Well, dear readers, some days are simply about shipping. Yesterday, for example, was one of those days. Shipping was what yesterday was about. Shipping. In other words, we shipped. We shipped a LOT of CDs. Shipping is what we did. It began at nine when many boxes of Carrie arrived. And it continued until almost three – that is because not only did we have to ship out 1200 Carrie CDs (many of which went to one dealer, but 400 of which were packages we had to ship), we also had to ship out Bukowsical CDs. We got everything done – or rather the helper got it all done – I basically sat there like so much fish until about two, at which point I had to do some stuff. The postal office, with their usual efficiency, never showed up to do the pick-up – we’ll be having harsh words with them this day. They are, in a word, unbelievable. So, the helper had to take it all to the post office and drop it off, and then drop off the big boxes at the UPS Store. I did some errands and whatnot, and picked up the errant and truant package from amazon France – finally. It seems to have taken a circuitous route – normally everything I’ve ever ordered from them comes directly to the mail place. This package seems to have gone to New Jersey to an amazon hub, where I believe it sat for a week. If this is the wave of the future, amazon France will be getting no further orders from the likes of me. Then I did a mile and a half jog. I then toddled off to meet a soundtrack collector and his lovely wife at the Hollywood and Highland California Pizza Kitchen. They’d also invited a composer named Sharon Farber and her husband. Both ladies were quite pregnant, and both are expecting girls, I think. It was a lovely meal with good conversation and I even signed the insert from this fellow’s Nudie Musical DVD. I had a great time, and then I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Les Yeux Sans Visage (Eyes Without A Face), a French movie from France, directed by Georges Franju, and starring the incandescently beautiful Edith Scob. This movie is one of my favorites and I’ve written about it on this here site several times. It is the most poetic of horror movies and Miss Scob’s performance, which is almost entirely played with a mask on her face, is extraordinary and one of the most haunting performances I’ve ever seen. We see her face only for about seven minutes but she’s stunningly beautiful. Basically, the film is about the daughter of a doctor and surgeon – she’s tragically disfigured in a car accident (I believe he was the cause), and now he is trying to graft a face on her, because her face was destroyed, save for her lips and eyes. His lover and loyal assistant coerces young girls to come to the house, where they are drugged and soon have their faces removed (a very graphic scene for 1959, let me tell you). The direction of Franju is brilliant and the score by Maurice Jarre is, for me, one of his greats. The Blu-Ray is from France but is all-region. Why they would go to the trouble of making it all-region and then not include English subtitles is an enigma wrapped inside a conundrum, or vice versa or even versa vice. Luckily, I’ve seen the film at least five times and I know the story well enough that it was really fun to watch it without any subtitle distractions. This came out on DVD from Criterion and it was a pretty okay transfer for its day – but this new Blu-Ray is stunning – an absolutely perfect transfer in every way. You could not ask for a more stunning black-and-white image – it’s a textbook on how to do a transfer. If you’ve never seen this film, it is highly recommended by the likes of me and the Criterion DVD can be easily found. In fact, the first person to drop me a line can have mine for five bucks.
After that, I listened to some music, did some work on the computer, and gathered information for the liner notes I must now write. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below now that we’ve had the shipping news and other torrid tales.
Today is non-stop for me. I have a breakfast with Mr. Kevin Spirtas, I have a lunch two hours later, and then I have a dinner and show – Miss Leslie Uggams in a one-woman show at the Pasadena Playhouse. I’ve heard it’s quite entertaining, so I’m very much looking forward to it.
Tomorrow I am seeing some show and having a belated birthday dinner, not necessarily in that order. I also have to finish liner notes, and finish prepping two CD releases so the packaging can get approval. I also got the good news that the three UK cast albums I mentioned the other day have cleared and we’re definitely doing them early next year, hopefully by the end of January. I think all three will make show collectors very happy.
Sunday will be more of the same, prepping releases-wise, and I hope to get some relaxing done and to catch up on some movies and music. Next week is very busy – masters to listen to, packaging to complete, a rehearsal with Linda Purl and Gregory Harrison, and meals and meetings.
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 (with curry), let’s all dance to the musical number from Gumnaam, because today is the birthday of our own Bollywood Boy, MBarnum. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our own Bollywood Boy, MBarnum. On the count of three – one, two three: A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BOLLYWOOD BOY, MBARNUM!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a breakfast meeting with Kevin Spirtas, a lunch, and dinner and a show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, various and sundried soundtracks from various and sundried labels. Blu and Ray, next up David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and then three Frank Borzage silent films, none of which I’ve ever seen. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, now that we’ve had the shipping news and other torrid tales.