My first film began at 8:30 am at the Library, so I was up early. 212 is a feature by Anthony Ng based on his short dot, dot, dot…(FFF 2001). This dark romantic comedy intertwines three NYC love stories was a good start to the day. I took the bus to the Prospector and fell asleep against the wall waiting in line for After Innocence, a powerful documentary about people freed from life sentences and death row through the advent of DNA evidence, some after serving more than 20 years. The film has a big FL angle with one prisoner trying to be the first man in the state to be exonerated. After the film I had a bowl of tomato and gorgonzola soup from the Big City Soup Co. in the Prospector. A little cup o’ heaven!
I met MC in line at the Racquet Club for our next three screenings together. The first, Pretty Persuasion, is a Heathers wanna be with a new millennium political slant starring Evan Rachael Wood as the evil teen and James Woods as possibly the worst parent in human history. During the Q&A, Ms. Wood answered a question and stepped to the back of the stage where she promptly fell off into the curtain. Cudos to her for having the grace to pop back up, yell, “That was great! Tell all your friends!” So I am.
We took the shuttle back to Eccles for #4 of the day, Upside of Anger, also starring Ms. Wood, along with a stunning Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, and Felicity herself, Keri Russell. ERW managed to stay on her feet this time. Yet another really strong performance by the somewhat underrated Joan Allen and writer/director Mike Binder’s best work to date by far.
In Albertson’s we finally got to pick up a few staples for the condo and ran into Darren, Ari, and their friend Jim. Ari sent me on a mission to secretly buy a bottle of Clamato to hide in Jim’s suitcase. An inside joke I never did get the skinny on. But hey, I’m there. Before heading back MC and I stopped for some sushi in the strip mall.
Refreshed, we walked up to the Library for Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Love, a nixed tv pilot turned into a funny, raunchy comedy. Jenny is hilarious and it was cool to see a woman make a total ass of herself with such fearlessness. MC and I both dug it. The walk back was freezing and we were greeted with a late night chat with Mia (now conscious) and Brian, our other condo-mates. Lovely people all!
