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November 10, 2007:

APPLES AND ORANGES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, well, dear readers, well, dear readers, every day it’s the same thing and there are times I just want to shake things up and say Dear, well readers, or Well, readers dear, or Readers, well dear, but no, it’s always Well, dear readers, and frankly sometimes it makes me want to vomit on the ground. There, I’ve said it and I’m glad. I suppose it’s all apples and oranges as to whether it’s Well, dear readers, or Dear readers, well. And another thing – why is it always apples and oranges? Why can’t it be pears and persimmons? Why can’t it be potatoes and sauerkraut? But no, like Well, dear readers, it’s always apples and oranges. Speaking of apples and oranges, yesterday was a day in which I had neither. It was a day in which I wanted to sleep in but didn’t. My internal clock seems to be set for 7:45 – damn my internal clock. In any case, I got up, answered some e-mails, did some writing, then Cason came over and we did some business, and then think I did quite a few other things, although I have no memory of what they might have been. I did sit at the piano for a while working on a tune (enut, spelled backwards). I did make some notes on what may or may not be my next book. Then I toddled off to the Wechter residence to shoot a student film for David’s son, Zach. Once at the Wechter residence, we toddled over to Zach’s high school, and the building we were to shoot in. I played a rabbi and had the introductory and closing remarks, which I actually learned and did by heart. David and Barbara, his lovely wife, were in it, as was Zach’s brother Daniel. His teacher, Mr. Hunt, is Allan Hunt (formerly of the TV show Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea), an old pal of mine, and he put in an appearance, too. And Zach cast the prettiest girl in the school to play his girlfriend in the movie (although Zach isn’t actually in the film, it’s about someone named Zach Wechter). Filming took about ninety minutes, and then I decided to brave the traffic and come home. It wasn’t as bad as I feared, and it took me about fifty minutes to get home. I then had some dinner, and finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Obsession. No, it wasn’t the Brian De Palma film, nor was it the early 50s British thriller – Obsession was the French title for the Julien Duvivier American film, Flesh and Fantasy, a film I’ve only heard about but had never seen. In fact, the reason I knew about it was because there used to be a very rare LP from RCA Camden (I think), that had a few film pieces on it, including the then only recording of Bernard Herrmann’s Hangover Square Concerto, and Alexander Tansman’s Scherzo from Flesh and Fantasy. That LP was a prized possession, and even though I occasionally hunted for Flesh and Fantasy, I never did catch up with it. The DVD was from France, and I was thrilled to finally see the film. It’s an omnibus film, with three stories, bookended with Robert Benchley. The first story, with Betty Field and Robert Cummings, is a simple tale beautifully directed by Duvivier, with stunning images – very unique and interesting, about the nature of real beauty. The second tale was the best – a fortune teller (Thomas Mitchell) tells Edward G. Robinson that he will murder someone. Robinson then becomes obsessed with this information, and, of course, does end up killing someone. The final story is slight, but again, beautifully filmed, with Barbara Stanwyck and Charles Boyer. I can’t say it’s a great film, but it’s definitely an interesting one directorially, and the performances are all excellent, as is the music by Mr. Tansman. The image quality of the region 2 DVD was sharp, with excellent contrast.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because frankly I need to get to bed and get my beauty sleep. Of course, at my age, whether I do or don’t is all apples and oranges, or, at the very least, plums and apricots.

Today, I’ll be visiting Mystery and Imagination, where I’ll be doing my signing in December. That is my only plan during the day. This evening, I’m supposed to see Little Fish, but I actually haven’t had confirmation of it yet. Hopefully, I’ll have said confirmation this morning.

Tomorrow, I do nothing other than what I wish to do and what I will most likely wish to do is nothing. Monday, it’s back to trying to get our final funding check, which is, as I feared, dragging on despite promises of a quick turnaround. The head of the theater department is on them, and one can only hope it will come to a successful conclusion sooner than later. We have done everything by their book, and I find it absolutely infuriating. I’m sure Monday will be an official holiday for them, which means there won’t be a check before next Friday, which is almost two weeks after the event. If there is any slow up come Tuesday, I think the head of the department and I will have to go have a talk with the new president of the school.

Well, dear readers (or any variation thereof), I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, visit a bookstore, make notes, perhaps see Little Fish, and eat something interesting. Today’s topic of discussion: What is your favorite omnibus film – a film made up of various stories? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and do remember that in the end it’s all apples and oranges and tomatoes and onions, and lions and tigers and bears, oh my.

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