Well, dear readers, it just occurred to me that every October 20 for the first few years of these here notes, I would mention the evil deed that happened that day, affectionately known around these here parts as Black Saturday, the day when part of my world came crashing down around me. But I realized this evening that I haven’t mentioned it in a few years now and therefore time heals all wounds just as time invariable wounds all heels. When part one of the tale ended and I walked away from the evil, it was still hard to let go of the unpleasantness. Writing Rewind was the release and catharsis I needed and it really did do the trick. But what really did the trick was when the cretin who was a major part of the evil and who took over the running of the company I created got his. I’d warned him up front that what they’d done to me they would do to him. So it is written, so it shall be done and it was. But with him, they sued and one a million dollar lawsuit. I don’t know the result and whether they actually collected on their lawsuit, but I kind of doubt it. After they realized that he had, in fact, in actuality been doing what they’d accused me of doing (and which I hadn’t been doing, as came out clearly in my deposition), you would have thought that the reasonable thing to do would have been to written me a letter of apology, but alas, no. And in the end, that was fine because in the end I began again and that company is no longer in existence. The best thing that came out of that nightmare was this here site, and we WILL be celebrating THAT anniversary come November 9, so get ready to put on your pointy party hats and your colored tights and pantaloons because we will most assuredly cut a rug.
Yesterday was a day that ambled by. I got nine hours of sleep, had the craziest dreams, and then got up. I answered e-mails and did a spot of work on the computer, then went and had a spot of lunch, namely chicken tenders and because that wasn’t enough fried food, some french fries. Then I came right home. I’m still feeling logy and hoping I don’t get sick, so keep those excellent vibes and xylophones coming in this here direction. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I decided to watch a motion picture I remembered enjoying back in March of 2010 or thereabouts entitled The Ghost Writer, based on the Robert Harris book, The Ghost. Well, it is a certifiably great motion picture entertainment and one of Roman Polanski’s best films, right up there with Repulsion, Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown. Those three films alone would put him in the pantheon of the greatest film directors. I don’t love everything from Mr. Polanski – his more black comedy-oriented films are very hit and miss for me. I like parts of The Fearless Vampire Killers and a few things in Cul-de-Sac and What? but they ultimately, for me, are just not great movies. I have to watch his Macbeth again, which I only got about a third of the way through when I watched it long ago. After Chinatown, I do love The Tenant, which I would also put on the A list, but after he left the country, I began to not love his films so much. I admired Tess more than I loved Tess, I thought Pirates had a few fun moments but just didn’t work, I enjoyed Frantic, which I thought was entertaining and very well directed but not great, Bitter Moon was okay, I didn’t love Death and the Maiden, but did like a substantial amount of The Ninth Gate, which I thought was a real return to form, save for the rather convoluted ending. But again, I can’t give it great status mostly due to a not so hot performance by Johnny Depp – it’s kind of the job of an actor (and his director should help) to understand the business he’s in, in this case dealing in extremely rare books and manuscripts. But someone who deals in that kind of thing, doesn’t treat the rarest of books the way Mr. Depp does in this film – it’s laughable, actually, the way he shoves it in and out of his backpack or thumbs through it while smoking. Sorry, Mr. Depp, that’s a big acting fail. Then came The Pianist, which I know was a very heartfelt film for Mr. Polanski – like Tess, I admired it more than I loved it. I didn’t care at all for his Oliver Twist, which I just thought was a misfire all the way around.
And then came The Ghost Writer. I didn’t see it during its run and it was a box-office flop, but did get the Blu-ray as soon as it came out. As I said in these here notes on that first viewing, “Well, I’m happy to report it’s Polanski’s best film in ages, and right up there with his greats.” The second time it was even better – just a beautifully directed film with a terrific script (by Polanski and the novel’s writer), and a great cast. The photography is stunning, and the film is a poster child for how CGI can be used in a subtle way so that you are completely unaware of it. No one would guess in a million years what the CGI is in this film if they didn’t watch the making of. It’s so nice to see a thriller that is cerebral and not pumped up with unnecessary car chases and explosions and loud noises. There’s none of that inane “whoosh” sound, no fast cutting, no thumping music, it’s just classically shot cinema at its finest. The pace would drive today’s ADD filmgoers right up a wall, but as Polanski says in the interview on the Blu-ray, this is a story for adults. The score by Alexandre Desplat is a big plus, too – at times very Herrmann-esque, which is appropriate to the way Mr. Polanski directs this tale. I’d forgotten about the big reveal at the end, how the lead character figures out the who of something and I have to say it is almost exactly the same as one of the big reveals about the who of something in my book Writer’s Block – happily, I wrote it four years before The Ghost. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. You heard it here, dear readers.
After that, I just listened to music, including the soundtrack to The Ghost Writer, took a shower and that was that.
Today, I have some writing to do in the morning hours, then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then we have our first Kritzerland rehearsal, which I’m very much looking forward to. After, some of us will undoubtedly go get something to eat.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, our second Kritzerland rehearsal, having some phone meetings with the New York musical director, having our stumble-through, after which I’ll be seeing Ragtime (with our very own Robert Yacko performing), then it’s our sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, hopefully pick up packages, rehearse and eat. Today’s topic of discussion: What was the first Roman Polanski film you ever saw, and which are your favorites? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall hopefully not have the craziest dreams of last night, which were just a little too crazy for my taste.