Well, dear readers, it’s late, I’m overtired, plus it’s late and I’m overtired, not necessarily in that order. I had a horrid night of sleep thanks to an allergy attack of epic proportions. I think I ultimately slept about three, maybe four hours. I hate when that happens. In any case, I was quite logy for most of yesterday and am quite logy as I type this. Once I was up for good, I took the day by the horns and did nothing much at all. Oh, I had a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and some onion rings. Oh, I did some writing on the little show I’m creating. In fact, I’d been thinking about an older tune of mine that I’d written on spec for some silly TV thing that never got done – I’ve always loved the tune and the one-verse lyric so I buckled down, Winsocki and wrote the second verse. I’ll live with it for a day or two then decide if it’s right for the show, but it kind of feels right to me. I also got an idea for another song, so we’ll see where that takes me. But I also have to get back to writing the actual monologues that are the meat of this piece. I wrote another one on Saturday and will try to do a couple more this week. My intention is still to do a private living room reading in mid-April. That was most of the afternoon.
I also had a local dealer come by, we shipped all the Stormy Weather CDs, and I had a few telephonic calls. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture entitled The Last of Robin Hood, starring Mr. Kevin Kline and Miss Dakota Fanning as Errol Flynn and his fifteen-year-old girlfriend, Beverly Aadland, along with Susan Sarandon as Beverly’s mom. It sounded like my kind of movie and I had high hopes for it, but alas it wasn’t very good. I knew that might be the case as soon as the first logo came up – Lifetime – I think we all know what kind of movies come from Lifetime TV, and this was their first foray for the big screen. Written and directed by the two fellows who did Still Alice (which is also not a great movie, but which has a great lead performance), the writing is not very good and the directing is merely perfunctory. First off, when you’re doing a period piece set in the late 1950s, don’t shoot it on digital because it looks like digital and takes you right out of the story. Next, even though you’re a low-budget film, try hiring some good supporting actors – this film has a lot of pretty mediocre supporting performances. Interestingly, prominently billed Bryan Batt and Max Casella have not more than two minutes of screen time apiece. Say what? Mr. Casella plays Stanley Kubrick in one of the film’s sillier scenes where Errol Flynn tries to offer himself as Humbert if Kubrick will use Aadland as Lolita. The story, certainly, is interesting and it’s just a shame it’s not a better movie. Kevin Kline is wonderful as Flynn and looks uncannily like him at certain times. Dakota Fanning, all grown up, is fine as Aadland, and Sarandon is her always excellent self as the mother. The costumes are mostly nice, the score is one of those arch attempts at sounding like lounge music, which I find completely irritating, and it’s fairly short, which is always a plus. If you’re interested in this sort of Hollywood picture, there have been worse. If you’re a fan of Kevin Kline you’ll probably enjoy it, and it was nice to see Miss Fanning as a young adult. In one of the more inane ratings board decision, the film is rated R – it contains not one bit of nudity (other than Kline cavorting with a hat over his privates – you see absolutely nothing), maybe one use of the “F” word and one use of the “C” word – no violence of any sort. Note to ratings board: Are you people insane?
After that, I did some work on the computer, had some more telephonic calls, and had an e-mail from the Kritzerland shows co-producer – a kind of every-two-years I’m too tired to do this anymore and I need a helper or to just stop. I don’t really need this at this particular time so I just suggested she bow out after April and I’ve contacted someone who I think might enjoy doing it. Or, the someone could perhaps help in some way. Either way, bad timing as things are just too too crazy right now.
Today, I shall be finishing casting the April show, then I can choose songs for everyone and gather up the music and get it to our singers. I’ll also write, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and then relax.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals and writing, the we resume performances for Inside Out on Friday. We have two understudies going on on Sunday, so we have to get them both put in the show at some point.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, finish casting, choose songs, gather up music, eat, hopefully pick up some packages and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: For those who’ve been to Las Vegas, what was your favorite time there and why was it your favorite time there and what did you do and did you see any shows? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I will hopefully awaken without a trace of the logy.