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July 9, 2021:

ON THE BOARDWALK IN ATLANTIC CITY

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, last night, as I watched a motion picture masterpiece, I got quite emotional not because of what was going on onscreen, but because we are never going to have films like this again. If anyone tried to hawk the script today, they’d be thrown out in less than a minute. It doesn’t conform to anything, there are no algorithms you can apply to it, it is its very own thing, completely unique, like so many films used to be. Today, even the highly lauded films are so generically made, and so irritating to watch. I know you’re all wondering what film I’m talking about, but I’m not going to tell you. I’m kidding. I’ll tell you. In fact, I’ll tell you loudly and clearly, not necessarily in that order. It is a film entitled Atlantic City – it’s written by John Guare, it’s directed by Louis Malle, it stars Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon, Kate Reid, Robert Joy, and a bunch of Canadian actors (even though all shot in the US, it was a co-production with Canada) – I recognized all the Canadian actors from other well-known films they did in the 1980s – a gentleman from The Dead Zone, and gentleman from Scanners, and a few others from other things. When I saw the film during its original engagement, I proclaimed it a masterpiece and it was number one on my Best of 1981 film list (I did these lists every year for the entire decade). The copyright on the film is 1980 but it didn’t come out here until 1981. It was nominated for five Oscars, winning zero. Burt Lancaster should have won, but the award went to Henry Fonda. Susan Sarandon was nominated, it was up for best picture (the awful Chariots of Fire won that award – every other film up was miles ahead of it), screenplay (Chariots won that, too), and director. I know it came out on Blu-ray overseas, but I also know it was the same transfer used for the DVD, so since I have the DVD and it looks great, I’m happy with that. I cannot say enough about Guare’s quirky and wholly original script or Malle’s simple and beautiful direction, but I can say that Mr. Lancaster gives one of the great screen performances – there is so much going on – it’s a textbook of screen acting. For me, Sarandon has never been better than in this film. Everything works, even the short appearance by Robert Goulet. And it was the last time you’d ever see Atlantic City as it looked – right after this film was made, it all changed into Vegas, with those huge casinos and most of the original hotels and buildings razed. In fact, a lot of said razing is going on during the film. I cannot recommend this brilliant film highly enough. Well, now maybe I’ll have to get the damn Blu-ray. Interestingly, Michel Legrand wrote a score for the film, but Malle opted not to use it. I think there’s maybe one short piece of radio music that’s left, but Legrand does get score credit. But sadly, this kind of film is never going to get made again. The idiots running streaming sites and the studios simply have no brains to understand films like this. In fact, Barry Diller on NPR yesterday said that movie business as we knew it is dead and will never be coming back and I have to say, he’s probably right. It’s been heading that way for years.

Otherwise, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Walton’s Troilus and Cressida opera. As you may remember, I listened to it just a few weeks ago, the revised version with Janet Baker, and I absolutely loved it. I knew I had the other version on Chandos, but who knew which box it was languishing in. Well, I found the box yesterday and there it was, along with about ten other operas and three CDs I recently acquired again because I couldn’t find them. So annoying. Anyway, this version is the original version for soprano (the revised is for mezzo-soprano, had about eight minutes of cuts, and since keys were lowered for the leading lady, those orchestrations had to be lowered and revised, too). The sound on the other version is better – clearer and more detailed – this one has that Chandos washy sound. But boy do I love this opera and what a composer Mr. Walton was. Prior to that, I’d listened to the incredible complete symphonies of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Once begun, I simply couldn’t stop. This is the Adrian Boult stereo cycle and boy can it use a new mastering.

Yesterday was a brief day, due to getting nine hours of sleep, which I really needed. Once up, I answered a slew of e-mails, did some work at the piano and on the computer, went to Gelson’s and got a chicken Caesar for food, came home, ate it all up (they seem to be getting smaller these days), had a tiny bag of chips with it, and then did the garage search and found that box o’ CDs and brought about twenty CDs inside, including those stupid things I’d re-purchased. Then I watched Atlantic City and doing so made me realize just how far gone the movie business is today – but boy did it make me happy. And then it was the Vaughan Williams stuff, and now I’m finishing up both Troilus AND Cressida.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll work on the two other performers for the Kritzerland show, I’ll prepare for tomorrow’s workshop, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat something calorie-friendly, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye comes, and then I do the workshop at the Group Rep from eleven to one. After that, I have a few errands and whatnot to do, then I’ll relax until Peyton and her mom arrive. We’ll mosey on over to Barone’s for a fine dining adventure – so many things I can now choose from – I know the carbonara will be mighty tempting, but in the end, I suspect it will be the scampi over linguini – we shall see. After that, we’ll mosey on over to the Group Rep to see the playlets. So, that’s a nice, full day. Sunday will be a ME day, and 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, try to find two performers to do one song apiece, prepare for the workshop, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CDs, all this stuff I found in a box. DVD, since I enjoyed Mr. Malle’s film so much, I think I’ll watch Pretty Baby, a film that could not only not be made today but would get its creators cancelled. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have seen a real movie in a world of I don’t know whats – on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.

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