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September 15, 2011:

HICCUP

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I hate hiccups and we’ve had us a doozy on the Nudie Musical Blu and Ray, so we’ll need your strongest and most excellent vibes and xylophones for a happy conclusion. It’s all rather silly and I am prepared to make the change that we’ll have to make if necessary, but I’m really hoping we don’t have to. It all concerns the documentary. When I made the deal for the DVD and VHS, I was offered an advance – instead of taking it I simply told them to use it to pay for the documentary. They then credited that dough against my royalties as any advance would be. What I never noticed until two weeks ago was that they’d put a copyright notice at the end of the documentary. When I noticed it, I called the authoring place and explained that they really shouldn’t have done that and that since the contract expired in 2009 that everything, content-wise, reverted back to me. That guy understood completely. I asked if we should just remove it, but because there was music tied to that card it was going to be very awkward and we’d ultimately lose the two shots that followed it. So, he felt I was safe to leave it and we left it.

So, the disc is ready for replication. But they notice the copyright notice and immediately ask me to provide paperwork saying it’s mine now. Of course, there is no paperwork – I don’t believe the documentary was even mentioned in the original contract, and the original contract is almost ten years old now and I have no idea where it might be buried. So, I wrote them a letter of indemnification, which completely lets them off the hook. That wasn’t good enough, however, and they want something official from the company. No one is there who was part of this, save for one guy – and who knows if they even have the paperwork anymore on a title they no longer have anything to do with. So, I called a former employee of the company who actually did the deal. He gave me some phone numbers and people to talk to and didn’t think there’d be a problem. I called and left messages for both, and wrote one of them on Facebook. That was at one in the afternoon. I have not received any returned calls or e-mails. I have no idea if I will and even if I do I have no idea if they’ll be willing to just sign off on it, since they probably won’t remember a thing about it. I can’t wait indefinitely, so we’ve redone the sleeve and will re-author the disc to eliminate the documentary, if need be, which we hope we won’t have to do. The authoring guy is really trying hard to get them off their position and I told him if they want to draw up something with even more legalese for me to sign, indemnification-wise, that I’d be happy to sign whatever they give me. This is really going to gum up the works in terms of me having the Blu-Ray for the Ray Courts show in Chicago because it would take at least a week to get all this redone. I suppose there would be a slight chance. Again, it’s all so silly, but we’ll see what happens today and if I hear from anyone. Perhaps no one actually goes into his office anymore, otherwise I cannot imagine why I wouldn’t get a response.

I spent a lot of my day dealing with the hiccup. Other than the hiccup, I had to get up early and do a little recording session at my engineer’s home environment. Melody came over and we fixed the lyric she flubbed and added the one line she forgot in one of the set-ups. It was easy/breezy. She left and then I recorded some dialogue – that went very quickly, too. Then I came home, did the four-mile jog, had a bacon cheeseburger with no fries or onion rings, got the good news/bad news call about the hiccup (the good news was the check disc of the actual pressed Blu-Ray was in – I checked it and it’s all fine and hopefully we will be able to use it rather than having to redo it), picked up some packages and yet more bills (what else is new), never got to the bank (which I must do today), and finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Citizen Kane, co-written, directed by, and starring twenty-four year old Orson Welles, along with a rather incredibly incredible supporting cast. The film itself remains a marvel of construction and has obviously been oft imitated by lesser talents. The direction, camerawork, script, acting, score – all perfect. But aside from the fact that one is watching a bona fide masterpiece and classic, it’s also a wildly entertaining film with astonishing scenes and sequences. The new transfer is far and away the best this film has ever looked, probably since its original release. The camera negative is lost to time, and they used a nitrate element that has yielded a wonderfully rich image with great contrast, wonderful detail, and excellent mono sound. It blows the previous DVD out of the water – that transfer was, in fact, hideous – washed out, too bright, and totally scrubbed of all film grain. So, if you love the movie, this Blu-Ray will make you very happy.

I also watched the documentary entitled The Battle For Citizen Kane, included in a DVD that is definitely low-def. It’s a very good, if not quite great, documentary. I’ll also watch the cable movie RKO 281, probably this evening.

I also taped a radio show with our very own Mr. Donald Feltham. We had quite a bit of fun and I do reveal some interesting things heretofore unrevealed, so tune in on Sunday. For those lurkers, you really should never miss one of our radio shows – Donald is the best, and ours is the longest-running DJ’d Broadway radio show in the history of the Internet.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it’s late and I’m exhausted from the hiccup and I need to get some beauty sleep.

Today, I must get the four-mile jog done early, then at noon Alet arrives for a work session. After that, I have a little meeting regarding a potential soundtrack project. I have banking to do, errands and whatnot to do, picking up packages to do, and I must hope for a happy conclusion to the hiccup.

Tomorrow, I’ll probably be working with the editor to fine cut the first two episodes and look at his first cut of the third episode. Then I’m seeing a screening in the evening. Not sure what’s happening on Saturday, but Saturday night I’m seeing a play by our very own Mr. Doug Haverty. Sunday something is happening now but I can’t remember what – hopefully I will remember so I can write it down. Oh, just remembered – a long work session with Mr. Grant Geissman.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a four-mile jog, I must have a work session, I must do banking and errands and whatnot, I must have a meeting, I must find time to eat something light but amusing, and, most especially, I must hope for a happy conclusion to the hiccup so do send your most excellent vibes and xylophones and send them often and strongly. Today’s topic of discussion: Cookies – what are your favorites, what’s the best cookie you’ve ever had, and share some fun cookie recipes. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I hit the road to dreamland where all hiccups shall hopefully right themselves and disappear.

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