A photo of several co-workers and myself appears in this week’s issue of the Focus. If you think we looked dead tired in the picture, that’s ’cause we WERE dead tired. And if you looked more carefully, you might actually catch a hint of the pain and tears behind our smiles. Anyway, since Melody’s still stuck on nights and she normally wouldn’t watch horror films with me, the past few week’s been Fright-Fest at Glenn’s apartment, with a slew of scary movies like The Ring 2, The Grudge, The Amityville Horror, The Devil’s Rejects, and House of Wax. My theory is that horror films nowadays belong either to the creepy-long-haired-girl category, or the sexy-skin-flick genre – both of which are, of course, pure crap. Fortunately, I was redeemed this week by an incredibly moving film entitled “Crash“, which has been under the radar since its release earlier this year. The movie offers a gritty, racially-charged portrayal of the behemoth of a melting pot that is urban America. At various points, the film would grip you by the stomach, then ease a little, then tighten again – an experience which was ultimately cathartic. A great choice of locations, diverse cast, haunting music, and a series of tightly-woven plots make this film my favorite so far this year.