Quentin Tarantino’s in Niceland, and here’s the story: He’s got this friend named Eli Roth who made a horror film called Cabin Fever. Eli’s a bit of an Icelandophile, lived here for a year when he was 19, in Selfoss. There he was lucky enough to catch some awful infectious skin disease which later became the inspiration for his Cabin Fever movie which in turn made him semi-famous enough to meet Quentin Tarantino and start hanging out by his pool in Hollywood. There they reportedly had a blast discussing film projects and drinking Icelandic Black Death and before you could say hvaðgerðisteiginlega Eli had a script all written and they were shooting this movie together, called Hostel [which they are here to world-premiere at the Iceland Film Festival]. Eli had been in Iceland a couple of years earlier and had been shown around by this guy called Eyþór somebody’sson, who evidently was a great personality and really funny so Eli wrote a part for him in his movie. Without asking him, apparently, so when he approached Eyþór about playing this part Eyþór sort of went Whoa! Pardner, I’m no actor, I run three businesses and I have no time for this acting shit, but can I just tweak your script a little? And before you could say smálagfæringaralltílagi Eyþór had spent so much time tweaking that he thought, hell, might as well do the part since by this time nobody could do it as well as him.
All this and Much More I’ve learned by watching current affairs programme Kastljós over the last couple of evenings. In fact, the interview earlier tonight with Quentin and Eli is one of the funniest I have ever seen and quite possibly some of the best TV footage ever to be broadcast on the staid and dull Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. I can only recommend it* – old Quentin completely bowled me over with his utterly eccentric antics and manner that despite their weirdness are so absolutely endearing that you just want to roar with laughter before throwing your arms around him and giving him a big, fat, happy hug. In fact, hear this: YT does not get drunk very often – hardly ever, in fact – but Quentin Tarantino is one person I would definitely get drunk with. On Tequila. Besides, he’s so quintessentially Icelandic – it’s like this is his natural habitat. He should stay here.
AND AS IF THAT WEREN’T ENOUGH…
EPI and I are invited to a dinner party tomorrow with a famous American author that I’ve never even heard of. Thank God for google; at least we know the title of two of his books now so at least can pretend to know. Although methinks we’ll probably wind up telling him the truth, since pretend isn’t our thing, really. Much. Should be interesting. At least he’ll be able to say he’s never heard of us either, so that should make him feel better.
OK THEN!
The weather today was pretty good at first, started off nondescript in the dark, then gradually as it got light it transpired that it was in fact a beautiful day. We had some midwinter sun, which when it does appear is absolutely gorgeous – mellow and soft. However, there was a thin sheet of ice over everything, including all the sidewalks, so even just going out walking was pretty hairy, to say nothing of the run YT ventured to take. It got windy and by the time it was pitch dark again [around 5.30] it was very nasty and cold. Currently temps are 2°C and sunrise was at 09.43 and sunset at 16.39.
* If you want to see it, go here, then up at the top choose ‘Sjónvarpið’ and then choose ‘19.35 – Kastljós’. It’s in English, obviously. With subtext. Oh and make sure you have today’s date: 11 November.