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July 23, 2003:

SPARKLE AND FIZZ

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, our brand spanking new Unseemly Interview will be up on Friday and so in honor of the interviewee I ran Mr. Arthur Hiller’s film, The In-Laws, which has just come out on DVD. In it, our interviewee, Miss Penny Peyser, plays the bride-to-be daughter of Alan Arkin. I don’t think I’d ever seen the film all the way through before and I can’t even tell you why. But I’m happy to report it is really funny – Peter Falk and Arkin are a team made in heaven. The script by Andrew Bergman is hilariously goofy, and the supporting performances from Arlene Golonka, Nancy Dussault, Richard Libertini and, of course, Miss Penny Peyser and Michael Lembeck, are perfectly pitched throughout. There are many laugh-out-loud moments, even when one is sitting watching it alone, without benefit of an audience. There is a commentary track, but while it is energetic and fun, it’s just all over the map and is grating after awhile, because you want them to be specific about what you’re watching and they rarely are. I haven’t heard all of it, but in the first forty minutes they never own up to the fact that someone else was originally cast in Miss Penny Peyser’s role – a fact that is revealed by Miss Penny Peyser in her interview (yes, Virginia, she names names and you will be very surprised at who was let go after a few days of filming). All in all, a delightful DVD and low-priced to boot.

Very good news from Paramount Home Video – in November they are finally releasing Mr. Sergio Leone’s masterpiece, Once Upon a Time in the West, starring Mr. Charles Bronson, Mr. Henry Fonda, Mr. Jason Robards, Jr., and many, many others. Here’s hoping the transfer elements are as good as those used for the widescreen laserdisc. From what I can gather, it’s a special edition and may just be a two-disc set. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too or even two two, or perhaps to to or even tutu?

It was very overcast yesterday – still humid and yucky, but a bit cooler, and it even sprinkled a little. I took a break from kicking Ben and Jerry’s yesterday – even though I had a bit of withdrawal by taking said break.

I feel today’s notes could use a pick-me-up, don’t you? I feel today’s notes are just about too blah for my taste. I feel these here notes could use some Jerry Herman sparkle and fizz, don’t you? I think these here notes could use a little Bob Fosse Razzle Dazzle, don’t you? Yes, it could use all of the above, but I’m afraid it isn’t going to get them, because I’m currently bereft of sparkle and fizz and Razzle Dazzle, oh, yes, I’m bereft. What the hell am I talking about?

Well, let’s all click on the Unseemly Button below to see if there’s any sparkle and fizz Razzle Dazzle on the other side of the tracks – oh, a Coleman and Leigh reference.

Yesterday I got a preview of the insanity I will be dealing with in the next ten to thirteen weeks – we got network notes based on the first script that was sent to them. I’d been warned about this, but despite the warning no one was prepared for the wacko notes that came back. Of course, since everyone is out of town doing another show, this is all going to fall on my shoulders – figuring out how to address their stuff. Someone will have to research what they want to know, and then I’ll have to write voice-overs to cover all that info. What a pain in the ass, but one must do what one must do, and try to do it with sparkle and fizz and a bit of Razzle Dazzle.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must go to work and deal with the insanity, I must try to get in a page or two of writing when I get home and I must try and eat lightly tomorrow. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, but we’ll also make it Ask Dear Reader Day – you can ask any dear reader any old thing you want, and you can ask me questions, too, and I shall do my best to answer them as the day goes along, in the posts. Post away, my pretties and I’ll check back as often as I can whilst dealing with the insanity.

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