Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle eating headcheese. In fact, I do believe we’re in the final week of June. Say what? Yes, June has busted out all over and is almost a thing of the past, 2008-wise. Yes, Virginia, the mind reels, and the Virginia Reels, as well. Say, why don’t we all do the Virginia Reel? I don’t know what it is, exactly, but it was quite popular with the populace in days of olde, and we here at haineshisway.com can bring the Virginia Reel back. I’m quite certain the youth of the world would be very into the Virginia Reel, aren’t you? As long as they could text whilst doing it, I think it could be the New Big Thing. Yes, one of you dear readers supply the exact instructions for doing the Virginia Reel or, at the very least, then Tennessee Twist, and then we shall all get up in our collective home environments and do it. Yes, today is Virginia Reel Day here at haineshisway.com. What the HELL am I talking about? Well, I’m talking about the Virginia Reel, that much seems clear, but WHY the HELL am I going on about the Virginia Reel, that is the larger question. I’m also trying to find out what the smaller question is, but no one is telling me. Speaking of the smaller question, yesterday was a strange little day. I woke up early, after having a strange little dream. I then did some strange little errands, after which I returned home and made several telephonic calls, after which I had an early luncheon with my pal, director Gordon Hunt. We hadn’t been to lunch in ages and it was quite nice to see him and catch up. He’s a wonderful guy, and I, of course, was as corny as Kansas in August, or Wisconsin in September. After luncheon, I returned home, did some work on the computer, made some more telephonic calls, and then it was time to go to rehearse with Mr. Kevin Spirtas. The other half of the act professed illness and wasn’t there, so Kevin and I went over everything, and worked on his solo material, and his half of the staging. It was not so great that the other half of the act wasn’t there, but we’re hoping he’ll be there this evening, and, better yet, get there early by an hour or two to run things with Kevin before I arrive. We shall see. After rehearsal, which lasted three hours, we went and had some food at nearby Marie Callender’s and I must say it redeemed itself a little – everything was very tasty and we were both happy with our meals. After that, I finally came home around nine-thirty and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture I’d TIVOd entitled The Crimson Kimono, a film of Samuel Fuller, a director and writer with a completely unique style. I really like that style and his films, which are quite unlike anyone else’s films – they’re not for everyone, but if you get on his wavelength, they’re very enjoyable. I’d never seen The Crimson Kimono – I liked it a lot. The opening five minutes are classic Fuller, as we see an aerial view of Los Angeles, California, USA, that then takes us down to Main St. and the gaudy lights and shops and then into a burlesque house where a stripper named Sugar Torch is doing her act. Afterwards, she goes to her dressing room, opens the door, and is shot at. She runs from the theater to the street and is shot dead right there. We then meet the two detectives on the case, Japanese James Shigeta and Glenn Corbett. Their search leads them to an artist named Chris, played by the delectable and really talented Victoria Shaw. Of course, they both fall for her, and the film, while ostensibly a murder mystery, also frankly looks at what it was like for a Japanese man to love a white woman. It’s all very blatant, as is Fuller’s wont, but Fuller has the courage of his convictions, and at the end Shigeta plants a big, romantic kiss on Shaw’s lips. The film has great photography by Sam Leavitt (all shot on location in downtown LA and Little Tokyo), and a good score by Harry Sukman. Well worth watching, if you get a chance, and yet another film that is mysteriously missing on DVD.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because we all must prepare to do the Virginia Reel – as soon as we find out what the HELL it is and how to do it.
Today, I have many telephonic calls to make and a few errands and whatnot to attend to, and, of course, I must do the Virginia Reel. Then, I’ll be heading over to our final rehearsal for this go-round, and hopefully everyone who needs to be there will be there and we’ll get done what we need to get done, so that when we reconvene in three weeks, I can concentrate on the pace and the performances.
TIVO alert – I’ve been informed that I, BK, will be appearing tomorrow evening on the Showtime network, on Penn and Teller’s Bullshit. I wrote of the experience of filming the bit we did, and I’ll be interested to see how it was put together. I’ve been told that Penn and Teller loved it (they are fans of the character I created and have done several times), and that everyone on the show thought it really funny. However, I don’t get Showtime so maybe one of you dear readers can TIVO it for me so I can see it.
Tomorrow is actually a clear day, so I can catch up on things, and attend to casting matters for the upcoming reading. I have several things on Friday, and then I’ll be supping with Mr. Barry Pearl and friends and seeing a production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change that his ever-lovin’ Cindy is producing.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands, make telephonic calls, and then rehearse with the boys. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all prepare to do the Virginia Reel.