Well, dear readers, twas the night before Christmas and here I am, sitting at my laptop like so much fish writing these here night before Christmas notes. I feel I am filled with tinsel and glamour and if there were anyone here right now I’d put them under the mistletoe and kiss them from here to eternity and hell and back. I am finding it hard to believe that it is once again Christmas Eve – this year has flown by like a gazelle bungee jumping in boy shorts. Last year at this very time, we were deep into Deceit rehearsals. This year at this very time we have just finished doing The Brain From Planet X. The fact is, I feel much more celebratory this year, for reasons I don’t really understand. Yes, I, BK, feel celebratory. I am feeling the Christmas spirit, and I hope the spirit isn’t upset that I’m feeling it. Yes, I’m feeling both the Christmas spirit AND it, and I don’t care who knows it. Speaking of who knows it, I had quite a restful day yesterday. For example, I got up. That was restful in its own way. Then I attended a brief casting session that wasn’t fruitful. Oh, there was a banana there, and a kiwi, but it still wasn’t fruitful. After the casting session, I went to a couple of stores, got a Subway Club for lunch, picked up some mail, and then came home, where I sat on my couch like so much fish, feeling both the Christmas spirit and it.
Yesterday, I managed to watch two-and-one-half motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled The Sandpiper. I saw The Sandpiper at a far-in-advance sneak preview at the Stanley Warner Beverly Hills. I remember two things about the sneak preview – the film was awful and got much derisive laughter from the audience. The other thing I remember quite clearly was that Miss Julie Andrews was in attendance with then husband Tony Walton. Based on that preview, there were several reshoots and the film was re-edited. The fact that what we now see is the “fixed” version is astonishing, given the film on view. It’s still bad – maybe a little less laughable, but not much. Miss Taylor and Mr. Burton are at their worst, and other normally reliable and excellent actors all flounder because of the terribly terrible screenplay – Eva Marie Saint, Torin Thatcher, Robert Webber, Charles Bronson – on one escapes unscathed. The film is pretty to look at, but it’s astounding that the normally interesting Vincente Minnelli could turn out such a horrid film, but then his entire output after 1960 is pretty wretched. The film does have one brilliant thing going for it and that is Johnny Mandel’s absolutely gorgeous score, which includes the hit song, The Shadow Of Your Smile. The transfer is very nice. I then watched a short documentary entitled The Internationale, which dear reader edisaurus was kind enough to send me, and which I enjoyed very much. It’s quite well done and I appreciate that its creators didn’t tart it up with “now” techniques and hip editing and camera angles – they just tell their story simply and it’s all straightforward, which is as it should be. It’s well edited by edisaurus, and it’s filled with fascinating people saying interesting things. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Le Plaisir, un film de Max Ophuls. It’s another wonderfully stylish film from this master director. Not up there with Letter From An Unknown Woman or The Reckless Moment, but still a terrific film. It’s an omnibus film about various “pleasure” based on three stories by Guy de Maupassant. The cast is splendid, the photography gorgeous, and Mr. Ophuls signature fluid direction evident in every stunning shot. Very entertaining. The musical theme for the second story is note for note Bob Merrill’s title song for Breakfast At Tiffany’s. The transfer on the region 2 DVD is lovely, and one simply wants more Ophuls on DVD – I’m especially hankering to see excellent transfers on La Ronde and Lola Montes.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Don’t I have a Christmas party to prepare for? Don’t I have to cook my famous spaghetti sauce? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because attention must be paid. Attention has been working for free long enough, and frankly attention is on strike until it’s paid.
I’ve got music on whilst I am writing these here notes and I always find that very disconcerting, as each change of music puts me in a different mood. Right now, I’m hearing a movie theme with a trace of a disco beat – very 70s, and now I want to put on my Saturday Night Fever suit and I want to boogie down the disco highway.
So, today I must labor mightily over foodstuffs such as my famous spaghetti sauce. It takes me about two hours to prepare all the ingredients and get them in the big pot that I use. Once in, then I just keep the heat on low and stir it throughout the livelong day. I prepared the tuna pasta salad just prior to writing these here notes, so that’s done. I have to get the home environment ready and presentable for guests, which includes putting away a lot of stuff that’s piled up in various and sundried rooms. That shouldn’t take too long, and the rest of the day will be spent finishing watching Pandora’s Box, and then another film or two – perhaps one that is in the Christmas spirit – although I may hold whatever that is for Christmas Day. I don’t think I’ll have to go out for anything, which is good.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, cook, prepare, clean, and have a lovely Christmas Eve Do – I will, of course, have a full report for you as the Do is happening. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, as we prepare to have a warm and toasty Christmas Eve.