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October 3, 2009:

BK AND THE HOLY GRAIL

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, it is finally the weekend and in the nick of time. I have just had seven days in a row without a break, so I really need today and tomorrow to relax and clear my head so that I can be alert and with it and happening for all the stuff that’s coming up starting on Monday. I’m hoping that since there’s an open house tomorrow next door, that the oafs will finally be finished, and this time for good. I’ve also been staying up very late for the last few nights, watching motion pictures in the bedroom, said motion pictures that we’re issuing the soundtracks for. So, I’m a little overtired and an overtired BK is not a pretty sight. Yesterday, I got up early, did a two-mile jog, and then finessed the new liner notes and sent them to the designer. I then did several errands and whatnot, and then went to Hugo’s, where I had some macaroni and cheese and a Caesar salad, whilst doing some work. I’ve been enjoying my little solo lunches and work time – I find it very pleasant. I then picked up some mail (no packages), shipped some packages, did another errand, and then came home. I then had to create track titles for our upcoming CD, which consists of two complete scores. So, I had to create track titles for both films. Doing the second film first wasn’t too hard, but I was also creating a little editing road map for the mastering engineer, so it really took a while to get it all right and make it clear. I then had to sit with the DVD of the first film and go through it so that my cue titles matched what was happening in the film. That was actually fun, but it took a really long time because I’m very methodical – and I had to do a new editing road map for that, because I moved some things around. I didn’t finish until almost five o’clock and frankly I was completely zonked. I sent all that stuff off, and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture entitled Die Hard, starring Mr. Bruce Willis, Mr. Alan Rickman, and Miss Bonnie Bedilia. I saw it when it first came out and enjoyed it, but hadn’t seen it since. Watching it again after twenty-one years (!) was fun – it’s still enjoyable and the pace is terrific. It’s interesting that it takes over twenty minutes to set the plot in motion, something that would not happen if it were made today. The action scenes are very well done, and it might even be a classic were it not for some incredibly bad writing of some incredibly bad supporting roles – especially the newscaster, the police chief, and most egregiously, the character played by Hart Bochner, an actor I’ve enjoyed but who here gives a perfectly awful performance, as if he were in a high-school play. Perhaps that’s the way he was directed – certainly he gets no help from the writers. Michael Kamen’s score is quite good, and Mr. Willis is at his best, as is Mr. Rickman, who is a very droll villain. The Blu-Ray is a little less than stellar – not quite as sharp as the best Blu-Rays, and with some weird anomalies. Despite the picking of nits, a very enjoyable film.

After the film, I put on my CD refs of an upcoming project, the Holy Grail project I’ve been talking about. The first of the two titles sounded incredible (dry, but we’ll take care of that), and it’s the one that’s my Holy Grail. I have wanted this score since the day I saw the film and that was over forty years ago. The score is wonderful and I can’t wait to sequence it (I have a DVD of the film on its way to me – it was never actually released on DVD, but I found someone who transferred it). The score is longer than I remembered, too, although there’s some source music that I’ll have to decide how much to use. It’s all by the composer and it’s all good, but using too much will really break the mood of the score. The second title is also wonderful musically, but there are some problems with it – several cues have really bad wow and flutter, which renders them almost unlistenable. But the good news is there’s almost seventy-eight minutes of music (again a lot of source cues, some of which are great), so there’s plenty there to make a terrific representation of the score. I still don’t know if we’ll get both on one CD or if we’ll have to go to two – either way is fine, although if it has to go to two the cost of the CD will probably go up from $19.98 to 23.98 – no way around it since the manufacturing cost almost doubles. This is a very expensive project but there’s no way I’m not doing it. It will also most likely be the first limited edition we do that will be 1500 copies. Anyway, color me excited, especially about the first score. The composer is one of my favorites, and these are two of his best (neither has ever been released before, so they plug two major holes in his album releases).

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it is almost time to post these here notes and then I must go to bed and watch a little of another movie for which I’m thinking about doing the score. It’s a strange little movie that I think some of you dear readers like, and it has a score by a composer who only did a handful of film scores, but he’s someone I really like. But, we’ll have to see. Not sure it would sell very well. Where was I? Oh, yeah, click away.

I really can’t express how fantastic it is to be doing this Holy Grail score. Forget Monty Python, this is BK And The Holy Grail. In fact, this year has been pretty amazing, putting out scores I’ve loved for years and years. Who knew?

Today, I shall just not do much of anything – maybe listen to some CDs, maybe take a drive in the motor car, but that’s about it. Then this evening, there is the possibility that I’ll be supping with Mr. Cason Murphy and his ever-lovin’ mom, Miss Karen, along with our very own dear reader Jeanne. I’ll know in the morning, but if we do it, we’ll be supping at Genghis Cohen. I’m hoping it happens.

Tomorrow, I may have to start addressing packages (and there are a LOT to address), but that depends on whether Cason is available. I’d actually prefer to do it on Monday or Tuesday if he can come in the afternoon. It usually takes about two hours to get it done and get the postage on them.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, I must relax and smell the coffee or the roses or the shoe polish, and then I must hopefully have a fun supper. Today’s topic of discussion: What is your Holy Grail film score release – something that’s never been out before that you would just love to have more than any other? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we marvel at the fact that we’re releasing one of my all-time Holy Grail scores.

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