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January 20, 2007:

TGIS

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, you know the expression, “Thank God, it’s Friday (TGIF, in Internet lingo)? Let me just amend that saying to read, “Thank God Friday is OVER” or, better yet, TGIS – Thank God, It’s Saturday! What a day yesterday was, and not one I need to repeat for quite some time to come. So, let me tell you all about it. I got up bright and early, and then toddled off to the theater for rehearsal – one run-through and then a final dress/tech in front of a small audience. The cast arrived and got into makeup and costumes for a photo shoot. Our writer/producer’s brother (one of seven) was the photographer. He shot the twins first, then moved onto the actor who plays Lance, the Lion (and surfer dude). Just before they started to shoot, I saw the shoes they’d given him – they didn’t have laces and he was saying they were loose on his feet, with not much support. I said loudly and clearly for him not to do anything in those shoes and to wear his regular shoes for the run-through, until we could get him new shoes. Now, he spends most of his time on a trampoline behind the drum set, where he bounces up and down whilst playing the drums. At one point in the show, he does a back flip off the trampoline. So, despite my admonition, the photographer got him on the trampoline, took some photos, then asked him to do the back flip. I was sort of standing off to the side, and before I really realized what was going on, he did it, and did it perfectly and the photographer caught it. Then, the photographer asked him to do one more. Again, I thought to myself, no, stop it, but I didn’t speak up in time and the actor jumped, did the back flip and missed – he came crashing down on the trampoline. He got right up and immediately said he was just fine – then we all looked down at his leg, which was split open and bleeding. It was a clean split, not much blood, but it was really deep, almost to the bone. I was so horrified and then angry that I had to go walk away for a minute. They sat him down, pulled the skin tightly together and bandaged it up. He wasn’t in any pain, amazingly, but we sent him to the emergency room. Obviously, we cancelled run-through number one, and photos continued with the other members of the cast (at one point it was suggested that our leading lady do her front flip, and I said over my dead body). The actor was gone for about three hours – his leg was X-rayed and thank the Lord there was no fracture or broken bone – just the nasty cut. They double stitched it, bandaged it, and at three o’clock he came back to the theater, saying he would do the afternoon run-through, which we’d pushed to four. I had a long talk with him about how much he should do, and he stuck to it – what a pro this guy is. We did the run-through and he was terrific (no back flip, obviously). The kids in the audience loved it all, as did the adults (it was a small but vocal crowd). There were several flubbed lines, and it was really good for the cast to hear the laughs and applause, which they stepped on frequently. They now know they have to hold and not jump in before the audience can hear them. In the midst of the morning craziness, I got a call that was so annoying and so problematic that I just wanted to drive off a cliff somewhere. I don’t really want to go into it, and it will all get sorted out come Monday or Tuesday, but it was just so mind-boggling to me in so many ways that I was dazed for most of the rest of the day. As if that wasn’t enough, I got Vinnie’s bill for The Brain – oy and vey. I hope we sell a lot of these suckers, that’s all I can say. As if that wasn’t enough, I took my waitresses advice and tried something new at Marie Callendar’s, and even though I ate it all up because I was very hungry, it really was quite nauseating (a Tuscan chicken with parmesan coating, sitting like so much fish in a bowl of creamy, cheesy pasta with smoked bacon. I thought it would be like mac and cheese with chicken, but it wasn’t. I ate about eight pieces of See’s candy to get the taste out of my mouth, and I probably gained about two pounds in the bargain. And that’s what I mean by Thank God Friday Is Over – or, Thank God, It’s Friday – NOT.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because TGIF – NOT, or TGIS, will continue in the next section.

I can’t say that the whole day was a bust, because the run-through was mostly terrific, except for the few botched lines and stuff. The motion picture on DVD I chose perfectly suited the day I’d had – a somber, cold film entitled L’Armee Des Ombres, directed by Mr. Jean Pierre Melville, who is a director I’m quite fond of. It starred Mr. Lino Ventura (a terrific actor) and Miss Simone Signoret in a drama about a handful of resistance fighters in France during World War II. Now, when I say drama, it’s not exactly describing the film. And when I say resistance “fighters” that might lead you to believe there’s actually some action in the film. But, there isn’t, Blanche, there isn’t. It’s a two-hour-and-twenty-five minute film in which not much happens, drama-wise, but which is mesmerizing, and compelling nonetheless. It’s a cold, austere, elegantly beautiful film, with great performances. There are no heroics, the stars don’t “win”, the Germans are mostly off-screen, as are the two scenes of torturing two of the resistance people, and it just moves inexorably towards its non-dramatic but bitter end. Scenes will play out, and you’ll be baffled by the motivation or what’s happening, only to figure it out a few scenes down the line. The film was recently restored, and this region 2 transfer is pure Melville – gray, cold blue, and green – almost all other colors have been drained from it, and since it was supervised by the film’s cameraman, I assume that it’s the way Mr. Melville wanted it – and his other films have similar color schemes, too. There’s a trailer included, and the color in the trailer is drastically different, which is quite interesting. This is not a film for the ADD generation – they wouldn’t last five minutes, but for those who love interesting cinema, I would recommend it strongly.

Today, for which I say, Thank God, It’s Saturday, will be jam-packed and hopefully fun-filled. I’ll arrive at the theater quite early, and our first show is at eleven, with the pre-show fun starting at about ten (face-painting, balloons, etc.). After that, we get a small break, then there’s the two o’clock show. I will, of course, have a complete report for you. After the show, I hope I’ll have time to get my clothes from the dry cleaners, for I am attending an opening night and I’d like to at least look like a normal human being. Then we have a two o’clock show on Sunday, and that’s that, except for being paid, which I hope will be done in a timely fashion (go-go boots and a mod jacket).

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, attend three count them three shows, and somehow find time to sup, as well. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite French films? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let’s all shout out loud – Thank God, It’s Saturday!

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