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March 16, 2007:

IDES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, we have survived the Ides of March and are here to tell the tale. Or perhaps we are here to tell the tail. I don’t even know what the fershluganah Ides of March are, but whatever they are, we have survived them in fine fashion (short-shorts, and a bikini top). It really is hard to believe that this month is already half over and that we are hurtling towards April Fool’s Day. What the HELL are Ides? Wait, isn’t that a song? I’m iding my time, ’cause that’s the kind of Ide I’m. Maybe not. Can you have a single Ide? Or do Ides always travel in packs? Speaking of packs, yesterday was a busy, busy day. I had a good night’s sleep, woke up, and hit the road running. Actually, I hit the computer, typing. I answered e-mails, I took care of a LOT of business, I picked up mail, I jogged, and I wrote. Boy, did I write. Eight count them eight pages worth, the most I’ve written in one day on this particular book. I have the feeling that that will be happening every now and then, because I’m in the section of the book where things are progressing apace, what with all the characters being set up and everything in motion. Most importantly, I’m pleased as punch to tell you dear, dear people out there in the dark, that I am now halfway through the new book. By the end of this weekend, I should be presenting my muse Margaret with the latest batch of pages – probably fifty of them (to add to the other eighty-six she’s already gotten). I had a lovely chicken Caesar salad from Wolgang Puck’s at Gelsons, and I did manage to sit on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I managed to watch two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Hemingway’s Adventures Of A Young Man, starring Mr. Richard Beymer, Miss Susan Strasberg, Arthur Kennedy, Jessica Tandy, Paul Newman, and a host of others. The film was a box-office and critical failure, but if you read the imdb “reviews” you’d think it was a masterpiece. It’s not. It’s a very long, episodic, rambling mess is what it is. The actors are all fine, and the photography is nice, and the score by Franz Waxman is beautiful, but the whole thing adds up to not very much, despite its two hours and twenty-five minutes. The transfer from Fox is lovely – they really seem to be on a roll with their late 50s, 60s, and 70s films. This DVD is part of a Hemingway boxed set, and I’ll be watching the other films soon. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Casino Royale. I’d heard this film was a real return to form for the Bond franchise. While I did find it more entertaining than the last few Bonds, I didn’t really find it a return to form, because the producers and writers don’t trust the form anymore, and they just care about making it bigger, louder, more frantic, and frankly, even though I didn’t think it possible, more preposterous. This film has some of the most excruciatingly bad action sequences I’ve ever seen. I don’t mean they aren’t well executed – they are. But they are so stupid and unbelievable, that I just wanted to throw my shoe through the TV screen. The second of them was the worst – with people jumping great distances of very high places and just rolling over and moving on. I’m sorry, some reality is necessary if you want people to buy what you’re doing. James Bond isn’t a cartoon character – at least he wasn’t in Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger, the three best Bond films. I mean, if people jump from a great height (say fifteen stories) and they land on the ground, they will not be getting up right away. They will either be dead or something will be broken. Daniel Craig was an okay Bond, but I just hate this current “look” – this West Hollywood pumped up build that every man seems to have these days (along with the obligatory waxed chest). Eva Green was fetching, and I really liked the actor who played Le Chiffre. The torture scene was ludicrous and so not Bond-like. Also, one just tunes out when there are eight or nine villains doing villainy, one after the other – I didn’t know who any of them were, outside of Le Chiffre. The poker scenes were the most fun for me, but I loathe Texas Hold ‘Em, but it’s so typical that the producers would want to do the “hip” and “happening” thing. You’d think the transfer would be reference quality, but it’s not – it’s excellent, but not quite as sharp as it should be in the long shots. I’m beginning to wonder if some of these new film transfers are being purposely transferred at low bit rates or whatever so that the hi-def versions look markedly better. Not saying they are, but this transfer should have been better looking.

What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we all sing If I Knew You Were Coming Ide Have Baked A Cake.

Today shall be a non-stop day filled with merriment and mirth and laughter and legs. I have an early morning work session with Miss Merissa Haddad, then I have a few errands to do, then I must write, and then I must attend an opening night at LACC, followed by a late night supper at Genghis Cohen. What I will not be doing tomorrow is shipping David Shire CDs. Oh, I’m told there’s a chance they’ll come in, but I’ve been warned that it looks like Monday is the day. I find that infuriating, since they got the material in plenty of time to do it on the requested date, which was actually yesterday. I let the lady who is the go-between know how unhappy I was.

I have to also prepare whatever it is I’m going to perform for Miss Deutsch on Sunday evening. I’m going back and forth between three songs, and I must decide today.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, rehearse, attend an opening night, and sup. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, Piero Piccioni’s score to Puppet On A Chain. DVD, next up will probably be The Sun Also Rises. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and remember, the Ides have it.

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