Day: February 20, 2005

Not in the world’s greatest shape. First, I’m battling a headcold, which couldn’t be worse timed considering I have business meetings, a charity auction, and tickets for “Spamalot” over the next few days.

Added to that is that Ariel is off to visit her mother, which once upon a time wasn’t a big deal. But her mother moved to Arizona, so putting my unescorted minor on an airplane by herself for the first time and watching her take off has left an Ariel-sized hole in my world. The drive back from JFK was about the longest of my life. She’ll be back in a week, but it’s gonna be a rough week for me. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Still, if Caroline starts going around saying “Riel? Riel?” and thumping on her bedroom door looking for her, it’s going to be hard not to lose it.

PAD

A friend slipped me a copy of a documentary called “Double Dare,” and if you can get your hands on it, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Directed by Amanda Micheli, it tells the intersecting stories of two stuntwomen: Jeannie Epper, who comes from a family that’s described as the Flying Wallendas of the stunt world (except, one hopes, without the unfortunate body count), and has a career stretching back to doubling Lynda Carter as “Wonder Woman.” And Zoe Bell, an up and comer who doubled Lucy Lawless as Xena and–in the course of the documentary–auditions for and lands doubling for Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill.” (Several scenes are shown being filmed from “Kill Bill) with Bell as the Bride.) If you can manage to score yourself a copy, by all means do so. (There’s a “Double Dare” listed on Amazon.com, but there’s virtually no description of it and I don’t know for sure if it’s the same one. If anyone reading this does know for sure, chime in.)

Honestly? This shouldn’t stop as a documentary. If a network can make a success of a TV series based on the life of a crime-solving psychic, then a network (or maybe the Oxygen Channel) could do a series loosely based on the lives of Bell and Epper. The older, more experienced stunt woman guiding the career of the younger while also dealing with the needs of her extended family. God knows I’d watch it. Hëll, I’d write for it. This thing’s a natural. Watching the set-ups for the stunts alone would be fascinating, and it’d be a hundred times better than the old Lee Majors “Fall Guy” series, especially if Epper and Bell are in it and doing their own stunts (a la Jackie Chan.)

PAD