Well, dear readers, I don’t know what it is, but writing the notes this week has been like pulling teeth. I know this because I went and pulled a few teeth and it was just like writing the notes. Well, we’re off and running, aren’t we? Yesterday, I finished with the corrections and additions and now I get to put the book aside for a while, whilst I figure out a plan or two. I always suffer a little post-birth depression when I finish a tome – it’s unavoidable really. But, I’m happy with the tale I’ve told, and I think I told it reasonably well. That’s all one can hope for. Happily, I’ve got a few other things to keep my attention, such as working with Mr. Kevin Spirtas on his show (we start later today), and doing the Guy Haines album. I’ve even got some other things going on that I’m not quite prepared to chat about yet. Speaking of chat, why don’t we have a splendidly splendid live chat this weekend? What does everyone think about that? Is Sunday or Monday better, and what time would be best to do it? Let’s have a consensus and then open up our too long dormant chat room. I must say that writing the notes this week has been like pulling teeth. Wait a minute, that sounds familiar. Didn’t I say that already? I had two count them two packages awaiting me at the mail place – one from my very own self (I shipped home some stuff from New York), and an eBay purchase of twenty episodes of the John Cassavetes series, Stacatto, which I’m looking forward to seeing. I am so in need of a massage, it’s not even funny. Well, it’s sort of funny, just not a laugh riot. I may have to call my masseuse and have her bring her lovely table over her very soon. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Finian’s Rainbow. I quite liked it when it was first released – I saw it opening night at the Pantages Theater. But, for me, the years haven’t been kind to parts of the film. It’s way too long (Coppola spends half the commentary track talking about how great it would be if he could just cut all the scenes in half), Tommy Steele is almost insufferable to watch (Coppola originally wanted Donel Donnelly), and the big musical numbers quickly grow tiresome because they have no form. A couple of them are fun to watch, but there are just too many that are too similar. Petula and Fred are wonderful, though, as is Al Freeman, Jr. and Keenan Wynn. Al Freeman’s shuffle scene is as hilarious today as it was back then (some of the loudest, longest laughter I’ve ever heard in a movie theater – Coppola tells an interesting anecdote that the reason the fade to black is so long after that scene is because the audiences were laughing so hard that they missed the first part of the next scene – they put in the long black screen for that reason). The DVD is actually worth the price just for Mr. Coppola’s rambling, somewhat repetitious commentary, and it’s worth it because the transfer is marvelously marvelous, as is the sound. I also watched a DVD entitled Blood on the Moon (region 2), a western directed by Mr. Robert Wise. The film is shot by the great Nicholas Musaraca, one of the great noir cameramen, and this film is shot as if it were a film noir. I still don’t understand why the film is called Blood on the Moon. The cast is excellent – Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Preston and Walter Brennan. I wish I could say it was an early masterpiece of Mr. Wise, but it isn’t – it’s certainly directed well, but the script is very confusing and it just sort of ambles along from one scene to the next.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so I can see if writing the next section is like pulling teeth.
Yes, this section, too, is like pulling teeth. Have I mentioned that I need a massage? My neck is killing me. What I ever did to my neck to deserve being killed is another story.
I’m currently eating some black cherry licorice. It’s kind of nauseating but I’m eathing it anyway. I’m also eating it as well as eathing it. Eathing it? I ask you. In any case, I am currently eathing and eating some black cherry licorice, which is nauseating, but it is the lesser of several food evils.
I seem to be rambling, aimlessly wandering from paragraph to paragraph like a gazelle in heat. That is because writing the notes this week has been like pulling teeth.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must organize some home environment stuff (things have been piling up during the writing of the tome), I must pick up packages, I must rehearse with Mr. Kevin Spirtas and I must find time for a foodstuff or three. Today’s topic of discussion: I’m feeling Orwellian today, so what is your worst nightmare or fear? For Winston Smith it’s rats. For me, it’s being unable to move about freely – my claustrophobia. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we ponder why writing these notes are like pulling teeth. I wonder if pulling teeth are like writing these notes? I wonder whilst I wander and, conversely, I wander whilst I wonder.