Well, dear readers, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, just thought it would be fun to type the letter “I” ten times. I rather like it, don’t you? I’m all about repetition you know and now we can simply say the “I’s” have it. We don’t allow groaning here at haineshisway.com. In any case, I am sitting here like so much fish listening to music after watching a really intense motion picture that I thought I’d seen before but in fact hadn’t. Said motion picture was and is called The Incident, which I watched on a new-fangled Blu and Ray from Twilight Time. It’s one of those movies wherein a bunch of disparate characters all converge in one location and then each in his/her own way has to deal or not deal with two of the most reprehensible thugs in the history of motion pictures. I cannot say any of it is actually entertaining, but it’s really well done and the performances by an amazing cast make it must-see viewing. Tony Lo Bianco and Martin Sheen are terrifyingly real as the young thugs who torment everyone on the subway ride to hell. Jack Gilford and Thelma Ritter are wonderful, as are Brock Peters and Ruby Dee (the moment when the cops finally come onto the train at the end and automatically think the Black person is the guilty party shows you just how little has changed), Gary Merrill is fantastic, and surprisingly effective is none other than Ed McMahon. Also terrific are Beau Bridges as the soldier who finally does something, Jan Sterling and Mike Kellin as an unhappy couple, and the others, who include Donna Mills, Diana van der Vlis, Robert Fields, Robert Bannard, and Victor Arnold are all really fine. Larry Peerce’s direction is taut and lean and mean and the script is the same. Yes, it’s a standard microcosm of people all thrown together so you get race, homosexuality, bickering couples, a bravado male being strong with the girl he wants to bed but crumbling when faced with violence, the military, alcoholism, old folks railing on about the younger generation, and on and on. It all moves very quickly and at times it is very uncomfortable to watch. The transfer perfectly captures the low-budget, extremely gritty photography.
Prior to watching The Incident, I had the following incidents: I almost got seven-and-a-half hours of sleep – I didn’t get to sleep until almost four due to horrible allergies and no pills. Once up, I answered e-mails and did some work at the piano, then Grant and I went for his birthday lunch at Barone’s. He wanted pizza with sausage so that’s what we had. I was VERY good – three pieces, which is the equivalent of about one-and-a-half pieces of a regular pizza slice. It was very good but I do prefer the pepperoni. I had their yummilicous chocolate mousse for dessert and they gave Grant a birthday Spumoni. Then I dropped him off and I went and picked up a few packages, then got my allergy pills – Claritin-D. I took one as soon as I got back home.
Then I did some work on the computer, whilst listening to some music, and then I finished writing one of the songs I was working on. At around six, Richard Allen arrived and we got two songs recorded on his phone – he does something clever – he records my hands playing the songs so he gets the chord voicings the way I write them. Smart. The one song was easy, but the other, the long opening sequence, we just recorded all its parts and he’ll create a rhythm track for all that for me to work with and smooth out, then he’ll do the orchestration. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched The Incident.
After that, I listened to music and did some more work on the computer, and that was that.
Today, I hope to arise after a good night’s beauty sleep, then I’m spending the day finishing choosing everyone’s songs, getting the music to them, and then making a show order. I’ll also continue with the songs I’m working on, and then I’m seeing an evening of one-acts in the upstairs theater at the Group Rep. I’m sure I’ll eat at some point, just because I can.
This coming week is very busy with writing, writing commentary, writing liner notes – in other words, a writing kind of week, but there are also meetings and meals and I know I’m seeing a couple of things, too, plus I’m hopeful of announcing two new releases, one soundtrack, one show. Oh, and we did get all orders for Cole Porter in Paris and Pieces of Eight shipped, so those should be arriving soon.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, choose songs, write, make a show order, eat, then see an evening of one-acts. 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, remembering that the “I’s” have it.