The Sofa Cinematheque

Tosh's Journey with the help of Godard, Caroline Blackwood, Dan Sartain, and The Green Hornet

Being sick has some advantages, such as being glued to the interiors of one’s home and allowing the brain to drift from one thing to another. This condition I have has restricted my life significantly. It is almost an S/M relationship. Forced to deal with being restricted at home, I developed a wild mix of things to read, listen to, and watch.

There are many classic films I can watch, but oddly, I’m drawn to the 1966 TV series The Green Hornet. It only lasted one season, but I’ve heard of the character “Green Hornet” from my parents. Both of them were big fans of the radio dramas and series. I made sure to be in front of the TV on Friday at 7:30 P.M. I like the stoic characters. The Hornet (Van Williams) and his assistant Kato, played by Bruce Lee, looked so cool as Britt Reid (the Hornet’s true identity), and for whom he depends on Kato, a butler and driver, with his bow tie, white dinner jacket, and black pants. As a kid, I wanted to be Kato because he does judo and wears a mask that fits his Asian face while wearing a chauffeur’s uniform. The plots or narration were never very interesting, even when I was a child, but when I couldn’t sleep because of coughing, I would sit on my couch and watch this show around 11:00 P.M.

While my eyes gaze at the ceiling, I hear the music of the late and great Dan Sartain. As I mentioned in my previous post, I really like him. I listened to his music, and it has such an “it” quality that I don’t understand why he’s not a superstar. I assume he’s a big deal in the indie rock scene, but I hardly venture into that world anymore. I lost the urge to rock, but Dan reopened my eyes, head, and ears, and when I listen to him, I hear genius. Most revival Rockabilly music focuses on the era and the image, but Sartain takes it to another level. To him, it’s modern classical music. He’s on all the streaming channels, including YouTube, and I would leap into his fire; you will get burned, but the pain is almost pleasurable.

I was expecting Nouvelle Vague, directed by Richard Linklater, to be a disappointing watch, but instead, I found myself tearing up near the end of the film. I totally fell for its charm. However, I have to add one thing: I adore Jean-Luc Godard. I love his early films, and I love his later work. For me, there are no bad Godard films. When I was in London in 2008, I visited the BFI to see every film by Godard, along with his creative partner at the time, Jean-Pierre Gorin, who made some of the most political Maoist films ever. Some are just actresses giving speeches in front of the camera. As you can tell, I couldn’t find a date to go with me to see these films. But the spirit of Godard, like David Bowie, is always moving forward, and that has inspired me greatly.

Since I can’t eat that much food, I’m obsessed with food posts on Instagram. I’m drawn to ones that feature messy sandwiches, tacos, or any food that looks like three people could eat it, but in reality, only one influencer is actually eating the plate. Because I can’t eat that much, I look at these Instagram posts to distance myself from that world; it’s like visiting a museum. You don’t own anything there, but you look at the artworks in the galleries from an objective distance. I’ve never wanted to bite into the food, but I’m interested in what Americans are eating, or at least what the viewers see. There’s something almost inhuman about how we look and eat. My sickness sheds new light on the topic of eating and food in general.

One of the fascinating figures of the 20th century, Lady Caroline Blackwood, was married to the British painter Lucian Freud and the poet Robert Lowell, and you can imagine how those two marriages went. The great Blackwood was a brilliant writer. There is a hint of Patricia Highsmith, mainly because she understands British society from the bottom to the top. Corrigan and Great Granny Webster focus closely on individuals who seem to be stuck in their social standing or misery. I don’t want to say too much about the books because the plots are crucial to their success. Everything above has made my “sick” life a little better. I will see you on the other side of health.