Well, dear readers, this week has flown by, like a gazelle doing a half gainer. Not a whole gainer, mind you, but a half gainer. Of course, if the gazelle was named Mitzi, then the gazelle would be doing a half Gaynor. What the HELL am I talking about? Don’t I have notes to write? Don’t I have things to talk about, things to discuss, points to make, all whilst doing a half or whole gainer or Gaynor? I do and I shall, not necessarily in that order. The first thing I’d like to discuss is a sensitive topic, but discuss it I shall because I think there has been of late some ire on our discussion board because of all the political discussion. Political discussion, is, I suppose, okay (it doesn’t really interest me all that much), but every time it happens here at haineshisway.com things get volatile, people get offended, things become heated and not in a good way, and I’d like to soft pedal that stuff – discuss if you must, but please keep it nice and easy, like the Sinatra song. We have people on both sides of the political fence and when I read some of the political posts, well, they just get a bit too heated and strong and sometimes border on the offensive. One of the things I love about our board is its diverse points of view and how they can be presented with an even Howard Keel – did Howard Keel ever do a half Mitzi Gaynor? But lately, some points of view have been presented in not so nice a way, even though I don’t think they’re really meant that way. So, I’m just asking for sensitivity from everyone on this issue, so that people aren’t driven from the sight because it gets so thick in here with the rhetoric. There, I’ve said it and I’m glad. Where was I? Oh, yes, the half gainer of Mitzi Gaynor. Speaking of Mitzi Gaynor, yesterday was a perfectly okay day. I got up early, did the long jog, had the annoying but brief telephonic conversation (which was indeed brief and not all that annoying, which was nice), and then I attended to some errands and whatnot. I did lots of work on the computer, and had two really long telephonic conversations in addition to the one I’d already had. I’ve agreed to help a singer with her act – she can’t really afford my fee, so we agreed on a number and I won’t be spending too much time doing it. And I spoke to my choreographer, Adam Cates, discussing Nudie Musical. After all that, it was time to join my pal, Mr. David Wechter, for dinner.
We supped at the new Studio City Jinky’s. We split an order of Buffalo wings (four each), and I had a barbecue chicken sandwich, which was small but excellent. I also had a teeny-tiny side salad with Balsamic vinaigrette. As happens these days, a meal that would only have seemed like an appetizer ten weeks ago, completely filled me up. I think I was fine, calorie and fat-gram-wise, especially having done the long jog. We went over our Brain contract, and there were only three tiny things that need adjusting, and I’ve now sent those to the powers that be, so I’m hoping we can wrap this up in the next week or two. We then discussed Nudie Musical. David really liked the adaptation, but had several thoughts and questions, and we went over all of them. At the end of it, I asked him to come on board to do any changes we agree on for the book of the show. I just feel some of his notions were good and I’m too close to the film and would feel more comfortable with him writing them, and me finessing them. He’s checking his schedule, but it really won’t take all that long, and he thinks he’ll be able to do it. If so, we’ll go through the script and figure out exactly what new material will go where, figure out if we need to cut a few pages to make room for it, and all that sort of stuff. Some of it involves keeping a couple of characters alive in the second act. In the film, people come and go, have their moment, and never really do anything again – in the stage version, David feels, and I agree, that we need to give them a few things in act two. It’s not that major and I think it will help immeasurably. After dinner, I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching The Young Girls Of Rochefort. I really do love this film, and its last ten minutes, when all the plot strands come together are some of the most magical in all of cinema, and I never cease to be very moved at the final shot of the film. As I said, the transfer is, at times, very pleasing, but mostly it’s too soft in the medium and long shots, and it just shows its age and should be redone. Also, and I’m not sure if this is true of the French DVD and the American DVD, the music cuts off abruptly when the end titles finish – it’s supposed to keep playing over black. I then watched two count them two things I TIVOd, both part of The Men Who Made The Movies series on TCM. The first was a program devoted to director Sam Fuller. What a character he was. The program is mostly a great and amusing interview with Mr. Fuller, and there are a lot of clips and interesting narration by Sidney Pollack. The second was a program devoted to Howard Hawks. Again, happily he was put on film before he died, talking about all his movies and how he did what he did. He’s fun to listen to, but his man’s man persona is a little tiresome at times. Still, it’s nice that these programs exist.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst doing a half Mitzi Gaynor.
Today, I shall have a pretty light day doing pretty light things, like doing the long jog, a few errands and whatnot, and relaxing. Tonight, I shall be supping with the Jones’s – we haven’t done that in ages and I’m really looking forward to it.
Tomorrow, I must get up really early to do the long jog and then we do our first LACCTAA event this year – The Barbara Deutsch Approach. I’m really looking forward to this event, and I wish that some of our West Coast lurkers and dear readers were attending, as I think they’d love it. But since I haven’t had any RSVPs from anyone on this here site, I guess they just don’t want to. We should have a really nice-sized crowd, probably around 80 to 100 people, at least that’s what it looks like right now.
I’m not sure what I’m doing on Sunday, but hopefully not much of anything. Oh, I’ll probably watch a few DVDs, but I think that’ll be about it.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, do errands and whatnot, relax, and then dine with the Jones’s. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, The Fortune Cookie and A Walk On The Wild Side. DVD, not sure what’s up next. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all do a half Mitzi Gaynor while keeping things on an even Howard Keel.