No Chance

Plotnik is thinking about "Catch 22," the movie. He had loved Joseph Heller's book so much it had been practically a bible to him in college, so when Mike Nichols made the movie he absolutely couldn't wait to see it. Naturally, he hated every frame, and hated it for decades, until he saw it again a few years ago and realized what a stroke of pure genius that film is. It wasn't about the movie, it was about Plotnik's unrealizable expectations, which of course leads us into seeing "Tales of the City" last night.

Well, Ducknik liked it a lot. She says there was no way Plotnik was going to like it, given that it would be sure to have really shmaltzy music and he doesn't like anybody else's music to start with, plus he was looking forward to the show 'way 'way 'way too much.

Plot will say this much: When it started, he felt so proud of his city, of the morés of the place he and Duck have chosen to live, of the tolerance and understanding and sheer beauty of this little spit of land, that he had already written the first line of his review: "F___ New York. Who needs it?"

When the curtain came up and everyone saw the set we all let out little squeals of delight. Then the music started and it was so...ordinary.

But he wanted extraordinary. He's thinking now that his first line will be "Who Stole My Goddam Extra........?"

Really, people with high expectations should see the show twice, once to let out all the disappointment and then again to actually see what's going on. JJ-aka-PP, I'm sure you'll agree with this.

Plottie only saw it once. He'll get his review up later and try to keep this all in mind.