Mikarrhea

Much sincere gratitudinization to sweethearts Kasey, Nick, Stephanie, Jean, and of course Catherine for kind words and thoughtful feedback about film montages. Catherine and I are still thrilled to hear more montage ideas, so please keep 'em coming.

I mentioned I'm working on a screenplay that incorporates montages, as is Catherine (we also share an intimate personal connection with the very safe Newton, MA, home of the lustrous Barney Frank). As far as I can tell, however, she and I incorporate montages differently. Certainly, I'm conscious of wanting to strike a blow against the hegemony of the Hollywood 2-liter plottle as the sole vessel from which a cinematic experience may be served (in my spare time, btw, I'm also gonna give Microsoft a coupla big whacks). But mainly I just want film consumers to pay more attention to the pleasures and rhythms of individual sequences generally (like individual songs on an album) and naturally my favorite sequences specifically. I wanna make a kind of cinematic dance mix.

I'll definitely be talking more here about the screenplay as the fall wears on. The really great thing is that I'm actually taking a screenwriting course through a nearby University's extension program. I haven't taken a real course-course (faculty seminars and colloquia aside) in nearly twenty years. I just wanted to provide a sort of exoskeleton for my otherwise limp and shapeless efforts. A minor awkward moment: on the first day of class we twenty or so went around the room introducing ourselves and describing our cinematic interests. Having come in late (don't get my daughter started on this), I was sitting in the back corner and went last. "Hi, I'm Mika Cooper. Though I don't really have any experience writing screenplays, I've seen a lot of movies, and I have taught a couple of film courses before. In fact, unless I'm wrong, both Maya and Wendy here are former students of mine." At which point the two women in question wheeled around. "Omigod! That's my British Film professor!" "Omigod! That's my former advisor!" The professor looked at me a bit uncomfortably for a while after that. But now I think she realizes I'm less of a threat than a resource when she forgets shit (speaking of which, thanks Kasey! I just completely love the way Hitch just lets that bus explode with the poor cute innocent little kid on it!) and can't get the video system working.