Vancouver, July 22, 2003

Saw Theresa Russell yesterday on tv in one of her earlier films. Think it was called “Black Widow”. Debra Winger. Love watching TR from snakeskin to snakeskin. Such solid girls/women. “Annie Hall” I saw on a previous night. I have seen this film so many times. Damn. It’s so good. One of the things that keeps bothering me,just to remain in my own craftsy realm, is that commercials and movietrailers and announcements keep popping up. Breaking up crucial moments in these great filmworks. I just can’t believe we allowed it to get this polluted. I certainly can’t remember any filmworker interfering in any commercial, so why for god's sake, can they do this repeatedly to our art. Is anybody in favour?

Also saw a very interesting documentary on a public Canadian station. Fell into it. Did not get the name. It addressed guncontrol issues and moms trying to create ground for some changes as the NRA’s political lobby showed its well organized oiled muscles. Uniquely American if I may say. Remembered some of my adventures (late eighties) in the Carolina states where all men wore handguns inside or ouside their pants. It certainly created the idea that there must have been a lot to be scared of. Rather ironic was that the cops there assured me people would shoot themselves or a family member a lot. More by accident. And mostly in the foot. The thigh. Someone’s ass or one's own potbelly. That sort of thing. But certainly at that time the Ku-Klux-Klan was very active as well. As much as motorvehicles are tools to get us around, at the same time turning any driver into a possible killer. Mostly by accident as well. Guns do kind of the same. Putting killing power into one's hand is the "tools" only purpose.To just stay within my craft again. The only good thing it can do is to shoot blanks and make some noise in movies. In real life I always thought and hoped that most of the human species would be past the need to ever own one.

Think again, not so. So get real. Just let me say that I'd feel owning gun would make me part of a more fearsome and nasty idea. I get a camera if I need to shoot anyone. Between America's most wanted and funniest video a lot of ground can be covered. I forget about the pain it would inflict to all criminals' daughters and sons. I just think what it would do to their moms.

Rutger

Day out of Days List