Well, dear readers, I had a trying day yesterday – I tried this, I tried that, I have never done so much trying in one day. We went through more cover madness in the morning, but then I was told all was well – I’m sure I’ll see a finished cover on Monday morning and we’ll be done, hopefully. I got the hard-copy of the galley and it looks splendidly splendid. I had a lunch meeting that went on for quite some time (the food, I must say, was as dreadful as I remembered from the one other time I’d eaten there – a restaurant called Panino or Tonino or Tarantino in the Wood of West. I did see my former agent, David Gersh, there (he handled the writing part of me, whilst brother Bobby handled the acting part of me), but I didn’t say hello as I wasn’t sure he’d remember me some twenty odd years later. By the time I got home it was late afternoon and I hadn’t gotten to any writing, so I did a quick couple of pages, and shall do more today and tomorrow – that way I’ll be in pretty decent shape going into the new week. Then, my local DVD store called and told me they’d finally gotten in the That’s Entertainment box set (they get lots of promos and “used” but sealed copies of all the new releases), so I ran over and picked it up, for the astonishing price of thirty bucks. Also picked up The Hunger, which I’ve never seen – I’m sure I’ll hate every frame of it, but I do love me my Catherine Deneuve. And that, dear readers, was my trying day. I haven’t been in the Jacuzzi since last Sunday, because I thought it best to be completely over my cough before going in again. I think tonight I may have to partake. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night, after the day in which I tried this and tried that, I sat down, relaxed, and watched the motion picture entertainment entitled That’s Entertainment, on the brand new DVD. I remember well seeing it the day it opened at the Beverly Theater at the first showing. I think I was tired, because I also remember falling asleep during it for a few minutes. I went back a few days later with my darling daughter who, even at that early age, loved movies. She was a bit bored by some of it (no plot, you know) but she absolutely went batty for the Esther Williams segment (she thought it hilarious) and for all the dancing segments (especially Seven Brides and anything with Fred and Gene). The new DVD is as good as you’ve heard – back when the film was made there was no restoration, restoration was not a word the studios knew yet, so they were working from whatever elements they had. Things were pretty grainy in the theatrical prints, but they’ve cleaned the DVD up very nicely, especially in the newly shot footage. Of course, seeing some of the clips unrestored after getting pristine DVD transfers of the films from whence they came can be a bit disconcerting. It’s enhanced for widescreen TVs and the changing aspect ratios are lots of fun and look swell. But where the DVD really shines is the sound – sparkling is the word, brilliant and sparkling, and Mr. Henry Mancini’s musical adaptations sound faboo. I’ll be watching That’s Entertainment II today, and maybe even That’s Entertainment III. I didn’t really care for either one all that much, so I’ll be interested to see how well they’ve aged.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it’s Saturday and I do love to go driving on Saturday, the day in which I will try nothing so I can have a non-trying day.
It has occurred to me that I don’t like fruit. I have not had one piece of fruit in my new home environment. No apples, no oranges, no bananas. Yes, we have no bananas, we have no bananas today. I occasionally like a few cherries or a few red and/or green grapes, and I do occasionally like a melon ball, but that’s about it, I’m afraid. Perhaps I’ll buy some melon balls today so that I at least can say my home environment has bee fruitified.
Don’t forget, our Unseemly Live Chat is tomorrow night at six o’clock Pacific Mean Daylight Savings Time. Be there or be round. And Donald should have a new radio show up as well. It amazes me that our very own Mr. Donald Feltham comes up with such great shows week in and week out and also week out and week in. He deserves a big round of applause and a big pat on the back. Or, perhaps he deserves a big square of applause and a big roger on the back. I know not.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must go hither and thither and I’m thinkin’ I’m gonna go yon as well. I must write a bit, I must watch a few DVDs, and I must relax a bit, and eat a bit, not necessarily in that order. Today’s topic of discussion: We’re talkin’ about fruit – what are your favorite kinds of fruit, and what special things do you do with fruit. For example, I like to hurl melon balls at squirrels. That’s a special thing I do with fruit. But do you make fancy desserts with fruit? Do you do parfaits with fruit? Do you do fruit sundaes? Do you put fruit in chicken or meat dishes? Tell us all about fruit and what it means to you. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we?