Well, dear readers, it’s a funny thing about expectations, isn’t it? When you have them and they are not met, then there is bound to be disappointment. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, if you have expectations and they are not met there is bound to be disappointment. Therefore, wouldn’t you assume that the logical and simple answer to this conundrum is to not have expectations? After all, if one doesn’t have expectations then one cannot possibly suffer disappointment. This is my mantra, of course, but it’s amazing to me how many people fall for having expectations and having said expectations causes them nothing but grief and disappointment when whatever the expectations are are not met to their satisfaction. Frankly, I find it very annoying to deal with people who have some sort of made-up expectations and expect you to somehow comply with them, even though you may not even know what the HELL they are. So, I say to HELL with expectations and I say to HELL with spinach. Yesterday, Mr. Leslie Nielsen passed away after a long and wonderful life. I had the pleasure of directing him in my second film, The Creature Wasn’t Nice, and I talk about that experience at length in my latest book. He was a gentleman, hilarious, weird, and one of the nicest people on the forbidden planet. Interestingly, he was not our first choice for the movie, but when Richard Benjamin, who’d accepted the role, decided he’d like to co-direct the film and if that couldn’t happen, not be in it, we moved along. All the Airplane actors were mentioned, but I knew Leslie was perfect the minute his name came up, because he’d basically played the straight version of the character I wrote when he did Forbidden Planet. And perfect he was. While the film never quite found its potential in the editing room and its subsequent releases, the dailies were always a laugh riot, and mostly thanks to Leslie’s droll playing. When I think back on doing that film with that incredible cast – Leslie, Cindy, Patrick Macnee and Gerritt Graham – well, what a time that was. I saw Leslie about a year ago at one of those celebrity signing shows and he remembered me right away and we had a nice chat about how much fun we all had during filming. Surely he will rest in peace, and don’t call him Shirley.
Yesterday was a kind of relaxing day, which was nice. I slept till about nine-thirty, got up, and answered some e-mails while heating up the home environment. Then I went and had some eggs, bacon, and a bagel, after which I came directly home. I then spent the next couple of hours writing my contextual commentary for Wednesday’s Gardenia show – I had fun doing it, and I’m hoping my one little performance bit in this show will have its intended comic effect. Yes, Virginia, I, BK, have a tiny, non-singing performance bit. I heard from Mr. Bruce Vilanch who will be here to rehearse on Tuesday and will also rehearse at the sound check on Wednesday, so that will be fine. Other than that, I just read a little and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a silly motion picture entitled Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, the 1990s redo of the 1960s Gamera film. Watching a giant flying turtle does have its pleasures, the 1993 film is short, to the point, and even fun. The script (if one can call it that) merely jumps from point A to point G to point R without pause – just action with the most perfunctory of plots and characters. The transfer is quite nice and the effects are classic Toho man in a turtle suit, which I quite enjoy. The Blu and Ray disc also includes the sequel, Gamera 2, which I’ll watch next.
After that, I just listened to some music and fooled around on the Internet. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, not that I have any expectations that anyone will do so, and therefore I will not be disappointed if someone doesn’t. They will be, though, because they’ll miss out on the handy-dandy second section.
Today, I shall be up bright and early and the helper will help – we have some packages to ship and we have to start prepping the packages for both Bukowsical and Carrie – and there are a LOT of orders for the latter. After that, I’ll eat something amusing, and then we have our second rehearsal – hopefully everyone will be on time and it will go very smoothly. Not sure if I’m doing anything afterwards or not.
Tomorrow I have many errands and whatnot, and then we have our stumble-through rehearsal with our complete merry troupe of players. I always look forward to that. Then Wednesday we have our sound check and then show. It seems we have some nice reservations already, so hopefully we’ll be full.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up bright and early and also early and bright, I must ship packages and prep packages (this is our first try at doing everything online, including printing address labels rather than hand-addressing – pray for Rosemary’s Baby, baby), I must eat, and I must rehearse. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Leslie Nielsen performances? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, but with no expectations.