Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish listening to music after a day of rest, relaxation, choosing songs, eating foodstuffs, and watching motion pictures. Yes, it was that kind of day, the kind of day I needed.
I got eight hours of sleep, answered e-mails, had telephonic conversations, and then I buckled down, Winsocki, and began figuring out the songs for the big Kritzerland anniversary show. As always, it’s a blank slate and little by little I begin filling it in. I began with Robert Yacko’s songs because we’d already decided on two of them and I knew he’d be doing the new What If parody, so he was finished. And I know what Peyton Kirkner’s doing, what Johnny Whitaker is doing, and we’re doing the Let’s Get Together number we did in the Sherman concert. So, I began with one of our females – she just finished playing the mom in the new Freaky Friday movie so I suggested doing a song from it, and she loved that idea. Then I just thought of two other songs that would fit her like a glove. Then I moved onto our other male, and figured out his three songs, then onto our other female and figured out her three, which include our opening and closing numbers, but I may switch up the closing number. And that was that and one less thing for me to be worried about. I also got all the sheet music and got that where it needed to go.
Then I went to Corky’s coffee shop and had my beloved Trousdale sandwich, grilled, with a few fries and a small dinner salad – very good. Then I came back home, did a few more things on the computer, listened to a little music and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I continued watching recent Atom Egoyan movies, this one entitled Devil’s Knot, based on the real-life murder story that happened in 1993 that was known as The Memphis Three. Three young boys murdered, with three teens arrested for it, and caught up in the then devil cult worship frenzy that was consuming idiot zealots everywhere, rather like The Crucible. Apparently there’s a three-part documentary about this, as well as another more recent documentary that gets very high marks and that I’ll try to seek out. It’s yet another travesty of justice – a stinko idiot judge, a prosecution team that lied, never sent in evidence for testing, key evidence, and then conveniently lost it. It’s a very well done film with excellent performances by Reese Witherspoon, Bruce Greenwood, and lots of other folks. And once again, the critics bashed it and its director from here to eternity and hell and back. And you know why? Because Mr. Egoyan made several films that were critics darlings and they fawned and gave him awards and drooled, and then he had the temerity to make other kinds of films that interested him but apparently angered the critics because he refused to be put in a little box. These critics should be removed from print – same guys and gals bashing his last decade of films. The funny thing is, I didn’t really care for his early stuff, but have enjoyed everything of more recent vintage, because I, unlike these losers, understand artists will grow, change directions, and do what interests them.
Then I watched a movie that was, I believe, Argentinian – a thriller entitled Perdida, one of those Netflix pick-ups that suddenly becomes a Netflix Original Movie. Uh huh. I enjoyed it, but it goes on too long, and is entirely predictable at a certain point. The surprises aren’t surprises if you’ve seen other movies where the police are central characters. I liked the leading actress very much and actually everyone is fine, but it’s a little murky and hard to follow occasionally, but as a time passer it did its job okay.
After that I listened to more music. I made some popcorn and in a first I got really tired of it and only ate half.
Today I do need a few miracles – things just get so overwhelming at times that I want to choke the life out of some pasta or celery. But I have to keep my spirits high for after doing the day’s things, like eating, hopefully picking up packages, and making a show order and starting to write some liner notes for a new release, we have our first casting session for A Carol Christmas, which I’m looking forward to. I’m told there are about seventeen people coming. Given that the cast is probably eighteen, that’s not so wonderful, but if members won’t audition then we have no other choice but to cast from outside. We’ll see how it goes.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, going and doing and doing and going, writing commentary, perhaps seeing something or other and all the usual stuff. Today we’ll be shipping out Four Below Strikes Back, which will finally catch us up on everything that needed to ship.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, pray for miracles, keep spirits high, eat, hopefully pick up packages, make a show order, write liner notes, and then have our first casting session. Today’s topic of discussion: What were/are your favorite TV themes from the Golden and Silver Age, both sitcoms and dramas? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a somewhat relaxing day and more than happy to have finished choosing songs.