Two Flicks

Late Friday afternoon, I decided to totally 'unplug,' I went to the video store and picked up two videos (my DVD player is still at Peter Jones). The local video store, Video Adventures, has a good selection of obscure, cult and foreign films. I settled on one I've never seen, 'Carnal Knowledge,' written by Jules Fieffer, and directed by Mike Nichols and one I have, 'Mystery Train,' written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Both would probably qualify as comedies.

In the opening credits, 'Carnal Knowledge' lists a 'Hair Supervisor,' and with a young, smarmy Jack Nicholson and a young, dorky Art Garfunkel, hair in its many configurations becomes a ubiquitous, ever-changing character. It's a bleak, clear-eyed movie. Art to Jack: 'you can't make a career out of fucking.' Jack to Art: 'don't tell me what I can't do.'

The spirit of Elvis hovers over 'Mystery Train,' (made up of three vingettes) in fact Elvis is the main character; everyone revolves around the memory and legend of the King. Jarmusch loves depicting the 'stranger in a strange land,' and the low-down, deserted streets of Memphis serve him well. Joe Strummer and Screamin' Jay Hawkins (now both dead) have significant roles. Favorite line: 'That's just how life is...' There's so little, and so much, expressed in that line.

I kind of sank into the couch and let the video images wash over me. The video player counted out the minutes, but for me, time seemed suspended. 'That's just how life is...'