Hi, Smurph and all,
Was at the closest Micky D's (the same one where I heard Hissing [the song,
not the whole album] played on their DMX or whatever service they used),
munching on a Big Mac when simultaneously, Shawn Colvin's "Sunny Came Home"
came on, and in April's Premiere Magazine, in which I was reading Paul
Rudnick's (writer of "Jeffrey" and "In And Out") column "If You Ask Me" (his
nom de plume is Libby Gelman-Waxner, and s/he is the funniest movie reviewer
in the world), and in this month's column, entitled "Barefoot in the Shrine",
a review of Lord of the Rings, she says:
"...Frodo has to head out on an epic quest to save the world by tossing the
ring back into a fiery volcano, but his progress is hindered by an evil
wizard named Saruman, who has long, stick-straight white hair that he keeps
flicking off his face; Saruman looks exactly like Cher would if she'd been
allowed to age naturally. Frodo sets out with several fellow hobbits and
joins forces with a couple of hunky human warriors and an elf, whose race
sports platinum-blond manes yanked straight back; I kept waiting for the
elves to reveal their Joni Mitchell shrine or to introduce their leader,
Marcia Brady."
Of course, Joni has *never* (to my memory) gone actually platinum, rather
leaning towards warmer blond hues, but nonetheless -- how many writers can
manage a jab at Cher, and a mention of the Joanster and a fictional blond,
all in one paragraph? In the next one, Libby manages *another* jab at Stevie
Nicks (this time in the fashion department), and wonders, given that
virtually all the emotion in the movie is expressed between males ("My
captain, my king," indeed!), whether in the next installment there may be
scenes of "towel snapping under a waterfall or a sweaty, shirtless volleyball
match with a team from Keebler."
I had to leave McD's before I started laughing too much. But it *is* a Joni
mention, even if Libby gets JM's hair color wrong.
(In case you don't feel like running out and getting Premiere magazine, Libby
also wonders why someone, say Gandalf, doesn't suggest to the hobbits that
they'd make better time with shoes on, and she describes the movie sets as
looking like a Wagnerian opera set in a snow globe.)
So, belated Happy St. Patrick's Day, you 87.5% of a mick, you!
hugs,
Walt
