Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon, and also today is the big garage organizing day – helper is coming with a U-Haul and the intention is to throw out just as much junk as we can and consolidate everything else into as few boxes as we can – a major cleanup job but it must be done and therefore it will be done.
Yesterday was a mostly pleasantly pleasant day. I got a little over eight hours of sleep, but had the alarm not gone off I’m guessing I could have slept ten hours. Once up I had to get ready because we had a work session for the Kritzerland show at eleven. That actually went very smoothly and really quickly, so I had a little time to answer e-mails and such before moseying on over to the Coral Café for a little lunch with my wonderful editor pal Marshall Harvey. We caught up on thing, laughed a lot, and it was really fun. I had my wedge salad with 1000-Island dressing and Marshall had a Mexican omelet. We shared some onion rings – well, I ate most of them.
After lunch, I came directly home, where I listened to two more classical things that I could eventually issue if they can be cleaned up to my satisfaction. Great music, though, so we’ll give it the old college try. I finished making the show order, which was not that easy, but I think it will work, so now I can write the commentary. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched the new Blu and Ray of The Stone Killer, one of those early 1970s Charles Bronson things directed by Michael Winner, this one coming just before Death Wish. It’s like taking a time machine back to that era. It’s shot in both LA and NY, but Winner doesn’t understand LA or how to shoot it so there aren’t any really fun shots in it. The script is fairly terrible and some of the actors are kind of shockingly bad (actually the NY actors are all good, some of the LA actors not so much) and Winner is just a weird director. But I just love Charles Bronson so I had fun. Another fun thing about it is both Norman Fell AND John Ritter appear – just a few years before Three’s Company. The transfer splendidly recreates Mr. Winner’s “look” which is classic 70s.
I then started watching another Twilight Time Blu-ray, a Jackie Chan double bill from 1978, the two films that really put him on the map – I’ll talk more about them when I’ve finished, but my goodness the transfers are spectacular – these films have always looked horrendous. Sony did an amazing job.
After that, I had a Freshly meal, chicken marsala, something I never need to order again – in fact, I’m kind of nauseous from it so will chew on a Pepcid soon. I listened to all the William Grant Still symphonies that I’d uploaded – this guy was one of the greats and I cannot tell you how tuneful and wonderful his work is, and there are things in it that clearly influenced other composers. Highly recommended by the likes of me.
Then, just before beginning these here notes, I got the first cut of the Indiegogo video. The first thing I can tell you is I was shocked how decent I look – but Richard and I together – it’s really cute. It’s short and sweet and is bookended by Richard at the piano. Unfortunately the mic picked up mostly piano, so I’ve asked for a couple of adjustments to the beginning and the end, the removal of a half a line, and then the addition of one sound bite from when we shot Richard alone, where he goes into the history of the show, which I felt we needed. I should see the redo before I go to bed.
Today, I’ll be up at eight-thirty, and out of here by nine. I’ll go have something light to eat, and then I’ll come back and meet the helper and we’ll begin our garage adventure. I’ve allotted three hours to do as much as we can do, which should be plenty. After that, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll begin writing the commentary, and also adding more perks to the Indiegogo campaign, which we’re launching on Monday. I hope all of you lurkers and dear readers will check it out – we have a lot to raise, but the first two days are absolutely key to set the tone of how that fundraising will go. We have to get to at least twenty percent of the goal or, better yet, a third of the way there. So, I’m hoping you’ll do what you can (again, there are really good perks at all money levels) and I’m especially hoping you’ll share it with like-minded people. Then I’ll relax, finish the Jackie Chan movies and probably have a Freshly meal.
Tomorrow I’m hoping to finish the commentary, eat lightly, maybe jog, and just relax. Monday is our first Kritzerland rehearsal, and the rest of the week is meetings and meals, going and doing, our second Kritzerland rehearsal, our stumble-through, and then our sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up early, eat something light, have a garage adventure, write some commentary, figure out more Indiegogo perks, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Charles Bronson movies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that the garage adventure begins.