Keepin' it Squirreal

I love documentary films. I can't help myself. No matter what creative brains come together and create the most out-of-this-world scenarios featuring everything from people who survived a plane crash on a deserted freaky island to Empire State Building climbing apes to Jabba the Hut to Blondie to Laverne & Shirley, sometimes Truth really is stranger than Fiction. And often more compelling.

I've spent the past 24 hours or so with my nose pressed against the boob tube. I've just discovered a recent addition to my satellite selections.

The Documentary Channel has definitely grabbed my attention and on top of that I caught a showing of "Slasher" on IFC this morning. Last night's Doc channel offering included a viewing of "Almost Elvis" a doc about Elvis impersonators. I've actually seen that one before. I missed the offering covering Bob Marley that came on just before the King wanna-bes. I'm sure they'll replay it and I'll take a gander at the Ganja loving guy.

Then this morning IFC brought me the John Landis directed "Slasher" about a mercenary used car salesman who travels across the country spending three-day weekends at car lots doing his "Slasher" bit, hacking prices and probably eventually hacking off the customers who buy the lemons on the lot.

The guy was ADD and beer-swilling from early a.m. to late in the evening. Yet, you have to give him credit for loving his family and his friends. And the ability to talk just about anybody behind the wheel of a 1995 Escort.

Even more compelling was the fact this was shot in Memphis with plenty of images that are familiar to anyone who has spent a weekend in the cty by the mighty Mississippi.

I'm sure IFC will give "Slasher" plenty of viewings since it financed the doc. So, when you see it on your TV guide grid, mark it to watch.

Interesting, compelling, sometimes scary. You may never look at the process of purchasing a car the same way again.