Well, dear readers, it’s the countdown to 2011. It is both mind-boggling and boggling-mind that 2010 is coming to an end. I’ll have my year end thoughts on Thursday or Friday – despite some hiccups and craziness, it’s really been an extraordinary year and I’m hoping that 2011 will continue the extraordinary part to new and wonderful heights. Meanwhile, this final week of 2010 is a light one and I’m enjoying it already. Oh, I’m doing year-end work and attending to details on upcoming releases for Kritzerland, but mostly I’m just enjoying the day and taking my time – I haven’t really done that much taking my time this year – and that’s fine because I’ve loved being so busy and the busy part has really been non-stop and starting January 1 I hope the busy continues all through next year. Meanwhile, yesterday was a day. She of the Evil Eye arrived at nine, then the helper and I did some shipping and organizing. Then I did some errands and whatnot, picked up no important envelope, which I was promised had been sent last Monday, but which is now into another week, which is problematic and troublesome – hopefully it will arrive this day. I also picked up no packages. I went to Hugo’s for lunch, which is now the most out of control place in the entire Valley – seemingly the only restaurant where people want to eat. At two-thirty it was jammed and there was a ten-minute wait. But I hadn’t eaten there in over a month, so I did my best grin and bear it – barely (or bearly). But I got one of the tables I like (the hostess liked me and boy was she adorable), and I had my beloved small Caesar salad along with my beloved pasta papa. I was quite full when all was said and done, and there was no food on any plate when I left. After that, I came home, did some work on the computer, had a few telephonic calls, a nice visit with Mr. Jon Burlingame, and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Dressed To Kill, a Brian De Palma film starring Mr. Michael Caine, Miss Angie Dickinson, and Miss Nancy Allen. Amusingly, in the making of documentary Mr. De Palma seems befuddled by the fact that the critics cried Hitchcock rip-off. Well, let’s get serious here – the film has so many Hitchcock references one simply loses count. It has the basic structure of Psycho along with several of that film’s plot points. That includes a leading player disappearing a third into the film, it includes a long psychological explanation scene like the one that ends Psycho, it includes an “homage” to Vertigo, its score is very Herrmann-like, and on and on. Whether it works or not is very much up to personal taste – but to be befuddled that people notice? No. The film was quite a success, but watching it today it’s really not that good. Oh, it’s entertaining on certain levels, but the dialogue is just grade B and the plot gets so silly sometimes you just sit there and scratch your head. A lot of the imdb raves come from people who were fourteen when they saw the film and of course it would impress a fourteen-year-old, especially a male, thanks to copious nudity from only female characters. Miss Dickinson thinks it’s the best performance she ever gave, and she’s certainly fine. Nancy Allen can’t do much with her role, Keith Gordon’s nerdy teen is tiresome and makes little dramatic sense, considering the tragedy he’s faced with, which you’d think affects him not one whit. Dennis Franz is a completely sleazy cop and his character also makes no sense. Michael Caine does what he can and he’s always fun to watch. The best thing about the film is Pino Donaggio’s score – even though De Palma clearly asked him to do Vertigo at times, Donaggio still manages to find his own voice. There are some long sequences that play without dialogue and those are fun but have been done better by Mr. Hitchcock. One imdb wag called these sequences “pure cinema” – as if he’d made up that phrase as he wrote. Um, no – that is Mr. Hitchcock’s phrase. The DVD, from 2001, is really not very good – I’m sure the film could look a lot better with a fresh, new transfer for Blu and Ray.
I then watched an animated film on Blu and Ray entitled Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. While I’d heard some of its songs (and recorded Winter Was Warm with Jodi Benson on A Hollywood Christmas), I’d never actually seen the show. Well, it’s delightfully delightful and a nice encapsulation of Dickens. Jim Backus’ Magoo voicing was one of the most inspired cases of matching voice to animated character in the history of animation. He is simply brilliant. I recognized Jack Cassidy’s voice right away, and there are other very good actors involved. The Jule Styne/Bob Merrill score is brief but effective and Winter Was Warm is a completely gorgeous song. The show runs a swift fifty-two minutes. The transfer is gorgeous and is highly recommended by the likes of me.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I need a really good night’s beauty sleep as we countdown to 2011.
Today, I’m going to see if Teddy is working this week – if so, I shall go get coiffed, for my hair has become quite unruly and unkempt and we cannot have unruly and unkempt hair. I’m hoping he’s there. Other than that, I’ll be writing some liner notes (getting a little ahead), doing some errands and whatnot, and eating something light but amusing and, most importantly, hopefully picking up the important envelope. And hoping that THIS week’s important envelope has been sent on time – wouldn’t it actually be nice to get the important envelope the week it’s due? What a change that would be.
Not sure what’s happening the rest o’ the week, although I am lunching with dear reader Jeanne on Thursday – this particular lunch is going to have to be more me-friendly in terms of location. And then on Friday, it’s our New Year’s Rockin’ Eve partay, and I’m hoping we will have a full house of hainsies/kimlets in attendance. Be there or be round.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Monkey, for today is the birthday of occasional dear reader Julie. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to occasional dear reader Julie. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OCCASIONAL DEAR READER JULIE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, call Teddy, I must write, I must hope an important envelope arrives and maybe even a package, I must eat lightly but amusingly, and I must watch a motion picture. Today’s topic of discussion: Continuing our best-of lists – what were your favorite TV show of 2010 – overall series, and specific episodes. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we countdown to 2011.