So in what is becoming a regular sunday ritual, I made my way to the cinema this afternoon, for an irregular dose of regularity. Most waking hours, stacks of bugs to vanquish, riddims to sequence, tracks to master and schemes to scheme occupy my jammerjam, so no love was lost checking out for a couple.

I'd seen previews of the Australian film “Alexandra's Project” and read one or two good reviews, at least enough to put it ahead of other cinematic triteness running rampant out there. After paying my money and styling myself out with a medium coke, I noticed a cover of a tune I'd overdosed on on my way back to the city at New Years playing over the loudspeakers. “First Cut is the Deepest”.

It is always kinda funny for me to notice music like this in these cavernous places. Typically I don't. And if I do, it takes me a second or two to orient myself. Not the case tonite though. I immediately recognized the tune and made a note-to-self, to surf for the “contemporary adult artist” doing this cover. Needless to say, it turned out to be Sheryl Crow. My favourite version of this Cat Stevens (errr ... Yusuf Islam) classic is a Studio One (surprise!!) cover by Norma Fraser. An endearing mixture of the old skool ambiance, Jackie Mittoo's keyboard plunky funkyness and her amazing voice had me unhealthily auto-repeating this track for many miles speeding through upstate NY.

Back to my cinema story. So I saw “Alexandra's Project” and needless to say I don't think I've ever been shaken so non-violently. Back in November, I saw 29 Palms arguably the most violent film I've ever seen. Two women ran screaming from the theatre in one horrific scene five minutes from the end. Alexandra was much less violent, but very psychologically chilling. The director's use of surprise and fully developed “wrong paths” ... had the men in the audience sweating ... in a cold “Fatal Attraction” kind of way. While 29 Palms probably isn't ever going to have a general release, I'm sure glad this did. The film gives to meaning to that old phrase about hell, fury and a woman scorned.