Well, dear readers, I was thinking about getting up really early to go see Star Wars at the DGA, but I’m really not sure I want and/or need to. First, it will be crowded and second I’m just not that much of a fan, frankly. But, we’ll see how I feel when I get into bed. Now wait just a minute – why am I talking about today when I haven’t even talked about yesterday? Have I jumped the gun? Have I skipped a beat? Have I gotten ahead of myself or, at the very least, afoot of myself? This is the stuff that chaos is made of. There is disorder and disarray and I must get us back on track.
Yesterday (whew!) was fine, I suppose. I got about nine hours of sleep, which was very nice. Once up, I chose a song or two, got one singer their music and also did some work at the piano. Then I went and had a pastrami sandwich on the rye bread with 1000-Island dressing and cole slaw. It was not great but hit the spot. Then I picked up no packages whatsoever, then came home, where I immediately sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I finished watching Real Humans series one. It’s really quite different in many ways to its AMC counterpart, Humans, which changes a lot of plot points and story bits, combines certain characters, and has an entirely different look and feel to it. I saw the AMC version first and really liked it and still do, but the Swedish original has very interesting things in it and it sustains a bit better over the course of its ten episodes. They did do a second series but it doesn’t seem to be available on DVD with subtitles like the first series is. The second series is on You Tube but I don’t think there are subtitles there. Anyway, I enjoyed it all very much and it had a good ending to the final episode that makes me want to see the second series. The AMC version had more of a closed ending, so I’m curious to see where they take that version next year.
Then I watched a double bill. First up was The Detective starring Frank Sinatra. Let’s just be kind and say the film is very much of its time and if you don’t do context this film probably isn’t for you. Just remember it was 1968 and the portrayal of the gay scene back then is just what you’d expect. A year later, Boys in the Band and Stonewall would help to change that. It’s a very episodic film that eventually circles around on itself and ties up its plot points neatly by the end. Sinatra plays Detective Joe Leland and he’s very good in it, and the supporting cast is terrific – Lee Remick (so beautiful), Jack Klugman (doing wonders with not much), Robert Duvall, Ralph Meeker, Al Freeman, Jr., Jacqueline Bissett, William Windom, and in a jaw-dropping performance (and I’m not sure I mean that in a good way), Tony Musante. Renee Taylor is also amusing as Klugman’s wife. Back when it came out it was a very hard-hitting film and broached several then-taboo subjects – the film was a huge hit. But, thank goodness we’ve come a long way, baby. Except there is one rather prescient bit having to do with a cop “accidentally” shooting a person of color, well… The score by Jerry Goldsmith, who’s channeling a bit of Alex North in the main title, and prefiguring his own Chinatown score that would come six years later, is really good. And so is the transfer, which looks clean as a whistle and accurate. One interesting thing – the film is based on Roderick Thorp’s novel – a few years later he wrote a sequel called Nothing Lasts Forever, also featuring Detective Joe Leland. That one had a good plot – Leland is trapped in a high-rise office building when German terrorists take it over. Sound familiar? Yes, they changed the detective’s name to John McLane and turned it into Die Hard. But here’s the interesting thing: Sinatra had a clause in his 1968 contract that he had to be offered the role should a sequel ever be made. And so, they indeed offered him the role – he was 73 at the time.
Then came Born Free. Sometimes a movie comes along that just unexpectedly captures the audiences’ fancy, and Born Free did just that in 1966. I don’t think anyone could have predicted how huge a hit it would be. It’s a charmer – funny, touching, colorful, and Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers (real-life man and wife) playing Joy Adamson and her husband, are just wonderful. And all the various lions who played Elsa are also wonderful. But there’s another star in this film and I’m just not sure it would have been the hit it was without the other star – that would be John Barry, whose iconic score makes the film magic, pure and simple. I’m told that this Sony Grover Crisp restoration was not easy – I have no idea why, but the result is splendid. It looks great. Highly recommended by the likes of me.
After that, I listened to music and relaxed and ate some almonds and cranberries.
Today, I may or may not get up early to go see Star Wars. I’m not sure we’ll get a screener – if I WAS sure then I definitely wouldn’t go. You’ll all be the first to know. Otherwise, I’ll eat, choose songs, relax and watch stuff.
Then begins the two-week holiday vacation, which won’t exactly be a vacation although most of it will, I hope. I do have a few meetings, a few meals, a few things to see, and then we have our annual Christmas Eve Do, then hopefully I’ll see my Darling Daughter on Christmas Day and I’ll also attend Cissy Wechter’s annual Christmas party.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, maybe see Star Wars, eat, choose songs, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that I took care of jumping the gun so that no chaos ensued.