Well, dear readers, what would an evening be without the likes of me sitting here like so much fish, listening to music, in the case of this evening, the film music of that master film composer from far off Japan, Masaru Satoh. Now playing, his wonderful theme from Hideo Gosha’s great film, Goyokin (Gold). This was the film that filmmaker Tom Laughlin copied shot for shot in his American version, The Master Gunfighter – didn’t work because – he’s not Hideo Gosha or even a tenth of the director Mr. Gosha was. He also scored Mr. Gosha’s The Wolves, another excellent score. Of course, he scored my favorite Kurosawa film, High and Low, as well as Kurosawa’s The Bad Sleep Well, Throne of Blood, Red Beard, The Hidden Fortress (the inspiration for Star Wars), and his amazing scores for Yojimbo and Sanjuro. To kaiju fans, he is, of course, known for his various Godzilla scores like Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Son of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster, as well as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, Lost World of Sinbad, and The H-Man – and many, many others. Otherwise, I’m currently viewing a rather hideous little depraved film entitled The Toolbox Murders, from 1978, all shot in Canoga Park. The two main apartment buildings are on Saticoy and are still there, looking exactly as they did. The house where one character lives is on Chase Street not too far from the apartments, and that house and entire neighborhood is also exactly the same – not a McMansion in sight. There are a few fun location shots under the main titles, too. The film was reviled on its release by most critics, but as these things go, these horror FANatics love any film with gore and gruesome violence, especially directed toward nude women. So, it’s now a cult film and even Stephen King loves it, which lowers my estimation of him because there’s really no defense of this crass and wholly unpleasant film. Why am I watching it? Because I’d read about it when Pamelyn Ferdin posted about it on her Facebook page, and I was interested to see a performance by her when she was in her late teens. The film begins with not one, not two, not three, but four gruesome murders by various tools from the toolbox of the toolbox murderer. There’s really no doubt who it is, despite the ski mask and even if there were, it’s revealed about twenty-five minutes in. After those murders, we get scenes of the police at the scene of the crime that are so ludicrously unbelievable that the film almost becomes comic. Apparently, Canoga Park detectives have never heard about preserving a crime scene or question people right in front of hideously murdered nude women. Yeah, they do that. And then it becomes a gabfest with the killer and his kidnapped victim – that scene must go on for over ten minutes. The director is completely inept. I gotta tell you, these horror FANatics who love this sleazy, inept stuff are a breed unto themselves. I like a good horror movie that’s well done – Orphan, which I’ve talked about several times, comes to mind – if one even considers it a horror movie. The Babadook was a good one. Psycho was a good one. Carrie was a good one. But The Toolbox Murders – no thank you.
Yesterday was a day that was a day. I got up at eleven-thirty after eight hours of sleep, answered a few e-mails, shaved and showered and then was on my way to see a matinee of the musical 13, directed by friend Barry Pearl. I’d seen his first production of it and this was much the same – same set and all – but with all new and better choreography. The simple truth is, I just don’t like the show itself. I can’t get past the lead character’s treatment of the only friend he has in the new town he’s in. And since he doesn’t realize the error of his ways until pretty late in act two, well, it just rubs me the wrong way. And since the show was a rather large flop on Broadway, perhaps that’s one reason why. I do always enjoy seeing hard-working kids and they did work hard and gave their all and their friends and families were, as you’d expect, VERY vocal in their enthusiasm.
After that, I hurried home, stopped at Taco Bell and got food to go, came home, ate said food, which was fine, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish and relaxed and viewed, which is what I needed to do.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, but mostly I’ll be prepping for the upcoming shoot, casting the last of the small roles (only two, I think, although we still don’t have a duet gal so I’m going to revise a few lines and then it won’t have to be a name performer, which makes it MUCH easier), at some point I’ll eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and start preparing my head for my ten days in New York. Have I missed it, or have we not set a day and time for our haineshisway.com get-together? We should do that very soon. Then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same – prepping, prepping, and more prepping, plus a meeting with the line producer to make sure everything has been done so that I can clear my head of all extraneous stuff.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or The Monkey, for today is the birthday of our very own beloved dear reader elmore. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own beloved dear reader elmore. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BELOVED DEAR READER ELMORE!!!
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, prep, finish the last of the casting, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Let’s get a definitive date for our get-together and also if anyone would actually like to be in a scene. I have to know this now. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I hit the road to dreamland, having had a day that was a day.