Well, dear readers, I am quite ready for the weekend. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I am quite ready for the weekend because I am going to do my best to try and relax and smell the roses or the coffee or the Diet Coke. Oh, I may write a few pages here and there, but that’s about it. I don’t think I have any plans for Saturday or Saturday evening, and no plans for Sunday, although I do have to attend a show Sunday night. We’ll see if that’s the way things turn out, but it really would be nice to have some relaxation time. Yesterday, for example, I had no relaxation time whatsoever. For example, I woke up, I jogged and then had a lovelier than lovely breakfast meeting with Alet Taylor. After that, I had to go to the Dale of Glen to pick up the proofed manuscript, which I then took home after first picking up a package containing my original Cracked cover art, which looks splendidly splendid. I then entered the corrections I was sure about, then called my muse, Margaret, and we went over the ones I wasn’t sure about, some of which we decided to make and some of which we decided not to make. I then entered those and that was that. I then had to package up about ten orders. I then got a call from my local DVD place, who’d finally gotten in some decent titles. Since I had quite a bit of credit I got quite a few of the titles. I got the new James Stewart box, three Laurel and Hardy Fox films (A Haunting We Will Go and two others), the new US DVD of the original Japanese version of Godzilla (also includes the Raymond Burr version on a second disc) – looking at the folks involved in the DVD, it may just be a US version of the UK BFI version, which I already had. I’ll be checking it out very soon. I also got a new Special Edition of Taps (which I’ve never seen), a new SE of Brian De Palma’s Body Double (terrible film, but not without its pleasures), and Noel Black’s Pretty Poison. All in all, a nice batch o’ stuff. I then finally got to sit down and have a nice meal with our friend Jessica Kiernan. We went to Mo’s in Burbank, and I must say I always forget how good the food is. I had a small Caesar salad and a bacon cheeseburger. I then came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled The Spirit Of St. Louis. I have always loved this film, even though it is one of Mr. Billy Wilder’s most underappreciated films. It is wonderfully written and directed, wonderfully acted, and wonderfully photographed by Mr. Robert Burks. It also has one of the great film scores by Mr. Franz Waxman. I don’t know why, really, but I just love everything about the film. Some of the dialogue is just classic Wilder. One of my favorite scenes is when they discover that they need a small compact-sized mirror for the cockpit of The Spirit. They ask a crowd of Lindberg fans if anyone has one, and a pretty girl comes forward and offers her compact. She and Stewart have a lovely scene together. At the end of it he asks her where she’s from and he’s astonished to find she came all the way from Philadelphia. He asks her why she came that far and she replies, “But I had to come – you needed the mirror.” That is just brilliant writing. I’m happy to report that the transfer is top-notch. Someone at Warner Bros. likes their transfers to favor the yellow end of the spectrum, but thank goodness in this transfer it’s minimal and, for the most part, the color is lovely and the image is razor-sharp. The 5.1 track sounds incredible, with deep bass, and beautiful stereophonic music tracks. I actually never tire of watching this marvelous film – if you’ve never seen it, give it a whirl.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I am quite ready for the weekend, and I have quite a bit to do today.
Today, for example, I have a meeting at noon with another singer who has asked me to direct her show – this one I’m not sure about. We’ll have to see how it feels and what her needs are. After that, I shall be going to the home environment of Mr. Grant Geissman, where he will be designing the book proper of the short story collection. That will take most of the afternoon, I’m sure. I’ll also ship all the packages I prepared yesterday. I honestly cannot remember if I have anything to do tomorrow night – I don’t think I do, and I hope that is the case. I wonder if that IS the case. Of course, why would that be the case when that is perfectly happy being that? I rest my case. Has anyone noticed we’re suddenly on a case jag? Case this, case that, enough with the case already. I’m bored with the case and yes, Virginia, I rest my case – again. My case has now had a LOT of rest and feels much better and ready to take on the world at large.
One thing I do have to do this weekend is to choose the sides that the LACC people will be auditioning with, so they can be copied and given out. I also have to hire a pianist to play the auditions.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, meet, eat, watch Mr. Geissman create a book design, and ship some packages and hopefully pick up some packages, as well. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, the wonderful soundtrack to Toys In The Attic by George Duning – I must say I’m addicted to it. DVD, The Naked Spur, starring Mr. James Stewart. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all rest our collective cases.