Well, dear readers, I have just wandered aimlessly from room to room for no reason whatsoever. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, have just wandered aimlessly from room to room for no reason whatsoever. It wasn’t premeditated, certainly – no, I just found myself a wandering Jew. I think I may have started by looking for something or trying to remember if I’d put something somewhere, but then the wandering became just that – wandering for its own sake. I found it rather peaceful, actually, being a wandering Jew. A wandering Jew, I. In any case, I have ceased wandering for the time being, and now I am quite behind in writing these here notes on account of all that wandering. The home environment is running hot and cold these days. It remains cool until the afternoon, and then it becomes uncomfortably warm and I must turn on the air conditioner. It becomes very cold very fast and then I must turn off the air conditioner. Then it becomes very warm very fast, and so on and so forth and also so forth and so on or, at the very least, sew on. My stomach has been queasy since arising at six in the morning and remains queasy now. Speaking of queasy, yesterday was just the sort of day I wanted, with the exception of being queasy all day and night. I relaxed, did a little shipping, an errand or two, finished proofing, did some Brain polish, and then just relaxed and smelled the roses and the coffee and the Cherry Ripe. I got a couple of packages, including some DVDs from a friend, which included several excellent goodies. I ate some food, including chicken soup, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Under The Yum Yum Tree, which was adapted from the play of the same name. Those who’ve read Kritzer Time know that I thought the play was most amusing, and I saw it at least six or seven times during its long LA run. I remember seeing the film version at a sneak preview and I was so annoyed with it because they opened it up so much and added so many characters, and I didn’t care for Jack Lemmon (I thought Del Moore and Richard Erdman were both better, and funnier). Carol Lynley is pretty and Edie Adams is, too, and there’s a lot of forced comedy bits (not from the play) with Paul Lynde and Imogene Coca. I know the play is probably horribly dated and I’d probably not understand what it was I liked about it, but the movie remains almost completely unfunny. Dean Jones (Bill Bixby in the play) is the best thing about the movie, but the rest is a lumpen mess, directed with heavy hand by David Swift (whom I normally like). The score by Frank DeVol (whom I normally like) is simply irritating. The transfer on the DVD was enhanced for widescreen TVs and very sharp, but the color was brownish, and I think we all know by now that I do not like faded colors. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Zodiac. It was one of the few new films I was interested in seeing, but I just never got up the energy to go. It’s not a bad film, but it’s not a great film either. It’s just sort of there for a lot of its running time, but the last half works better than the first half, and the story is, of course, compelling. David Fincher, the director, apes the visual style of 70s films, but it’s just that – imitation. He even tries to invoke that era’s filmmaking by having David Shire (All The President’s Men) do the score. It’s an effective score, what there is of it, but I quickly grew weary of all the songs used one after another. And, I just don’t like this new crop of mumbling, whispering actors – they all just bore me to tears, and that includes this film’s two leads, Jake Gyllenthal and Mark Ruffalo – I found the latter especially annoying. Robert Downey is in it, too, and I just don’t care for him either, these days. The film is very long, but it held my interest, especially, as I said, in the latter half. The transfer is okay, but for a new film, you sort of expect a little better – this has several instances of unintentional shimmering, which is really annoying.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below before I start wandering again.
Today, I shall buckle down Winsocki and do some more Brain polishing before sending it back to David Wechter, so he can sign off. I’m hoping we can speak tomorrow night and just go over the one or two things that are left. I did write several new and stronger lines and I’ll probably do the same today, at least I hope I will. I’ll have to get the new script e-mailed to the casting director and the creative and production team as soon as it’s locked. I think we’re going to offer the role of Fred to our second choice – our first, Donny Osmond, was intrigued, but had commitments in LA. We’ll see about our second choice.
I have several errands to run, and many telephonic calls to make, and I’m hoping to finally have word about set and costume people. I also have to make a bunch of decisions on things for NYMF and also send signature copies of the AEA agreement and the NYMF agreement. If those who wanted shares haven’t sent in their dough, please do so, because I’m trying to get everything in the bank this week. I’ve gotten about seven out of our fifteen or so.
I’m also going to try and get over to Mr. Grant Geissman’s to enter all the corrections, so we can print out a new galley, get it proofed one last time, and then it can go off to the publisher’s.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, polish a Brain, send agreements, deal with casting issues and like that there. Today’s topic of discussion: The Zodiac case mesmerized people everywhere – what true life crime case (besides the obvious OJ) consumed you – where you read everything, and watched the news stories religiously and read books about the crime. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as this wandering Jew heads off to the bedroom environment to have a beauty sleep.