I'm off. On Monday, the staff of the Nantucket Film Festival are moving to the island for a month in order to get everything in place for this year's festival. I am looking forward to a break from the hustle and bustle of the NYC lifestyle, but I will miss the city for sure. That said, it is always fun to get away for a while so that when I come back, I can kiss and make up with New York.

This weekend promises a lot of farewell fun, including my obligatory visit with Revenge of The Sith tonight (I am reviewing it for The Uncommon Sense back home in Flint, so I sorta have to see it.) I have mixed feelings about event movies, and I have been Star Wars'd out since Episode VI or whatever the fuck it was called back then. Jedi. That one. Plus, I am a little annoyed with the way this movie has taken over the national consciousness. We have far more important things to do and talk about than having a nature vs. nurture debate about Darth Vader. This story is NOT NEWS for fuck's sake. What's next? A urine stain passing as the Virgin Mary making national headlines? Oh wait. And to think, I had to wade through Catholic protesters to see Chris Ofili's painting The Holy Virgin Mary at the Brooklyn Museum's Sensation show. All he had to do was take a leak under an overpass and he could have been a saint?!?! Sign me up! I guess I shouldn't be so literal-minded about the ridiculousness of all of this. Why, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes!"

(Cue Tom's move to Canada...)

The Religious Right Learns How To Use Photoshop

Anyway, the hard news of Star Wars aside, tomorrow I am working hard to prep for our ever-popular Sunday Night dinner. I'm making my first batch of Molé from scratch. I hear it takes all day. I can watch The FA Cup as a prelude to watching my beloved Liverpool in The Champion's League final later in the week (Come On You Reds!!!!)

Of course, I'll have to flip back and forth to the Awards Ceremony live From Cannes on IFC while drooling over the Lumiére Theater. This is one of my favorite awards shows, primarily because of the live translations of Annette Insdorf (I'm a groupie...[blush] ) and the celebrity red-carpet ID-a-thon between her and Roger Ebert as they struggle to keep up with the absolutely logic-free editing from the Canal+ feed. There is also the multi-lingual awards presentation itself, which truly exemplifies why this awards show, and not the Oscars, is probably the most fun for cinéphiles. Sick of watching Scorsese battle Ron Howard and Clint Eastwood? How about Hou Hsiao-hsien vs. Jim Jarmusch? That's the kind of good TV I'm talkin' about.

After that, its off to sushi and a fun night seeing my former improv teacher (yes, I'm a nerd) at the The Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater. I'm sure there will be copious amounts beer involved. If I drink enough, maybe I can piss the entire The Passion of the Christ on a manhole cover.

On top of it all, I found a little link to the first song from Bob Mould's new record, Body of Song. I have a feeling this one will be dominating my stereo all summer long, alongside the new Sleater-Kinney record (Check out the album stream... So rockin'!) . I almost feel bad for the neighbors. Almost.

Hurry up, summer! I'm ready already!