Here I am earlier today in front of The Odeon, where I dreamed of hanging out since I read “Bright Lights, Big City” in high school. The Twin Towers -- also seen on the novel’s cover -- are becoming a distant memory these days. But it’s reassuring to find the venerable restaurant perseveres, even if Tad Allagash was nowhere to be found.
Before we ate, we caught "Breakfast at Tiffany's" over at the Metrograph, which is becoming the only cinema for me in town. It was amusing having finally read Truman Capote's novella, because instead of being surprised by how different the two were -- which they are, in rather fundamental ways -- I was slightly taken aback by how faithful it was to the original. (The way Holly and "Fred" support themselves is pretty subversive even today, let alone in 1961; in addition to the fact that Doc and Sally Tomato made the cut, both of whom I'd somehow forgotten about.)
However, not even a Santa Monica Boulevard hustler could have been more surprised than Damian -- who wasn't familiar with the work at all -- to learn that George Peppard's, um, backstory didn't actually originate with Truman Capote, whose body of work of course, is littered with mixed chromosome sex workers! (Note: My hubby would have gladly hit the ATM for a crack at Fred’s blond part.)
We then tried to catch "Pillion" back in our neck of the woods, but were somewhat surprised to discover that no tickets were left -- a gay S&M rom-com SOLD OUT on the Upper West Side -- thus proving that "Heated Rivalry" fever has yet to break.
Now in keeping with the nostalgia theme, tonight we're going to revisit my other literary high school obsession, LA's answer to Jay McInerney: Mr. Bret Easton Ellis himself. Like the film adaptation of "Bright Lights, Big City," the screen version of Ellis's "Less Than Zero" was also ruined by a miscast lead. So instead we're watching "The Rules of Attraction" -- which I enjoyed reading even more than his debut -- in honor of James Van Der Beek, whose death has rattled Gen X to its core.
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
