projection to begin.

In retrospect I suppose I should have considered the presence of many people dressed as zombies as something more than just a local way to enjoy free movies. However when our host for the evening invited them down to the front for audience votes and prize distribution I became a little concerned that I had read the poster incorrectly. A hurried check with the guy handing out programmes confirmed that in fact the evenings bill was Shaun of The Dead, a romantic Zombie comedy that I was certain would be a disappointment to an 11 year old expecting John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.

We started to leave, but then asked; “is it really gory?”
“Well”, came the reply, “there’s a bit at the end…..”

We stayed, had a brilliant time and I only had to hide her eyes once.
Tonight however, I am better prepared. I’ve checked the schedule and with off to Films on the Pedestal in the heart of downtown to see Juno.

http://moviesonthepedestal.com/