Well, dear readers, it’s T-minus seven days to show time. And that’s enough about that. I realize I’ve been crowding these here notes with so much stuff about the fundraiser, which is interesting to me and probably not to many others. I’ll hit the pertinent high spots, of course, but we’ll just continue what we’re doing this very busy week. For those who might have missed it, the big high spot was the news that both Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz will be in attendance. And we’ve added the lovely Kim Huber to the show. Speaking of the lovely Kim Huber, yesterday was not exactly what I’d call a day of rest, although I did manage to get a little rest. I spent a good deal of the day at the computer, working, and I went to storage to get a music chart. I made a whole lot o’ tuna pasta salad, which I ate at various times of the day (well, I ate half of what I made). I had a few telephonic calls, and a lot of e-mails flew back and forth and also forth and back. Happily, a few days ago I got everything organized so I’m finding things quite easily and that’s half the battle. Oh, and I killed a fly. Le Fly Et Morte. Finally, I sat on my couch like so much fish and ate a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (snack size).
Yesterday, I managed to watch a few things. First I watched a motion picture I’d TIVOd entitled Five Miles To Midnight, a film of Anatole Litvak, starring Sophia Loren and Anthony Perkins, along with Gig Young. It starts off okay, has nice production design by the great Alexander Trauner, and good photography. But it quickly devolves into a tiresome little film with one of Mr. Perkins’ most irritating performances. Miss Loren isn’t much better, and Gig Young is so smarmy that you want to kick his face in. After that, I watched another movie I TIVOd entitled Zazie Dans Le Metro, un film de Louis Malle. It’s a very Richard Lester-esque film, only it was done four years before A Hard Day’s Night, so one wonders if Mr. Lester was, in fact, inspired by Zazie. It’s light, it’s fun, it moves right along, and must have seemed very fresh back then. The little girl who plays Zazie is very good, and Philipe Noiret is, as always, wonderful. This one is only on DVD in region 2 and I’d hope the color is better than what was on view on TCM. After that, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Full Metal Jacket, a film of Stanley Kubrick. I hadn’t seen it since the day it came out. Back then, I, like most folks, loved the first half of the film (or, to be precise, the first forty-five minutes), but I really didn’t like the second half at all. So, I was curious to see if the intervening years would change my perspective. And, I’ll say that they have, to a point. I still love the first forty-five minutes – that section of the film (the basic training section) are masterful, with brilliant direction, great performances, and everything just playing out beautifully and, at the end of the forty-five minutes, shockingly. Lee Ermey as Hartford, is genius casting because he is basically just playing himself – he was originally hired as the technical advisor. Another actor had been cast as Hartford, but apparently Ermey dressed up every day when he was training the actors, and Kubrick ultimately had him do the role (the other actor was given a smaller role in the second half of the film). Most of his dialogue is his own, and it’s unbelievable in the best way. You just sit there with your mouth on the floor listening to the words issuing forth and no writer could have done better. The young cast is superb, especially Matthew Modine and Vincent d’Onofrio. Then we move to Viet Nam, where we basically get about seventy minutes of Scenes From A War – no plot, just scenes. And I liked that section better this time. I still don’t find it great like the first half, but the whole thing seemed slightly more of a piece all these years later. The transfer, as in all the transfers in this new box set, is in its proper theatrical ratio for the first time on home video, and that part looks swell. But, like the other transfers, I find the look of the transfer less than stellar. People are raving about it (especially the hi-def version), but the contrast is milky and it just could be better. It’s not bad or anything, but had they gone from the camera negative it would look spectacular, which it doesn’t.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’ve got to get my beauty sleep – after all, that’s half the battle.
One of the reasons I need to get my beauty sleep is because later today I’ll be doing the Skip E. Lowe show, to tout our fundraiser. Prior to that I have a meeting with our set designer, and I have lots of things to write and prepare for the program. Then, after taping the show, I have at least one, and probably two rehearsals during the evening.
I will also try to get the order to a place where I can lock it by tomorrow. We have to organize a lighting and sound script and I don’t want to be changing the order once that occurs. Once I lock the order, then I have to plan all the entrances and exits for each performer, which I’ll then put on a diagram of the stage with our set – then, at our band rehearsal, we’ll hand those out to each performer so they’ll know exactly what’s what.
As I’ve said, ticket sales are decent, but we’d really like to sell this sucker out, so if you lurkers have been waiting until the last minute, don’t – many of the good orchestra seats are gone, although all seats in the orchestra are good. But, if you want center, then you’d better make your reservations soon.
See, there I go again, talking about nothing but the event. Well, it’s what’s on my mind.
That was a really short paragraph, wasn’t it?
That was an even shorter paragraph, wasn’t it?
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, cement the order, meet, tape a show, rehearse, and then find time to actually eat something. Today’s topic of discussion: What was the most memorable Halloween you ever had – why was it memorable, and what was your all-time favorite costume that you wore? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we – after all, that’s half the battle.