See the film of The History Boys at Fox’s Soho Square screening room. Muscular security guards insist on confiscating everyone’s mobile phone on the way in, placing each phone in little polythene bags like evidence from a crime scene. It’s not clear whether such a measure is to prevent people disturbing others with their phones going off, or to stop them recording the movie and making bootleg DVDs. I’d have thought even the flashiest, latest type of phone isn’t enough to film a 2 hour movie to any degree of passable quality. So I presume it was because even well-known journalists – Hugo Young is there – can’t be trusted to switch their phones off.
I spy another familiar looking attendee who signs in as Peter-something in the guestbook, and I try to chat with him, thinking him to be Peter Bradshaw from the Guardian. He’s rather unforthcoming and stand-offish with me to say the least, even by London standards.
“I’m not really a film critic”, he says to me when I try to press him for his thoughts on the film.
“Yes you are!” I retort, thinking he’s joking and trying to joke archly back. “Your name is all over Archway Video’s World Cinema section! It appears on more DVD front covers than any director.” (which is true)
“I think you’ve got the wrong man. My name is Hitchens.”
I apologise profusely and back off. I’ve clearly got my Broadsheet Peters in a twist.
Still, I think it’s fair to say that annoying Peter Hitchens the Mail On Sunday columnist isn’t exactly difficult to do. I should be grateful he didn’t have me deported on the spot.
