Well, dear readers, can somebody slow this damn month down? This month is speeding by like a gazelle playing mah jong. Mah jong. Where did that come from? Does anyone still play mah jong? Does anyone still wear a hat? I remember mah jong was very popular with the populace when I was but a wee sprig of a twig of a tad of a load of a youth. But one never hears of mah jong these days, does one? Except for the gazelle, that is. The gazelle knows, and so does the Shadow. What the HELL am I talking about? In any case, this month is speeding by like a gazelle playing mah jong (gnoj ham, spelled backwards). I want to play mah jong right this very minute. I don’t think I can, though, as I think you have to have mah jong pieces to play mah jong, and I have no mah jong pieces. Of course, even if I had some mah jong pieces I’d still have to know how to play mah jong, which I don’t. Speaking of mah jong, yesterday was a long and winding day. I got up bright and early and also early and bright, I jogged, I finished addressing packages, and I began writing. First I cleaned up everything I wrote the day before, added a few important paragraphs, then continued on. Over the course of the day and evening I ended up writing four new pages. Interspersed throughout the day were various errands, and a late luncheon at The Cheesecake Factory, which was entirely yummilicious. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Cinderella Liberty. No, it’s not a Shirley Temple movie, but a 1973 film from director Mark Rydell, written by Daryl Ponicsan from his novel. I hadn’t seen the film since its initial release. I remember really liking it then and I’m happy to report I really like it now. It doesn’t quite work all of the time, but so much of it does that one forgive it its occasional lapses. James Caan stars and, for me, this is the best performance he ever gave. Marsha Mason is equally wonderful in a somewhat difficult role. The supporting cast is filled with good actors – the late Bruno Kirby (here billed as Bruce Kirby, Jr.), Dabney Coleman, Eli Wallach, and several others. The score by the pre-Jaw and Star Wars John Williams, is great, and I sometimes wish someone would hire Williams and let him do that style again. The love theme (Nice To Be Around) is stunning, and Paul Williams’ sings it and wrote the lyrics, as he did for the main theme. The harmonica work is by the great Toots Thielmans. And then there’s the transfer. If you want to know what color films should look like circa the 60s and 70s, look no further than this transfer. It’s one of the most accurate color transfers I’ve ever seen, and now when people ask me to point out a transfer that gets it right, color-wise, this is the one I’ll point to. If Fox can get it right (as they also do on John and Mary) then why does Warners consistently screw up color transfers? I think the answer is pretty simple – laziness in the telecine room and people who have no idea what color film is supposed to look like.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because my allergies are bugging me and I must take an Actifed right this very minute.
Today I shall be writing, and also attending to some errands that need attending to. This evening I will be going to the Dena of Pasa to see the opening of Cuttin’ Up, a new play that I know nothing about.
This week was supposed to be filled with work sessions, but all of them have been cancelled, so I suspect that next week is going to be jam-packed or, at the very least, jelly-packed with work sessions, especially for Miss Merissa Haddad, whose show is a mere four weeks away. We still have six songs to choose, but next week I’ll finish doing the arrangements for the eight we’ve got and I’ll start figuring out the structure and the order of her show, so that she can start doing a first pass on her patter.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, do errands, sup, and then attend an opening night. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you 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 try to find a quorum to play mah jong.