I had a half-drunken epiphany on Thursday night.

After the shortest rehearsal of the week, I went home and looked at the Netflix envelopes that had piled up. Bad Influence. An 80s movie that came out in 1990. Rob Lowe and James Spader. I almost just sent the thing back without watching it.

And then I reconsidered. Not even halfway through the flick, I realized that I was watching Fight Club. Sorta. This movie about 80s yuppies, which did not do well at the box office and even disappeared on video, had the same set up. The same beats. The same twists (save the big one of Fight Club). And it came out almost a decade before Fight Club the movie. And six years before Fight Club the book.

Were both the book and movie somehow influenced by this film (which I put on my Netflix at the recommendation of a recent sidebar about Rob Lowe's favorite films) that hardly anyone saw?

Wow, I thought. I've got something to write about this week that has nothing to do with the continuing meltdown of a job I have. Because I can't even get my head around that right now.

And then I did a quick Internet search. "Bad Influence Fight Club" is what I typed in. In the first five results were people writing about what I'd seen on Thursday night.

I am not a genius.

But I seem to be seeing interconnectedness everywhere.

Inception (a great movie that made me realize great movies are still made these days) became like the play I'm doing. Except Inception is more than twice as long, with a bunch of great actors, and the play is an absurdist comedy at a community theatre. Written by Woody Allen.

Okay, maybe I was trying a little too hard with that one.

So then, last night, I watched the first Twilight film. This massive pop cultural phenomenon. The Titanic of the new millennium. And I wondered, as it passed in front of my eyes, whether it was connected to any kind of reality at all.

Sure there are vampires (and the hint of werewolves) which makes it a fantasy or a thriller or horror movie (although not really any of these). But who are these parents who don't parent (and, in fact, seem subservient to their kids)? Who are these kids who are so relentlessly happy and energetic and instant bestest best of friends (except Bella, who is so depressed by the amazing chipperness of everyone at high school she goes for the one guy who insults and ignores her)? And since when is a vegetarian someone who only eats animals (and, in fact, no vegetables at all)?

Of course, when the only real action in two hours is caused by a strange superhero baseball game, you know this doesn't really even take place on planet Earth.

And maybe that's the appeal.

But if there's another five minute montage of smoldering eyes and quivering lips close ups, I'm gonna play baseball with the DVD.

All of this weird pop culture mash was sufficient to take my mind off the implication that I'm the worst employee in the history of employees. So said one the worst (now ex) bosses I've ever had.

That's okay though, because I go to the theatre in an hour or so to learn how to fly like a Greek God.

If I can't fly above all this crap, then I'm not doing my job.

Matt Worley will be playing the title character in the play "God" by Woody Allen for the next three weekends.