Well, dear readers, I had a slightly weird but very pleasant birthday day and evening. I’d set the alarm so I wouldn’t sleep past ten-thirty, and I know I shut the iPad correctly (you have to leave it on the clock app or it doesn’t work), but it didn’t go off and wasn’t on the clock app when I finally woke up an hour later than I’d wanted to. I think it’s because a text came in and it just must default to the text page and not go back to the clock app. I of course came directly here to haineshisway.com to see all your lovelier than lovely birthday wishes, which I very much appreciated. Then I went to Facebook – as you know, I don’t really go for Facebook much but birthdays is the one thing they get right. I thought I’d had a lot of birthday wishes last year – around six or seven hundred – but this year topped that with close to 850. I “liked” every single one of them, which took up quite a bit of time.
I did a birthday jog, then the helper came by and got everything she needs for the big shipping day today, then I went and had my birthday meal – a breakfast burrito and fruit. I actually can’t remember the last birthday where absolutely nothing happened – where I did not see people, eat with someone, or even talk to many people. It was kind of peculiar, but I was absolutely fine with just relaxing and enjoying the summer day. Yes, it was just like summer outside. Then I picked up some packages, and got two at the house – two DGA screeners. I took one more look at the commentary, then printed that out and got everything ready to take to The Federal. I’m always worried I’ll forget everything, so I always do that the night before.
Then I went to the bank, bought a pair of slacks at Banana Republic, bought some things at CVS, and then came back home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
First I watched a motion picture entitled Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston. I’d very much wanted to see it, and I pretty much enjoyed it a lot, with the caveat one always has about these kinds of films – it’s unnerving having actors playing actors of old that we all know and love. You just have to go with it and I did, but it never really works. But the subject matter has always been of great fascination to me (the HUAC hearings) – in the early 1970s I bought every book about that stuff and read ‘em all – and Cranston is just great as Dalton Trumbo. It’s one of the sorriest periods in U.S. history, that witch hunt, where the government was allowed to totally disregard the rights of its citizens and persecute them and blacklist them so they could not work, and, in certain cases, throw them in jail for a year. It was shameful and as far as I’m concerned it’s something this country will never live down. And you know what – I don’t think that these days it’s so far-fetched that it couldn’t happen again, because crazy people are trying to influence the populace, and the fact that we’re living in a time when people get all their information on the Internet and Facebook and specious news channels and that those people are also incredibly ignorant and sheep-like, well, let’s just pray none of these crazies get into any kind of office. It’s actually shocking that anyone who feels like spending a hundred million dollars, no matter how big a cretin they are, can then run for President. In any case, the film moves right along and it’s all interesting. Helen Mirren is very good as the horrid Hedda Hopper, but the entire cast is good. From what I’ve read, the film only avers one thing that’s kind of not true at all, and it’s really kind of bad – they state that Edward G. Robinson named names – but from everything I’ve read he most certainly did not. He did repudiate the organizations he belonged to, and he apparently was forced to sign a pamphlet entitled “How the Reds Duped Me” in order to keep working. But in Trumbo, they have him naming names – so if the writers know something that no one else has ever said, they should put up that information so we can see it. If not, they’re taking a really cheap shot at someone who’s not alive to defend himself. I think Mr. Cranston is a shoe-in for a Best Actor nomination, and he could conceivably win.
Then I watched the second DGA screener, which was a movie entitled Carol. I knew nothing about the film at all, other than it was directed by Todd Haymes and starred Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Then I saw that it was based on the book The Price of Salt by Claire Morgan – I had the book and so knew exactly what the movie was. The Price of Salt, which came out in 1952, I think, was a really successful novel with a lesbian theme – and a completely unique one in that it had a happy ending. It sold many copies. It wasn’t revealed until much later that Claire Morgan was a nom de plume for suspense author Patricia Highsmith, who’d written Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Mr. Haymes clearly loves his movie history and the style of 1950s cinema, so his work here is lovely to look at and in the classic mold. Beautiful sets and clothing, great lighting, and shot on film, albeit in Super 16 and then blown up to 35mm for its theater showings. The photography is lovely and the Super 16 gives it all a very interesting texture. Both actresses are really good in it – actually everyone is really good in it and I enjoyed it very much. Many idiots on the imdb, and all amongst the first to race to get their inane thoughts out there for all to see, hated it – it’s slow, thin story, don’t care – later others came and loved it, but the early adopters seem to show up for every new film and trash it. So, it was a very nice birthday movie night.
After that, I just played on the computer, did some organizing and that was that. The last couple of years I’ve said, “best birthday ever.” I don’t think I’d describe this year’s in that way, but it was relaxing and I kind of enjoyed it.
Today, I’m meeting Alet Taylor at ten over at Jerry’s Deli – haven’t seen her in over a year, maybe more. I won’t eat at all, but we’ll chit chat and also chat chit. Then I have to go to the bank again, then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I need to buy some flowers for the show tonight (for Wouldn’t It Be Loverly), and then I’ll relax until it’s time to mosey on over to The Federal for sound check and then show. I will, of course, have a full report for you. And I’m sure some of us will dine afterwards at our usual Little Toni’s. Hoping my voice and being are in good shape – if so, I’ll definitely sing my number. If not, I shan’t.
Tomorrow, I have something going on around 12:30 and then something else going on after that. I also may take my car in first thing in the morning so they can finally fix the keyless locks – if not, I’ll take it in first thing Friday morning. Friday night I’m attending the opening night of a show, Saturday night I’m seeing Sharon McNight at the Gardenia, and I have no idea what’s happening on Sunday. Then I have to cast the all-kid show for January and start choosing all those songs.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, meet with Alet, do a jog, do banking, hopefully pick up packages, buy flowers, have a sound check and do a show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a quiet but nice birthday.