REELING IN THE YEARS
TG4’S second series of Hollywood in Éirinn, taking an affectionate look at how the silver screen transformed and enriched the lives of Irish people in small communities, will focus on the blockbuster ‘Saving Private Ryan’ when it airs on March 2.
Actor Seamus Moran, (Fair City, Rásaí na Gaillimhe) leads the way as he travels to the small villages and towns in search of residents who remember the making of the Steven Spielberg blockbuster, one of six major movies in the series which brought the biggest names in Hollywood to our fair isle – Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson and Aidan Quinn among them.
And who could possibly forget the FCA and the incredible part they played in the filming of the opening scenes of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ at Curracloe beach back in 1997, replicating the 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy.
People who were employed behind the scenes or appeared, however fleetingly, as extras will speak about their experience and the lasting impact on the blockbusters on their communities.
How did the locals get along with Tom Hanks? Where did Spielberg stay? Tune in to TG4 at 9.30 p.m. on March 2 to find out. THERE’S only one day I hate more than St Patrick’s Day and that’s Valentine’s Day. I hate St Patrick’s Day because of all the fake Plastic Paddy bull**** that everyone goes on with – ‘Yaaaaaaay isn’t it great to be Irish, sure we’re mighty craic altogether. No other nation in the world knows how to party like we do’.
Then we spend the other 364 days of the year giving out about the state of the country – the shysters we have for leaders, the cost of a pint, the state of our roads, the disgrace that is our health service, the weather. Oh Jaysus we can’t forget the weather!
So I’m not one of those shamrock wearing patriots, clad head to toe in green who goes out brandishing a tricolour a the local parade and then heads to the pub afterwards to skull pints of Guinness. I usually spend it at home, keeping as far away from the madding crowds as I possibly can.
Valentine’s Day is another matter altogether and my reasons for hating it are totally self absorbed. I could pretend that I hate all the commercialism, the inflated price of sickly sweet cards and anaemic looking red roses.
But that’s not the truth. Because lets face it, I’m not going to be buying roses for myself so I don’t really care about the price.
Having said that no one else is going to be buying them for me either! Himself has many fine qualities (he has nice eyes and he can be very funny. Oh and he makes deadly chips!) but being romantic isn’t one of them.
I once forced him to write me a love letter, before we got married. Under serious duress he wrote three pages on Basildon Bond which read like a 24 hour account of what he’d done for the day, signed off with ‘ lots of love.’
And therein lies the problem. It’s the sense of expectation that surrounds Valentines Day that makes me detest it.
I remember as a teenager, praying to God every February 14 that someone would send me a card. An ordinary one would be fine but I really longed for one of those big padded yokes so I could bring it into school and show it off.
It never happened. The only card I recall getting was when I was 14. I remember being delirious with excitement as I ripped it open and read the one line message. ‘I think you’re great!’ Those four words held so much potential, expectation and desire. I was on a high for days.
I found out years later my parents sent it to me because they felt sorry for me. It was like Santa Claus all over again. Devastation is not the word!
See this is why I hate Valentine’s Day – I’m right back in 1984, with a bad perm, leg warmers and frosted pink lipstick, waiting for the postman to deliver a Valentines card that never arrives.
I’m going to break into ‘I’m all outta Love’ any minute!