1999年, Wachowsky兄弟凭着"the Matrix"横空出世, 把一本漫画演变成一个后现代版的庄周梦蝶的科幻传奇,还顺带把Keavu Reevs从"Dude Where's My Car"这类水深火热的SB角色中拯救出来(课外读物: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), 让人好不激动了一回. 但是可惜好景不长,趁热打铁的Reload和Revolution即没有重整旗鼓,更没有继承其革命传统,让人觉得这哥俩不是吸了太多大麻,就是已经江郎才尽.

结果,这种怀疑到昨晚被"V for Vendetta"一扫而空. 事实证明W兄弟的才华比两把刷子还要多至少一把: V的故事其实很俗,无非是一个未来黑暗世界里的受害者挺胸而出英雄救美并发动群众力量捣毁了邪恶的统治. 这些都可以忽略不计, 真正要赞的是整出电影里精心策划的对白和第三个W - Hugo Weaving老到得近乎无懈可击的演技. 由于其地下工作者的身份, 老W整出电影里都没有露出庐山真面,害得我猜了半天到底好莱钨什么时候出了个这么文武双全的老戏骨. 跟Matrix里的Agent Smith相比,V少了些狡猾,多了些文雅, 但是不变的是丫特有节奏的咬文嚼字和W兄弟们较真得近乎痛苦的措辞. 找本字典出来,然后看看下面的对白:

"...a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.”

(一个微不足道的老小丑, 被命运无情的捉弄, 忽而变成受害者,忽而成为恶人. 这副浮华的面具, 尤如被曲解的民声, 已经变得没有意义, 消失无踪. 然而, 这曾经英勇的神圣力量依然不屈, 必要征服那滋生病毒,腐败,贪婪和暴力的源泉. 对天指誓, 唯有血债血还, 方可一日保还道德,警醒与真理的价值. )

怎么样,不得不服了吧? 四句话里用了四十个V字词,还不带重的, "V"onderful.

"Coasting to a Stop at Whalom Park" - this was the headline on yesterday's Globe's regional news.

"... for many area residents whose teenage years were defined by weekends spent at Whalom Park, who remember their first kisses at the roller-skating rink and their first dates in the Rose Garden dance hall, the end of the amusement park was not quite real until yesterday morning, when a roaring yellow excavator tore a hole in the park's best-loved attraction, the Flying Comet roller coaster (also known as 'The Black Hole')."

It finally came, I thought - the dooms day of Whalom Park, a place where lots of locals had spent their childhood riding the "Flying Comet" or dancing in the "Rose Garden".

Almost exactly two years ago, I had the opportunity to photograph what's remain of the Whalom Park, thanks to Mark Chester, a long time Lunenburg resident who grew up riding the carousels and was then trying very hard to prevent the demolition. The mid-autumn weather was cold, but we had lots of fun - Andrew and I brought torch lights, we painted the coaster, the can-can building, various creepy objects in the ghost house with our lights under long exposures. The place was already a wreck, I didn't have to do anything but just point my camera and shoot to show how sad it's become. The beautiful fall color, which mixed with the bright but chipped paints of the buildings, made the whole place look so unreal. The pictures were not great but it certainly recalls the memories of some visitors (My Whalom Park album has by far attracted most comments in my pbase site):

"I can't believe that a huge part of my childhood is gone. My childhood was less than perfect, and Whalom Park provided me with the opportunity to be a child. Whalom Park provided me with the opportunity to spend time with a father that was never really around. Whalom Park was a good excuse for him to be a kid, and take his kids. I am sorry to see that this historical site has withered into nothing more than memories wrapped up in a used Kleenex. I was glad to have Whalom for as long as I did. It was a real place for a child who grew up to fast, to go and just be a kid. I remember it fondly." - from "cubby"

"I grew up in Leomister MA and now close to 50 years old have very fond memories of Whalom Park. Looking forward to the day when it returns to being some kind of recreational and educational park rather than some gated development." - from "Chris"

"Im 22 years old now, but I was about 10 when my Dad who grew up in Leominster, took me to this park. I remember riding the roller coaster so many times and how much fun I had. I would have loved to take my kids here, but I guess thats not going to happen. It makes me so sad to see it go :(" - from "Katy"

I wish I knew about the demolition before it happened, at least I can take a day off and go to say good-bye to the park properly - although I've never really enjoy my time in the park while it's open. But with the visits we paid two years ago, It feels I am somehow attached to it. It's always sad to see a friend, be it new or old, go.

(photo: Rick Cinclair for the Boston Globe)