Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle tweezing its eyebrows. Does anyone still tweeze their eyebrows? I’ve never tweezed mine. I just looked at my eyebrows and the first thought that came to mind was – why? Why is there hair above each eye and why is it in that shape? One theory is that the eyebrow was created to stop sweat and moisture from going directly in the eye socket. Of course, wily sweat and moisture can go between the eyebrows, sidle down the top of the nose directly into the eye socket. And I think we all now how wily sweat and moisture can be. Another theory is that they’re there to strengthen visible emotions like anger and fear and wry amusement or even rye amusement. For example, the arch of an eyebrow can speak volumes. But let’s face it – it’s very clear, eyebrows are here to stay – not for a year, but ever and a day. The Gershwins knew from eyebrows. So, if two of the purposes of eyebrows are as listed above, then why do people tweeze then into other shapes, why do people use eyebrow pencil to darken them, and most importantly, in this horrifying day and age in which we live why do people who remove all vestiges of hair from parts of their bodies they should not be removing all vestiges of hair from think it’s fine to have hair above the eyes. I mean, if we’re going to be silly about these things, just get rid of that damn hair above the eyes. But can you contemplate the human face without eyebrows? That just gives me the willies, frankly. Why the HELL have eye just spent an entire paragraph talking about eyebrows? Do highbrows have eyebrows and conversely do lowbrow have no brows? What the HELL am I talking about?
Yesterday was a day in which I did things that needed doing. I was up at nine, turned on the heat, and went back to bed, working on the iPad until the home environment heated up. Then I answered e-mails, had some telephonic conversations, did some benefit work on the computer, and then went and had a cup of chicken corn chowder and a ham and Swiss on rye with no fries or onion rings. After that, I picked up a couple of packages, then came home. Amongst my e-mails was one that sent me reeling and one which really raised my eyebrows – auction results from the Heritage movie poster auction. Once upon a time, I had a huge movie poster collection – over a thousand items, including some incredibly rare stuff. I have photographs of many of them, but when I got into collecting original art, I sold off almost all of the collection, including what was one of the largest groupings of foreign posters around – both country of origin posters and foreign posters for American films.
In my last house, just prior to starting to collect illustration art, hanging on my walls were the large Eyetalian posters for every Fellini film, including Variety Lights, The White Sheik (the only known copy of that particular poster), La Strada, I Vitteloni, Il Bidone, Nights of Cabiria, La Dolce Vita, and 8 1/2. All in primo condition. I mention those specifically because the first item that was trumpeted in the Heritage Auction, was the large La Dolce Vita poster. I believe I sold mine for around two thousand dollars. The one at auction went for – wait for it – forty-six thousand dollars. My mouth just about hit the floor. Can you imagine what The White Sheik and La Strada would have fetched?
I looked through all the prices realized and I became nauseous as I went on, because I had so many of the posters. In fact, without adding any poster I had that sold for under $1,000, had these been MY posters, I would have made close to $200,000 from the prices realized. When I think back to what I sold the majority of posters for, to one dealer, I get sick – I think I got $15,000 for everything but the Fellini posters, which I sold separately on eBay. Considering the dealer made that back with the sale of ONE poster – my one-sheet for Sullivan’s Travels, well, that’s what happens when you sell before you should, you sell to a dealer, and you aren’t patient. Had I just kept all that stuff in storage, I could probably never have to work again. But it’s fascinating, because for the last decade posters took a huge drop in sales, but I guess there are still some nutcases out there willing to shell out $46,000 for a La Dolce Vita poster. There were a few other shockers like that, too – record prices for things that have never gone for anywhere near that. I had two-thirds of the classic sci-fi posters that sold, many of the classic western posters, and some noir classics that weren’t in the auction at all that would have brought huge prices.
I still have a few things and I’m seriously thinking of contacting Heritage to let them have a go with a few items. I don’t have anything hugely rare, but there are a few things that might fetch nice prices. After that, I really needed to sit on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, after having seen and loved the new Mary Poppins Blu and Ray, I watched Saving Mr. Banks. I’d heard very good reports about the film, especially from Richard Sherman, who was very pleased with it. But I’m always wary of today’s films so I was prepared to not like it. While it took me just a little time to get used to the structure of the film, which I wasn’t sold on for the first ten minutes, ultimately I loved the film. The flashbacks have their purpose and give the main story its resonance – I’m not sure how much fictionalizing is going on or if the screenplay is being manipulative, but in the end it all works splendidly. Emma Thompson is superb as P.L. Travers – just a wonderful performance that I’m sure will be netting her a well-deserved Oscar nomination. Equally good is Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. He could end up with a Best Actor nomination for Captain Phillips and a supporting nod for Saving Mr. Banks. The fellows who play the Sherman Brothers are very good, and the entire supporting cast are great. But special kudos to Paul Giamatti as Mrs. Travers’ limousine driver – he is just wonderful and very touching. I wasn’t crazy about Thomas Newman’s score, which is a little too today for my taste, but that’s a minor nit to pick. The art direction is wonderful, the period detail is lovely, and I found the entire film beautifully paced and ultimately very moving. It is highly recommended by the likes of me.
After that, the helper came over and we did our Costco run. I got waters, Diet Cokes, almonds, Kleenex, light bulbs, a huge thing of Airborne (so much cheaper than buying the little bottles), plates and plastic cutlery for the Christmas Eve Do, and some other stuff I don’t remember. I also got a thing of Mesquite wings – half drumettes and half actual wings – those I split with the helper – she took the wings, and I the drumettes. That was my evening snack – six little drumettes, plus a handful of almonds, and some low-cal ice cream bars. Then I watched about twenty-five minutes of the Twilight Time Blu and Ray of Jane Eyre, about which more when I finish.
Today, I shall be up and at ‘em, I shall do some benefit work, I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up packages, I’ll finish Jane Eyre and then I’ll mosey on over to the theater for tonight’s performance with the gal who’s covering Jane. After that, I’ll come right home.
Tomorrow, I will do more benefit work, our evening performance is canceled so I can stay home and relax, Saturday is a gala performance for the theater’s bigger donors, and after the show I think we’ll be doing a birthday dinner for Sami’s mom, and then Sunday I may or may not attend the matinee. Next week is busy with benefit stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do some benefit work, eat, hopefully pick up packages and then see a performance. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite Disney films? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall ponder the meaning of eyebrows without so much as raising an eyebrow.