Well, dear readers, I do hate to sound like a broken record, but can you believe today is already Friday? It seems like it was just yesterday when I last said today is already Friday, doesn’t it? I don’t know how these weeks fly by quite so fast, or how these months fly by quite so fast. I mean we’re marching into March, for heaven’s sake. How did that happen? Oh, well, it’s Friday and that’s all there is to it. Do I sound like a broken record? Yesterday, I had quite a nice day. I had a bit of trouble getting started, writing-wise. I began a new section today and that always confounds me. However, I took a nice long half-hour shower and things came to me as they always do in the half-hour shower. I then worked for awhile, and then I took a break and picked up a package filled with music from Mr. Harvey Schmidt. I then went to Teddy and he finished what he started. He went a little highlights crazy, but we must give Teddy his creative space. Teddy told me all about his last two days on the set of Will and Grace, doing Sharon Stone’s do. Miss Stone was doing a guest shot on the show. Whilst I was waiting to go into Teddy’s chair, who should be walking past and saying goodbye to Teddy? Rob Lowe, that’s who stopped and said goodbye to Teddy. After Teddy gave me the Sharon Stone coloring, I went on my merry way. It was four o’clock and I headed up Crescent Heights to go over the hill. The traffic was backed up past Santa Monica Blvd. I cut over to Fairfax, so I could turn left on Hollywood Blvd. and pick up Laurel Canyon that way. There were about twenty cars waiting to turn left, which told me all I needed to know about the traffic on Laurel Canyon. I immediately cut over to the right lane, went two blocks east on Hollywood, and took Nichols Canyon over the hill? Was there a difference in the traffic? You bet you sweet patootie there was a difference in the traffic. Would you like to know how many cars were going north over the hill? You bet your sweet patootie you’d like to know. There were zero count them zero cars heading over the hill – the road was completely mine the entire way to Mullholland. It took me six minutes in all, then I headed over to Laurel Canyon where I zipped down the hill. Then I went to dinner with our very own Vinnie Cirilli. We had a marvelously marvelous time. We laughed and laughed and just when we thought we could laugh no more we laughed again. We talked about everything under the sun and over the moon. We talked of friends and lovers and enemies. Vinnie was most impressed with the fact that I’d gone over to Mac. He’s also looking forward to doing the Guy Haines album. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too? You bet your sweet patootie.
What in tarnation is a patootie anyway? Last night I finished watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Strangers When we Meet. What a nice motion picture, expertly directed by the underrated Richard Quine, with a lovely script by Evan Hunter from his novel. Kirk Douglas and Kim Novack are great, as always, with Miss Novak looking especially yummilicious. Barbara Rush lends excellent support, as does Mr. Walter Matthau as a particularly smarmy character. The film also features yet another great score by George Duning, one of my favorite film composers. The film is shot all over West LA – especially on Barrington Place. That little Barrington area looks exactly the same today as it did then. The transfer is a bit too grainy for its own good, but it’s very sharp and very colorful, and the lighting on Miss Novack is extraordinary. I also finished watching a film I TIVOd entitled Gambit. Gambit is, plain and simple, one of the best caper movies ever made. It’s first twenty-five minutes are bravura filmmaking and writing, and the twists are a lot of fun. And when you add Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, and Herbert Lom to the mix, well, they just don’t make ’em like this anymore. Actually, I’m quite surprised that no one has had the bright idea to remake this film. Of course, they’d muck it up, so it’s good they haven’t had the bright idea.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? You bet your sweet patootie I am. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must finish these here notes and then be off for a little early-morning get-together.
Tonight I shall be supping at the amazing Crustacean with my pal Debbie. It’s a belated birthday dinner for her, and I’m already dreaming of the crab (cracked) swimming in garlic, along with the garlic noodles. Color me hungry.
Tomorrow night I’ve been invited to a neighbors for a 35mm screening of Red Menace, one of those fifties Commie pictures we all loved so much. They are serving food, too. Commies and food, what could be better than that? Prior to the screening, Miss Tammy Minoff will finally be picking up her television. Prior to that, my friend Margaret will be getting the latest batch (and I do mean batch) of pages for the new book. Hopefully, she will like them.
Someone told me that this Sunday is the Oscarcast. Is this true? If so, we must have our annual haineshisway.com Oscar party. Those who’ve attended our bash in the past know that this is the place to be for all the fashion faux pas, and the lowdown on who did what and who won what. Be there or be round.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must write, I must get-together, I must sup, and I must do errands and pick up packages. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, an Andre Previn jazz CD from the mid-fifties entitled Let’s Get Away from it All, an import from Japan, and very rare. Also, the two new Herb Alpert collector CDs. DVD, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, to be followed by Betty Boop cartoons and Behold a Pale Horse. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we? You bet your sweet patootie we shall.