Well, dear readers, on nights such as these there is simply no time to sit on one’s couch like so much fish and watch or relax. Oh, one tries, one does try, but one simply cannot concentrate because one keeps getting up and down to answer texts, have telephonic calls, and do stuff that must be done prior to being on my way to New York, New York, the city that never sleeps. Who is this one I keep speaking of? Don’t I mean ME? I think I mean ME as in ME and yet I keep using the word one. Is ME the one? Is one the ME? Or is one the I? Is it The One and I? Or is it The ME and One? I, of course, have no idea what the one ME is going on about, but that’s par for the course and course for the par. Here’s what I know. I started about six different movies, then watched the first twenty-five minutes of The Fortune. I didn’t see it when it came out because it sounded like a total misfire. And boy is it ever. One simply has to start with the dreadful script to know why. The fact that Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and director Mike Nichols signed on is the true enigma. Thus far, it’s completely unfunny, completely charmless, and completely confusing. A lot of money was spent and it looks good, but all the good looks in the world can’t save a terrible script. Of course, whoever wrote the Wikipedia article on the film, only quotes the handful of good reviews. The film was a complete critical and box-office failure in every possible way. The Wikipedia article forgets to mention that little bit of tid, which is why you must never take a Wikipedia article, to which anyone can contribute, with a large container of salty salt. The film, which had a VERY long script of well over 200 pages runs 88-minutes (with end credits).
Yesterday was another busy day. I got a bit over eight hours of sleep – I didn’t get to bed until a bit after five in the morning. Once up, I had to answer a lot of e-mails and texts, I had to watch some video auditions for the duet – we have two good choices now but heard back from someone we’d contacted several days ago who didn’t get the e-mail until today. We’re hoping she’ll do it – she was one of my early choices. We should know today and finalize today. Then I had a Zoom with Sami Staitman, our leading lady, and the fellow who plays her BFF. We read through all their scenes for the eight episodes that shoot in New York, I made a few general comments about energy and timing, but overall, it was very good to hear it out loud. I cut one joke out of episode one instantly – too many words in the set-up for too little punch in the punchline. It was an easy cut. Then Sami asked me to think about revising one little four-line thing – she’s always worried about being cancelled lest a single person be offended by something. It wasn’t really offensive at all, but it wasn’t all that funny either, so I just rewrote it and now it’s not offensive – well, if you’re a thief and a prostitute it might be – so no one will have to fear being cancelled.
After that, I went over to In-N-Out and got a double cheeseburger and some fries, came right back home, and ate it all up – it was very good and VERY inexpensive. After that, I printed out all the scripts and put them in a binder, so that’s all done. There were more texts and e-mails, and then I finally got to sit on my couch like so much fish and get up and down repeatedly. The rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, we’ll hopefully finalize our final NY cast member and get her the song to learn, I’ll get a little cash from the ATM, I’ll go to the mail place, I’ll eat, I’ll get my suitcase out and ready to pack, I’ll do laundry, I’ll pack, I’ll hopefully print out my boarding pass, and then I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I really just want to relax all day until I’m picked up to go to the airport and then be on my way to New York, New York, the city that never sleeps. I hope I sleep a bit on the flight, but usually I don’t. Once in and checked into my room, I’ll get as much sleep as I can before we convene at Sami’s apartment and then go to eat. And then, the following morning, we begin shooting in her apartment for three days – all the scenes that take place there. We work every day right up until we fly home on October 4.
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 finalize our final NY cast member and get her the song to learn, get a little cash from the ATM, go to the mail place, eat, get out my suitcase, do laundry, pack, hopefully print out my boarding pass, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What films seemed like they couldn’t miss but that you ended up hating? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as The One and I will hopefully get a good night’s sleep.