Well, dear readers, it is midnight and these here notes should already be posted and yet I am just starting to write them. Hence, I must write like the wind. Fortunately, I like how the wind writes so it should be a breeze. My goodness, this is a very wind-oriented opening, isn’t it? In any case, moving right along, I had a completely lovely day yesterday. I left early, played in the West of Wood, bought a few new DVDs, then came home and relaxed all afternoon. Then I met up with an old school chum of mine from LACC, who I hadn’t seen in a ‘coon’s age. He, his girlfriend Amy, and I went to Art’s deli. They’re producing a Sondheim 75th birthday concert in San Francisco come December, and it sounds like it will be a fun concert. I may even be involved in it in some small way, but more about that later as our talks progress. Anyway, it was very nice seeing him after all these years, and I enjoyed meeting his ever-lovin’ Amy, too. Then I came back home to the news that an early copy of the new Hitchcock box set was waiting for me, two weeks prior to its street date. I picked that up, and gave a couple of discs the once-over. It’s too soon to say much about it, other than I’m beginning to suspect that all the transfers are either the same or were taken from the same elements as the previous DVDs. Both Psycho and Vertigo are enhanced for widescreen TVs in the current set (for the first time), but both appear to be taken from the same old masters as before. Vertigo at least seems a bit brighter, image-wise, but they have done nothing else to it, and it needed to have things done. The big news is that, despite the bitching and moaning that’s been going on about Vertigo not having its original mono track included, the mono track is indeed included. These whiny bitchers and moaners never learn to keep their traps shut until the disc is actually in someone’s hands. Listening to the mono track and then the 5.1 track created by Mr. Robert Harris, you really understand instantly how truly disgustingly awful the 5.1 remix was. I’ll have much more to say as I go through the discs, but for now I will say that I think the set is going to be a major disappointment visually. I then toddled off to the birthday bash for my pal David del Valle.
I arrived at eight (the party began at seven-thirty). I arrived as two other people were arriving and, as it turned out, we were the first. The birthday boy was nowhere in sight. About six other people arrived in the next fifteen minutes, and still the birthday boy was nowhere in sight. The birthday boy finally arrived at about eight-thirty. It was a fun group of folks, but I had to leave the main room and go outside, as there were two count them two pussycats in the house (locked in the bedroom, but that didn’t stop my allergies from kicking in). Our very own Mr. Nick Redman and friend Julie Kirgo arrived a few moments later, and we all had a ball. Mr. Del Valle is quite amusing and always irreverent, and many amusingly naughty stories were told about the likes of Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe and Steve McQueen. We met a very interesting fellow whose name I now forget, who wrote the wonderful book about the making of Blade Runner, Future Noir. He had many interesting stories to tell us, including the shocker that the oft spoken of four DVD set was actually finished and ready to go – THREE YEARS AGO. Then Warners sat on it for two years, and then their distribution rights lapsed and it now sits in complete and utter limbo. Can you imagine the stupidity of Warner Home Video? It boggles the mind. Four separate cuts of Blade Runner and tons of extras, all completed and ready to go. Nick, Julie, and I finally left the partay and went over to the Goucho Grill (or was it the Groucho Gill), where we all dined on yummilicious rib-eye steaks. Mine was swimming in garlic, and it was grand food. We laughed and laughed and just when we thought we could laugh no more, we laughed again. Then I had to hie myself back to the home environment to write these here notes, which is where we all came in.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, because I must write like the wind and get these here notes posted before I turn into a pumpkin pie.
Man, am I writing like the wind, or what? I’m just breezin’ along with the breeze, frankly, or even georgely. Moving right along, yesterday I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was another in my continuing series of spaghetti westerns, entitled The Big Gundown, starring Mr. Lee Van Cleef. In fact, most of the spaghetti westerns I’ve been watching have featured Mr. Van Cleef, and I must say he is terrific in them, and it’s so much fun to watch him because he’s so clearly having a great time. The Big Gundown is very much in the Leone mold, and it’s quite a good little film, with a grand score by Leone regular, Ennio Morricone. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was also a spaghetti western, entitled The Stranger and the Gunfighter. I could find very little information on it, but I bought it because it sounded quite loopy. It stars Mr. Lee Van Cleef and Mr. Lo Leih, and, like the Prius, is a hybrid – part spaghetti western, part chop-socky film. In fact, it’s a co-production between its Eyetalian producers and Mr. Run Run Shaw. Imagine my surprise to be completely captivated by the film. It’s excellently directed by genre great Antonio Margheretti, the script is really fun, and it all just breezes along. There I go with the wind again. I may even watch it again very soon.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Happily, I’ve got four other spaghetti westerns to watch, along with a whole slew of other films.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write like the wind, I must breeze along with the breeze, I must relax and smell the coffee or the roses or the chlorine, and I must watch as many DVDs as I possibly can. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite Joan Crawford films? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and I’m happy to tell you that we have not had one guess submitted for this week’s trivia contest. Mother of mercy, could this be the end of Rico?