Well, dear readers, I believe I have decided on what book I shall write in 2015. I’ve been thinking about it on and off and also off and on for several months – there were three choices and today I made notes on one of them and I just think that’s what I want to do. But because one of the other ideas would be a very short novella of sorts, I may write that one, too, at some point next year, if I’m feeling my oats and let me tell you my oats need some action. So, now that the decision has been made, I must begin the jotting down notes part of the process as ideas pop into my head.
Otherwise, yesterday was an odd little day. I did sleep for nine blessed hours, but stayed in bed an additional two hours and did some work on the bedside iPad, which I call Ralph. Once up, I answered a slew of e-mails, had a couple of telephonic conversations, cancelled the first hotel reservation I’d made as I’d gotten a much better deal in a much better location, effectively saving me almost seven hundred bucks. From now on, it’s priceline.com for me. Then I did a two-and-a-half mile jog.
After that, I got word that last night’s dinner was cancelled due to illness, so around four I went and got something to eat, namely a cup of chicken corn chowder, a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and a small side of rings of onion. The folks sitting in the booth next to me were most amusing talking about their romantic entanglements – both were probably around thirty and both were so full of it you wouldn’t even believe what I was hearing (they were loud). It’s no wonder how screwed up relationships are these days. Then I came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled The Believers, a 1987 film directed by John Schlesinger, starring Martin Sheen and Helen Shaver. The screenplay by Mark Frost really isn’t very good, but at this juncture in his career, Schlesinger was still a very good director and that’s what makes this film interesting. Plus the story itself is interesting, too. Mr. Sheen has his moments, and some moments that just don’t ring true for his character. Helen Shaver has never been an actress I’ve enjoyed and that was the case here. Robert Loggia does his Loggia thing and Jimmy Smits is good in his brief role. There’s some overt bloodletting, a surprisingly good score by J. Peter Robinson, and excellent photography. The transfer on this Twilight Time release is excellent straight down the line. Naturally I, as always, was amused to read at least one review that, while giving the transfer very high marks, still had to nitpick and say some of the scenes had a blue push to them, which is, of course, total nonsense – but, it’s become the thing to say and I guess they just can’t help themselves. When you’re giving a transfer high marks, to nitpick is just plain silly.
I then watched another Twilight Time Blu-ray, this one entitled The Vanishing, an American redo of the superb Dutch film entitled The Vanishing. As with virtually all of these completely unnecessary American redos of far superior foreign films, this one pretty much makes hash of what makes the original work so well. The interesting thing here is that the director is George Sluizer, the same man who helmed the original Dutch film. One can only imagine the come on to him: “Hey, George, we love your movie but no one will see it in America because people are too stupid to read subtitles so why don’t you come here and make an American version? Oh, and George, of course will be completely changing the opening and then the final twenty minutes – we simply must have a happy ending – American audiences are too stupid to deal with a tragic and shocking ending. Oh, and lots of unnecessary violence, too, and while we’re at it, we think the second girlfriend needs to be plucky and save the day.” And that is what we have and it’s not good. The major problem is giving us too much information up front about the Jeff Bridges character (we don’t get that info in the original until twenty or thirty minutes into the film – we don’t even meet the antagonist until then), and the completely idiotic and endless last twenty minutes. Jeff Bridges himself is a huge problem – his performance is so strange that the calm, methodical antagonist of the original here becomes a completely weird guy with a strange accent and hairdo and all subtlety is thrown right out the window. Kiefer Sutherland is kind of boring, but Nancy Travis does plucky very well and is reason enough to watch the movie. Sandra Bullock is on hand for about thirty minutes or so. The screenplay has some truly terrible writing (note the woman in the apartment that Nancy Travis speaks to – the one who thinks they’re disturbing Elvis). Happily, the transfer is great and that helps things, and the Jerry Goldsmith score is helpful, too.
After that, I did some work on the computer, and then saw that someone friended me – didn’t recognize the name, but I accepted as I always do. Then the person posted a photo on my page and I couldn’t believe it. The photograph was from Jimmy Shine, the play I did at LACC that really began my career. I had never seen this photo – the girl in it with my was Margo Dean and I realized it was her, under a different name, that had posted the photo. So, we had a nice little volley back and forth. Here’s the photo she posted.
I also got the photos from our launch partay so here are a few for your mental delectation. Here’s me with JoAnne Worley and her friend.
Here’s Jason Graae, Kyra Da Costa and Kristin Towers-Rowles.
Here’s me with my new friend Jenelle on the left and my old friend Sami Staitman on the right.
Here’s left to right – Greer Geissman and her mom Lydia, me, JoAnne Worley and Joan Ryan.
Here’s the big group – left to right: Michael Sterling, Kyra Da Costa, musical director Joshua Eli Kranz, Jason, me, Kristin, someone I’m not sure of, and Joshua’s folks and our executive producers (under their company name Be Wild About Music), Jack and Linda Kranz.
Today, I must be up early to have a nine-thirty work session. After that, I’ll eat something, hopefully pick up some packages, do some writing, finesse the commentary, and relax.
Tomorrow and the weekend is just errands and whatnot, eating, relaxing and doing just a bit of work, before the very busy Kritzerland rehearsal week begins.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a work session, eat, hopefully pick up packages, jog, write, finesse and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films starring Jeff Bridges? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland happy to have decided on the book I want to write in 2015.