Well, dear readers, another week begins. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you get such factual information? I rarin’ to meet this week head on. Not foot on, mind you, no, I’m ready to meet this week head on. Yesterday, I had quite a pleasantly pleasant day. I stayed in, away from the hustling crowd. I did have to go out and get some food, and I also paid a visit to a post production facility, where I picked up a slightly different version (editing-wise) of What If. I never had a real chance to cut the thing the way I would of, but the editor and the fellow who shot the footage took another stab at it, starting from scratch. Some of what I saw was better, and some was not as good. I suspect at some point we’ll cobble together the best of both versions. I went on a little binge yesterday, and bought some Vanilla Swiss Almond Ice Cream. As if that didn’t have enough calories and fat grams, I also bought Entenmann’s Chocolate Donuts. I stuck one in a bowl, but a bunch o’ ice cream over it, and ate the entire concoction swiftly. Other than that, I just had some eggs. Not very healthy, I know, but sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. I did get a spot of writing in, too, and then I just relaxed and watched DVDs all the livelong day and night. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
The first DVD I watched was entitled Get Shorty, in its new Special Edition. I liked the film when it came out, but I’m not quite as fond of it seeing it now. It has very clever things in it, some good dialogue, some excellent performances, but it just begins to feel old about half-way through. Travolta is really fine, one of his best performances. Gene Hackman is great, as always, and Renee Russo and Dennis Farina are good, too. My second favorite performance in the film is James Gandolfini as “Bear” – it was one of his first films and you can just see how good he is the minute he appears on the screen. The transfer is a bit on the soft side, but is perfectly acceptable. I then watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Gunga Din. I hadn’t seen it in over thirty years, and how much fun it was to rediscover this great classic. They don’t make ’em like that anymore, folks, plain and simple. If you took the script of Gunga Din, stuck a new title on it, put some bogus writer’s name on it, and sent it to a studio, they would laugh you off the lot. Some little twenty-something year old punk would call you into his office and ask you where the character arcs are and where the journey is, and what the end of Act One is and where are the character’s back stories. Well, guess what? The three leading characters don’t really have any back stories, the don’t really have any arcs or journeys – they’re just three great characters played by three great actors. The back story is in the actors’ faces, that’s where the back story is. Gunga Din is a ripping adventure yarn – a virtually non-existent genre for the last decade. Oh, they may make pretend stabs at doing this sort of thing, but there hasn’t really been a ripping adventure yarn since Raiders of the Lost Ark and its two less-than-wonderful sequels (plus the handful of awful rip-offs). But then, who today would you cast in Gunga Din? Paul Giamatti, George Clooney and Toby Maguire? Sorry. And who would direct it? Ridley Scott? And who would score it? Hans Zimmer? Gunga Din is just about perfect – the script is grand, the score is rousing, the performances couldn’t be bettered (Sam Jaffe almost walks away with the film) – it’s funny, it’s exciting, and it’s touching. And all without arcs or journeys or back stories. Funny that. The transfer is not the best thing I’ve ever seen – but it’s decent.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below? If you don’t, you’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.
I feel we should have a ripping adventure yarn right here at haineshisway.com. Perhaps I’ll tell the story of The Randy Vicar and the Polish Sausage. Oh, that’s a ripping adventure yarn if ever there was one.
I think Mr. Donald Feltham should be back soon, so we should have a new radio show up at some point. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I have information.
If you missed any of the weekend fun here at haineshisway.com, be sure to check out the notes and posts – we had a grand time. And those who weren’t here on Saturday, shame on you for missing our first Pie Day. We’re going to have a Food Day every Saturday from now on. Whatever the food of the day is, everyone is going to eat it and report back. Won’t that be fun? If you can resist our new Food Day you’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must write, I must do errands, I must drive about in my motor car, and I must attend to some other things that need attending to. Today’s topic of discussion: If you suddenly came into a fortune and you had all the money you’d ever need – what one collectible would you treat yourself to? For example, one thing I’d treat myself to would be an original Norman Rockwell painting for one of his Saturday Evening Post covers (if one became available). So, what would it be, you dear, dear people out there in the dark? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we? And remember, you’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.