Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Ernest Gold’s moving score for A Child is Waiting whilst you dear readers are waiting for the notes to appear. I haven’t listened to much music prior to this because I really didn’t have the time. I did listen to two classic Beach Boys albums – I’ve had these for at least fifteen years and have never played them – Japanese imports. They sound really great, but I can say that from me a little of that music goes a very long way. What’s most interesting is how they were really pushing the recording envelope back then, since they were recording the three-track tape, but still doing tons of overdubs. I did watch two motion pictures, though. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled The April Fools, starring Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve, along with Peter Lawford, Jack Weston, and Harvey Korman. I saw it back in 1969 when I was living in New York and I remember liking it a lot, mostly because of Miss Deneuve. I watched it for the first time a decade ago and while I knew it wasn’t good, I kind of forgave it. This time around, there’s no forgiving it – it’s really awful. The writing is terrible and Stuart Rosenberg, the director, is not exactly Mr. Light and Mr. Comedy, so he was the wrong guy for the job. It’s slow as molasses, the jokes aren’t funny, the nightclub scenes are sooooo 1969 and look soooooo ludicrous now. The actors all try hard and most are okay. Peter Lawford has always been an enigma to me, although I did like him on The Thin Man TV series. The score, such as it is, is by Marvin Hamlisch and it, like the film, isn’t very good unless he’s interpolating the Burt Bacharach/Hal David title song, which is why I think I liked the movie back in 1969. The transfer is nice enough but can’t really recommend the movie itself. And after that, I watched another Louis Malle film, Black Moon, from 1974, I think. I’d only seen it once before, about seven or eight years ago when the Blu-ray came out. It’s certainly beautifully photographed by Sven Nykvist, but it’s a completely surreal, wacko movie with no plot whatsoever. Just weird happenings that are weird. It certainly has atmosphere, but if you want a coherent motion picture this isn’t for you. The lead is played by Catherine Harrison, daughter of Noel and granddaughter of Rex. She was either fourteen or fifteen when this was filmed. Also in it are Joe Dallesandro and Alexandra Stewart as brother and sister, both named Lily, which is also Catherine Harrison’s character’s name. There are quite a few animals in the film, including a unicorn, and there are lots of naked children running around doing heaven knows what. Even Miss Harrison goes topless (couldn’t do that today) to breast feed an old woman. I’m not making any of this up. But if you like incoherent, surreal films, you might enjoy this.
Yesterday was an okay day as okay days go. I got eight hours of sleep, answered a bunch of e-mails, did some work on the computer, and then went to Vitello’s for a nice lunch and meeting about a new project I think we’ll be doing next year, a series that will alternate with however many Kritzerland shows I feel like doing. I had the carbonara, which I have to say was not good – a very small portion, and the sauce was just a bit weird – seemed mostly oil based rather than cream based. The good news is that it couldn’t have been more than 500 calories. I had my usual small Caesar salad to start.
After that, I went and picked up no packages, then came directly home, caught up with stuff, had a telephonic conversations and some texting volleys. Someone also sent me this fun screen grab from The Partridge Family – my final episode – where I suggested that I kiss Susan Dey (not in the script) – the director said fine, plant one on her cheek. I said that I had no intention of planting one on her cheek and instead I planted the kiss elsewhere, as you can see.
Then I watched the two movies, had some ice cream for my evening snack, and then began listening to A Child is Waiting whilst writing these here notes because dear readers are waiting.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, and depending on things, I’ll either have a work session or I’ll drive to storage – I won’t know that until morning. I suspect it may be storage and that the work session will happen tomorrow or over the weekend. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat something light but fun, I’ll do whatever needs doing, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll start choosing songs for the Group Rep thing, perhaps have a work session, and do whatever else I need to. The weekend is more of the same and I’m hoping Sunday will be a ME day.
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, either have a work session or go to storage, hopefully pick up packages, eat, do whatever needs doing, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are the most incomprehensible, weird films you’ve ever seen? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that someone sent me the fame grab of “The Kiss.”