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August 26, 2011:

PLAY IT AS IT LAYS

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, it’s been a long, been a long, been a long, been a long day – oh, a Frank Loesser reference, especially apt as it was, in fact, a very long day and also because we’re doing a Frank Loesser evening for the next Gardenia show. It was one of those days where I basically never stopped doing and going and also going and doing. The first doing was paying a large Kritzerland bill, then shipping Deevorce, Eyetalian Style. I then did the four-mile jog, after which I had a lunch meeting with Juliana A. Hansen’s boyfriend – he’s doing a cabaret act in November and wants some help. I don’t really have time to do his act in the way I normally do, so I’ll just be helping him structure it, help with patter, and get the thing on its feet. After that, I picked up a couple of packages, and then it was time for a work session with Vicki Lewis and Joan Ryan. That went well. I then finally connected with a cameraman who happens to be a camerawoman and she’s going to do next week’s show. So, that was a huge load off my mind – now we just need a sound person and she’s working on that. Prior to booking her, I’d called yet another potential camera person and a sound person – neither of whom could be bothered to return the message and neither of whom I will ever work with because who needs that crap? Not me. I have quite a list of people who are too busy to give the courtesy of response and should the opportunity arise, I wouldn’t work with any of them. What a world we live in. When I was just starting out and young in the business, I would have never not returned a message about a potential job. But sadly we’ve devolved and I guess the youngsters think – well, I don’t know what they think or how they were raised, but whoever is doing the training or the raising is not doing the right thing by these folks. And that’s all I’m saying about THAT.

I then made a few changes to the booklet of our new release and then approved it. I’ll announce it here at midnight tonight. I have to say it was really hot all day – going outside was like stepping into a sauna bath. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD – these came from a company that sells many rare things that have never been officially released. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled A New Leaf, a film by Elaine May, starring Walter Matthau, May, and a whole slew of great character actors. Somehow, despite being a big fan of Miss May, I’d never seen this, her debut film as a director. Reports are that she was trouble for the studio – her cut apparently ran three hours and she refused to show it to the studio (Paramount) that bankrolled the film – that, after spending ten months in the editing room. Robert Evans took the film away from her and cut it down to about 108 minutes. Miss May was disMAYed but the film received excellent reviews, which helped it not one whit at the box-office, where it died a quick death. I was really happy to finally see it after all these years. While it’s a little uneven, it has some truly inspired and fall out of your chair laughs – Miss May has a unique sense of humor and there are scenes in this film that border on brilliance, comedy-wise (one scene with a Greek nightgown had me laughing so hard tears were coming out of my eyes). Matthau is terrific as is Miss May, who is just so odd but so endearing. The score is credited to Neil Hefti on the imdb, but the music sounds nothing like him. The DVD was an open matte transfer, but quality was quite good.

I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Play It As It Lays (which I believe was made the year after A New Leaf) – this was another film I’d missed and always wanted to see. I like the director very much (Frank Perry) and I’ve always loved Tuesday Weld, who gives a really good performance. Anthony Perkins is excellent as a movie producer, and there’s good work from Tammy Grimes, Ruth Ford, and lots of other character actors. It’s a strange film (I haven’t read the book, but the screenplay is co-written by Joan Didion, who wrote the novel), and there’s not anyone you really ever care about, and the whole thing just sort of plods along, with lots of disjointed editing and no musical score, which I felt was a mistake. Still, I always enjoy a Hollywood yarn – but it’s not a film I ever need to see again. Transfer was anamorphic and decent. I also have several other rare films to watch, including Richard Quine’s W (with Twiggy) – I haven’t seen that since the day it came out, and Color Me Dead with Tom Tryon (a remake of DOA, which I also haven’t seen since the day it came out), and a few others like that.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must really try and get a good night’s beauty sleep.

Today, I must do an early four-mile jog before the temperature hits 100, then I’m having an early lunch with my former helper, after which I will hopefully pick up a package or three and an important envelope. Hopefully I’ll have good news regarding a sound person, too. Other than that, I’m going to try and relax a little bit.

Tomorrow we may or may not have a work session, then I’m meeting some film score enthusiasts at a sushi place for a few minutes, and then I may see a film – we shall see. If the work session doesn’t happen tomorrow it will definitely happen on Sunday.

Why don’t we all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, why don’t we all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, why don’t we all dance the Hora or the Wah-Watusi, for today we have us two birthdays to celebrate. The first birthday to celebrate is our very own beloved dear reader Jrand. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own beloved dear reader Jrand. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BELOVED DEAR READER JRAND!!!

Our second birthday to celebrate is our very own beloved dear reader and pianist extraordinaire, dear reader Jose. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own beloved dear reader and pianist extraordinaire, dear reader Jose. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDYA CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BELOVED DEAR READER AND PIANIST EXTRAORDINAIRE, DEAR READER JOSE!!!

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, I must lunch, I must pick up packages and hopefully an important envelope, I must hopefully have good news about a sound person and I must try and relax a little. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, still catching up on lots of soundtracks. DVD, rare films. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall play it as it lays.

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