Companion to the Five in Five

[Eluard]

That was a great film, sort of a thinking man's American Graffiti. For some reason, I think it was filmed in Brooklyn, but I'm probably misremembering. Many of those old diners have been moved to other parts of the USA and re-opened as 50's themed restaurants. When I was growing up in New Jersey they seemed to be everywhere; every town had one.

You're right, that was a great film — and much better than American Graffitti. But it came out in the middle of a whole lot of other Brat pack films (many of them also pretty damned good) and got overlooked. Glad you like it too!

 

[Angeline]

You're right, that was a great film — and much better than American Graffitti. But it came out in the middle of a whole lot of other Brat pack films (many of them also pretty damned good) and got overlooked. Glad you like it too!

Same here. The best thing about American Graffiti, I thought, was the music. Other than that it was a lot of cliche, I always thought.

Did you ever live in the States, El? Either you did or you're very well educated in American culture.

 

[Eluard]

Same here. The best thing about American Graffiti, I thought, was the music. Other than that it was a lot of cliche, I always thought.

Did you ever live in the States, El? Either you did or you're very well educated in American culture.

People living in Nigeria are well-educated on American culture!!!

I spent about 10 days in NY about 10 years ago — other than that it is all just being a movie junkie.

Lotsa John Sayles movies back in the day! Lots of Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy films!

 

[Eluard]

If aliens ever visit us from outer space the first thing they are going to ask is "What ever happened to Andrew McCarthy? We always liked him in your movies — so cleancut!"

 

[Tzara]

Thanks, Ange. There was a film in the early 80s called Diner, which I think was set in New Jersey (but it has been a loooong time since I last saw it).

It's a key film in the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. I gave up on this after I found I could link people like the cinematographer on Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin to Mr. Bacon in well under six links. Pretty much took the fun out of it.

If you want to play with it, try The Oracle of Bacon at the University of Virginia Department of Computer Science. It's kind of fun.

(Eduard Tisse, by the way, has a Bacon Number of 4.)

 

[Eluard]

It's a key film in the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. I gave up on this after I found I could link people like the cinematographer on Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin to Mr. Bacon in well under six links. Pretty much took the fun out of it.

If you want to play with it, try The Oracle of Bacon at the University of Virginia Department of Computer Science. It's kind of fun.

(Eduard Tisse, by the way, has a Bacon Number of 4.)

That sounds interesting! I'll check it out when I get back from the salt mines.

 

[Anschul]

That was a great film, sort of a thinking man's American Graffiti. For some reason, I think it was filmed in Brooklyn, but I'm probably misremembering. Many of those old diners have been moved to other parts of the USA and re-opened as 50's themed restaurants. When I was growing up in New Jersey they seemed to be everywhere; every town had one.

I've got to add my two cents here, because I am also deeply ingrained with the culture of Jersey diners, in my case South Jersey diners, and specifically Ponzio's in Cherry Hill. As a kid, it was my breakfast stop on the way to the shore. Food was okay, atmosphere was pure Jersey diner, chicken soup, brisket, and blintzes were first rate, desserts were unGodly!.

But the note that got me writing here was that the film Diner was filmed and set in Baltimore. It was Barry Levinson's breakout film, and the first of his "Baltimore Trilogy" which consisted of Diner, Tin Men, and Avalon. Diner starred Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin, and Paul Reiser. The plot was built around a young man (Guttenberg) deciding whether or not to propose marriage to his girlfriend based on whether or not she could pass an oral exam on the history of the Baltimore Colts, but was mostly about five life-long friends fighting time, culture, and growing up. A lot of the exteriors were shot in Baltimore, the diner in the movie was the Bendix Diner, located in Hasbrouck Heights, (Southern) New Jersey, near Philly. Here is the IMDB link. Great film. Great. But Baltimore, not New Jersey.

 

[Tzara]

I've got to add my two cents here, because I am also deeply ingrained with the culture of Jersey diners, in my case South Jersey diners, and specifically Ponzio's in Cherry Hill. As a kid, it was my breakfast stop on the way to the shore. Food was okay, atmosphere was pure Jersey diner, chicken soup, brisket, and blintzes were first rate, desserts were unGodly!.

But the note that got me writing here was that the film Diner was filmed and set in Baltimore. It was Barry Levinson's breakout film, and the first of his "Baltimore Trilogy" which consisted of Diner, Tin Men, and Avalon. Diner starred Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin, and Paul Reiser. The plot was built around a young man (Guttenberg) deciding whether or not to propose marriage to his girlfriend based on whether or not she could pass an oral exam on the history of the Baltimore Colts, but was mostly about five life-long friends fighting time, culture, and growing up. A lot of the exteriors were shot in Baltimore, the diner in the movie was the Bendix Diner, located in Hasbrouck Heights, (Southern) New Jersey, near Philly. Here is the IMDB link. Great film. Great. But Baltimore, not New Jersey.

I could say something here about Baltimore, New Jersey, and the doily-like distinction between them from a Left Coast point o' view, but that would just be whiny comeback about what some Long Island bartender years ago said: "Oh, yeah. Seattle. That's near Chicago, ain't it?"

Well, yeah. We're pretty near Tokyo. And Russia. 'Splains the funny hats and fur coats.

But I think it was his "jerk the West Coast guys around" shtick and anyway I was in love with the cocktail waitress's Longuh Island accent.

