Haines Logo Text
Column Archive
March 9, 2019:

SPRINGING FORWARD

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon, so there can be no delay or dallying or shilly-shallying or even shally-shillying.  I must hop to it, I must go for the gusto, I must gun the motor, notes-wise.  And so I shall, damn it, so I shall.

Yesterday was an interesting little day.  The alarm didn’t go off, so I slept an extra thirty minutes, getting a total of seven hours of sleep.  I then had to shave and shower and get ready to do the interview for the Kay Cole documentary.  Hartley Powers, our leading lady from A Carol Christmas is making said documentary, so she and two helpers arrived at one.  They wired me for sound, set the camera, and we did the thing.  I run hot and cold on doing these kinds of things – I always think I come off horribly and that I look awful.  But Hartley asked good questions and so I was very relaxed and I think it went well.  I’m sure she’ll be able to extract some good bits to use – we did about forty minutes, I think.

Then they wrapped up their stuff and left, and I ascertained that there was no mail or packages, so I went and got two In N Out cheeseburgers, came home, ate them all up – both were very tasty – and had a bit of toasted coconut almond chip ice cream.  Then I listened to music and did stuff on the computer and then it was the evening and so I sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched Psycho II, the sequel to Psycho.  Of course, I saw it on opening day when it first came out. I found it a bit of a mixed bag but it had enough that was fun and enjoyable that I liked it pretty okay.  I saw it again when it came out on DVD and I got the Blu-ray but never watched it.  This one is part of this big German set and is the same transfer as the US Blu-ray. Seeing it again, I appreciate exactly the same things I did when I first saw it – Anthony Perkins recreating his iconic role, Meg Tilly, Vera Miles, some of the plotting, and some of the black comedy – and the things that were a mixed bag back then are still a mixed bag. That includes some really bad dialogue, some characters that are just stupid and over the top, and a peculiar ending that I don’t totally buy.  But I had fun seeing it again and the director, Richard Franklin, knows his Hitchcock and so the shots are all right out of Hitchcock and fun to watch.

I watched one of the extras, an interview with writer Tom Holland and Psycho IV director, Mick Garris.  It wasn’t that interesting, other than one question where they were asked how they first came to Psycho – film or book?  Both had first seen the film.  So, I wonder how many people actually read the book first?  Not many, I’m thinking.  However, I did.  Back in 1960, when I was twelve.  I got the movie tie-in paperback, which came out about three months prior to the movie. I read it on my first trip out of Los Angeles – going with a waitress from my father’s restaurant, Bonnie Miller, her son, and her boyfriend.  We went to St. Louis, and I brought the book with me.  I read some on the plane ride there (my first plane ride), and read the rest on the plane ride home, and finished at my house about a week before the movie came out.  So, unlike most, I was kind of prepared for the murder stuff, although the film is quite different.  There’s still a shower scene in the book, but it’s basically just one line that ends a chapter, and I remember it to this day: “It was the knife that, a moment later, cut off her scream.  And her head.” Funny what sticks with you, huh? I guess I’ll move on to Psycho III today, written by a former dear reader and now Facebook denizen, Pogue. It’s usually considered the bastard child of the features.  It’s one I never saw in theaters – home video was my first time with it, and I’ve only seen it twice since.

After that, I listened to music and relaxed, not necessarily in that order.

Today, I’ll be up early, then I’ll go have a light breakfast consisting of a light breakfast, then I’ll do some errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up mail and packages, and then I’ll come home, relax, write liner notes, listen to music, watch stuff, and eat something light early in the evening. And then, don’t forget we Spring Forward to a Spring Awakening by setting our clocks ahead one hour.

Tomorrow is more of the same and then I’m seeing the reading of a new musical in Pasadena.  Then next week is filled with meetings and meals, finalizing casting, choosing songs, hopefully writing a new What If, and making sure everything is on track with the book.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up early, eat a light breakfast, hopefully pick up packages, write liner notes, and relax.  Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Mr. Alfred Hitchcock and Mr. Anthony Perkins?  Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as we attend to the annoyance of setting our collective clocks ahead one hour.

Search BK's Notes Archive:
 
© 2001 - 2024 by Bruce Kimmel. All Rights Reserved