Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to my favorite Ravel, Valse Nobles et Sentimentales, in what is for me its finest performance in glorious Living Stereo, Charles Munch conducting. This was my first Valses Nobles and nothing has ever topped it and I’m sure I have most of them. I did watch a very long two-and-a-half-hour motion picture entitled A Time to Kill, which I’d never seen before. From John Grisham’s first novel, directed by Joel Schumacher, and starring Matthew McConaughey in his first starring role. Not an actor I care for at all, but I’ll give him props for this one because he’s very good in it. The rest of the cast is stellar – Sandra Bullock, Oliver Platt, Kevin Spacey, Samuel L. Jackson, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Charles S. Dutton, Ashley Judd, M. Emmett Walsh, Chris Cooper, and Patrick McGoohan. Of course, we’ve seen these kinds of movies before, but I must say I thought it was very well done, it held my interest, maybe it’s a little facile at times, but considering it was made in 1996 and was lambasted by many critics who should have known better – overheated melodrama, unbelievable, blah, blah, blah – but sadly, in 2023 it’s all still VERY believable, because we’re living in an overheated melodrama in this country right now. I read some of these reviews and I just wonder it these so-called critics ever go back and read what they wrote and then watch the film again. Doubtful. There were a few reviews that really liked it, though. The only slight disappointment is that they don’t give the Sandra Bullock character an exit or brief scene and I think the film needed it because she’s so strong in it. The score by Elliot Goldenthal is at times effective and at times just weird and a little off-putting. And now, Ravel/Munch still Valsing – this piece was, I’m sure, an inspiration to Mr. Sondheim and A Little Night Music. In other news, our Amazon reviews finally began appearing and all I’ll say is I’m very grateful to see them and see so many enjoying the show. I don’t know who at least half these people are, actually, but the heartening thing is they “get” the show. We all, everyone involved and there were a lot of people involved, worked very hard to make sure we delivered something positive, funny, warm, loving, and funny. So, that was a nice thing that happened yesterday and hopefully more will be showing up.
Yesterday was a day in which I got only four hours of sleep, arising around eight for reasons unknown. I got up and intended to go right back to sleep, but I checked my e-mail and the galley and covers had arrived for approval, so that was exciting and I went through everything and approved the galley and softcover covers. But whoever assembled this did the one thing we clearly state in our instruction sheet, i.e. you may NOT later the PDFs in any way, save for filling in the ISBN numbers on the copyright page. Well, on the dust jacket flaps they for no reason whatsoever shrunk the text two points smaller so you almost couldn’t read it and thereby throwing the spacing on the flap off. So, I sent my guy what WE sent and he had them redo it, which they did in about an hour and then I approved that. So, today the book goes to the printer and I should have copies in a week or two – very exciting. I had a phone thing to do at noon-thirty so I never went back to bed.
The phone thing went fine and then I ordered in food from a new jernt called Noodle World, a nearby ramen and noodle emporium that I gather is part of a chain. I ordered the Pad Thai, and it came about fifteen minutes later, piping hot. And I’m happy to report that after nothing but disappointing Pad Thai experiences for the past two years, this was excellent. The portion was large and I ate it all up and I’ll be going back there. It’s actually only a few blocks from here, so I’ll just go there and order and pick up. Why not?
After that, I was sated and still tired, so I got in bed and instantly fell asleep for an hour, which I probably shouldn’t have done on the full a stomach – I dreamed I was throwing up on the ground so good thing I woke up. Then I just did stuff on the computer, put the word out about our Q&A Sunday and several cast members will indeed be with us, including some of our cameo players. Then it took forty minutes to choose the movie, after which I watched it. So, the only food for the day was the Pad Thai – no snacks, no sweet, so that was a good thing and a good thing that was. And the rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven at the latest but probably prior to that, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll check and see what’s what with the mail place, I’ll eat something fun, and then in the early evening I’ll go have a casting session for the workshop production, after which I’ll come home and watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, not sure what’s happening. We’re trying to figure out about advertising various places for Sami, plus we’re turning in all the stuff to see if we qualify for Emmy noms, which I’m hoping we will be. Then on Sunday, we have our Sami Q&A and I’m hoping that a few of you will be able to attend. I’ll have the Zoom link by Friday and it will take place on Sunday at 4:30 West Coast and 7:30 East Coast, which seemed to accommodate most of you dear readers. We’d like to fill the jernt.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven at the latest, do whatever needs doing, check with the mail place, eat, have a casting session, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, so happy the book is approved and on its way to the printers, and that the wonderful reviews are finally showing up.