The secret of the universe is in this documentary!
I watched this when it turned up on UK TV, and it was a fascinating insight into the movie-making process. Such a dazzling array of talented individuals giving up their time for us - that's you and me - to allow ourselves to be showered with their collective wisdom.
One figure stood out, though. You can keep all your Spielbergs and Scorceses, but the true life-changing moment occurred when Mr Robert Cohen said something along the lines of "editing is the way into the movie" for the viewing public. He shifted his muscular frame slightly, and gazed wistfully into the depths of the right speaker on my TV. Then he gave the reason for this concept, and the planet wobbled on its axis.
"Wouldn't we all like to edit our own LIVES?"
I fell to the floor, prostrate with the sudden, painful truth that underlines all our feeble existences. I gaped up at Robert, silently begging him to administer the coup-de-grace and praying that he wouldn't tease us with such exquisite and dangerous knowledge and then withdraw it, leaving us in the dark as before, but with a humbling awareness of our own collective ignorance. I am sure the sound of Angels singing accompanied the streaming light from my TV as he gave us deliverance from doubt.
He paused, nodded slightly in a self-satisfied way, and continued:
"I think we would."
Thank you, Robert. Yes. Yes I do want to edit my own life. And up until that moment I had thought I was the only one! Now I know better, and I will devote my time to enlightening people about the possibilities of self-editing.
Right now, I am going to edit just over two hours of my life from my memory. That's the time it took to watch XxX, and Robert's contribution to this documentary. I'll just do the necessary mental exercises...
* THUD *
Now. What was I talking about?
"...and remember, DON'T eat the paintballs..."