Well, dear readers, I am full of pasta, penne to be exact. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you read such an opening salvo as that? Nowhere, that’s where. Even though I ate an early dinner, I am still full of pasta, penne to be exact. Why did I skip right to the dinner part? I just skipped over the entire day, meaning yesterday, since today is today. I guess it’s because I am full of pasta, penne to be exact, so that is what I’m thinking about. In other words, a penne for my thoughts. We don’t allow groaning here at haineshisway.com. Speaking of haineshisway.com, yesterday was a day of ups and downs and also downs and ups. I got up, did the long jog, had to have an unpleasant telephonic conversation, then did the two annoyingly annoying errand, which were, thankfully, brief. With those out of the way, I worked on questions for the Karen Morrow workshop on Saturday, and I saw various cover choices for the new Kritzerland limited edition CD. I chose the one I liked, and then we tweaked it and I’m very happy with it. I’m hoping to announce the title in the next week and a half, perhaps even a teeny bit sooner. That took up most of the afternoon, that and some telephonic calls and a few errands. I had no mail at the mail place, and one piece of majorly annoying mail at home – that piece of mail made me so angry that I promptly shredded it and threw it in the trash, where it belonged. Then I went over to Louise’s for my early dinner, and to proof the LACCTAA newsletter. I did so, found some things to fix, and I’ll give it a final once-over tomorrow night at around eight, and then it will be printed. I hadn’t been to Louise’s in a ‘coon’s age, and it was quite yummilicious. I had the half portion of Louise’s Original Salad, and a half portion of the penne Bolognese, which was out of this or any other world. They’re now doing half portions of all their main pastas, which is a good thing. There is no way with my new shrunken stomach that I could have eaten the full portion, and even the half portion filled me to the gills. After dinner, I came home, did some more work on the Karen questions, and I also began writing the notes for the new CD. Finally, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled $ (Dollars), starring Mr. Warren Beatty, Miss Goldie Hawn, and Mr. Gert Frobe, written and directed by Mr. Richard Brooks. Somehow, I’d missed this film when it came out, which is unusual since I like its stars and director. I know it didn’t do very well at the box-office and I’m not sure how it fared with critics. I’d say that there’s half a terrific heist movie, and I mean really terrific. The first thirty minutes are spent cross-cutting between various people and stories, which is too long to do that sort of thing. When we finally know where we’re going, then things start to work really well. The heist itself is great and the final chase sequence, which runs an astonishing twenty minutes, is also done very well. The problems with the rest of the film mostly have to do with tone, as if Mr. Brooks couldn’t make up his mind what sort of film he was making. The attempts at comedy fall completely flat, and Miss Hawn’s character (in the writing and the playing), is so irritating so much of the time that it really hurts the film. Mr. Beatty is charming, as always, and Gert Frobe has a good time as a bank manager. There’s also an appearance by the terrific German actor, Wolfgang Kieling, who was so memorable in Torn Curtain as the secret police member, Gromek. The score by Quincy Jones is quirky and works for the film, but at 120 minutes, it’s just a little too long. Cutting some of the annoying Goldie footage would have helped. Still, I love a good heist movie, and if you do there’s plenty to enjoy in $. The transfer is nothing to write home about, although I did write home about it, and home just didn’t seem to give a flying Wallenda. It’s just a little dark and muddy-looking, but maybe that’s the way it looked back when they made it.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I am still quite full of pasta, penne to be exact – penne for your thoughts.
Today, I have more writing to do on the CD notes, I have to finish writing Karen questions, I have to do the long jog, I have to do errands and whatnot, I have to have a three-hour work session, then I have to find something amusing and calorie-friendly to eat, and then I have to go give the final once-over for the LACCTAA newsletter.
Tomorrow is the Karen Morrow musical theater master class. We’re hoping that everyone who’s RSVPd will show up and I think it’s going to be a terrific afternoon. After the class, which will go two hours, we’ll have a forty-five minute Q&A. Then in the evening I’ll be attending a dinner party.
Sunday is mine all mine and I intend to keep it that way. Next week is looking pretty busy with various and sundried meetings and meals and work sessions and, of course, the daily long jog.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, finish writing questions, work on CD notes, have a work session, eat, and do a final once-over on the newsletter. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – DVD, next up is The New Centurions. CD, the new three CD set of El Cid, a terrific re-recording of the Rozsa score, and Morton Stevens’ score to One Man Jury, which is also a lot of fun. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we and don’t forget – a penne for your thoughts.