Well, dear readers, yesterday we had an entire day and evening without rain. Hoo and ray. It was a nice seventy degrees, the sun was out occasionally and all was well with the Angeles of Los. I had quite a nice day myself – writing (and moving on to what will probably be the hardest section of the book), eating very reasonably, and even taking a Jacuzzi in the evening. I got lots of nice packages (six in all), filled with lots of goodies, and I even got a nice check in the mail from ASCAP, totally unexpected. I actually worked later than I normally do, because it was slow-going on the section I was writing, and I wanted to work it out and at least get a rough version down before it went out of my head. I’ll have to reread it in the morning to know if it’s what I want, and if it’s not, I’ll just redo it quickly. I am definitely losing weight. That is what we in the show business like to call a segue. I do not have a scale at the moment (I threw my old scale in the trash when I moved), but I can tell because my pants are no longer so hard to button. I’m a man on a mission now, and even though I’ll be having a big dinner tomorrow night, it’s all I’ll be eating and most of the dinner consists of what is it, fish. Soon I shall be svelte and lithe with abs and buns of steel. Soon I shall be the talk of the neighborhood. Soon people will stop and stare and say, “Why look at that svelte and lithe person with abs and buns of steel. What a fox.” I shall be a Fox, and they will never outfox the fox – oh, a Court Jester reference. I think we’ve just had five segues, haven’t we? I am my own segue. Speaking of segues, I have quite a lot to do today. Not only must I write, I must meet a friend for a Diet Coke, I must go to Teddy’s and have more highlights put in my hair, and then I must sup with our very own Vinnie Cirilli. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night I watched two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture was entitled The Blue Lagoon, starring Miss Brooke Shields and Mr. Christopher Atkins. It’s an odd little movie, beautifully shot and scored (by Nestor Almendros and Basil Polodouris), and competently directed by Randall Kleiser. It is very clear that the director enjoyed photographing Mr. Atkins in various states of undress. It is also clear that Mr. Atkins is no actor. Miss Shields is kind of gawky and charming. She, too, is photographed in various states of undress, although any nudity involving her is done by a double. You can tell this because the double always has her face away from the camera. In a few shots where you get a glimpse of the face, it looks nothing like Miss Shields. I don’t believe this film could be made in quite the same way today, what with all our PC guardians watching out for us. The young people who play Miss Shields and Mr. Atkins as children are completely nude, and there is a completely nude baby and young child throughout the last fifteen minutes of the film. Can’t do that today – too harmful. Of course, it wasn’t too harmful in 1980, so what exactly has changed? Of course, the people who would be PC outraged today, have no problem letting their young daughters run around in thongs, dressed like castoffs from a bad production of Sweet Charity. That is perfectly acceptable. I’ll tell you what we really need to be protected from – the PC puppets, that’s who. Where was I? Oh, yes, the second motion picture on DVD was My Sister Eileen, the musical version. No, not Wonderful Town – the other musical version with songs by Jule Styne and Leo Robin. It’s an enjoyable piece of froth, but wears out its welcome by the end. Betty Garrett is a good but not great Ruth, and Janet Leigh is a fetching but not great Eileen. The songs are nice but not great. The script by Blake Edwards and Richard Quine is good but not great. I do think Mr. Quine was a top-notch director, though, and his direction here is quite good. The only greatness this film has belongs squarely in the corner of Robert Fosse. He’s charming in the film, and he’s also the choreographer. There are two great Fosse numbers – the “Challenge” dance between he and Tommy Rall, which is fantastic, and the “Give Me a Band and My Baby number, with Mr. Fosse, Mr. Rall, Miss Garrett and Miss Leigh. The transfer is very nice and the stereo sound has lots of punch to it.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so we can segue to the next section.
Now that was a segue. Speaking of segues, I watched part of the stage version of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort on DVD, from France. It’s one of the most horrifyingly bad things I’ve ever seen in my life. The opening alone is enough to turn your hair gray. It begins with a techno beat and then a bunch of dancers who look like they escaped from a punk version of Cats come on and do some really really really (that is three reallys) bad choreography with some really cheesy MTV/Madonna lighting. Then the story kicks in and things settle down, but not for long. The stage the show is being performed in is so huge it’s unbelievable. And the editing is a cut a minute and the camera is never, never once, where it’s supposed to be. But, you do get some of the score without any updating, and those bits are lovely. There are also a couple of new Legrand songs, which are very good. I’m quite certain this monstrosity must have bombed big-time. I’ll be finishing it at some point today. I do promise to put up a photograph of my new hair after Teddy is done today. Oh, we just had another segue, didn’t we?
Can you believe it’s already the last week of February. I know it’s a short month, but this is ridiculous. Oh, well, time flies when you’re having fun. The real question, of course, is where will I be supping this evening. Wherever it is, I must be a good boy and not overdo it, for I most certainly will overdo it tomorrow night. So tonight I shall underdo it or just do it. I shall not overdo it under any circumstances.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must write, I must meet a friend, I must get more highlights and perhaps even a few lowlights, I must write some more, and then I must sup. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your most favorite obscure movie musicals – you know, the ones people might not know, like Deanna Durbin movies or Martha O’Driscoll Universal musical movies. The more obscure the better, and give us complete details. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we? And perhaps even a segue or three.