Well, dear readers, what is it about movies today that feel they have to throw in everything AND the kitchen sink. How many subplots do we have to cross cut between, how many endings do we have to have – it’s just wearying. I bring this up because I just finished watching such a motion picture, which was entitled Star Wars: The Last Jedi. First of all the thing is almost two-and-a-half hours long. Second of all, whatever happened to the fun of these films? There is so much sturm und drang going on – characters cry at the drop of a hat (c’mon already, this is Star Wars not Camille), there are endless close-ups of hands touching, screaming, over-the-top emotional goings on, then the usual blowing up of things every ten minutes or so, followed by more angst and weepy stuff. It’s nice to have Mark Hamill, but I’m not sure I need to see Luke Skywalker crying, and not just once. It’s nice to have Carrie Fisher, and the film’s one true actual emotional moment is the dedication to her in the end credits. Harrison Ford is greatly missed. Benecio del Toro should not have been allowed anywhere near this film and if you cut his entire plot and did it more cleverly, you’d save ten minutes right there.
The young cast are okay but you can just see the casting meeting for this one, where they’re all saying let’s make this one DIVERSE – women fighters, every race and color and creed (although I question why there are no Jews or Mormons in the film) – it’s DIVERSE with a capital D, which is, of course, fine, if they weren’t making such a POINT of it. John Williams turns in his usual Star Wars score and it certainly looks fine, but it just all feels lifeless and humorless – the original film was all that and more, with now weepy stuff, and boy was it FUN (not that I was in love with it, but it was fun). The villain in this and the one before is not that interesting, and amusingly the first time I began to get antsy I looked to see how much of the film I’d seen, thinking it was about eighty minutes – it was twenty-five minutes. But it was a hit, people seemed to crave this stuff, so what do I know?
Yesterday felt just like a Saturday, which, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo), is today. Yesterday was Friday but seemed like a Saturday because she of the Evil Eye needed to come a day early. So, I only got about six hours of sleep, got up thirty minutes before she arrived, printed out a reasonable number of orders, but not nearly enough for two great titles. However, orders kept coming in throughout the day so that helped, and I’m hoping today will bring even more. I had a certain goal in sight for each title and we have not reached it yet, but I’m still hoping we might over the next two or three days. I went and had some bacon and eggs and had a long meeting at the restaurant with Doug Haverty, as we went through the script, discussed changes (mostly due to inserting songs), and placed all the songs where they belong. After that, I picked up an important envelope and then did some banking.
Then I came home, did some work on the computer and at the piano, had some telephonic calls, and then did a three-mile jog. The first two-thirds were not as difficult as the day before, but the last third was really hard. Once home, I relaxed for a bit, then made my Freshly meal, sausage and peppers – total calories for that one was 460 and breakfast was probably 600, so factoring in the calories burned during the jog, and factoring in a light sweet later, I think I came in around 1000 calories, which is perfect. Then I sat on my couch like so much sore fish and watched the movie.
After the movie, I took a hot shower and finally found our final gal, so we’re all set and I’m just assigning the last of the songs now. A couple of folks already have their music, and everyone else will have their stuff today.
Today, I’ll get the rest of the singers their music, I’ll do a show order, I’ll start writing a commentary, I’ll eat one Freshly meal around noon, then go to the cleaners, hopefully pick up packages, do a jog if my sore legs can handle it, then I have to clear my head and relax and watch some stuff.
Tomorrow is more of the same, and I think someone may be coming by for some reason or other that I don’t remember. Next week is very busy – writing one more song, having several meetings and meals, doing more casting for the Sherman event, having a work session for the Kritzerland show, jogging, and eating around 1000 to 1200 calories per day so I can take off some of this rather horrifying weight.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get music to singers, do a show order and start writing commentary, eat, hopefully pick up packages, jog, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Star Wars movies and which can you not stomach? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I will dream about everything, including the kitchen sink.