Well, dear readers, I’ve been saying for ages now that the movie industry has reached its nadir and is artistically bankrupt. And I’m still saying it – every time I see a big-budget studio film (with very rare exceptions) I can’t help but marvel at the banality on view, the screenwriting 101 scripts, the flavor-of-the-month by-the-numbers direction, and the mumbling, boring acting. So, every time I see something made that’s actually good I really feel the need to mention it strongly. Pixar continuously makes interesting and excellent films. The Germans come up with some terrific movies, especially The Lives of Others. The French still have it, although there is a disturbing trend of late where they’re quite obviously trying to emulate the trendy styles of American films. The Swedish The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was very good. And then there are the American independent films, most of which are just lower-rent cousins to big-budget studio film and are barely better. It’s really amazing when something that has a fairly low budget gets made and ends up being a terrific film. I watched such a film last evening – it was called Chloe and it was directed by a director I’ve never really cared for, although, that said, I’ve only seen two of his other films – his name is Atom Egoyan. His direction of Chloe is classical in the best sense of the word – it’s elegant, beautifully shot, and feels like a real movie. There’s not one shaky-cam shot, not one quick edit, not one mumbled line. It has a real movie score by Mychael Danna. There is no real CGI to speak of (some matte paintings, according to the credits). I was not predisposed to like it being that it’s a remake of a barely seven-year-old French film called Nathalie. I haven’t seen Nathalie, but I cannot imagine it working better than this film, although I’m going to see it this weekend – it does have a good cast with Gerard Depardieu, Fanny Ardant, and Emmanuel Beart. But the Chloe cast is terrific – Liam Neeson, Julieanne Moore, and a really good performance by Mamma Mia’s Amanda Seyfried. It’s advertised as an erotic thriller, but that’s the usual publicity department’s need to categorize it for idiots. It’s not so much a thriller, and while some of it, I suppose, could be perceived as erotic, it’s not really that either. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, in fact, so I’ll just say it’s highly recommended by the likes of me. The Blu-Ray transfer is excellent. So, there are still good movies being made – you just have to find them and they’re usually off the beaten path. Have you ever beaten a path? Why do people continue to beat paths? What did the path ever do to them to elicit such treatment as a beating? I say let’s stay off the beaten path – let’s leave the beaten path alone so it can lick its wounds and be a healthy path. What the HELL am I talking about? Don’t I have some notes to write?
Yesterday was another nice day. I will say that summer has finally arrived in Los Angeles, California, USA – it must have been in the high 90s yesterday. I got up around nine, answered e-mails, printed out a few orders, and then did a two-mile jog. I’m going to force myself to do this regularly from now on – maybe not seven days a week as I was doing it, but certainly at least four. After the jog, I went to lunch at Mo’s and had my beloved Chinese chicken salad, which was yummilicious. Then I stopped at the mail place, where there was one tiny little package waiting for me. After that, I came home, where I spent the next four hours doing cue titles, revising my edit road map, and writing liner notes for our next release. For some reason, even though this is a fairly short score (around thirty-six minutes or so) it was very difficult to put together and get right. But, it’s done now and I will hear it when it’s finished being put together – I may end up doing some minor adjustments, but I’m hoping not. After all that, I did another half-mile jog, sat in the hot tub, and then watched Chloe on Blu and Ray.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I feel this section needs to get off the beaten path and move on to a path that hasn’t been beaten.
Today I should actually be able to relax a little – I have some writing to do, some errands and whatnot to attend to, and hopefully a package or three to pick up. And then I have a dinner to go to.
Tomorrow is a work day with the helper – we have to do a bit of paperwork and organization and then we’ll do a Costco run (haven’t done one in about two months) and a few other things. On Friday, I have a lunch with the gal who took my favorite headshot, the one that adorns the back of my book. I’m going to ask her to do a new one – I’ll have Teddy do my do and if anyone can make me look good it’s this gal.
On Saturday I now have a lunch with a film composer, and then I do a phone interview for a local LA radio show. So, that should be fun.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, I must do a little writing, I must do some errands and whatnot, I must hopefully pick up a package or three, and I must sup. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all stay off the beaten path.