Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto, courtesy of Mr. Ormandy and Mr. Serkin – I’m enjoying it even though Mr. Beethoven is not really my cup of tea or even my cup of noodles. I’ve made myself a cube steak (no mean feat) and I shall eat it whilst writing these here notes, which I shall call cube notes in honor of the cube steak. I’d only eaten a chicken Caesar prior to this, at around two in the afternoon, and that was smaller than usual, so I needed a little more protein. I actually didn’t get back into the house until about ten-fifteen. I’d been to Ralph’s to get a few items that I figured might be cheaper there. Certainly, I bought about eighteen Sparkling Ice drinks, which are indeed cheaper than Gelson’s be a whopping sixty cents per bottle – and they had some flavors that Gelson’s didn’t, so that was fun. I also got some eggs, some cheeses, some little salami things (cracker-size), some Atkins keto friendly candy things, some lettuce, some Bob’s Big Boy ranch dressing, a red onion, and a few other things. I came home and opened the trunk to take the stuff in, when Grant Geissman called me over to say hi to his ever-lovin’ Lydia – they’d celebrated Mother’s Day next door with daughter Greer. So, I walked over there and ended up spending about forty-five minutes gabbing with them, which was fun. And prior to that, I’d watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Die Hard. I knew I hadn’t watched it in a while but was surprised to find it had actually been ten years, which is about three after it came out on Blu-ray. It’s since been out as a 4K transfer, but the Blu-ray in that package is the same old transfer from all those years ago and it’s pretty bad. When I first saw the film when it originally came out, I didn’t love it, but it’s grown on me since, and now it seems much better than it did then. Once the plot kicks in, it really moves like gangbusters, the action sequences are terrific, the enclosed setting works great, and the performances, save for one that I can’t stand, are great, especially Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia and Alan Rickman, who’s a fantastic villain. If they were writing this today, the studio would insist on a backstory for Willis, some defining thing from his past that he has to overcome – that’s how the film would begin – and then they’d trick up the ending, too. Too many screenwriting gurus who’ve ruined the business. Everything pays off nicely at the end and it’s all eminently enjoyable. The one fail in the movie, at least for me, is the Hart Bochner character. None of the other characters are cliches like his character, and he’s so phony and over the top with it, that I can’t wait for Mr. Rickman to rid us of that character. Michael Kamen’s score works very well. I think I saw at least one of the sequels and hated it, but I’m almost tempted to check them out again.
Yesterday was what I needed it to be – a ME day from start to finish. I slept eight and a half hours of sleep, got up, answered a few e-mails, then went to Gelson’s and got the chicken Caesar and the cube steak, which, by the way, I have now finished. I am feeling rather cubish right now, living example of cubism. I ate the chicken Caesar, listened to music, and then watched Die Hard, after which I watched some of Kiss Me Deadly, but I’m afraid I dozed off for about thirty minutes, so I’ll go back and watch what I missed, which is all but the opening five minutes and then about ten minutes after I woke up. I do love the film a lot. Then I did the Ralph’s run, had the fun conversation with Grant and family and dog Baxter who, for the first time EVER took a liking to me and was all over me looking for affection. It was funny.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll proof a bunch of stuff, I’ll see if I can pull together some folks to do the rearranging stuff at the storage place for later in the week, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat, I’ll continue writing commentary, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, Kritzerland show stuff, hopefully finding a day to organize storage, and then whatever needs doing I’ll do and I’m sure there’ll be plenty o’ stuff. And hoping for a few major miracles around these here parts.
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, proof a bunch of stuff, try to figure out the rearranging day, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, continue writing commentary, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have been feeling cubish and to have written cube notes.