Well, dear readers, we are in the thick of summer. Yes, Virginia, we are in the thick of summer. The days have been quite lovely here in Los Angeles, California, USA. The interesting thing is that even though we are in the thick of summer, I am getting thinner rather than thicker, and it’s about time, too. I haven’t been starving myself, and I usually allow myself one meal of anything I want per week, but otherwise I have been a very good boy indeed. For the first time in ages, my pants are now fitting quite comfortably, and at least one pair of jeans is much looser than they have been. I believe I’ve dropped about eight to ten pounds, but since I don’t have a scale I don’t really know that for a fact. I do, however, know that when the clothes get loose and I look thinner in the looking glass, then I can approximate the amount of weight lost. I will be buying a scale this week so I can follow my weight loss accurately. As soon as I’ve lost twenty count them twenty pounds, I will then be reviewing the situation to see how many more pounds I feel like losing. I may, in fact, decide that the twenty is enough. Or, I may, in fact, decide to lose another five to ten pounds after that, so I can be at my fighting weight. It is an interesting dichotomy getting thin in the thick of summer. Actually, I have no idea if it’s an interesting dichotomy because dichotomy is a ten-dollar word and this is only a five-dollar day. Yesterday, I had a lovely and relaxing day in the thick of summer. I had to make a few telephonic calls in the morning, and I do believe I have locked up another release for Kritzerland – another reissue (I will not be doing many of these, but it is fun to revisit some older titles which have become available to me), and one I think that very few people know about. It’s one of those composer plays composer albums and, since I love the composer in question, it’s one I will be happy to have out again. I may record one new track for it, just to have something new on it, but I’ll discuss that with the composer in question. The album will get a new title and a completely new package, and it will be completely resequenced and re EQd. I then opened the Kritzerland bank account, which took an hour. I then picked up no packages, and then I came home and ate my one meal o’ the day. I then took a nice long drive, went to The Grove to buy some perfume. A nice gal who works at my bank had on some really nice-smelling perfume, and I so rarely smell perfume I like or can tolerate that I thought I’d go buy some, just in case anyone would like a spritz of it when they dine with me or attend events with me. It’s called Irresistable and it’s by Givenchy. So, in I went to Nordstrom’s who, of course, no longer carry it. So, I’ll search on. I then came home and did some things around the home environment, and then took a nice long walk.
Last night I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Born to Kill, and is part of the new second volume of noir titles from Warners. This set is not as good as the first volume, and only really has one classic in it – The Narrow Margin. Born to Kill, well-directed by Robert Wise, is merely okay. It’s a bit turgid for a noir, but Claire Trevor is good, as is tough-guy Lawrence Tierney. I’d never seen it before, but despite its noir trappings, I just didn’t find it very compelling. The transfer was very nice. I then watched a second motion picture on DVD entitled The Naked Truth, starring Mr. Peter Sellers, Mr. Terry-Thomas, Mr. Dennis Price, Miss Shirley Eaton (va-va-voom), and a whole slew of good Brit character actors. While the DVD is entitled The Naked Truth, the film’s onscreen title is, in fact, Your Past is Showing. The film aspires to be in the vein of The Ladykillers and other Ealing comedies of that ilk, but it’s never quite as funny as it should be. Good plot and all (by Michael Pertwee), but the laughs are too forced too often. That said, Sellers does some really funny and inspired stuff (playing an actor, he dons many disguises and voices), and Terry-Thomas always makes me laugh. And frankly, I don’t mind spending ninety minutes looking at the absolutely gorgeous Miss Eaton (soon after to be immortalized in gold in Goldfinger). Transfer from MGM/UA is their all-too-often horrible affair – non-anamorphic, soft, and scratchy.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must shortly be on my way to a rehearsal.
Yes, Virginia, today we shall have a complete run-through with Kevin and his musical director. No stopping, no matter how rough. Then, after that, we will work on problem areas and smooth out what needs smoothing out.
After that, I shall sit outside and read a magazine, and then I shall do some errands and perhaps walk down the street like a gazelle who’s lost eight to ten pounds.
I tell you, the notes have been so long all week, that I think I shall cut to the chase and keep them short today, because there will be so much to talk about this week.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, rehearse, I must absolutely write three pages, I must eat a reasonable and interesting meal, and then I must watch a DVD or three. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite British comedies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we are thin in the thick of summer.