Well, that and her legs.

 

[Eluard]

Thanks Anshul for the correction. Baltimore. Got it. (I'm amazed so many people know that film.)

Gotta say RM, that 3 and 4, your Diner pair, are searing my brain at the moment. 4 gets more disturbing, on an upward spiral, every time I read it. 3 is just…well, you know what 3 is. Great stuff!

 

[Eluard]

And speaking of 3, this

could tell
the difference between shit and Chanel,

I can sure tell the difference: I had a girlfriend who used to LIVE in Chanel 5. I don't know that I ever found it sexy — it's like Cubism rendered as perfume, all sharp angles, like a bit of mica — but I sure as hell can remember it.

 

[Angeline]

I've got to add my two cents here, because I am also deeply ingrained with the culture of Jersey diners, in my case South Jersey diners, and specifically Ponzio's in Cherry Hill. As a kid, it was my breakfast stop on the way to the shore. Food was okay, atmosphere was pure Jersey diner, chicken soup, brisket, and blintzes were first rate, desserts were unGodly!.

But the note that got me writing here was that the film Diner was filmed and set in Baltimore. It was Barry Levinson's breakout film, and the first of his "Baltimore Trilogy" which consisted of Diner, Tin Men, and Avalon. Diner starred Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin, and Paul Reiser. The plot was built around a young man (Guttenberg) deciding whether or not to propose marriage to his girlfriend based on whether or not she could pass an oral exam on the history of the Baltimore Colts, but was mostly about five life-long friends fighting time, culture, and growing up. A lot of the exteriors were shot in Baltimore, the diner in the movie was the Bendix Diner, located in Hasbrouck Heights, (Southern) New Jersey, near Philly. Here is the IMDB link. Great film. Great. But Baltimore, not New Jersey.

Close enough for jazz.

I always confuse the diner scenes from Diner with the diner scenes from Goodfellas. Two very different films, but sort of a similar ambiance, at least to me.

 

[TheRainMan]

. . . Gotta say RM, that 3 and 4, your Diner pair, are searing my brain at the moment. 4 gets more disturbing, on an upward spiral, every time I read it. 3 is just…well, you know what 3 is. Great stuff!

thanks, El.

And speaking of 3, this

could tell
the difference between shit and Chanel,

I can sure tell the difference: I had a girlfriend who used to LIVE in Chanel 5. I don't know that I ever found it sexy — it's like Cubism rendered as perfume, all sharp angles, like a bit of mica — but I sure as hell can remember it.

yeah, i can tell the difference too ( usually ),

but the meaning of the line seemed to fit into what i was trying to say. and the words "shit" and "Chanel" are made for each other.

 

[Eluard]

Good to see you joining in again Tz.

 

[Tzara]

Good to see you joining in again Tz.

Thanks, El.

I am merely trailing along behind PG, entranced by her, um, poems.




They are good poems, though. Yours too.

 

[Eluard]

Thanks, El.

I am merely trailing along behind PG, entranced by her, um, poems.




They are good poems, though. Yours too.

Go to agree — those are fine… um … poems.

 

[PandoraGlitters]

Thank you, Tzara and Eluard for the compliments. Looks like we have been joined by a pair of dancers. I'll just tiptoe over and turn on the mirror ball, shall I?



Dora

 

[Eluard]

Yup, turn on the mirror ball — it makes the dark corners of the soul a bit sexier.

Great to see you in here too beej. Great poem to start off with.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Yup, turn on the mirror ball — it makes the dark corners of the soul a bit sexier.

Great to see you in here too beej. Great poem to start off with.

Thanks. I thought I'd try to be brave, though it's always incredibly intimidating to be in there.

I'm not promising anything. Generally my first drafts suuuuuuuuck. But I'll continue to try.

bj

 

[PandoraGlitters]

You're amazing BJ. You reach right into my gut each time.
Dora

p.s. Your May edits prove that you polish up pretty damn well too.

I'm glad to see you posting in the 5/5! Such elegant company.

 

[Eluard]

Hey Tz, binary 2 was very nice. Love that light touch!

 

[Eluard]

beej — your Pieta is superb! Truly beautiful and heartbreaking — just amazing.

 

[PandoraGlitters]

It was wonderful sharing the 5/5 thread with such heady writing. Bijou your writing is so poignant. Pieta is utterly heartbreaking ("gentle snapped gift"). Tzara, I love your narrative voice.

..............& if I must be a broken toy,
much better were I sleek and red.

This goes voom!

Eluard, you are the dancer with feet light as ghosts'. You've left smoke trails all through me.

Thank you each for being an inspiration.

.

 

[Eluard]

It was wonderful sharing the 5/5 thread with such heady writing.

Eluard, you are the dancer with feet light as ghosts'. You've left smoke trails all through me.

.

And it was a pleasure to share it with you, PG, whose work continues to evolve and to grow more nuanced with each passing month.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Thanks for the props. I try to do this every once in a while just cause it's good to scare myself.

I have been the foil for some excellent jewels during this run. Y'all are impressive as always.

bj

 

[Tzara]

PG, El, Bijou:

You all were excellenting here. Sorry for cutting out of the party. I plead, um, seasickness. Got caught without my Dramamine.

Or something.

Anyway, good show. Good show.



Er, cripes. Excellent show, truth be told.