Well, dear readers, I’m ready for the rest of The Brain performances – I’ve had enough days off and Tuesday can’t come fast enough. I’m rested and actually a little homesick, too, after six weeks, so I just want to get back to the show and getting through the rest of the week. Of course, I’m very much looking forward to all you hainsies/kimlets coming in at various times this week and it will be lovelier than lovely to see you all and to have all the various and sundried get-togethers. Speaking of sundried, yesterday was a sundried Sunday. I managed to sleep until ten, then got up and did some stuff on the computer, then headed over to the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS flea market, which Miss Adriana Patti also wanted to attend. We saw dear reader Ben, and walked the one block lined with dealers. There were many people there and most of them seemed like teen refugees from a well-known Broadway website, so their screeching and chattering became annoying pretty quickly. I saw only a couple of people I know, and I ended up buying a Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf baseball cap for three bucks, and a couple of new, inexpensively-priced DVDs from the Entertainment Weekly table. I spent about thirty minutes there, and then decided I was hungry and had a brunch of Eggs Benedict and home fries. I then came back home where I did some more work on the computer, fell asleep for a few minutes, then did more work. I then got a call from Cason, so I met he, Miss Karen and Jose at the Eatery, which is only about four blocks from where I’m staying. I had a terrific salad and, of course, the company was sparkling and a good time was had by all, all being a surprise guest. After that, I came home and put a DVD in Ye Olde Laptop.
Last night, I watched the new Special Edition DVD of Taxi Driver. I’ve written of the film before – suffice it to say it’s a terrific movie filled with terrific performances and writing and direction and camerawork and music. It’s also fun to see it whilst staying in the new Walt Disneyized version of New York. Taxi Driver is filled with images of the New York and Times Square that was – the sleaze, the arcades, the seedy movie theaters on 42nd Street, the pimps, hustlers, and whores lining every street, and Eight Avenue filled with porno theaters every few feet. This new transfer is certainly more orange than previous transfers – too orange, if you ask me. So orange, in fact, that when they drain the color from the end of the film during its violent climax (the draining of the color saved them from an X rating), there isn’t that much of a difference. Mr. De Niro’s cab is sort of a pale yellow now, whereas it was much more yellow in the theatrical prints. Most of the blue and red is missing from this transfer – the other transfers weren’t perfect either, but most people don’t know better and they’ll be happy with this. I will say a special word for Mr. Bernard Herrmann’s final score – and that special word would be “brilliant.”
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I want to start my new novel, Pimps, Hustlers, and Whores, a story of America in a more innocent time.
Today there may be plans afoot for some fine dining with Miss Karen. Or, conversely, there may be plans aknee or even plans afinger. I’m hoping there will be, as I like Miss Karen and I like fine dining and variations on that theme.
I will also be awaiting word from the NYMF people about what’s been done regarding the sound at the Acorn Theater. I’m hoping to get in early on Tuesday with our sound designer and board op so we’re all comfortable in the knowledge that things have been fixed and will henceforth work properly.
Wouldn’t Pimps, Hustlers, and Whores have been a good follow up song for Cher after Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves? Just asking.
Tomorrow, of course, we have a one o’clock matinee and I shall be there with bells on and also pants and a shirt. Wednesday we have a four-thirty show, then we’re off, then another four-thirty show, then a day off, and then our closing night performance on Sunday.
During this time, we’ll be visiting with the likes of dear readers Jeanne, MusicGuy, Ginny and husband Richard, Cillaliz, Edisaurus, S. Woody and der Brucer, Vixmom (and hopefully the Vixter), William F. Orr and Joe, and others I’m too senile to remember – what fun we shall all have, romping about in gay abandon.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, well, I don’t know what I must do but whatever it is I shall do it with aplomb, and I do hope to see Miss Karen. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Martin Scorsese films and your least favorites, and what are your favorite De Niro performances and your least favorites? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I recite for you the tale of The Randy Vicar and the Pimps, Hustlers, and Whores.