Well, dear readers, I’m happy to announce that today’s notes will be presented in Sensurround, so hold onto your hats and other items of clothing because it’s going to be an intense experience. As I write these here notes I am listening to a surprise project that just happened and which we’ve put on the really fast fast track, a track that’s really fast, in fact, faster than fast. I knew it was a possibility last week, and last night it became a reality. It’s a very interesting project and hopefully it will be of interest to folks other than myself, but it’s the kind of thing I like to do. Other than that yesterday was a fairly uneventful day as uneventful days go.
I got eight hours of sleep, arising at eleven. I answered e-mails and did all the usual morning stuff, had some telephonic conversations, and did some more going through the book room closet – which revealed several fun signed photos – Luise Rainer signed to me, Hazel Court signed to me, things like that. A bunch of very nice stills from various and sundried movies and a lot of the little one to two-page programs they gave out at advance screenings of films. I have three from Frenzy, I have The Godfather, A Passage to India, Close Encounters, ET, and other interesting ones, plus some fun pressbooks from various and sundried movies.
I found a Rachmaninov signature, I found an Erich Wolfgang Korngold signed photo, I found a photo of Arthur Toscanini inscribed to composer Howard Hanson and other fun stuff. And I’m not through yet.
Then I went and had a patty melt and no fries or onion rings, picked up two packages, then came home. I did some work on the computer and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu-ray entitled Rollercoaster. I saw it when it came out and didn’t care for it much even though it was in Sensurround, and I think I’ve seen it once since. It’s still not very good and surprisingly it’s written by the very good writers Levinson and Link, who did Columbo. But this is strictly by the numbers and it doesn’t add up to much and ends with a fizzle. George Segal is fun, Henry Fonda showed up for a day, Richard Widmark has to play a complete cliché of an FBI agent, Harry Guardino is there for no particular reason and must have worked two or three days – and the number of cigarettes these people smoke is mind boggling. The bad guy is Timothy Bottoms. Craig Wasson makes a one-scene early appearance as “Hippie boy.” Now, this film was made in 1977 – did Levinson and Link not know there were no more Hippie Boys by then? There are a couple of other really brief appearances by people you’ll recognize. The one thing that does really work is Lalo Schifrin’s score. The transfer is fine and looks like what a release print would have and I’m always okay with that.
Then I got news of the project and spent the rest of the evening putting those wheels in motion.
Today, I’m lunching with Sami and her mom, then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, then our very own Mr. Nick Redman will drop by, and then I’m seeing a show in the evening.
Tomorrow I’m not sure what the HELL is happening so we’ll just play it by ear or, at the very least, play it by chin. Saturday I’m speaking to a musical theater group, which I’m looking forward to and then I think something is going on that evening.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, lunch, hopefully pick up packages, have a visit with Nick Redman, and see a show. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite disaster movies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have presented these here notes in Sensurround.