Well, dear readers, I have breaking bombshell news for you: It is March. Yes, you heard it hear dear readers, short February is done and now we’ve marched right into March and it is my fervent hope and prayer that March will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. And since it’s a new month let’s just start this new month off by introducing you to the new book. The first blurb has come in and it’s lovely, so I’ll share that with you, too. First, a little history recap. I’ve had the idea for this book for twenty years now and could never figure out a way into it or how to write it and make it work. But in the final week of 2022, it all came to me. It was one of three ideas I had, but I knew in my heart I had to write the long-gestating idea. So, I ran all three ideas by Muse Margaret. She wasn’t jazzed about the first idea, but she did like the second idea, but then when she heard the third idea her reaction was swift and strong – you have to write that one. And, of course, the third idea was the long-gestating idea. So, right after Christmas, I do what I always do, I wrote a few pages, just to get my feet wet. I had to get into the lead character’s head and the way he thought and sounded and looked and the specific way in which he spoke because the entire book is him talking about his life and fixation. Everything is told in his voice even when he’s quoting others, it’s all via him. I had no idea how hard that would be, but it was also exhilarating and really fun. You’ll understand more when you actually read the book and I don’t really want to give away anything more. So, without further ado, I give you the title and cover of the new book.
And here is the first blurb, which will give you some idea of what it is.
“I grew up going to Major Studio Previews and this book was a real trip back to those days, when we never knew what movie we were going to see. Bruce Kimmel, who also grew up going to Major Studio Previews has created a wonderful character in Harvey Minton aka Preview Harvey, a unique individual obsessed with Major Studio Previews. Told in Preview Harvey’s own words that he’s recorded on a series of audio cassettes, the novel is very funny and filled with the movies of our lives and Preview Harvey’s love affair with Major Studio Previews. You’ll love meeting Harvey, his parents, his fellow preview nuts, and reading this book you’ll not only wish you were there, but you are there!”
– Marc Wanamaker, author, Hollywood historian, and owner of Bison Archives, the largest collection of historical Hollywood photographs in the world.
Isn’t that a lovelier than lovely blurb? Oh, and Marc provided that amazing photo for the cover. I couldn’t have asked for better since a good portion of the book takes place in that very theater, including that very preview. Doug Haverty did the wonderful design. We went through several variations I didn’t love, mostly putting a color wash of varying hues over the entire photo, but when he finally came up with this one, where the black-and-white photo morphed into a cloudy blue sky I knew it was perfect and of course the title treatment is actual theater marquee lettering, so I love that. I loved being in this world and in the head of Harvey. And, of course, I, too, was obsessed with Major Studio Previews. I will say that the character of Preview Harvey is very loosely based on a real person who I used to see at previews almost all the time. I didn’t know him but I thought he was a fascinating type and that era has haunted me for a very long time. So, it was the right book at the right time. As soon as I’ve got the flap copy right and the other blurbs come in, then we’ll take preorders for the book. I’m hoping everyone will like it, but as with all books, I’m sure it won’t be for some. I certainly loved writing it. If you love movies, you’re gonna hear about a lot of ‘em in this book.
Otherwise, yesterday was an okay day. I got nine hours of excellent sleep, got up, answered a plethora of e-mails, got dressed, had some telephonic conversations, and then moseyed on over to the mail place and picked up two important envelopes, went to the Subway next door and got a spicy Eyetalian sandwich, then came home and ate it – it was excellent. I had more telephonic calls, had one of those tiny Bundt cake things – really good – and then I saw a first cut of what will be the trailer/sizzle reel and it was a great start – we’ll finesse that today and I’m sure it won’t take that long – it’s just over a minute long.
Then I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched the first hour of Irma La Douce. I loved it when I saw it at the Chinese Theater on its opening day first show, so much so that I just stayed for the next show. Then I went back several times. It got huge laughs and people forget that it was a big hit. It’s become fashionable to not like it for some reason, but I still like it and it’s still funny, and Lemmon and MacLaine, together again, are very winning in it. Lou Jacobi, however, almost walks away with the entire movie, but that’s another story. Previn’s arrangements of Monnot’s music from the stage show is masterful, the production design is amazing, it’s shot beautifully, and the only downside is its length of two and a half hours – a good half hour could go easily. There was an import Blu-ray which was an old transfer but which had reasonably good color. Then Kino released it here with a brand new transfer off the camera negative, but sadly while it’s sharper it also sports brown color because no one at Kino knows a damn thing about color. Had I been presented with that transfer that we’d have been expected to pay for, I would tell them to book me eight hours with a good colorist. It’s a shame.
And now, I am listening to the wonderful music of the Slovene composer Lucijan Skerjanc – beautifully tonal and melodic and atmospheric – currently playing is his first symphony. I have four of his five symphonies, all grabbed from the Tube of You – if you’re interested, just start with the first symphony and you’ll probably be hooked. After I finish these here notes, I’m going to grab more stuff by him – his piano concerto, five pieces for cello and orchestra, and his harp concerto. It’s really the best thing about YouTube, all these obscure classical composers.
Today, I’ll be up by ten, I’ll go to the bank and cash one of the checks, then I’ll go to Marshall Harvey’s abode and we’ll finesse the trailer/sizzle reel thing, then I’ll come back to my neighborhood and see if I can get into the bank to make a deposit. After that, I’ll figure out what I want to eat, I’ll eat whatever that is, and then I can watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more stuff like that and maybe seeing a show on the weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten, cash a check, finesse a trailer/sizzle reel thing, do more banking, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK day, the day in which you dear readers 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 revealed the new book and marched into March, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that March will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.