Haines Logo Text
Column Archive
April 21, 2011:

BRASS TACKS

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, it was another non-stop day and today looks to be the same, so since I don’t get to stop, I may as well get right down to brass tacks or, at the very least, aluminum tacks and get these here notes written because I must be up very early because helper and CDs are arriving and we have a lot of shipping to do. First of all, let me say that I got a swell and necessary good night’s sleep with some mighty peculiar dreams involving some mighty peculiar people – peculiar in that they were in the dream at all, since I never think of these people. I got up, answered e-mails and did some work on the computer. Then I went out and got a sandwich and onion rings, then picked up a couple of packages including two auction catalogs – one for illustration art, which is now completely out of control thanks to this one auction house who within one short year has managed to do what no one else has ever been able to do – make illustration art highly collectible and now very VERY pricey, even the stuff that shouldn’t be. Of course, that’s good for me because I have quite a bit of illustration art and I just watch those prices appreciate and I appreciate the appreciation, baby, let me tell you that. The other catalog is a Hollywood memorabilia catalog and it, too, is out of control and really outrageous. Even the silliest stuff has values pegged at over a thousand bucks – I mean stuff you wouldn’t have been able to get ten bucks for a decade ago. The big item in that catalog is the original Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang car – it’s got an auction value of $1,000,000 to 3,000,000. Uh huh. Right. And there’s a full hand-written score to Willy Wonka that has all the song arrangements and the underscore all in Walter Scharf’s hand (he wrote the underscore and did the song arrangements), signed to Mel Stuart, the film’s director – price tag? Over 10K. Uh huh. Right. In fact, Mr. Stuart has put up quite a bit of his memorabilia – I’m sure someone told him about this auction group and he couldn’t wait to get in on it. That’s how all this stuff comes up – they hear about these outrageous prices, are told they can do as well, and voila. In fact, the next auction from these folks is completely a Debbie Reynolds auction – all of her stuff that she’s collected over the years.

After that, I buckled down, Winsocki and wrote my second set of liner notes and got that package information prepared and sent to the Kritzerland designer. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish and finished watching Mr. Ken Russell’s film of The Boy Friend. While lovers of that show were none too please with what Mr. Russell did to it, I have to say that back when I first saw it on opening night at the Picwood Theater in Westwood, I was thoroughly entranced by it and went back about five times during its run, each time equally entranced. I fell head over heels in love with Twiggy, and I just adored the entire cast, including Glenda Jackson’s wicked cameo. I thought the choreography was incredible, and Tony Walton’s sets were some of the greatest ever put on film – they had such wit and imagination. And the camerawork of David Watkin was like watching a gorgeous IB Technicolor print. Little did I know that about twenty-five years later I would be producing an album with Twiggy, and that she’d become a great friend, and that I’d record her again in the off-Broadway show If Love Were All. And little did I know that I’d become good pals with Tony Walton. And little did I know that the film I was seeing had been cut by thirty minutes. It would be over a decade till I finally saw the uncut version – oh, I’d heard the cut numbers but I was just longing to see it all.

Funnily, when I did see it, it was a bit disappointing to me. Maybe if I’d seen that version first or even seen it on the big screen I would have felt differently. But I felt that at least half the cuts they’d made were very wise – the film just seems bloated at the longer length. I wish they’d found some intermediate length, say two hours even. Well, The Boy Friend is finally on DVD thanks (or not) to Warner Archive in what is called a “remastered edition.” That term is being bandied about just a little too loosely I’m afraid. While the transfer is adequate in most ways, it is most certainly not adequate in its color. Simply put – too much damn brown and yellow, which is what happens when an integrative loses some of its color. The film still has color and some of it looks bright, but it’s not correct. The flesh tones are way too pasty and it occasionally looks like the cast has jaundice. And in the outrageously colorful sequences, the colors don’t stand out from each other as they once did. There is no dazzle. Had they actually done a teeny bit of work in the telecine room it could have been much better – I’m talking about the twisting of a couple of knobs to put less yellow and brown and more blue. That’s all it would have taken. The sound is unexceptional, too, which is a shame. I must give special praise for the absolutely fantastic arrangements and orchestrations of the brilliant Peter Maxwell Davies. They are pure magic. So, I can’t recommend the transfer, but if you love the film, get it anyway and just know that it could look 100% better had it had correct color.

I then spent the next four hours watching an hour and forty minute film. That was because we’re doing a release of its soundtrack, so I sat with the music cue sheet and figured out how they’d put the previous CD (long out of print) together and logged the cues that were missing from that CD, or taken out of order. Now I have to decide whether to do a film sequence complete or to leave the original album sequence, which I’m quite fond of, and use the additional cues that were left off that CD as bonus tracks. What I’ll do is put it together in strict film sequence and see how I respond to it as a listening experience. That will tell me if there’s too much repetition or if it plays well.

Then I went to Gelson’s and got some junk to snack on and that was the end of a non-stop day. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get down to brass tacks and get as much beauty sleep as I can before another very long day occurs.

Today, helper and CDs will arrive bright and early and we’ll get everything packaged up and shipped out and there’s a lot to ship. After that, I’m told I have to have one of the rear tires on the motor car replaced – it seems a little odd to me since I’ve only had the car for about sixteen months and the car had had very little use prior to that, but better safe than sorry. Then I have errands and whatnot to do and packaging to approve, but I’m hoping by three everything will be done so that I can finally get some relaxation and watch The King’s Speech.

Tomorrow is more of the same and the weekend there’s stuff to do, as well, including attending an Easter dinner. And I have to make sure everything is ready for our double announcement on Monday morning – I’ll try to give the haineshisway.com announcement tomorrow at midnight.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, package and ship, I must get a new tire, I must do errands and whatnot and hopefully pick up a package or two, I must eat something light but amusing, and I must begin prepping our double announcement. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Ken Russell films? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I get down to brass tacks and hit the road to dreamland.

Search BK's Notes Archive:
 
© 2001 - 2024 by Bruce Kimmel. All Rights Reserved