Well, dear readers, why is it some people thrive on drama and chaos? I do not know and frankly I do not care. I can only say I thrive on calm and happiness and joy and I’m getting less and less patient with those who thrive on drama and chaos. We had some major drama and chaos yesterday and I must say I reacted rather poorly to it – next time it happens I will simply leave, but what happened was so stupid and so over-the-top that after initially biting my tongue I couldn’t any longer and I let go with a patented BK rebuttal. I shouldn’t have let it happen, but everyone who was present knew why it happened. It really takes a lot for me to go to that place, and normally I’m not the one who gets this sort of thing thrown at them (and believe me I’ve had many ranting telephonic calls from those who have borne the brunt), but the whole thing was so overblown and inane that I just allowed myself to be sucked into it. Never again. After a short time, I took the responsible party into another room and explained my position, after which things calmed down. Other than that, it was a nice day. We cast several more roles with very good actors. We also had a LOT of no-shows. After the casting session, I picked up some packages and then met a friend and her child at Islands in Encino. I had my usual Big Wave burger and fries and boy did it hit the spot. It is always hitting the spot and frankly the spot is getting rather tired of all that drama and chaos. After lunch, I finally came home, answered a ton of e-mails, had a long visit with our very own Mr. Barry Pearl, and then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled The Informant, starring Mr. Matt Damon. What an odd movie and one I totally could not get with. I liked the story (based on true events) but I did not like the storytelling, either script or direction-wise. In fact, the tone of the film is wildly uneven, as if the filmmakers had no idea if it was a comedy, drama, or spoof or what. A lot of that had to do with the score that the director asked Mr. Marvin Hamlisch to provide, which was basically a mirror image of his score to Bananas, which had obviously been used to temp the film. But what Bananas and its musical tone has to do with this film is anyone’s guess – all I can tell you is that it precluded me from getting involved or engrossed. I found none of the film funny, and felt it would have worked much better had it just told its story. Since that story is somewhat incredible and very interesting, the filmmakers should have trusted it and not made it into some would-be comic thing. Matt Damon did a good job as did most of the actors. The transfer was reference quality, but I found the sound mastered at a very low level (a problem with Warners titles in general) and I have to say the mix of the film was, for me, incomprehensible, with the music in the first half mixed so low it may as well not have been there. I also found the endless narration terrible.
After the movie, I did some work on the computer and then all of a sudden it was time to write Ye Olde Notes. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because drama and chaos wear me out and I wish to get a good night’s sleep so that I’m awake and alert for our final day of casting.
Today is our final day of casting and it’s a long one. I’ve got to get up extra early and get over to Office Depot to have another couple of book copies printed, and then I’m at the casting session until three-thirty. At that point, I’ll go back to Office Depot and pick up the copies, after which I’ll eat something fun, after which I will hopefully pick up a few packages.
Tomorrow is free until our private reading in the evening. I’m hoping that goes well, and then I think Barry Pearl and I will probably sup.
Saturday I’m hoping will be completely free from everything. If Grant Geissman is free, I may see if he’s up for creating the two eight-page photo sections for the book, to get that part out of the way. Sunday I will probably spend two hours with a film composer, listening to our potential project. If it’s up to snuff, I will move it to the faster than fast lane.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get up early, go to Office Depot, have a long casting session, go to Office Depot, eat, and then sit on my couch like so much fish. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Marvin Hamlisch scores (film and stage) and favorite Hamlisch songs? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all try to avoid like the plague all drama and chaos.