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July 15, 2011:

A MAN’S GOT TO DO WHAT A MAN’S GOT TO DO

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, what an interesting time I had in the clean-up room at the lab. Unlike the initial clean up, I was asked to be there for this. I thought they did a great job getting most of the lines and stuff out, but I felt the first twelve minutes of the film could use some more clean up and that’s what we were there for. The first thing he did was to remove some of the white speck negative dirt from the main titles and the opening three shots (before you actually get into the office scene). It really helped, I think. It’s still very grainy and all, but the specks aren’t as bad now. It’s very interesting how they do the initial pass – you see the scene and the software identifies all the little white specks by turning them green, removing them in the process. We then watch it back and by gum and by golly and buy war bonds if most of them are not gone. Criterion regularly does this to their transfers, but to a much bigger extent (they brag about it in each and every one of their booklets). Then, after that pass, the engineer goes back after the larger gouges – there weren’t many but it looks so much better without them. The image doesn’t get tampered with, either. Then we watched the entire office scene. We only did random shots before the musical number – maybe two. Then we did nothing at all until after the number, where the first ten-minute reel is joined to the second ten-minute reel. They were able to clean that up really well (and it really needed it) and even fix the bad sort of hiccup that the image had going from reel to reel thanks to a poor negative splice. It’s still got a teeny-tiny hiccup but it’s much better now. And that was it. It took ninety minutes, so I saved a half-hour. I also talked to a guy about subtle grain removal and sharpening, just to get his opinion. He said they could show me some stuff they’ve done – before and after – but that’s an expensive process and I wouldn’t be able to do it anyway, and all I’d really do is the first fifteen minutes. But the guy I was talking to is a huge fan of Nudie and he loved the way the transfer looked because it’s the way he remembers the film. And that’s as it should be, I think, so I believe I’ll be signing off on this today. Then it’s on to the authoring phase, but that won’t happen for a few weeks. Meanwhile, we’re at 68% on the Kickstarter campaign, so please spread the word and kick some people into coming to Kickstarter.

Prior to the clean up session, I met with the helper, who is finally back from her vacation. We had a lot of stuff to go through, and then she found the music I needed. After that, I had an hour to kill so I went to Paty’s Coffee Shop and had a BLTA and potato salad – I must say I was very taken with their potato salad and had an extra helping.

After the lab, I picked up no packages and one bill. Then I did some errands and whatnot, after which I came home. I answered e-mails, had telephonic conversations, and then a few singers came and got their CDRs and music. I think this is going to be an interesting cast – three of our cast members are completely new to me. I then had to do some writing, I proofed the packaging and sent it off for approval, then did some more writing, did the four-mile jog, and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish because I needed a little break.

Last night, I watched a motion picture I’d TIVOd in high definitions entitled Hondo, starring Mr. John Wayne, Miss Geraldine Page, Mr. Ward Bond and lots of others. I’d never seen Hondo until the DVD came out – I liked it then and I like it now. It’s nothing monumental, but I just like the characters, their relationships, and the gorgeous photography and music. I’d love to see it in three dimensions someday, which is how it was originally shown. The oft-used line from the film “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do” isn’t really in the film at all. It’s close, but the line is completely different in the film (“A man ought to do what he thinks is right.”). Just like “Play it again, Sam” isn’t actually said in Casablanca. In any case, I enjoyed it and best of all it was barely over eighty minutes.

Then the helper came back and we did some more stuff – she came back to a huge number of orders because of the double release, and both CDs arrive on the same day, so it’s a ton of organizing. And we had to be very careful that the first 100 orders that came in would be getting the signed copies.

After she left, I realized I’d probably only eaten 1000 calories for the day, and I’d burned off 400 of those – not enough and I was really starving. So, I went to Gelson’s and got some Campbell’s chunky chicken noodle soup (the whole big can is only a couple hundred calories), and I had that and some pickles, then an apple and some cherries.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I still need a really good night’s beauty sleep and a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, so play it again, Sam.

Today, I must write, I must do a four-mile jog, I must hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, I may go to the lab to see some before and after demonstration, I must attend a little Improv show that the thirteen-year-old is doing, after which I’ll have something to eat. Then I come home, a couple of people are stopping by briefly, and then I toddle off to see 1776, which features one of our Gardenia singers and a guy who arranged my comp so I could see his performance as Benjamin Franklin.

Tomorrow, I am on the fence about giving my dough to the Hollywood Show cretins. The two boys who run it now truly are scum and I just don’t feel they deserve anything from me, and I truly hope that because of the freeway situation here that their show completely tanks. The ONLY reason I’d go is to say hello to Gregory Harrison, but I just can’t in good conscience support these ASSES in any way. We’ll have a rehearsal in the afternoon.

Sunday, our Kickstarter campaign comes to a close and I’m praying a successful one. It’s not looking all that good right now, but I’m ever hopeful. Then I have to see some singer at Vitello’s, and it will be a good time for me to scope out the room and how we’re going to use the stage, just to make sure all the moves I’ve given work. I’m hoping next week will be slightly less frantic, but I’m sure it won’t. I do have to get a haircut for sure.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, do the long jog, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, maybe go to the lab, see an Improv show, eat, then see 1776, which I haven’t seen on stage since I saw it on Broadway in 1969. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, trying to catch up on about 100 CDs that are piled up here. Blu and Ray, I’ll finish Damnation Alley and then choose something fun and hopefully good. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland because a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do and yes, play it again, Sam.

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