Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Michael Small’s great score to Marathon Man, which I also just finished watching. I’ve probably seen it six or seven times and it’s always engrossing. I will say that it’s really well directed by John Schlesinger and well written by William Goldman, who also wrote the novel. I do think it loses a bit of steam in its final fifteen minutes, and I do find certain parts of Dustin Hoffman’s performance a bit irritating. Laurence Olivier is terrific as are Roy Scheider and William Devane. I can barely understand a word Marthe Keller says in any of her movies and this one was no different. I do love the New York of 1976 and this film captures it really well. The movie poster simply has the title and “A Thriller” beneath it and a thriller it is. I don’t think anyone today knows what that means anymore. It was fun seeing it again and it’s fun listening to the score as I type these here notes. The character that Olivier plays, Nazi Christian Szell, was named after one of our favorite conductors, George Szell. In other breaking bombshell news, Hartley Powers sent me the main titles for Sami and I really liked them a lot. Just one minor adjustment and I think that will be it. They’re cute, perky, and work really well with the theme music. Marshall really liked them, too. They set the show up well and the first thing we learn is that Sami does not play herself, which is really important. That was the best part of the day. My stress level is out of this world and not in a good way – nothing to be done about it except hoping a major miracle will come along soon. Meanwhile, it’s nice and toasty in the home environment and I’m just relaxing. I’ve always loved main titles of movies. But the best ones were the ones that actually were not just text – but clever or artistic, like Saul Bass’s. I think the first time I was aware of Mr. Bass’s main title brilliance was Vertigo and then Psycho, and that was followed by Exodus and then West Side Story. He was a genius. And then there were the Pink Panther type titles, animated and hilarious. To Kill a Mockingbird had a brilliant main title sequence. And Mr. Bass’s main titles for Seconds are beyond brilliant. Those were the days, as the wags say. What are you favorite main title sequences?
Yesterday wasn’t terrible. I got a little over eight hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, and then saw the main titles. Hartley was very pleased by my reaction. I watched it about thirty times in a row. So, she’ll fix the one shot and that will be that. I then went to the mail place and picked up a couple of packages, including a roll of Forever stamps. Then I stopped at Taco Bell for food and came home and ate it. That was the food for the day. Then I did a few things on the computer, went and did some banking, came home, then watched the movie.
My goodness, these notes are short. Short notes. Then again, I’ve been writing long notes so short notes are okay once in a great while and this seems to be the great while, if you get my meaning, which I know you do.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’m defrosting two Omaha Steaks burger patties, so I’ll pick up some hamburger buns and make the burgers, eat them, and then I’ll do a bit of writing, after which I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow will be more of the same and then in the evening I’ll do my final bit of shopping for the Do – I have most of the stuff already – Friday night I’ll be dicing, slicing, mincing, and making two big batches of tuna pasta salad. Saturday, I’ll be making the spaghetti sauce and getting chairs set up and making everything presentable and pretty, and then guests will start arriving at six and off we go. Christmas Day should bring a visit from the Darling Daughter and that’s always a reason to celebrate, and then it’s the countdown to New Year’s Eve and our annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve right here at haineshisway.com. It’s the best and safest partay in town.
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 packages, buy burger buns, eat two burgers on the burger buns, do a bit of writing, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have been happy with the main titles.