Well, dear readers, you can fool some of the people some of the time, you can fool some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Or, to put it another way, you can fool all of the people except some of the people, some of the people being the ones you can’t fool. You can also people some of the fools all the time, but that’s another story for another day. All that by way of saying that last night, I saw a highly touted motion picture entitled The Master, which is living proof that you can fool some of the people but not all of the people. There were many reasons I wanted to love this film. I like some of the actors, what I’d heard about the story seemed interesting (about self-professed “master” who starts a thing called The Cause – similarities to certain people and “religions” will be very obvious), and I’ve enjoyed parts of other Paul Thomas Anderson films. But that’s the thing: I’ve never enjoyed all of a Paul Thomas Anderson film – I liked half of Boogie Nights, some of Magnolia, none of Punch Drunk Love, and I absolutely loathed There Will Be Blood. But, ever hopeful, I paid my twelve bucks and went to the Cinerama Dome to see the first film shot on 65mm film in sixteen years. Let’s talk about that first. It’s not scope, it’s 1.85 – that doesn’t happen often with 65mm (Tati’s Playtime is 1.85) and it’s not that thrilling. Did it look spectacular, as it should? No. And I’m sure that’s the fault of the Dome, which simply has never had great projection. There were times when it looked fine, but just as many times when it rather looked like a blow up from 35mm. I’m sure it looked much better at the DGA or the Academy, where the projection looks fantastic. And the film? Yes, there were some good scenes – three or four of them, mostly between the two leads, Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The latter is good, the former is just the kind of performance I don’t like. Yes he’s intense and unlikeable and “real” and, like Daniel Day Lewis, I just don’t respond to it at all. I know it’s what people really like, but, you know, I’ll take James Stewart or Cary Grant or Jack Nicholson any day of the week. And any number of others. Amy Adams comes off best, simply because she’s simple and her choices are subtle and excellent. But, for me, the film fails for any number of reasons – there’s no real plot, the thing just sort of goes from scene to scene, and there’s no real point of view about anything – just scenes presented and then new scenes presented. At the end, it’s over. You don’t feel for anybody, you don’t really know anything about anybody. I’m sure it works for some, especially the kids who think it’s high art (just as they did with There Will Be Blood), but while it has its moments, for me it just didn’t work. I’m sure it will make a splendid Blu and Ray.
Prior to that, I’d had a very long day filled with endless things to be taken care of, but I do think I got it all done, or almost all done. I got up early, had an early two-hour rehearsal with Juliana, which was fun and detail oriented. We stopped and started a lot, but all the little movement stuff works well. We made further adjustments to the patter, adding a laugh here and there and tightening elsewhere. By the time we got to her final two numbers I knew the patter leading into each was way too long for that point in the show – so we cut both speeches in half and it’s much better now. After the rehearsal, I went to work sorting out all the details for next week’s shoot. We are now almost fully cast in terms of leads – I’m just waiting for final confirmation from one gal – but for the two episodes we’re shooting, our cast includes Hal Linden, Euan Morton, Jane Noseworthy, Sharon McNight, Jenna Rosen, and Sami Staitman, plus our ensemble. I got everyone’s schedules worked out and today I’ll be assigning the shoot times and getting everyone their information. The cast all has scripts, music, and tracks to work with.
Then I went and picked up one teeny-tiny package, and there are now two packages that are errant and truant and hopefully they’ll arrive today. Then I happily got approval for the title we’re announcing on Monday (whew!), approved another master, watched a little bit of Lawrence of Arabia on Blu and Ray and it is, in a word, spectacular, then Doug Haverty came over and we went to Casa Vega and I ate my beloved beef taco and two cheese enchiladas. Then we went to the Dome, parked, and killed some time at Amoeba.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall have a very busy day. Hopefully, I’ll hear back from the one actress we’re waiting on and hopefully the news will be good. Then I have to write the blurb, prep and eBlast, have a work session doing some arrangements with our musical director, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, eat, and then comp six more vocals.
Tomorrow is just making sure everything is set for the shoot, catching up on other things, and then maybe having a nice dinner. Sunday is a Juliana rehearsal, then comping the last of the vocals, then seeing a nightclub show. And next week is just going to be insane, but hopefully fun insane, as I rehearse daily with Juliana, then shoot on Thursday and Friday, and after both shoots rehearse with Juliana in the evening.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora and the Pony, for today is the birthday of our most beloved dear reader Laura. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our most beloved dear reader Laura. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR MOST BELOVED DEAR READER LAURA!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a blurb, prep, have a work session, hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope, eat and comp vocals. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, you know what, Blu and Ray, The Trial to finish, then Ed Wood. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall only fool some of the people some of the time.