ROADSIDE FOLLIES

ME: "May I have the last six digits of your Vehicle Identification Number, please?"
CALLER: "Uh... 4712."
There is a pause.
ME: "Thank you, now may I have the two numbers before that?"

This would be exponentially funnier if it didn't happen four or five times every shift.

TELL IT TO LINDA LAVIN

Last night at the Brattle was the double-feature of The Blues Brothers and The Muppets Take Manhattan that I was so jazzed up about. At first glance the pairing seems rather incongruous, some might even say absurd (all together now: "ABSURD!!") but when you watch the two back to back, you begin to notice some surprising similiarities between the two:

• Both involve dedicated musical showmen who work hard to bring back their oldtime friends and acquaintances to put on one big wowee of a show that everybody just up and loves.
• Both have more celebrity cameos than you can shake a stick at. Some folks even show up in both:
• John Landis and, well, Frank Oz (prison guard who gives Jake back his stuff in Blues and, well, Piggy and Fozzie and and and in Muppets.)
• The Blues Brothers features Kathleen Freeman as The Penguin. Muppets features, well, penguins.
• Both have cases of mistaken identity, one intentional ("We're the Good Ole Blues Brothers Boys") and one unintentional ("I'm... Phil. Up.")

On the one hand, The Blues Brothers has Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker and Aretha Franklin and James Brown and and and and. But on the other hand, Muppets has Linda Lavin.

By the way -- I'm still going to tomorrow night's "Trailer Treats" festival at the Brattle. $15. 9:30. C'mon. Who's coming with?!