Well, dear readers, this week has flown by, like a gazelle doing an impression of Andy Devine. I mean, I don’t know if any of you dear readers have noticed, but May is coming to an end. How can we be almost six months into 2011? It just boggles my already boggled mind. But enough about my boggled mind and on to the notes. What a fascinating day it was yesterday, at least I seem to have a recollection that it was a fascinating day. I got a really good night’s sleep, but then had to hurry over to have an early lunch meeting at Aroma. As I was parking, I received a telephonic call saying Aroma was too crowded and we were meeting a few doors down the street at another jernt. As I walked by the too-crowded Aroma, where there was quite a long line, I just thought to myself that for a jernt to be that crowded pre-lunchtime it must be populated with nothing but out of work actors and writers and directors, all of whom like to be “seen” there. In that way, it’s rather like Schwab’s used to be. Once upon a time, Aroma was just a funkly little jernt and you could go there, get a pastry and a drink or a sandwich and it was never a problem, never overcrowded and always fun. Now that’s over.
The meeting went well and gave me lots of food for thought even though we didn’t have food. The meeting involved some discussion about the Kritzerland at the Gardenia events, but that’s all I can say at this time. But, as mentioned, plenty of food for thought. Thought always needs food – it’s rather piggish in that way. Thought especially likes a good cabbage soup with flanken. Flanken – that’s a nice Jerry Lewis word, isn’t it? Let’s all put on our best Jerry Lewis voices and say “Flanken.” On the count of three: One, two, three – FLANKEN!
After the meeting, I went to the mail place and picked up quite a nice number of packages, and then I not only needed food for thought, I needed food for my tummy, so I moseyed on over to Mo’s and had a nice Chinese chicken salad and some sweet potato fries. Then I came back to the home environment.
The Kritzerland designer popped by to pick up some material for upcoming releases, and then I went to the garage and lugged in my 16mm projector, for a 16mm print had arrived and I needed to view it. Our next project involves a film score to a film that’s never been out on home video in the United States. This was one of those films that was made overseas, bought by an American company, had five minutes of its running time shorn and had its score replaced by another composer. The original version was out on DVD in France and I bought it, but it was in French with no subtitles and its original score, so it didn’t really do me any good. Then a pan-and-scan faded print came up on eBay last week really cheap and I used Buy It Now.
So, I threaded up the projector, which I hadn’t used in over fifteen years, and watched the film, pausing it and listening to the raw tracks from the score, trying to match things up, which was not possible. You see, the composer wrote his score – it’s on the tapes by reel, in order. But the music editor decided to just use the music however she so felt, and therefore it’s just all weird and edited and filled with repeated cues. So, I’m leaving it in the order that the composer wanted. It took about two hours to watch, with all the stopping and starting and it tuckered me out. But I can now write the liner notes and know what I’m writing about, and I also created the track titles, a couple of which made me laugh out loud.
After that, I put on the DVD and skimmed through it, just to see what the five minutes was that was cut (mostly from the very beginning of the film). By that time, it was already nine o’clock and therefore there wasn’t time to watch a motion picture on Blu and Ray, although I did watch the first ten minutes of Grand Prix, which looks stunning. I was too too tired to do any more writing and I am really behind now, but I should have time to begin both the contextual commentary for next week’s Gardenia show and also the liner notes. I’m sure I can find three hours on Saturday to do the work on the screenplay I’ve been neglecting.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really must get to bed and get my beauty sleep, for it’s a very busy day tomorrow and it starts early.
Today, I shall be up bright and early and also early and bright. Mr. Jason Graae will be over and then we’ll go to my engineer’s house to put the final touches on the CD. We do have to replace two sung notes that for some reason were distorted – can’t have distortion. Otherwise, we’re just doing some patter editing and then that will be that. After that, I have to pick up some tapes at the MGM vault, I have to eat something, and then we have our second Gardenia rehearsal, which I’m looking forward to. After that, I’m sure I’ll need to sit on my couch like so much fish.
Tomorrow, I really must write. I also have to get over to Mystery and Imagination Books (was supposed to do that yesterday but ran out of time), to give them copies of the new book and to book the signing for some time in June. Then I have a three o’clock work session with the thirteen-year-old, after which we’ll be going to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles to celebrate her daddy’s birthday. Sunday, I’m still waiting to hear about the meeting, but I think I’ll be able to lunch with dear reader Jeanne at some point.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, finish a mix, pick up tapes, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, eat, and have a rehearsal. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, Mulholland Falls, which I cannot stop listening to. Blu and Ray, Grand Prix and lots o’ other stuff. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland having food for thought.