Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon. But may I just say that if I see one more website “review” place give awards I shall scream. If I see one more site do this then I’m giving Hainsie Awards. And I shall win each and every one of them. Best Performance by an Old Jew – me. Best Wednesday Notes at haineshisway.com – me. Best New Novel by me – me. Best Director for an Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse revue – me. Best host at a Kritzerland cabaret – me. Best three-mile jog in Studio City – me. Most frequent diner at Jerry’s Deli – me. Best producer of a Sandy Bainum CD – me. Best owner of a record label called Kritzerland – me. I’d like to thank me for giving me all these awards. I can’t tell me how much they mean to me. I am honored and moved, not necessarily in that order. What the HELL am I talking about? Oh, yes, the Hainsie Awards.
Yesterday was supposed to be mine all mine, but it didn’t quite work out that way. I did arise at ten, just barely getting eight hours of sleep. I thought my work session was at eleven, but it wasn’t. Then I thought it was at twelve, but it wasn’t. It turns out that it was at three. So, I went and had some penne pasta in a creamy tomato sauce – hadn’t had that in ages and frankly it was not as good as it usually is. Then I picked up a few packages, after which I came back home. Then we had our work session, which took about ninety minutes, but everything is ready for our rehearsals. Then I had several telephonic conversations regarding various and sundried projects and that took up most of the afternoon, which was not what I was planning. But, after all of it, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a mighty strange motion picture on DVD entitled I Want to Go Home, a French film from France, mostly in English, directed by Alain Resnais, the director of Hiroshima, Mon Amour, Last Year at Marienbad, and Stavisky, among many others. I’d never even heard of this film, and I only heard OF it a few days ago when reading something about Al Capp and Li’l Abner. This film is about an elderly cartoonist who goes to France for a gallery opening that includes his work. Even though everything I read about it said it was horrible, I still wanted to see it. Sadly, what I read was correct – it is horrible in just about every way. The tone is weird, the story is loose and not involving, the humor isn’t funny, and the acting is just plain odd from several of the performers. The screenplay was by Jules Feiffer – it’s hard to imagine someone like him writing something so unfunny as this, but he did. How much was lost in translation is anyone’s guess. The elderly cartoonist is played by, of all people, Adolph Green and while Mr. Green was wildly talented, I wouldn’t say acting was his strong suit, especially not film acting. His girlfriend is played by Linda Lavin, and even though the part is not interesting, she’s fine. The gal who plays his daughter is terrible – she seems to be an American living in Paris – her few credits are all French films. Gerard Depardieu is fine, too. But it’s all just a mish-mash, with farcical scenes that are anything but farcical, touching moments between father and daughter that are anything but touching, and then just plain weird moments that come out of nowhere and usually involve Mr. Green launching into a song, including one from The Band Wagon and also The Party’s Over. Thankfully, the running time is around ninety-five minutes so it’s over pretty quickly. The other interesting thing is the musical score. For Stavisky, Resnais famously got Stephen Sondheim to create that score, most of it being redos of music from discarded songs from Follies. Apparently Mr. Resnais is a huge fan of musicals. The score for I Want to Go Home is by none other than John Kander, and it’s quite nice, albeit pretty short. Not one I can really recommend, unless you’re just really curious, as I was.
After that, I had yet more telephonic calls that took up an hour of my evening. Then I played on the Internet and then I attended the ceremony for The Hainsie Awards, at which I did very well. I also recorded the Marvin Hamlisch documentary on PBS, which I’ll watch at some point today.
Today, I shall do errands and whatnot, then the Darling Daughter is finally coming for her Christmas visit – I’m sure we’ll go have a fun lunch (I’m thinking about the Smoke House), and we’ll figure out what she’d like for Christmas – normally I give her money, which she likes, but I have something else in mind, but didn’t want to buy it in case she’d rather have the dough. We shall see. After that, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and then I’ll relax.
Tomorrow is more relaxing and we were supposed to have a little work session in the evening, but I don’t think it’s happening. Monday is our first Kritzerland rehearsal, then more relaxing, then we have our annual Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Bash right here at haineshisway.com, where we’ll ring in the New Year in high style, then the following morning I begin writing what will hopefully be my new book, and since Barry Pearl isn’t doing his usual New Year’s Day bash, I may have a few of those people over later in the afternoon. We shall see. Then we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal, our stumble-through and then our sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, do errands and whatnot, lunch with the Darling Daughter and have a nice visit, hopefully pick up some packages, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What do you think of the proliferation of every kind of award, from the Oscars to the Tonys to the Globes to the website awards to popularity contest awards and on and on. Which do you take seriously, if any, which do you enjoy, if any, and which completely irritate you? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall arise and figure out where I’m putting all my beautiful Hainsie Awards.