Well, dear readers, the holiday weekend is at an end and so the workweek begins apace, oh, yes, the work week begins apace. I, for one have quite a busy workweek ahead of me. Not afoot of me, mind you, no, I have quite a busy workweek ahead of me. How many of you dear readers knew that workweek was one word? How many of you dear readers knew that workweek spelled backwards is keewkrow? How many of you dear readers have a clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about? Speaking of what the HELL I’m going on about, I spent my Columbus Day working from morning until evening, first having a meeting regarding the play, then picking up the shipment of books, then packaging up the plethora of book orders, then visiting with Mr. Donald Feltham. I’m happy to report that Mr. Feltham’s new-fangled computer is up and running and so is his brand spanking new radio show, so give it a listen. He’s got some terrific shows planned for the next few weeks, and some surprises, too. I didn’t do what I’d planned to do, which was pre-address all the envelopes for the book shipping, so getting everything packed up took quite a while and I was quite exhausted after doing it. I popped a fresh Diet Coke and drank it all down, practically in one big gulp. Frankly, I should have pulled the plug on the one big gulp, as doing one big gulp usually causes you to make unseemly noises aka belches. Besides, one should always pull the plug on a gulp because plug is gulp spelled backwards. Noises aka belches. That sounds like something in Swahili, doesn’t it? In any case, after I finished with everything, I grabbed a bite to eat, ate, and then sat on my couch like so much fish for the rest of the evening aka nighttime.
Last night I managed to watch three count them three motion pictures on DVD (well, I’d started one the night before). The first motion picture on DVD was entitled The 7th Victim, and it’s one of those Val Lewton chillers, this one directed by Mr. Mark Robson. I like the film pretty well, although in the end it doesn’t add up to much. Kim Hunter is quite good in what I believe was her first film, and Tom Conway is always fun to watch. Once again, the transfer is merely okay, with lots of negative dirt aka white speckles and blobs, and even occasional bad damage. Considering how long it took for this package to come to DVD, it’s a shame these transfers are not better. I then watched a real treat on DVD. Before a few days ago, I didn’t even know this thing existed, and when I found out I ordered it immediately. It’s the final performance of the classic Brit revue, Beyond the Fringe, starring Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, and Jonathan Miller. As those who’ve read Kritzer Time know, I saw the touring company of the show here at the Huntington Hartford Theater – in fact, I think I saw it three or four times. It had quite an influence on comedy in general and me in particular. I found the whole affair wildly funny, and I would do the routines in my bedroom for my own amusement. Apparently, this filmed version of their final performance in London was thought to be lost – but, last year a copy turned up in someone’s closet. It was quite wonderful to see the show after all these years, although, that said, there were a few new sketches which weren’t nearly as good as the old ones, and they’d made changes to some of the old ones which didn’t really enhance them. But, that’s mere nitpicking. Their brilliant Shakespeare parody is there in all its glory, and I was on the floor as I was more than forty years ago. I still love the Bollard sketch, and Alan Bennett’s monologues are still potent and hilarious all these years later – same with Peter Cook’s. Dudley’s piano bits had me roaring with laughter, too. The quality is fairly awful, but who cares when it’s this rare a relic? I can’t recommend it highly enough. I then watched the third DVD, a motion picture entitled The Cat People, another from the Val Lewton box, this one directed by Mr. Jacques Tourneur. I never tire of watching The Cat People – I just love the atmosphere of it, and the beauty of Nick Musaraca’s photography, not to mention the beauty of Simone Simon. Or is it Simon Simone? I never remember. One of the reasons I’m so fond of all these Lewton films is their brevity – the longest of them is seventy-nine minutes, but most of them run between sixty-four and sixty-nine minutes. There is no fat, no unnecessary interludes, and it all just moves along and then it’s done. This transfer is a step above The 7th Victim and The Leopard Man, but it’s still got a handful of problematic sections, and one wishes it were sharper than it is.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so we can move along just like a Val Lewton film.
Not to beat a dead horse, if you have been waiting to order your various and sundried Kritzerland and other products, now would be a good time to do so. I’m not excoriating you aka bitch-slapping you to do so, but if you can do, do. Of course, if you can’t do, we completely understand.
Excoriation over. I have endless things to do this very day, such as meeting with a lighting designer, shipping many packages, rehearsing with Mr. Kevin Spirtas, and then having a big production meeting for the play. The rest of the week is filled with LACC meetings, more rehearsals, and then I’m supposed to see some preliminary sketches of our set. I’m also going to a big do on Saturday, about which more later, and I’ve got dinners and lunches almost every day. Whew aka whew!
Aka, aka, aka (that is three akas) – what is WITH all these akas. I’ve had my bellyful of akas. This is the most akas I have ever had at one time.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must write, I must drive about in my motor car, I must ship, I must meet, I must eat, I must rehearse, and then I must come home and sit on my couch like so much fish and count my akas. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite satirical comedy shows, both stage and TV, and who are your favorite satirical comedians? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and don’t forget to throw in an aka or two.