Well, dear readers, I am suffering from PTSD – Post Thanksgiving Stuffed Delerium. And I didn’t even have a Thanksgiving dinner, which I kind of missed, but alas, no invites were proffered this year, and my usual go-to dinner didn’t happen this year, as the givers are out of town. Dear reader Jeanne was under the weather, so I was by myself – me, myself, and I, save for a brief visit from Grant Geissman.
I did get eight hours of sleep and once up I just was lazy for a while, then eventually went to Ralph’s, which was, at one-thirty in the afternoon, an absolute madhouse. Why anyone would wait until that time to do their marketing is anyone’s guess but there they were, a bunch of crazy people doing huge shopping. I bought items to make Wacky Noodles and found the express lane – it still took me ten minutes to get out of there. As soon as I got in the car I realized I forgot the sour cream, so I simply drove to Gelson’s, where the crowds were much less. I was in and out of there in two minutes flat.
I came home and rustled up a nice big batch of Wacky Noodles for my Thanksgiving feast. I decided to watch the two Fox movies that I had streaming codes for, whilst eating the first helping of the Wacky Noodles. They weren’t the best I’ve ever made them, but they were still good. The first motion picture I watched was entitled Can You Ever Forgive Me, a terrible title even if it does make sense when you’ve seen the film. It’s a “based on a true story” thing – the author Lee Israel’s forging of letters from famous people. Melissa McCarthy stars and she’s very good. I don’t know her stupid movies so I had nothing else to compare this to, performance-wise. Also very good was Jane Curtain, and Richard E. Grant will probably get an Oscar nomination for his turn. Direction was competent, but although set in 1991 it seemed like a much earlier New York. It’s enjoyable in its way – not a great film, but it’s an interesting story.
I then had my second helping of Wacky Noodles and watched The Old Man and the Gun, another really stupid title. This film is apparently the swan song for Robert Redford, now eighty-two and still handsome. His face has been craggy and ancient looking for twenty years now but with him it just doesn’t seem to matter. Also starring is Sissy Spacek, and their scenes together are lovely because they’re both real actors who speak up, say their dialogue so that every word can be understood, and the camera loves both of them. Also in it in thankless roles, Danny Glover and Tom Waits. I wish I could say it was a great movie as should befit a Redford swan song, but it’s just kind of amiable and never really catches fire. It, too, is a “based on a true story” thing, about bank robber Forrest Tucker (no relation to the actor). Worth seeing for Redfore and Spacek but a great movie it isn’t.
Then I had the brief visit, then I had my third and final helping of the Thanksgiving Wacky Noodles, about seven ounces in all and then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Whilst there, I watched a DGA screener of a motion picture entitled Boy Erased, another “based on a true story” thing and real Oscar bait every step of the way. It’s an interesting story, and at times even compelling, but you can’t escape the Oscar bait and I just find that annoying. Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Lucas Hedges star, along with writer/director Jeff Edgerton who plays a leading part. It’s about a teen who has gay feelings who is sent to conversion therapy by his preacher father and whose mother goes along with it. If you’ve ever wondered about that specious process you’ll find out all you need to know here, and it’s disgusting. Amusingly, the Edgerton character who plays the conversion therapy guy, who you want to just smack silly – well, in the end credits we find out the real life guy ended up leaving his conversion therapy teachings to marry a man. I kid you not. All the actors give fine performances and I’m sure Ms. Kidman will be nominated because she’s ALWAYS nominated. The kid is very good. Three movies in one day was enough.
Then I had a craving for pumpkin pie, so just for the halibut, I went to see if the market was still open, but alas it was not. So, instead I stopped at a liquor store and got some gummy Starburst thing and ate that. Some Thanksgiving meal. I hope everyone here had a beautiful and traditional Thanksgiving. On the Facebook there were lots of photos of lots of people I know very well having traditional Thanksgiving dinners. I must remember to invite them to something someday, oh, yes, I must remember to invite them to something someday.
Today is a ME day. I will have to put gas in the motor car, I’ll sleep in before doing so, I’ll eat something (perhaps even some turkey and some damn pumpkin pie), and then I’ll watch more DGA screeners. Mostly, I’m just clearing my head, praying for a few more miracles so that I don’t completely crash and burn.
Tomorrow we’re back with a two-show day for A Carol Christmas. I’ll definitely see the matinee, just to make sure everyone is back in performance mode – not sure about the evening show. Sunday I’ll see the matinee – the Shermans are coming and so are the Geissmans, so that will be fun for sure. Then Monday we have our one and only run-through of the revue followed by the first Kritzerland rehearsal. Tuesday is sound check and then the revue. Something’s happening on Wednesday, too, then we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal, we resume A Carol Christmas performances, have the stumble-through, then it’s sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a ME day – sleep in, put gas in the motor car, eat, hopefully pick up packages, watch screeners, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – or Black Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – too many of each thing to even think about listing. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a relaxing Thanksgiving even though I did not have a traditional Thanksgiving meal and yet am still suffering from Post Traumatic Stuffed Delerium.