Well, dear readers, as I write these here notes, Miklos Rozsa’s score for Sodom and Gomorrah is playing in the background. Therefore, I shall dub these here notes Notes and Gomorrah, because I’m now in a biblical sort of mood thanks to the marvelous melodies of Mr. Rozsa. Of course, if I dub these here notes Notes and Gomorrah that sort of leaves Sodom out in the cold. And I’m jiggy with that. There is simply too much Sodom as there is and frankly Gomorrah is a little tired and looking for a change. You know, if anyone has a clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about, please do inform us. Speaking of Sodom, yesterday was quite a productive little day. For example, I got up. That was productive. I then answered some e-mails and then did some touchups on what I wrote yesterday. I then wrote three new pages, then toddled off to have a lunch meeting with Mr. Kevin Spirtas – we’re about to start planning a completely new show for him, so that he’ll have two different shows to offer presenters. I came in with what I thought would be a good theme, and he liked it – so, we’ll start there. It’s simple, to the point, and allows us virtually any type of material. So, the first thing we do in this process is to start making lists of songs that fit the theme. After lunch, I did my big trade deal and ended up with a virtual plethora of new and exciting DVDs, which should keep me busy for most of this week. The DVDs range from the final seasons of I Love Lucy to early Hitchcock in excellent transfers, to the second volume of Mr. Moto to Alice Faye movies and several newer films. I then came home, did a little polishing on the three pages I’d written earlier, wrote a little more, answered some more e-mails, then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched three count them three motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled The Prestige, starring Mr. Hugh Jackman and Mr. Christian Bale as rival magicians. It is, of course, highly amusing that Hollywood would turn out two illusionist films set in basically the same period within months of each other. I didn’t think as highly of The Illusionist as others here, part of which was because when the ad line trumpets “Nothing is what it seems” I’m basically ahead of the movie from frame one. Nothing in that film surprised or amazed me – it was competent and nicely produced and that was about it. The Prestige is a little denser and it held my interest more, but ultimately it failed for me in a worse way than The Illusionist because it went on at least fifteen minutes too long. It’s also plagued with today’s usual substitute for emoting – whispering and mumbling incomprehensibly. Mr. Jackman and Mr. Bale have both done nice work, but this whispering trend has got to stop. The film has competent direction and nice period settings, and a very strange turn by the virtually (for me) unrecognizable David Bowie. But ultimately the plot turns very silly in the last twenty minutes and it just becomes so far-fetched that you want to toss your shoe at the filmmakers. But, for some of its running time I found it enjoyable. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled For Your Consideration, a Christopher Guest film. Although you would never have known it from the advertising, this film, unlike most of his well-known films, wasn’t a mockumentary. It’s a narrative film but with not much plot and no real characters to hang onto – so, it becomes a series of endless improvisations and ultimately is way too unfunny for most of its eighty-six minutes. I was disappointed with A Mighty Wind, and this film disappointed much more. Its saving grace is a wonderful performance by Catherine O’Hara, who, because she plays it perfectly straight, actually manages to be both funny and touching while everyone around her goes to shtick-land. Not a complete disaster, but close. I then watched the third motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Who Killed The Electric Car?, a documentary from last year. I thought it a terrific film – shocking, infuriating, and an expose of the highest order of how oil companies and car companies and the government control this country. I found myself not only getting angrier and angrier during the film, but also I got surprisingly emotional. A very rewarding viewing experience. I’m not generally a conspiracy theorist, but how this film could not have been nominated for an Academy Award is shocking, especially given the liberal bent of the voters. They’ll nominate Al Gore but not this equally revealing look at how we are continually screwed and held at bay in ways that must stop.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because Mr. Rozsa’s music is swelling in the background and I’m feeling very Gomorrah-like.
Today, I have things to do but I cannot remember what they are. Hopefully, someone will call me and remind me. Oh, I know I shall write a few pages, and I have some errands to do, but there’s something else happening and I wish I could remember what it was.
We’re expecting our first Kritzerland limited edition to be up for preorder by this afternoon. As already mentioned, it’s a wonderful album called David Shire At The Movies and it features chamber versions of some of his best film music, including The Conversation, Max Dugan Returns, Return To Oz, The Hindenberg, ‘Night, Mother, With You I’m Born Again (from Fast Break) and lots of others, including four of his film songs, including the Oscar-winning It Goes Like It Goes from Norma Rae, Only When I Laugh, Halfway Home (from The Earthling), and I’ll Never Say Goodbye (from The Promise, all sung by the wonderful Maureen McGovern. The CD includes a bonus track, the Sonata for Cocktail Piano, a delightful seventeen-minute Shire concoction. There will only be 1200 copies and once they’re gone, they’re gone. So, order sooner than later – watch the posts for notice of when the album goes “live.” This one won’t be at amazon, nor on iTunes.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, for example, I must write, I must do errands, I must wait for someone to tell me what I’m supposed to be doing today, I must hopefully pick up a very errant package, and I must continue going through the new DVDs. Today’s topic of discussion: What are the albums that changed your lives? The LPs (or CDs, I suppose) that you bought and listened to and which opened new worlds for you and made you sit up and listen and know you’d heard something completely special like you’d never heard before? I’ll mention mine in some postings. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as we wrap up Notes and Gomorrah.