One of my favourite films is Before Sunrise, Richard Linklater’s 1995 talky, indie, romantic tale of two people, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) who meet on a train, spend a day together in Vienna and realise when it’s time to leave each other they really don’t want to say goodbye. Fast forward to 2004 and we meet Jesse and Celine again in Before Sunset. This time it’s Paris, the city of lovers where they reconnect, rekindle old feelings and leave us wondering (and hoping) in the end if Jesse really does miss that plane. Judging by the trailer to Before Midnight, the third in the romantic trilogy and set in sunny Greece, he did.

Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight, directed by Richard Linklater and written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.

Marzipan the most famous cat in Melbourne and much-loved and adored resident of the Astor Cinema in St Kilda sadly passed away at age 21 yesterday. For those of you who never had the privilege to meet her Marzipan was always a star and always the professional, making herself available for a meet and greet before and after a film, and if you were lucky she may even sit with you during a screening.

Many tributes have been posted to Marzipan’s Facebook page this morning and so I thought it important to pay her a tribute of my own and give here a place here on my blog. I remember the day my partner and I ‘rescued’ Marzipan when we found her walking along a very busy Dandenong Road, only to be told by Astor Cinema staff “thanks but don’t worry, Marzipan’s a tough lady, she likes to get out and meet her fans, it’s her usual stomping ground”. I also remember Marzipan sitting next to me through a whole screening of Kathryn Bigelow’s cult vampire classic Near Dark, perhaps one of her personal favourites. The Astor Cinema and St Kilda won’t be the same without her. Farewell sweet lady.

Visit the Astor Cinema Blog for more memories of Marzipan over the coming days: www.astortheatreblog.wordpress.com