Well, dear readers, it is the day of the turkey. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it is the day of the turkey, i.e. Thanksgiving. If you invert Thanksgiving you get Givingthanks and despite the occasional hiccups in our lives, there is much to be thankful for for each of us. But before I get ponderous and I have to knock the stuffing out of myself, let’s just look forward to a day of stuffing being knocked out of the turkey and cranberries and sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes and white meat and dark meat and wings and legs and green bean casserole or its like and gravy and other accouterments.
Happily, I did end up going to Dr. Chew yesterday and he has made sure the cap will not become uncapped before he puts on the final in a week and a half. So I can eat Thanksgiving dinner without fear of anything untoward happening. I got to sleep very late and didn’t get up till eleven, after nine hours of sleep, and then I went right over to Dr. Chew. After that, I had to do banking, then come right home for the work session. That went fairly well and I think we’ll be fine for Monday’s rehearsal as long as he’s listened to the mp3s for tempo purposes. He’s a very good player and it all went quickly.
I then was starving, so I went and had a cup of soup and because I didn’t want to chew much, I had some spaghetti with butter and cheese and that was just perfect. After that, I picked up a package and then came home. It was the first time on the computer all day, so I had orders to print, e-mails to answer and work to do. I did all of that and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on one of those MOD DVD things, entitled 5 Fingers, starring James Mason and Michael Rennie. I think I’ve seen parts of it before, but most of it was new to me and it’s really a great little movie with a very, very sharp and well-written screenplay by Michael Wilson. The dialogue especially is terrific. James Mason is wonderful in the lead – he’s actually the villain of the piece, but he’s so good that despite the venal things he’s doing you don’t ever hate him. I’m a huge Michael Rennie fan and he’s his usual great self here. The lovely Danielle Darrieux is beautiful and alluring. The supporting cast is filled with brilliant character actors. I especially loved John Werngraf, an actor I have adored in everything but whose name I did not know until last night. Oskar Karlweis is great, as is Herbert Berghof. The direction by Joseph Mankiewicz is taut and keeps thing moving along at a brisk and suspenseful pace. The score by Bernard Herrmann is aces. Norbert Brodine, who photographed a lot of great movies, does a wonderful job, especially on the film’s real locations. Sadly, the transfer isn’t very good, a problem on a lot of MOD discs – in fact there are cue marks and it’s probably from a 16mm or 35mm print. This one deserves first class treatment. I don’t think it’s a film that’s all that well known, but it sure deserves to be and transfer aside it is highly recommended by the likes of me.
Then, since I was in Michael Rennie mode and because we’re about to issue the soundtrack, I put on the Blu and Ray of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I bought it when it came out and had never even looked at it. I watched the first twenty-five minutes – the transfer is fantastic and the movie is just great and I can’t wait to finish it this Thanksgiving Day.
After that, I did more things on the computer and was happy to see we had some lovely donations for our Indiegogo campaign, including several from dear readers, for which we are very thankful indeed. I had some ice cream for my evening snack and that was that.
Today, I’m just finishing The Day the Earth Stood Still, I may jog, I may watch a Twilight Zone or two (I have all the sets and have never looked at one episode!), then when it’s time I’ll mosey on over to the home environment of Barry Pearl and Cindy Dellinger for a lovelier than lovely Thanksgiving meal with some of their friends, some of whom I know.
Tomorrow I’ve been invited to another little dinner thing and I may just go – it’s in Altadena and I know where that is now and it’s quite near Pasadena, so only about a thirty-minute drive. Otherwise, I’m just relaxing, and hopefully picking up some packages. We also have a few CDs to ship and the helper will be back with us. The weekend is mine all mine and I shall do whatever I damn well please.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, maybe jog, finish a movie, maybe watch some Twilight Zone episodes, and then have a Thanksgiving dinner. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films in the espionage genre? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, including what you’re doing for Thanksgiving, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall arise and greet the day of the turkey.