If you get a chance, look for a short film called Lighthead by Daniel Sadler. It aired on Bravo after Sex and the City Friday night and I was absolutely blown away. It shows this guy videotaping a message for a girl he just went on a date with. He’s trying to convince her that she completely has the wrong idea: he really isn’t obsessed with Gordon Lightfoot. Unfortunately, in take after botched take, all he can talk about is Gordon Lightfoot. The short is genius! Daniel Sadler is going to do great things.
And since we’re on the subject of genius, I should mention that I am right now making a mixed tape. It is, most emphatically, not a product of genius. Somehow Sam Roberts, New Order, Outkast, The Faces, and Hall and Oates don’t really work together. But I’m going to force them. I figure there’s got to be some kind of internal logic I can use. Like if I put ACDC’s Shoot to Thrill with Manhunter there is a certain emphasis on, you know… hunting. Ahem. Don’t worry, I won’t be giving this one as gift.
And finally, I’m rereading Clockers by Richard Price and, as always, I feel awe. Richard Price’s penetrating character study and exploration of opportunity structure in America is a revelation. It is my favourite novel of the 1990s.
Now I’m going to turf out my frozen violas and plant some primroses. After that, I may try to think of names for my new neon tetras. They suffer from a certain sameness, so I think I’ll call them all Donna. That way I can refer to them as The Donnas. That’ll be good.