Well, dear readers, it’s a little day of the week we like to call Wednesday. Sometimes we like to call Wednesday Sunday, but then Wednesday gets all confused and it isn’t a pretty sight. So, let’s just call Wednesday a Wednesday, shall we? Yesterday, of course, was a little day we like to call Tuesday and Tuesday was definitely a Tuesday, make no mistake about it. For example, I awoke and it was a Tuesday. I had to package up some book orders and some CD orders and then take them to the United States Postal Service, where I shipped them on a Tuesday. After that, I had to make some telephonic calls and answer some e-mails, but I decided to do no further work-related stuff. I decided to take it easy and do nothing, and I enjoyed doing nothing quite a lot. I think it’s the last day that I can do nothing for many weeks. I have been getting some lovely comments on the new book and I cannot tell you how much that pleases me, whatever day of the week it may be. So, keep those cards and letters coming, won’t you? I ate some silly food from Gelson’s – a little cheese enchilada casserole thing, some stuffing with gravy, and even some cucumber roll – little amounts of each. And, of course, some chocolate licorice for dessert. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Reds, a film of Mr. Warren Beatty, starring Mr. Warren Beatty, written by Mr. Warren Beatty (with Trevor Griffiths), and produced by Mr. Warren Beatty. And do you know what? He does all those jobs very well. I remember enjoying Reds when it came out, even though I didn’t think I would. And now, it positively seems like a major work, just compared to most of the junk they churn out today. It’s unthinkable that Reds could get made now – actually, it was unthinkable that it get made in 1981, but Warren was at the top of his game and Paramount just said “do it.” The film is beautifully shot by Vittorio Storaro, and the other actors, especially the luminous Diane Keaton, all give fantastic performances – they include the likes of Maureen Stapleton, Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman (unbilled), Paul Sorvino, and tons of wonderful character actors. The film, which runs a very long 195 minutes, is extremely well-paced and only occasionally during scenes of shouting political dogma does it bog down in wordiness and repetition. Beatty knows that the heart of the film is in the relationship between John and Louise and that’s what has real resonance. And the witnesses are fantastic – filled with colorful reminiscences – Beatty uses them to avoid having to do exposition in the dialogue, and it turns out to be an idea touched with genius. The writing by Beatty and Griffith is very good indeed, with terrific dialogue. The new DVD sports a handsome transfer (although not perfect – a bit soft in the long shots at times), a long series of “documentary” bits directed by the awful Laurent Bouzereau, and it was really nice to reacquaint myself with the film after all these years.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because, after all, it’s Wednesday and that’s just what one does on a Wednesday.
My next New York sojourn is coming up very quickly – I’ll be back there in just a week from tomorrow. I can’t even believe the month will be half over and that upon my return just a few days later that we begin rehearsals for The Brain. Time flies when you’re having fun, and time flies when you’re not having fun. Time flies when it damn well feels like flying and frankly I wish time would slow down and stop and smell the coffee or the roses or the tacos.
Today, I have to write, I have to get organized, Brain-wise, and go over our rehearsal schedule, and I must prepare for a big production meeting at LACC tomorrow. I’m debating whether to go see Miss Molly Ringwald in Sweet Charity. I cannot imagine I’ll like the production, but I do like Miss Ringwald. We shall see.
Tomorrow will be one of those days – a meeting, then the big production meeting, which will be followed by another meeting. Friday will be more of the same. This weekend is the Ray Courts Hollywood Show at the Burbank Hilton and I shall visit as I always do. It seems like I just did the show, but, time flies and flies time and the world goes round and round and round.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, write, eat, write, and then watch a DVD or two. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old thing you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings.