So, yesterday was a field day. I got a burst of energy after waking from the fugue state and managed to get quite a bit done. I had a errand to run and some shopping to do (pre father’s day). In the midst of the drive to pick up something (what I cannot say), I was driving along the highway when one of those sudden torrential summer downpours occurred. I’ve driven through just about every weather imaginable (consequence of being a cab driver at one time) so, I don’t really freak out. Also, I don’t seem to be consumed by the desire to tailgate as so many people are these days - I always like having an avenue of escape when I drive, you never know what’s going to happen.

So, as I was saying, this rain started coming down in sheets. The flow of traffic slowed to a crawl and there were some thirty or forty cars along the side of the highway with their flashers on. This caused the traffic to slow even further as curious drivers felt compelled to observe and try to discern what the problem of the motorists residing on the shoulder was. It was my Red Forman moment of the day (Dumbasses). The only thing that seemed to have happened was people got really freaked out about driving in such heavy rain and pulled over until it let up a little. Not a bad idea really considering you got the sense there were a lot of weekend city drivers who had come north to escape the city on the first nice, sunny weekend day we’ve had in awhile.

The roads were really packed.

When I got home my sleep schedule is still screwed up after the last couple of days and I found myself up all night and watching About Schmidt and The 25th Hour.

Both movies are worth seeing if for different reasons. About Schmidt has a stellar cast and it’s an interesting follow up to the awesome Election by the same director. Schmidt has a Cohen Brothers feel to it (maybe because it reminded me of Fargo) but, there’s a lot of good stuff in it. It’s just well written and I was thinking it wouldn’t go over big with people under 30. There’s just not a lot of action in it.

The 25th Hour is just stunning. It’s a visual treat - a really beautifully shot film. I was curious watching it what film stock was used because the color was so very vibrant. It’s not just well shot, it’s well acted too with a terrific cast. Brian Cox (who I’ve mentioned before) is in it, along with Ed Norton, Barry Pepper, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin and Rosario Dawson.

Hoffman is a lot better in this than he was in Love Liza. Immediately after watching it, I flipped back to start listening to the Director’s track. All the in fashion tricks are used in this film - lots of staccato cuts, flash out transitions, solarized shots but nothing to the extent that it takes away from the story. Everything is devoted to moving the viewer through the piece. There’s even a couple of Spike Lee’s signature dolly shots (where he puts an actor on a dolly and moves them through the scene - notably used at the end of Malcolm X).

I met Spike Lee in person once. He’s actually very much a New Yorker and in this film it shows as his camera makes love to the city in a way that hasn’t been seen since Woody Allen’s two great New York films of the seventies (Annie Hall and Manhattan).

We met (Mr. Lee and I) while I was working at the Garden (Madison Square). I worked as a designer there in the mid 90’s and at the time, the art department was located in the ground floor of the arena in a space we shared with the Garden’s official photographer George Kalinsky. At the time, Lee was researching material for He Got Game and was meeting with Kalinsky (really Betsy his assistant) to get shots he would later use for a montage of great basketball moments he used in the film.

Betsy forewarned us of his visit with the urging we (the four of us in the office) should not in any way engage Mr. Lee in conversation of any kind. The room the four of us were in was a main room off of which were four other offices (Kalinsky’s, a conference room with a color copier, a supply room and my then boss’ office). Betsy would bring Spike into Kalinsky’s office and go over preselected photos which she would then go into the conference room to color copy.

Lee stood uncomfortably in the small area between the two doors looking out on the main room where the four of us labored away in silence. I was on the other side of the room by a window and behind a half wall. When I would get up to sort the papers on my desk or to get a printout I would be confronted by the visage of a diminutive Lee staring out at the room with his large round eyes and a look on his face that seem to convey his bewilderment that no one approached him.

I couldn’t resist when I stood up and saw his gaze wander in my direction.

“You know, that hat you’re wearing is an abomination.”

The room froze, my co-workers stiffened. Lee was wearing a Yankees cap with as Michael Kaye would later describe “the interlocking N Y of the Yankees logo.” Unfortunately, instead of wearing a cap in the traditional Yankee color of royal blue, Lee’s cap was a glaringingly bright red.

“Those are Cardinal colors, you call yourself I Yankee fan?!”

...and that was it, the ice was broken and we had a brief conversation about the Yankees performance in the playoffs the previous year, which was the first year of their World Series run. Just two New Yorkers talking about baseball and what they thought of one of their teams. A very pedestrian, normal exchange - he was a nice guy and seemed pretty knowledgeable about baseball.

Needless to say, after he left the room was abuzz over the fact I had dared speak to him - but, as they say, what the f**k! He seemed like a pretty normal guy to me.