Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to some film music by the marvelous Vladimir Cosma – Diva was just on, now some Eyetalian gangster movie. Cosma sure could write a tune. In other news, I watched two movies last night so let’s just get that out of the way, since I’ve been enjoying having long first paragraphs. The first movie was entitled Dragonslayer. I bought the DVD when it came out many moons ago in the DVD era. I never saw it in theaters because it got bad reviews and was a total bomb. I think I tried watching the DVD but I clearly didn’t make it much past the opening credits. Well, to put it succinctly, it was terrible. Of course, eighties people LOVE it, it’s the BEST. It’s so bad on so many levels, starting with the awful script and dialogue. Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins – look ‘em up – they’ve written some truly terrible movies, but they rode on the coattails of Steven Spielberg for a long time. Mr. Robbins directed, and he did a pretty bad job of it, save for the times when he’s directly ripping off Spielberg moments and shots. I thought the special effects were pretty rank, too – just look at Close Encounters – it’s nowhere near that level. And then we have the leading man, Peter McNicol. I’m sure he’s a fine actor but in this he is the antithesis of what’s needed. He’s flat, he’s boring, and certainly he’s no hero. Perhaps that’s how he was directed. The leading lady, Caitlyn Clarke is a little better. I knew or know nothing about her, so I looked her up. She didn’t do much film, but she ended up doing Titanic on Broadway, so I saw her in that. She died way too young. The only one who escapes unscathed is Ralph Richardson, who plays an Obi-Wan kind of character. Also not helping the film whatsoever is the score by Alex North, which was up for an Oscar and which all the FANatics of North love. I love Alex North and always have, but this score just isn’t good for this film. First of all, some of it is a rehash of his unused music for 2001: A Space Odyssey. That’s just lazy, but maybe the director wanted that. There are literally no themes and in this kind of fantasy with heroes and villains and dragons you need themes. We do get a lot of woodwinds working overtime, some nice trombone growlings, and a whole mess of xylophones. It’s just weird.
The second motion picture was entitled Daddy’s Gone a Hunting, a 1969 motion picture from 1969. I saw it at the Albermarle Theater in Brooklyn back then (I’d worked there earlier that year). I thought it was a weird movie then, but when it came out as a Warner Archive DVD, I snapped it up and watched it for the first time since way back when. Watching it again after eleven years, I didn’t remember the screenplay was by my late pal, Larry Cohen (written with Lorenzo Semple, Jr.). It’s not his finest hour, but he tends to have really good ideas and then lets them down in the writing, although when he’s really firing on all jets, he’s very good. This one’s a nasty little thriller that is ultimately just too silly for its own good. Carol White stars and she’s a little irritating and so we don’t care like we should when she’s in jeopardy. Paul Burke is Paul Burke, and the film introduces Scott Hylands as the wacko who woos the leading lady and succeeds for a time until she realizes that he’s – wacko. The rest of the film is him stalking her and making her life miserable. The plus of the film is a decent John Williams score, which includes a completely weird title song with lyrics by Miss Dory Previn. Can’t really recommend it, though. The transfer looks like it’s either from a print or a CRI since cue marks are burned in.
Now playing is Cosma’s wonderful score to Salut l’Artiste, a film I absolutely loved when it came out. I’d love to see it again, actually. I’ll have to see if it ever came out on home video. Toots Thielemans plays his usual soulful harmonica on the score.
Yesterday was a day I couldn’t quite get with. I got just under eight hours of sleep. I got up, answered e-mails, did a few things on the computer, and then food arrived, which I’d ordered the night before. I decided to have the tri-salad from Art’s Deli, which I do think takes the cake for the highest price deli anywhere. Higher than Langer’s, Brent’s, Jerry’s Deli, and not as good as any of them. The tri-salad normally comes with one scoop each of tuna salad, turkey salad, and egg salad, but I had no tuna and two scoops of the turkey salad. It sits on one big lettuce leaf and some onions. I got some ranch dressing for it, as the turkey salad tastes great with a little ranch mixed in as you eat. There were tomatoes, too, and coleslaw. Very Keto friendly all the way and super filling – it was excellent and quite a respite and change from the similar stuff I’ve been having. That said, never again – it’s too much money – you can get the same exact thing at the Coral Café for ten dollars less, so that’s what I’ll do next time – and it’s every bit as good. Here’s an actual photograph of the dish as it arrived.
I saved half the coleslaw for later. I couldn’t face any Indiegogo organizing after the hours of doing it yesterday, so that will be a today task. I still don’t know about the move, but hopefully will today. Then I watched the first movie, which you know about. I took a brief break and got some good news, so that was good. Nothing huge, but helpful. Then I watched the second movie, after which I went to Gelson’s and got tuna, a head of lettuce, and some celery for today’s tuna salad sans bread. I thought I should have a little something else to eat, so I chopped some of the lettuce, put a tiny bit of shredded mozzarella on it, and chopped a few tiny bits of red onion. I had leftover ranch from the earlier meal, so I used that, and it was very satisfying. I finished the coleslaw, too. Because of the slaw, I probably ended up having about 25 grams of carbs, which is perfectly fine. I have never found a decent bottled ranch dressing that tastes as good as what you get in restaurants – does anyone have any favorites? Then I listened to music.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll start the long organizing the Indiegogo perks stuff, just making it so it will be easy to figure out. I’ll eat, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, then I have the mentor thing on Zoom at three with two young writers – looking forward to that. I’ll hopefully hear about the move and I’m actually hoping it’s more around the twenty-eighth than Sunday, but we’ll see. I’m also supposed to hopefully see my galley and covers by Friday. If I approve, then things should move quickly from there and I should get test books two weeks later or thereabouts. After all that, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same, Saturday I’m having an early dinner with an old friend, someone dear Jeanne probably remembers from our Bluth Brothers Theater days, and I’ll have finished the Indiegogo stuff by then, too. I’m not sure how shipping will go until the move is over and everything is organized with all those CD boxes, but we have to get that done soon and I may have to find a couple of people to come help with it, unless the helper has found people. Then next week is very busy.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, organize Indiegogo, eat, hopefully pick up packages, do a Zoom mentor thing, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite fantasy films, from the old days to now? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have seen two weird movies and gotten some good news.