Well, dear readers, I must hurry and write these here notes and be on my merry way. You’ll be happy to know that the proper link for the Ray Courts photos is now up and running in the Unseemly Photo Gallery, so if you were errant and truant yesterday (you know who you are) then go look at them now because they’re rather splendidly splendid. Also, there is a brand spanking new Juliana’s Journal up for your mental delectation.
I want to eat a box of See’s dark chocolate nuts and chews. Well, that came out of nowhere, didn’t it? Yesterday, someone had one of those small little gift boxes of See’s, and I partook of two pieces of candy, and it was so good that now I want to eat a box of See’s dark chocolate nuts and chews. Damn them, damn them all to hell.
Do be sure to check out the replays of Donald’s The Broadway Radio Show – there are two this week, one with guest Sharon McNight and one with the delightful songwriter, Billy Barnes (I think I’m there with Billy, as well).
I am half-way through Mr. Billy Wilder’s Avanti. I am trying to enjoy it, and it does have its occasional charms, but it’s another of his later films that was a disaster in its theatrical release. And again, if you read the “reviews” for this thing on the imdb you’d think everyone who saw this film and didn’t like it was a total idiot, because everyone now, in hindsight, thinks it a masterpiece. It is not a masterpiece. It is, at best, an overlong trifle which, as I said, has occasional flashes of the Wilder/Diamond gloss and brilliance. I shall finish it tonight. I will say that it does get much better after the one hour point and Mr. Jack Lemmon (really obnoxious character in the first hour) and Miss Juliet Mills are excellent, as is Clive Revill. The interesting thing is that Avanti has the best transfer of all the films in the Billy Wilder box.
There seems to be some confusion about the quality of the recently released Chaplin box – some people think it’s the greatest, and some think the previous Image DVDs of these titles are better. The old Image titles were all taken from the transfers done for the early nineties laserdisc releases – I found them a bit gray and washed out, but they certainly looked decent enough considering the age of the transfers. But the new Warners set has its own problems – namely that they used the European PAL transfers to make them, and in converting the PAL to NTSC one gets different types of artifacts, most notable in Limelight, which shimmers and shakes and is just not pleasant to look at. The contrasts are better in certain cases, but they really should have done two sets of transfers. Unfortunately, when I picked up this set I got rid of the Image versions of these titles, but now I shall have to go back and find the Image Limelight because this new transfer is unwatchable.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden. Let’s all click on the Unseemly Button below because now I am running late. Can you only run late or can you also walk late? If anyone has the answer, do let us know.
Yesterday I was not quite the thorough pig that I was the day before, but I still find myself eating more than I want to and this is solely because I’m working. I tend to eat lunch and then, when I get home, I’m just so tired and hungry that I keep eating through the evening – sometimes just stuff like popcorn, but sometimes I go out and get a hamburger or candy. I must stop doing that or I will gain back all the weight which I have lost. Have I mentioned that I would like to eat a box of See’s dark chocolate nuts and chews? I must try not to, but I have the craving now and sometimes one must simply give in to one’s craving, mustn’t one?
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must work all the livelong day and then come home and write. I must try not to eat quite so much foodstuffs, too, because otherwise I will suddenly become portly and we can’t have that, now can we? Today’s topic of discussion: Here’s one we’ve done but not in a long time – and since we have so many new dear readers it will be interesting to get some new perspectives – if you could revive any musical what would it be and who would you cast? My choice is always the same, Li’l Abner. Your turn. And post away, my pretties, because I do like to have a plethora of posts to read when I check in during the day. Reading your excellent posts always energizes me and helps get me through these long days as they journey into night.