Well, dear readers, I have decided to boycott watching any movies directed by a brothers act. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, have decided to boycott watching any movies directed by a brothers act. There was a time when the DGA frowned upon a shared directing credit, but now it’s all the rage as long as the people are brothers. It’s almost like some moronic studio head says this film must be directed by a brothers team. Unfortunately, most of the films I’ve seen directed by a brothers act have been rip-offs of far better films and that are just typical follow-the-template movies. Based on dear reader TCB’s post the other night, I decided to watch The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock, I think, and Channing Tatum. The plot is completely original and has never been done before – a romance novelist has to suddenly live her adventures in the jungle. Oh, wait – I forgot about something called Romancing the Stone, which itself was a pastiche film that only existed because of the Indiana Jones movie. Anyway, this is yet another example of screenwriting by the numbers of some template somewhere with, as one critic put it, a few off-color jokes done in voiceover while the actors do something in long shots or with backs to the camera – most likely written and dubbed in while the film was in post. The characters are all CHARACTERS and the whole affair is just silly, but of course then there are the handful of scenes where we’re suddenly supposed to care and take seriously as they become suddenly real and the music become syrupy. And the music – just another score, this one by a female, that sounds like every other score except there’s not really a single note of actual melody, which is probably what the Nee brothers wanted and probably temped the film with. John Williams knew how to score these films and those scores did what film music is actually supposed to do. This just drones on. I have really enjoyed female composers like Anne Dudley and Rachel Portman but these new women in town are not for me. And no, I don’t automatically have to love them and think they’re geniuses just because they’re women. I’ll love them when they deliver a score that actually functions as film music and I feel that way about almost every male composer, too. It’s pretty much become a lost art and it will remain a lost art until some director with a functioning brain and some sense, makes a movie, hires a composer, and let’s that composer write a real film score. Then everyone will suddenly jump on that bandwagon. Now, the first fifteen minutes of the film are just irritating, basically the set-up. But then Brad Pitt suddenly enters the film and with his entrance the film became enjoyable and fun. That lasted ten minutes, at which point he exited the film. There were some moments that were mindlessly fun in their way, but it’s all so formulaic and it just lumbers along under the direction and pacing of the Nee brothers. Of course, the enigma here is why would anyone entrust a film like this to a brother duo with exactly two no-budget non-existent box-office dud independent films to their credit. I’m told that this film did 190 million at the box-office, with half that coming from foreign territories. Ask me if I believe that? And TCB is absolutely right about the little scene they drop in the midst of the end credits, which is incomprehensible and a timewaster. And I’m not trying to be mean, but why does Sandra Bullock suddenly not look like Sandra Bullock anymore. Her adorable and unique smile seems to have disappeared because she has trouble moving her suddenly thicker upper lip. Please don’t do that. It’s so unnecessary.
And now, I am listening to Arthur Fiedler’s Suite from Mass by Leonard Bernstein. This is a lovely suite of just music and the music here is very nice indeed, which doesn’t always come through on the original recording.
Yesterday was another okay day. I did get eight hours of sleep after a somewhat rough night. Once up, I answered a lot of e-mails, had some telephonic conversations, got the news that we’ve booked more locations for the web series, and found that I still haven’t had two people I private messaged on Facebook respond – and yes, I posted on their page to let them know they should look for the private message, and yes, both of these people post every day in every way, so they cannot say they didn’t see it. If they don’t respond by the end of the week, it’s an easy unfriend for both – and one of them has been an acquaintance for twenty-something years. Oh, well. I had a turkey, coleslaw, Thousand Island grilled sandwich from the Beverly Glen deli, which I’d been wanting to try. What I really wanted was their tri-salad, but they were out of chicken salad, hence the sandwich. It was okay, not as good as similar Trousdale at Paty’s but not bad. I had more telephonic conversations, then I watched the movie. I had some frozen vanilla yogurt – it, too, was okay.
And now, Spectrum is down because of a “scheduled” maintenance. Wouldn’t it be nice to, I don’t know, call me crazy, let the customers know this in advance. They don’t tell you how long it will be, only that their technicians are working hard to finish as soon as possible. So, I have no idea when these here notes will actually be posted – hopefully before I go to bed.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’m hoping for an important envelope to arrive and if it does I’ll go pick it up, I’ll eat something light but fun, I’ll choose songs and I do have to re-cast one person for the Kritzerland show. Then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is a ME day, start to finish, Sunday I have a phone meeting that I hope will be brief and drama free, and then next week is all Kritzerland show stuff, getting two releases ready to announce, one of which will be the final Bagley album – what a journey that’s been – over forty CDs, I think. I’ll pair it with something fun.
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, hopefully pick up an important envelope, eat, choose songs, re-cast one person, 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 – CD, nothing. DVD/Blu-ray, nothing. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping to have seen my last brothers act movie.