Well, dear readers, we have, in fact, gone up to 61%, a small but appreciated rise and I’m hoping that today we can go up more, as we’re moving a bit more slowly than we should be, given the last campaign we did as a barometer. So, new perks, old perks, great perks, large perks, small perks, perky perks. Here’s the handy-dandy link.
Other than that, I’m sitting here like so much fish, listening to Richard Addinsell’s lovelier than lovely score to the film Loss of Innocence, which I’ve always wanted to see and yet never have. Is it even on home video. It stars Susannah York and is based on a novel by a favorite writer, Rumer Godden (the novel was called The Greengage Summer). Let’s check this out, shall we? Hold tight. Released in the UK on DVD, full frame and pricey now, so I guess I can hold off seeing it some more, unless a reasonable copy shows up or if it shows up on the Tube of You. Prior to that, I listened to a most delightful operetta entitled Die Fledermaus (The Fledermaus) by Mr. Johann Strauss, which I sheepishly admit is the first operetta by Mr. Strauss that I’ve heard. Of course, there is much recognizable music in it. It was very tunefully tuneful and performed wonderfully by von Karajan and his 1960 cast. I did find the “Gala scene” quite odd, where a gaggle of well-known opera singers do a few numbers that aren’t from Die Fledermaus – on this recording there’s some Lehar, but also Porgy and Bess, My Fair Lady, and oddest of all, Annie Get Your Gun. You haven’t really lived until you’ve heard Anything You Can Do sung by two opera singers. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and next I’m going to have to do some Franz Lehar, beginning with The Merry Widow, just because I’m thinking one must. There are just some things that are done, if you get my meaning, and if you dear readers don’t get my meaning, who will? No one, that’s who, or as some people like to write it noone. I think people who write no one as noone are high. So, that’s what you get – high noone. We don’t allow groaning here at haineshisay.com.
Yesterday was certainly a day, which is probably the most I can say about it. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I’ll say more. I got eight hours of sleep, I answered e-mails, and I finally began writing the commentary and got about a third of it done so far – I’ll probably do a bit more after posting these here notes. I went and picked up a couple of packages, then stopped at Gelson’s for food. They had a new item – beef stroganoff, so I got two small chicken tenders and some of the stroganoff. I came home and tried the stroganoff, which promptly went into the trash – I should have known better. I ate the two tiny chicken tenders, then rustled up a small batch of Wacky Noodles, which were most excellent. I got three more Kritzerland videos in, so that’s moving right along. I should have everything by Friday, at least that’s the hope. I did some cheerleading for the Indiegogo campaign, and Michael Shayne asked me if I’d do a signed musical quote as a perk, so I put that up, then a couple of dear readers also said they’d like one, so I upped the number to five. Grab one if you feel like it. I had a nice chat with one of our Kritzerland guest stars, Miss Judy Kaye. I just adore her. After that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Damn Yankees, from the Broadway musical of the same name. I like the movie but don’t quite love it except for a few great sequences. It’s lovely to have Miss Gwen Verdon do her role, and certainly I don’t think there was anyone else at that time who could have done it better, but absolutely nothing is done to help her in terms of lighting and camera, which is a shame. The costumes for some of her stuff is just weirdly unflattering. Tab Hunter is a bit of a stick but has a certain charm, and it’s lovely that they used so many from the original cast. Ray Walston is someone I’ve never found the least bit funny, so I’ve never understood why he was so lauded as Applegate. Jean Stapleton is very funny, and Shannon Bolin is very touching as Meg. The highlight of the film is Who’s Got the Pain, with incredible choreography by Bob Fosse, who dances it with Miss Verdon. It’s brilliant, and brilliantly filmed. The Shoeless Joe number doesn’t quite work – I think Fosse was just getting used to screen language and it’s just a bit choppy. The score has some great numbers, the best of which, for me, is Heart. The transfer is mostly terrific, with the caveat being that the dark scenes are too dark, especially Two Lost Souls. Sound is mono and fine. It was fun to see it again, especially looking a thousand percent better than it ever has on home video, especially the color.
After that, I just relaxed for a bit and listened to Die Fledermaus and Loss of Innocence, an odd couple if ever there was one. I will tell you that dear reader George got the best bargain of the Indiegogo campaign – the nine color stills from Bells Are Ringing. While the lobby cards are very common and inexpensive, the color stills never show up anywhere – there is exactly one available on eBay and that one’s going for twenty-five bucks. I’ve never seen these go for less than that, really. So, it’s a very good investment and that’s what actually got us up to 61%. There are more such bargains. Just saying.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hopefully get more videos in, I’ll finish up writing the commentary, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat whatever takes my fancy, but definitely something I pick up and bring home, although I’m told that certain restaurants are now doing indoor dining, so I might just go have a nice lunch somewhere, just to be supportive, and then after all that, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, and I’ll try to relax on the weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, do whatever needs doing, hopefully get more videos, finish writing the commentary, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finally heard Die Fledermaus.