Well, dear readers, I have very important news to impart to you – Soylent Green is people. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you read such an opening salvo? Nowhere, that’s where. But more about that later. Right now, I feel like I’m going to vomit on the ground. Perhaps the bay shrimp I ate earlier were rotten, or perhaps bay shrimp are people. I’m just sitting here like so much fish, nauseous as all get out, and I think we know how nauseous all get out is. I can’t believe I’m sitting writing these here notes – where did the day go? I got up, and then, suddenly, the day and evening were over, just like that. Speaking of just like that, yesterday came and went so quickly that it boggled even my mind. I got up late, because I was so overtired that I just couldn’t get up early. I then had to catch up on e-mails and telephonic calls. I finally had an e-mail back from the people I’ve been waiting to hear from – from the sound of it, they didn’t get either of the e-mails I’d sent earlier. And they were only getting every other e=mail I was sending today, so I finally sent them from a different address and that seemed to do the trick. Now, it’s just a waiting game and I’m praying that it all works out, so do keep those excellent vibes and xylophones coming because it’s something you will all want. I worked at the piano for a while, then had to do errands, and somehow the day was already waning. And when it wanes it pours. I did a lot of organizing, picked up a package I was expecting, ate a big salad (with the aforementioned bay shrimp), and then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched two count them two motion pictures – one on TIVO and one on DVD. The first motion picture on TIVO was entitled Libel, starring Mr. Dirk Bogarde, Miss Olivia de Havilland, Mr. Robert Morley, and Mr. Wilfred Hyde White. I’d never seen it before, and while it’s no great shakes as a film, I still enjoy this sort of courtroom drama. The film, released in 1959, I believe, is based on a 1936 flop play, whose major point of interest is that it was directed by one Otto Ludwig Preminger. The film is well directed by Anthony Asquith and has quite a good score by Benjamin Frankel. It’s a bit convoluted and its plot is rather silly, but Mr. Bogarde is very good and its 100-minute running time went by quickly. I then watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Soylent Green, starring Mr. Charlton Heston, Mr. Edward G. Robinson, Mr. Chuck Connors, Mr. Brock Peters, Mr. Joseph Cotton and Miss Leigh Taylor Young as Mr. Cotton’s fetching piece of furniture. I remember liking the film well enough back in 1973, and I like it well enough now. It’s directed by Richard Fleischer and the screenplay (not so hot) is adapted from a book that’s a lot more serious in tone, Harry Harrison’s Make Room, Make Room. The film’s final classic iconic line is nowhere to be found in the book, nor is that final revelation’s relevance anywhere in the book. Mr. Heston is his usual stoic self, but the film is worth watching if for no other reason than to watch the wonderful Edward G. Robinson’s final performance (he was eighty-three). As always, he is wonderful, and his death scene is very touching, since he died not too long after shooting wrapped. Much of the film is downright silly, and it hasn’t aged especially well (check out that high tech futuristic video game Miss Young plays), but it’s still somewhat entertaining. The transfer is very good with good color, but is just a bit softer than it should be – of course, there are a lot of scenes with optical shmutz laid over them, so those sequences are very grainy, as they always have been.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we eat some Soylent Green, which, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo) is people.
Today is Friday and being Friday I have lots to do, most especially working at the piano and then doing a multitude of errands. I’m hoping this bout of feeling like I’m going to vomit on the ground passes by the time I arise in the morning.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye will be there, and I’ll be doing some early morning errands and whatnot until she leaves, and then the rest of the day and evening are mine all mine. Sunday morning I have a three hour music rehearsal with a couple of cast members, and we’re reading at least one potential General Mills during that rehearsal.
And then we begin official rehearsals – we have three during the week and then both weekend days, but not full days. I’m looking forward to getting the show back up on its feet with our new company of players.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, work at the piano, do errands and whatnot, sup (if my nausea goes away), and perhaps watch a DVD or three. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, three Japanese mini LP style CDs of Harry Nilsson – Skidoo, The Point, and Aerial Ballet, plus various and sundried homegrown soundtrack CDs, such as Bobby Deerfield, Rocket To The Moon, and others. DVD, not sure what’s next. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all run about like insane people, shouting “Soylent Green is people!”