Well, dear readers, I think most of you know that I write these here notes off the cuff. The danger in so doing is that one might have nothing to say, that one’s mind will be a blank, a cipher, an endless funnel going nowhere, an enigma wrapped inside an abyss located in a black hole. Today might just be one of those days. Then again, it might not. I once tried writing these here notes on the cuff, but the cuff, as you might imagine, is not very large (if you can even find a cuff) and the notes were three sentences long. That was the beginning and the end of trying to write these here notes on the cuff. Off the cuff is clearly the way to go, notes-wise. Does anyone have any idea what the hell I’m talking about?
Speaking of a black hole – that reminds me of a wonderful story concerning the aging film scholar and Hollywood Reporter, Arthur Knight. Arthur, whatever his values were as scholar and critic, was, at the end, a bit senile and his reviews were always something to look forward to. For example, when he reviewed The First Nudie Musical (which he saw in a screening room at nine in the morning with one other critic – brilliant) he told me I should simply get out of the business. In any case, when Disney’s The Black Hole came out, this was the first sentence of his review: “The Black Hole – a title that manages to be both sexist and racist”. Now, I don’t know about you, dear readers, but when I read that the first thing I did was the Danny Thomas Spit Take. Anyone who hadn’t thought Mr. Arthur Knight had gone off the deep end, only had to read that sentence to know the story. Mr. Knight’s tenure at the Hollywood Reporter didn’t last much longer than that review.
Last night I watched a film entitled Amelie. It was, I felt, a perfectly charming film and its leading lady was rightfully lauded for her elfin performance. The whimsy got a bit thick every now and then, but its heart was in the right place and it was a very sweet and funny movie, if not a wee bit long at just over two hours (whimsy is very hard to sustain for just over two hours). It’s well directed in that nouveau sort of way and the DVD is stunning-looking, a brilliant transfer. I haven’t listened to or viewed any of the extras, which are contained on a second disc.
Yesterday afternoon I attended a comedy benefit for a charity called WYNGS (When You Need Group Support) at the Improv. I generally don’t love stand-up comedy and seeing one performer after another for over two hours gets trying. Still, there were some very funny folks, including a female comic I hadn’t heard of, called Sarah Silverman, who I felt did the best ten minutes of the day. I do know she created some controversy on the Conan O’Brien show for her use of an ethnic stereotypical word to describe a Chinese person, and apparently she was not so funny on his show – but here her routine landed, even though it’s a very very very (that is three verys) strange routine.
Well, has anyone gotten the feeling that these here notes are just a little too off the cuff for their own good? Perhaps if we all click on the Unseemly Button below, whilst singing The Name Game, perhaps then these notes will not be quite so off the cuff.
For those of you who may have missed it, this Friday our brand spanking new handy-dandy The Unseemly Interview Section debuts and we’re very excited. Mr. Mark Bakalor is working away feverishly to design our new section, and our new section will be maintained by none other than our very own Mr. Craig Brockman, because frankly or even samly, what do I know from sections? Our first interview is with the delightful Miss Kerry Butler, who is about to go into previews for Hairspray, the new musical. Miss Butler is bright and funny and it’s a lovely interview, so do check it out, starting Friday morning. And if you haven’t seen td’s review of Nudie Musical and his interview with my very own self, do check it out at www.dvdlaunch.com.
Last week the heat in Los Angeles, California was sweltering. I try never to turn on the air conditioning in my automobile because it bothers my sinuses, but last week I simply had to because the heat was sweltering. What a stupid-looking and sounding word that is. “Sweltering”. I just abhor that word and yet here I am using it over and over again. I also abhor the word “abhor”. The heat shows no signs of abating, either. I do wish the heat would abate, that would be great – the great abate.
Don’t forget you have until midnight tonight to get in your trivia guesses – this week’s question is quite easy, so do send your answers so that you have a chance to win a sparkling prize.
This past weekend, in terms of traffic, was one of our busiest. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too? Keep this up and soon we might just be the most popular site on all the Internet, we might just become the place to go for those in the know. We might just become hip, and with-it and happening, man. We might just be in with the in crowd, man.
Well, dear readers, these here notes are just too off the cuff for me – they are just meandering along in the sweltering heat which, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo), I abhor. Today’s topic of discussion: In honor of our very own Francois and my having seen Amelie – what are your favorite French films? I’ll start: I am quite partial to French cinema and have many favorites – I don’t know that many classic French films pre 1954, but here are some of my all-time favorites. Diabolique, Eyes Without a Face, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sundays and Cybelle, The Soft Skin, Judex, Wages of Fear, Claire’s Knee, The Bride Wore Black, That Man From Rio, Salut L’Artiste, The Red Balloon, and on and on. Your turn.