Well, dear readers, pardon me if I’m totally confused. After midnight last night I thought it was Thursday instead of Friday. Then she of the Evil Eye came Friday instead of today. Now it’s today but since she of the Evil Eye came yesterday today seems like tomorrow. Or does today seem like yesterday? Okay, today seems like yesterday but really tomorrow, and now I wonder will tomorrow feel like today or the day before yesterday or even a week from Thursday. You know, I have no clew as to what day is when or what the hell I’m talking about. I’m flummoxed, frankly and even charlesly, and flummoxed I am. The one thing we know is that yesterday, today, and tomorrow will take place or have taken place. Yes, that is the one thing we know. Well, I happen to know a second thing. The second thing I know is that I had some really bad seafood pasta salad from Gelson’s last night. I stopped by their deli and picked up small containers of Chinese Chicken Salad, macaroni and beef, and this disgusting seafood pasta salad, which I’d never had before, but which looked pretty good. It wasn’t pretty good; in fact, it made me want to vomit on the ground. The other two containers were pretty good, though. Oh, and I’m typing today’s notes sans music because music would only make me think that today is yesterday or tomorrow and would further make me confused and confounded, not necessarily in that order. In any case, yesterday was a very nice day, today I have a few things to do and a dinner to attend, and tomorrow I know not. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
I keep thinking she of the Evil Eye should be here, but she was here yesterday, hence she is not here today even though I keep thinking she should be.
Last night I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled What a Way to Go, starring Miss Shirley MacLaine, Mr. Dean Martin, Mr. Gene Kelly, Mr. Robert Mitchum, Mr. Dick van Dyke, and Mr. Bob Cummings. I saw it when it first came out. It was dreadful then, and a total box-office bomb, and it seems even worse today. Shockingly, it’s written by Comden and Green. It’s one bad gag after another, all of them lay there like so much fish. Of course, having J. Lee Thompson, a man not known for a light touch, direct was probably a mistake. The pace is leaden, the comedy is leaden, and it’s just flat as yesterday’s pancakes. The good news is, it can be had for about seven bucks, it’s widescreen and anamorphic, and has both mono and stereo tracks. The bad news is, the movie stinks, the first seventy minutes or so of the transfer is very soft, bordering on out-of-focus in many shots, the color isn’t as sharp as it should be, and the stereo doesn’t even sound like stereo. The good news is that at the seventy minute mark, starting with the Robert Mitchum sequence, the transfer gets much sharper and more colorful. The bad news is, the movie stinks.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we contemplate whether today is yesterday, today or tomorrow.
In addition to What a Way to Go, I also picked up a DVD entitled Ice Station Zebra, which is not about an actual zebra. I also remember not caring for the film at all on its initial release, but it’s John Sturges directing, and it’s based on an Alistair MacLean novel, so maybe it’s aged well. I also like the Michel Legrand score – hopefully, it will look and sound good.
Today (which feels like yesterday or tomorrow), I shall drive about in my motor car and do various and sundried things and visit a few of my favorite emporiums around town. And tonight I have been invited to a dinner party at my cousin Alan and Dee Dee’s house, which is a mere block from my home environment. Dee Dee is quite a cook, so I’m certain the meal will be no less than spectacular.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must prepare myself for the travels of the day, I must, in addition to driving about in my motor car, walk briskly so as to keep all my various and sundried organs and pianos in proper working order. I have not been getting enough exercise and one needs one’s exercise if one is to feel robust and full of vim and vigor. The vim and vigor have been missing from my life equation for a few months, and I must have it return. Today’s topic of discussion: Because I thought yesterday was the day before I forgot that yesterday was, in fact, yesterday, and instead of having our usual topic, we had another topic. So, for today’s topic we’ll have yesterday’s topic. This is so confusing. In any case, today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday (not) – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – car CD, Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends, and Paul Williams and Roger Nichols Demos. House, just the iPod at the moment. DVD, Ice Station Zebra, to be followed by Gunga Din. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, on this most lovely yesterday, today, and tomorrow.