Merlot's Tribute to Martin Ritt's Films, and Homer's Talk

Greetings Voignier and kind readers,

These past few days have meant a general stuffing of ourselves at the Basin, as we have eaten and drank many times our fill, feeding off leftovers for turkey, sting beans, cranberry, pumpkin and other seasonal favorites. This evening, we shall be hosting a repertory of the films of Martin Ritt. Our guests will be bringing their wives to the event, unlike the pokerpaluzza we recently hosted. We have invited several of New York's leading critics, artists, intellectuals and economists, including the great granddaughter of Edward Bellamy, as well as Homer Bathe, the foremost authority on the Anarchism, having written a seminal tomb on the subject, and which is still used as part of Columbia University's "beyond the core" curriculum. Homer will be giving talk before the films this evening concerning the movement to roll back the feminization politics in America, something I am sure at least a few of our guests shall be happy to entertain, as I shall be on conference call with a certain benefactor on the Dark continent who has offered us financing for our chain of boxed wine stores.

The Martin Ritt films we have selected for viewing include three of his best: First, The Molly Mcguires, a visceral, grittily authentic drama about the exploitation of Irish immigrant miners in the centennial America of 1876, which was a commercial flop. Second, "The Long Hot Summer", which was based upon 6 writings by William Faulkner, including our favorite, "Barn Burner". Third, The Brotherhood, starring Kirk Douglas as a Mafia Don which circles many of the conflict America faced in the 60's; Fourth, Sounder, a story of sharecroppers in 1930s Louisiana featuring an outstanding sound track, Sixth, The Front, the story of a black listed film writer starring Woody Allen, and Finally, Nuts, the story of a working girl's brush with the law and her past, starring "Babs" Striesand, if you will. I expect this series, which shall be shown over two days, will bring about very lively dialogue among our visitors, particularly as our boxed wine offerings lubricate the free expression and exchange of ideas if you will. Mr. Ito shall remain alert in the event that one or more of our guests are given to fisticuffs, as was the several evenings ago when a debate about red states and blue states lead to a free for all, at the end of which only Mr. Ito was standing, and helping pull several drunk guests out of the Hudson.

My staff of Sanitation researchers has selected a case of Rose boxed wine to start off the celebration, and ready our guests for Homer's commentary. Knowing that Homer is rather long winded, they have selected something with a higher alcohol level than otherwise (11% by vol.) It turns out that the staff recalled Homer from his last talk, which urged our guests to vote for Ralph Nader which ended with our staff chanting "Al Gore and the Marine Corp", in an effort to "take the piss out of Homer," as it was put by Ryan, one of the more jovial researchers at the Basin. Al Gore, having caught word of this event was disappointed to find our researchers carrying signs, two of which read: Ralph Nader: "For the People" and Ralph Nader, No 'Occidental' Pres!

Gore stopped for a brief time seeing this display, refused a glass of boxed wine, and left to laughter and jeers with quite a frown on his face for the experience. Ryan it appears was also the architect behind this skullduggery with Mr. Gore. Homer, having caught word of this in his Central Park Apartment, hired two toughs to track down Ryan's tent in The Riverside part and cut it to ribbons as Ryan was out gathering bottles, cans, and boxes for recycling and boxed wine marketing research purposes. This has lead to a a good natured feud between the two, leading to overlapping practical jokes, which should lead to some sort of surprise prank this evening related to Homer's commentary.