Well, dear readers, it is late and I don’t feel like writing these here notes, which is sometimes the case after writing nineteen pages in two days. I just sit here like so much fish and words do not wish to come out, and yet I must write these here notes because if I don’t there will be chaos in the world or at least Studio City, the home of my weary bones. So, here I sit without a clew as to what I should be writing about. However, that’s never stopped me before so on I shall go. Speaking of go, yesterday was a pretty good day. I got up and did the long jog and then left she of the Evil Eye to her own devices. I dropped off a bunch of material to my designer for the next Kritzerland release, which is replacing the recently canceled release and replacing it as quickly as is humanly possible. All I will say at this time is that the CD will contain two scores by two of my all-time favorite composers. After that, I went directly to the home environment of my friend, Mr. John Scott, a wonderful composer of motion picture scores. Mr. Scott has just finished (after five years) his first opera, a chamber opera. We had a lovely chat and then played me some of it, which I thought sounded wonderful, even just hearing it on piano. Eventually, we’ll chat about whether we think it’s something that I should direct, but for now I’m just a fan and am looking forward to reading the rest of the libretto this week. After that, I picked up a couple of packages and then came home, a little later than I expected. I then wrote five pages, went back and fixed a few things, then took a nice hot shower. After that I wrote three more pages, and then it was time to toddle off to see a motion picture entitled The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Last night, I saw a motion picture entitled The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a motion picture starring Mr. Brad Pitt and Miss Cate Blanchett, directed by David Fincher and written by Eric Roth from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I found it to be a very interesting film, but far from perfect. I really enjoyed the first third and the final third, but found the middle a little flabby. I got tired of the occasionally pompous narration, too. But it’s an interesting picture, and Mr. Pitt is very good in it, and I’m not much of a fan. He is especially impressive as the older Benjamin and the special effects are pretty amazing. I’m not a huge fan of Miss Blanchett either, but her work is fine, as well. The score by Alexandre Desplat is quite lovely, but, like most film scores today, it sort of sits on top of the film, instead of getting under the skin of the characters and the story. It seems that producers today have no notion of what film music can and should do, and they think that music should be like a blanket over the whole film. If you look at any film of old with a classic score, you’ll see how composers used to be able to give whole new layers to scenes by providing subtext and nuance. But those days are over for now, but I’m ever hopeful they’ll come back. As a listening experience away from the film, the score is nice and soothing and pretty. David Fincher is a little too in love with CGI and being clever, but he’s one of the better of today’s directors, and I was especially pleased that he left several long sequences without underscore. The film looks terrific, and there’s actually some blue in it, which I always appreciate. Bottom line, I enjoyed it.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below before I completely run out of words.
Today, I shall write one or two pages to finish the chapter I’m on, then I’ll print out the fifty or so pages I wrote this week, Xerox them and get them to muse Margaret for her approval and thoughts. I may or may not do the long jog – I’ve done a week straight so I’m ready for a day off, just not sure if it will be today or tomorrow. I have to drop by a birthday party at a nearby eatery around one, but I shan’t stay too long. I then have to type up my notes on the reading we did the other night – hoping that won’t take more than an hour, and then the rest of the day and evening are mine all mine.
This week is filling up and looking to be fairly busy although perhaps not as busy as last week. I have several meetings, I’m seeing a couple of films at the DGA, and I’m having some work sessions, as well as continuing to write every day.
And now, let’s put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora and the Hokey Pokey, because today is the birthday of our very own Pogue. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own Pogue. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN POGUE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write a page or two, print and Xerox pages, deliver pages, attend a birthday lunch, and type up notes. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I go rest my weary bones.