I was in a heavily medicated cold fog during last night’s Santa Barbara Film Festival tribute to the great Denzel Washington. I was in the fifth row and paying attention, but at the same time in my own zone, a little bleary and weary. I was in such shitty shape that when it came time to take some video of Denzel as he walked up to the lecturn to accept his Maltin Modern Masters award, I couldn’t hold the damn camera as steadily as I usually do. Damn sniffles, runny nose, inflamed sinuses. I tried to get a Vitamin B-12 shot at a local clinic but the doctor said “we don’t just give B-12 shots for people who want to feel good.” I said “I don’t want to feel good — I’m trying to overpower my damn cold.” I felt so cruddy that I went right back to the hotel after the Denzel event ended — no after-party.

Viewers of the above video will notice that a white-haired David Crosby saunters into camera view toward the end of the clip, unacknowledged by Denzel but that’s okay.

The above video is shit-level, I realize, but it was all I could find. I should have tried harder to capture my own footage, but like I said I was all blurred out from the cold meds.

The above video clip with Roger Durling originated from Lyn Fairly Media.

The above-the-jump shot of Denzel meeting the fans was stolen from Noozhawk.