Hold your nose, the Left Coast is here....

That's right, it's the Venice Film Festival. It's part of the Biennale which says it all. 

Here's the starting line-up: George Clooney....Kenneth Branagh....Fanny Ardant....Brian de Palma....Michael Moore....Woody Allen.  Many pinch-hitters, too. Venice provides an excellent sounding board for anti-US, anti-Bush, and anti-war polemics. You see, actors and directors know soooo much about geo-politics, world affairs, political and economic philosophy and policy (see postscript for proof), and military tactics. Amazing erudition for people who read tele-prompters, actually memorise 10 whole lines, and who have great make-up artists and publicists, whom they really take seriously. There are, needless to say, exceptions to this pathetic herd, but they're not here this week. Good taste.

Of course, the place is also packed with the empty-headed celebrity hounds (morons who stand outside the Gritti hoping to see a star), the papparazzi and also people who like to party. I tell you, it's hard to get a water taxi in town, can't get a table at da Fiore, Cips, Harry's...oh, the horror! The luvvies are here. Time to vacate. We're going to Dublin for 12 days to babysit our grandson. You can have my table at Harry's. Best to all...

Postscript: Last week, Fanny Ardent told this to the press: "For me Renato Curcio is a hero. I have always considered the Red Brigades phenomenon to be very moving and passionate". Curcio founded the Red Brigades, a radical left-wing terrorist group which murdered and bombed, killing policemen and others and which which assassinated a government economics minister in Italy." 

Welcome to Venice, Left Coasters.