Well, dear readers, I keep forgetting it’s the Christmas season. This is because other than receiving a partridge in a pear tree, I have received nothing else – no calling birds (but I did have a gazelle phone me), no damn turtle doves, no French hens or even French horns, and certainly no golden rings other than some onion rings I had. Well, we’ll see what the next few days bring, but we have to get in the spirit of Christmas here, so send some excellent vibes and xylophones for some Christmas miracles.
Yesterday was a day in which I slept ten full hours and boy were my arms tired. I really needed it after my four-hour sleep of the previous evening. So, I missed the entire morning and cared not a whit that I did. I answered the usual e-mails, wasn’t so happy that we did not receive one Kritzerland order again (I did get an Amazon order, however), and I just relaxed and did the final song choices and all the singers now have their music except for Hayley Shukiar, who I didn’t want to send anything to until she finished her A Christmas Story Live broadcast, which is finally over now – they’ve literally been rehearsing for almost twelve weeks. So, she’ll have to jump on her material, as I’ve given her one very wordy song to learn. So, that’s a load off my mind and believe me I don’t want a loaded mind right now. Then I got ready for the Haverty Christmas partay.
I got there around six and it was already quite a crowd gathered. I didn’t know a lot of people there, but one nice lady I met just went on and on how she thought my production of Dial ‘M’ for Murder had the best direction of the year, which was very appreciated by the likes of me. Kay Cole came by so I hung out with her, then Adryan Russ and her ever-lovin’ Dale came so I hung out with Adryan for a while. I had one piece of ham, a little turkey chili, one slice of cheese, one roll, and a small piece of cake, so not all that much food. I was there about two hours and then I came home. Once home, I answered more e-mails and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a DGA screener of a motion picture entitled Dunkirk. I find it fascinating that WWII films continue to be made and even more fascinating that two films in the same year are about Dunkirk – one in the thick of it, one behind the scenes with Churchill. Dunkirk received mostly laudatory reviews and audiences seemed to like it, too. I gather it was shot in 70mm and looked impressive in IMAX, although I have never liked anything in IMAX – I just don’t like the screen size or the fact that widescreen IMAX is basically letterboxed due to the square screen. The photography is certainly impressive and the film is very well done, but I can’t say I loved it. There aren’t really any characters you get to know, and Nolan’s fractured timeline, which is his “thing”, is really confusing and tiresome after a while. The actors are all fine, but none of them really have much to do – of them, Mark Rylance is the most interesting and has the most screen time. I thought the Hans Zimmer score was okay – a lot of sustained bass notes and no real themes, typical of today’s scores. So, for me, this isn’t up there with the best of what I’ve seen so far. But, Nolan should be commended for two things in this film – thing one is the running time – sans end credits, the film runs a very tight hour and thirty-nine minutes or so. Thing two is even better – there is not a drop of blood shown, save for one really brief and non-descript shot – that is a bold choice in this day of violent excess and one that was very much appreciated by the likes of me. No squibs, no gushing, no spurting, no brain matter – how refreshing.
After that, I got the chart for the other ME song in the Kritzerland show, and I proofed that and then we made the fixes on the phone, so that one’s done and going to those three singers, who will also play musical instruments during it. Then I relaxed and listened to music. Oh, and I got really rough mixes (I wouldn’t even call them mixes) of six Levi songs and those you can hear on the Kritzerland site – they should be up by morning.
Today, I’m not sure what’s happening. I’ll certainly eat, hopefully pick up some packages, make a show order and begin writing the commentary, make more new book notes as ideas come to me, and I can’t remember if I’m supposed to see anyone or do anything – hopefully someone will let me know.
Tomorrow I have one of our young singers and mom coming to pick up the Melodica, which she’ll be playing in the song I mentioned earlier. I have the final belated birthday dinner on Wednesday with the Staitman clan (it was mom Staitman’s birthday a few days ago), and then I have other meetings and meals and we’ll be shipping out the rest of the Indiegogo perks, too – half went out a few days ago. And hopefully there will be more orders at some point – we really need ‘em. Maybe those who were just tooooo scaaaaared to order a score by the Sherman Brothers without hearing the samples, can now rest easy and order. While the mixes are indeed rough and nowhere what they will be, at least they’ll hear snippets of six numbers.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, eat, hopefully pick up packages, do a show order, get the last of our singers her music, and do whatever else needs doing. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite war movies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that the Christmas season is here and hoping that the calling birds and other assorted goodies will arrive soon.