IN TOTAL DISAGREEMENT

DEAR MERCURY—I just read your review of
Imagination… [Film Shorts, Feb 28] I so totally disagree. I am
in raptures over this film. It’s gorgeous. It’s wonderful. Its
soundtrack is haunting. Every camera angle is innovative. It was
mentored by Czech genius Jan Svankmejer. It shows how much creativity
you can squeeze out of $100,000 (peanut shells compared to the full
budget of a feature-length film). I can’t wait to meet the filmmakers
tomorrow night! Imagination is genius.

Tony LeTigre

SOFO: STILL DANGEROUS

DEAR MERCURY—Hey Lawrence [Man-shard, author of
“Good-Bye, Felony Flats,” Feature, Feb 28], dude! My man is distraught,
you hoser. Your article gave him the sweet impression of safety in our
SoFo neighborhood. After reading your story, he felt safe enough to
move his Astrovan around the corner, even though he usually parks on
Foster. But within hours of your story hitting the streets, his window
was smashed and stereo ripped out. This SoFo neighborhood isn’t that
cleaned up, and my man is paying for your phony words of security. And
now I have to ride on the Plexiglass side, which won’t roll down when I
want to toss my beer cans out. You owe my boyfriend $28.50 for the
Clarion stereo, Larry—and a Marilyn Manson CD.

Debbie

JUST THE GUY

DEAR MERCURY—I must protest the photo you used for the
introduction to “Good-Bye, Felony Flats” [Feature, Feb
28] about the meth-infested South Foster neighborhood. The
fellow pictured is known in the area as “The Guy.” By using his photo
as your cover to the article, are you saying that The Guy is a meth
dealer? Or is it just because he is homeless that you find the need to
associate him with meth? I would just like to point out that he is not
a meth dealer or meth head. He’s just The Guy, a well-known image in
the Foster area. Plus, he’s a nice guy.

Emily

HANDS OFF OF WYCLEF JEAN!

DEAR MERCURY—I’ve lived in Portland my whole life. I’m
a musician who sings reggae music, and I am constantly amazed at your
writers’ incompetence with the music scene in Portland. In the last
[issue], I read about the midnite show at the Roseland [Up &
Coming, Feb 28]. The writer had no business speaking about reggae
music. He wrote false information, slandered hiphop’s bad influence on
reggae, and personally attacked Wyclef Jean?! You guys should be
ashamed of yourselves. Focus on the band you’re promoting instead of
blabbing on about negative bullshit.

Gentleman

TEENAGE FAN CLUB

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN—I am a Portland native, and I have been
reading your paper for eight years now—since I was the ripe young
age of 13. “But our weekly isn’t quite appropriate for pre-teens!” you
say. Well that may be, but I think regardless of age your paper is
geared toward those with an ear for humor and the patience for critical
thinking. Every week I continue to learn new things about my town,
local government, our police force, and occasionally the ludicrous
happenings that are often “Hollyweird” in origin. You are one of the
few local publications that I find practicing independent media in an
entertaining and successful way. I have always, and will continue to
appreciate your paper for its entertainment, thought provocation, and
local coverage of “the little guy.” Keep up the good work, and for
god’s sake don’t you go changing on me—I do not want to have to
quit making papier-mâché teapots out of the

Willamette Week and start actually reading it.

Kara Donahue

ACTUALLY, KIND OF AGREE

DEAR MERCURY—Well, this is awkward [“In Total Disagreement,”
Letters, March 6, top of page]. I went and saw Imagination the
other night, and I have to say I had a very different
experience…. It didn’t seem so good on the big screen. In fact,
parts of it (like the acting) [seemed] laughably bad. I think I may
have been quite drunk the first time I saw it. There are still segments
I like a lot, but you’re right, it would’ve been much better as a short
film.

So… you win this round!

Tony LeTigre

NO TONY, YOU WIN. It’s not all that unusual that you write in to
us on a thrice-weekly basis to let us know that you disagree with our
reviews, but the fact that you follow up with updates—even
concessions to our point—is surely worthy of notice. You win two
tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!,
where the customer is always right.