Gruesome Viewing

Last night we watched the BBC production of Sweeney Todd. It was exquisitely gruesome. An excellent depiction of London in the mid-1700s. The acting was superb. A real treat, even if I did keep hiding behind the sofa during the gory bits. Afterwards I hopped on the internet to research this odd little drama that has had so many incarnations, some musical. The basic story (a barber on Fleet Street becomes a serial killer and his victims end up as the principal ingredient in meat pies) appears to be an urban legend cooked up (pun intended) in the mid-1900s. The story was originally published in a penny dreadful by an author who routinely based his characters on crime stories of the day, leaving us to wonder if there ever really was such a character as the odd Mr. Todd. The PBS website has an excellent page on the background of Sweeney Todd.

All this made me think of another macabre musical number: Mack the Knife. The song made popular by Bobby Darin has its roots that go way back to the 1700s. Check out the entry in wikipedia on Mack the Knife's genesis.

Wikipedia is now one of my favorite websites. It's a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. That "anyone can edit" part causes some to doubt its veracity, but I think I've always gotten excellent and reputable info from the site.

On the mundane side of life: The dryer arrived at 9 a.m. It's a brand new one. yay! The only thing is it seems to have the same performance as the old one (it takes forever to get the clothes dry). Plus, the door opens the wrong way, making it really awkward to load and unload clothes. Oh well. At least it works!