Well, dear readers, vacation still hasn’t started, but I feel today might just be the day. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, today might just be the day. But let me jump ahead for a moment, if I may, because I simply must talk about the motion picture I saw on Blu and Ray last evening. I had heard nothing but great things about this motion picture, which is entitled Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Board postings were unanimously favorable and adulatory, and the handful of reviews I saw were also raves (although I later found a few pans, too). Of course, I immediately distrusted everything I heard because, as you dear readers know, I cannot stomach the tripe that most movies today are, especially the big blockbuster ones. First of all, I really loved the original Planet Of The Apes film. What some call quaint today was hardly quaint back then – what it was back then was fresh and fun and a huge audience pleaser, and a film loaded with terrific performances, good writing, excellent direction, and a great score by Jerry Goldsmith. The subsequent sequels got sillier and sillier, but that original film, even today, is wildly entertaining. Of course, the kiddies who go to movies today think everything has to be reinvented for them – well, rebooted I think they call it – because they simply do not have the ability to view a movie made in the 1960s in the context of when it was made. They think those ape masks are silly – they sure weren’t silly back then – they were kind of state of the art back then. And, of course, when the new kiddies of 2040 look back at today’s CGI-infested films, they will deride them just as this generation derides anything that is out of their sphere of knowledge. It is to laugh.
So, I was skeptical in the extreme, but still wanted to see it for myself. So, last night was the night. And within the first five minutes I was sucked in and remained sucked in till the very last credit. This is one that got everything pretty much right. The story is fun, the performances are good, and the lead ape, Caesar, is a wonderful creation and gives the film a real center. Yes, it’s by the numbers, but it doesn’t show like most films. And because the film has some real emotion, it all just kind of works in very surprising ways. John Lithgow is wonderful as a man suffering from Alzheimer’s. James Franco is not the most charismatic of actors, but he’s real and he spoke up, so that puts him way ahead of most of the mumblers who call themselves actors today. In fact, my only criticism (and it’s not that big a one) is the score – clearly Patrick Doyle, who is a very talented composer, was given a temp-track to listen to and emulate, and while he’s come up with a Doyle version of that, it’s still too much thumping for my taste, with rising and falling musical patterns but never a tune – heaven forbid we should have a tune. And Mr. Doyle could have given us one had he been allowed. This is all conjecture on my part, but it’s conjecture based on the way things are today in the film business. If the composer doesn’t ape (pardon the pun) the temp-track exactly, his score is thrown out and replaced by one that does (sometimes they even license out the temp stuff). In any case, that’s a minor nit to pick, and I just had a grand time with this film and unlike others of its ilk, this is one I can return to a couple of times. The transfer and sound are exemplary and this is highly recommended by the likes of me.
Other than that, it was a pretty nice day overall. I got up – that was pretty nice overall. I then answered e-mails, the helper came and dealt with more invoices (we’ve been getting twenty or thirty a day and want to get everything shipped out before she leaves for a week), and then I was on my way to lunch with dear reader Jeanne. It was a lovelier than lovely lunch and we chatted and caught up and I got to hear about the stock market, which I enjoy hearing about but would never enjoy partaking of. After lunch, I headed right back to the San Fernando Valley. I did some banking, picked up a couple of small packages, one of which had one less item than it should have, so I let the shipper know that, then I came home. I had some work to do on the computer, then Jane Noseworthy came by and picked up her music. Other cast members will be here today. I also got the big Do shopping out of the way – I know have everything I need for the doing of the Do, so that’s one less bell to answer today. So, other than being here to give singers music, and other than paying the last of this year’s bills, and other than hopefully picking up some packages and an important envelope, I believe the rest of the day is mine all mine. But more about that in a moment.
Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get my beauty sleep.
You know, I don’t think my true love gave me anything this year – no geese, no partridge in a pear tree, no calling birds, no French hens or even Eyetalian hens, no turtle doves, no nothing. I can’t imagine what my fershluganah true love is thinking. Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep. Then the helper will come and do the last of the invoices – any that arrive from here on in won’t ship until the third of January. Then I will definitely do the four-mile jog, after which I’ll just do a few errands and whatnot and hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope. Then three of our singers will be here at various times and that will be that. I’ll eat something at some point, and then if I feel like it I’ll head over to the DGA around four-thirty to get my good seat for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. If I don’t feel like it, you will find me sitting on my couch like so much fish.
Tomorrow, of course, is the Day of the Do – I’ll be cooking all the livelong day – making the famous BK spaghetti sauce and the famous BK tuna pasta salad. At six people start arriving. As always, I have no idea who is and who isn’t coming – that part is always a surprise, but I never care if it’s five or thirty – it’s just always a good time. I do know that ten people are coming for sure. And they’re coming with big appetites.
Sunday is Christmas day – for the first time in a few years I will not be attending Cissy Wechter’s Christmas Day partay. Mostly I really hate driving on Christmas Day and she lives quite a distance, and there are other reasons I don’t want to go. So, I’ll stay home, watch movies and eat whatever leftovers are leftover – and I’m sure I’ll do the jog as well.
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 do a few errands and whatnot, I must hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope, I must eat, I must give singers music, and, if I feel like it, I shall see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Today’s topic of discussion: What is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, too many to list. Blu and Ray, Fright Night is up next, to be followed by many, many others. DVD, more Maigret. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall roundly castigate my true love for being a putzette.