Well, dear readers, whereas last night I felt mellow, tonight I am bouncing off the walls. Yes, Virginia, I, BK, am bouncing off the walls – I feel quite bouncy whilst bouncing off the walls and I know not why since several things are annoying me. On the other hand, I am not letting the things that annoy me outweigh feeling bouncy and bouncing off the walls. We can’t blame said bounciness on too much caffeine since I don’t do caffeine, but here I sit, close to midnight, feeling bouncy as all get out and all get out is pretty bouncy. I no longer have a clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about. But since when have I ever let that stop me? In fact, I have never let that stop me even though that has tried, oh, yes, that has tried. That’s a persistent little dickens. Speaking of a little dickens, yesterday was an interesting day. For example, I woke up. That was interesting. I had to do a few things and then go to a work session with Miss Joan Ryan. We solidified a few things, made two more choices, and came up with a wonderful idea for a nice medley of Anthony Newley songs. Working with Joan is always interesting – she tends to want to do only songs that make her cry – I, of course, have to steer her away from those songs. She also tends to just want to say no to things without giving them a chance. A couple of days ago she mentioned a song, we thought it was a good idea, and best of all I remembered that I’d done a really nice arrangement of it already, for an album that didn’t happen. I gave Boswell the feel of the arrangement and its musical pulse, and she sang it and it was beautiful. She then spent the next hour trying to talk herself and everyone else out of doing it, because she normally doesn’t do stuff like it. I don’t think I have to tell you that I am being very strong, which is why she hired me. I had to do the same thing when we did her album – just be really strong, and thankfully she listened and that’s why her album is good. I think we’re going to have a really good show, but it’s going to be a journey getting there. After the session, I came back home, did some errands, and then headed out to Cissy Wechter’s reading at the Calabasas Library. That was fun, and then I came back home, where I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled The Closet (La Placard), a film of Francis Veber, who is, for me, France’s Blake Edwards. The Closet is very amusing – in fact, it seems like one of Blake’s early 80s comedies (the ones that worked). The plot is simple – a sad sack nebbish is about to be fired after twenty years on the job. He overhears the news, goes home, tries to call his ex-wife and son, but they never answer the phone once they hear it’s him. He goes out on his balcony, thinking about jumping to his death. His new neighbor stops him from doing so (in a very funny scene). They have a drink and the nebbish tells him all his problems. The next morning the neighbor has an idea how the nebbish can keep his job – the neighbor has some revealing photos from a gay leather bar – with some photoshop magic, he’ll put the nebbish’s face onto a man in a leather thong being fondled by another man, and he’ll send it to the nebbish’s place of employment (a condom factory) anonymously. The ploy works – they won’t fire him because they’ll be accused of prejudice against gays. The reactions of his fellow office workers, his ex, his son, and everyone else are wonderfully funny, and the film even makes some important statements about homophobia and machismo. What really makes the film work, however (besides the excellent direction), are the performances. One of my favorite actors, Daniel Autueil, plays the nebbish perfectly. The big macho creep at the office is played by Gerard Depardieu, who is as big as a house now. After being a complete jerk, spouting bad gay jokes, he suddenly has to make nice with Mr. Autueil, and Depardieu plays his scenes for all they’re worth. Everyone else in the cast are excellent farceurs, and the whole confection is just charming. Mr. Veber excels at these sorts of films (lots of his films have been Americanized, including La Cage Aux Folles), and if you like French comedies, I recommend it. It’s available in the US and the transfer (scope) is really terrific.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst I buoyantly bounce off the walls some more.
Today is a writing day. I had to get some research done, which I now have, and that will enable me to flesh out a few things before I move on to the next chapter. I do love my detail, and the new research I’ve received will really help in that regard. I don’t have any other plans for the day, other than a couple of brief errands – after writing, I’ll be supping with a friend.
Do you know there are always people walking on the street at this late hour? Every night, like clockwork. Where was I? Tomorrow I have another work session with Joan, then I hope to get together with dear reader Cason. I won’t really know until tomorrow, but there’s a slim chance that the Brain CDs could arrive – if not, then Friday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, do errands, and sup with a friend. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you dear readers get to ask me or any dear reader any old question 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, whilst I continue to be bouncy and bounce off the walls and perhaps also sing the score to my close personal friend Mr. Stephen Sondheim’s Bounce.