Well, dear readers, for the first time in over twenty years, we’ve had a pressing problem on a CD. It appears that some copies of The Man Who Would Be King have a skipping problem, with most occurrences of said skipping happening on track four, with some isolated problems on track one. I’ve talked to the pressing plant – they played the master, which was fine, so it’s probably some problem that happened at some point during the pressing. Some people are having no problems at all. I played three copies in two different machines without incident. I’ve heard from several people who’ve had no problems at all. So, we don’t really know how big the problem is yet, but the plant assures me they’ll do what they need to do. It’s going to get a little complicated because there will be postage and shipping containers (for just the disc) and I’m certainly not going to pay for that. Additionally, I don’t have the time to deal with shipping them out, so they’ll either have to pay for someone to come help do that or, ideally, I will simply forward the addresses of people who need replacement copies. I know other companies have had occasional hiccups like this, so I guess I’ve been very lucky that in the course of pressing hundreds of thousands of CDs over the years there has never been a problem like this. I spent a lot of my day dealing with that issue. I had to stay home until Mr. Gas Man arrived to install a new meter – he was very good, and didn’t leave until we ascertained that all pilot lights were lit and working. When he finally left, I then went and grabbed a sandwich and fries, then did some errands and whatnot and picked up one solitary package, and not one of the ones that are now very errant and truant. I then came home and began doing the questions for Gordon Hunt, and also did some other work I needed to do, as well as shipping out four new orders. I also began prepping for our announcement on Monday of the new Kritzerland title – we’ll announce here tonight at midnight. After all that, I really needed to sit on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on DVD entitled An American Dream, a film I hadn’t seen since the day it came out. Back then, it was certainly one of the weirdest movies I’d ever seen and it remains so even now. Everything about the film is odd, from its overwrought screenplay (from a novel by Norman Mailer), to its direction, to its cast – Stuart Whitman, who is a very odd leading man (antihero doesn’t begin to do his character justice), Eleanor Parker naked for most of her performance (and those with a good remote control will see more of Miss Parker than you would have thought), and giving a performance as if she were auditioning for Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, plus a wonderful array of supporting players, including Lloyd Nolan, J.D. Cannon, Barry Sullivan (the latter two trying to see who can yell louder), and scads more. And a very odd performance by Janet Leigh. The one redeeming feature of the movie is the marvelous score by Johnny Mandel, which features the song A Time For Love. The transfer, off a print, is fine, with nice color. I then watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Broken Embraces, a film by Almodovar, starring Miss Penelope Cruz. I run hot and cold on Almodovar, loving some of his films, and finding others a bore. But Broken Embraces is a winner all the way, one of his best films. The actors are great, the very Douglas Sirkian story is excellent, and the Almodovar style is wonderful – fluid direction, great production design and costumes. This is highly recommended by the likes of me. The transfer is great, as is the sound. I’ll be watching this again soon.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because frankly I’m exhausted from dealing with the skipping King problems.
Today begins with a two to three hour work session. After that, I just have a couple of errands and whatnot to do, and then the rest of the day is mine all mine. I suppose there is a chance we’ll do our next book session in the evening, but I won’t know that till later in the afternoon.
Tomorrow, of course, we have our first LACCTAA event, a Q&A with Gordon Hunt. Please tell all your LA friends to come – this particular event is free and it will really be fun. After the event, I’m not sure what will be happening. It depend whether we’ve done the book session – if we haven’t then it could happen then. I’ve also been invited to dinner at neighbor Tony Slide and Bob Gitt’s home environment and I’m on hold with that until I know about the book session.
Sunday is a full day – a signing at the paperback show, and then directly to a three-hour recording session to do a couple of songs for a demo for the long musical.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, try to do a jog, I must do a work session, I must do a few errands and whatnot and then I must hope to do a book session. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start: CD, a non-skipping Man Who Would Be King and also Morricone’s marvelous score for White Dog. Blu-Ray, next up is The Princess and the Frog, which I’m very much looking forward to. And, of course, more episodes of Adam 12. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst you please send excellent vibes and xylophones for only a few skipping King CDs.