Isn't it weird how life throws up little coincidences? I'm just back from a mid-week party event (happy birthday Bluigi!) where we stayed in a rented cottage out in non-network covered, rural, cow-farm country. Bliss! But what with the very strange artwork on the walls, the pelting rain and the faff of having to cook/heat using an aga, we were all cracking jokes about it being a tad Withnail and I.
Then, since getting back, for some reason I keep seeing references to Withnail EVERYWHERE. All over Twitter, on the telly... Well, those two places anyway. This wicked you tube clip is doing the rounds too:
All of which caused me to re-read a piece I'd written about Withnail a couple of years ago (read it here) in which I raved about director Bruce Robinson's proposed new film The Rum Diary. I was excited 'cause it meant Johnny Depp would probably reprise his Hunter S Thompson role - and Fear and Loathing is the dog's! But it was supposed to come out in 2009, so I'd pretty much forgotten all about it. That is until this week when the strange Withnail coincidences kept piling up. Now I've done a little digging and yes, the film is completed, yes Johnny's in it and yes, it is coming out later this year. Yes! Yes! Yes!
According to IMDb, The Rum Diary is due for release on the 28th October, and in addition to the Deppster it stars Amber Heard and Aaron Eckhart. Can't wait. Now bring me the finest wines known to man and spark up that Camberwell carrot.
