Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Michael Small’s excellent score to Klute, the first of what is now called the paranoid trilogy of Alan Pakula – Klute, All the President’s Men, and The Parallax View. Small, for me, was large and one of my favorite film composers of the 1970s and 1980s. Klute has an incredible love them, and the suspense music that makes up most of the score is so unnerving in the film. As a listening experience there’s a lot of that, but I still enjoy it. Prior to that, I listened to the latest score from my favorite French composer from France, Philippe Rombi, for the latest Francois Ozon film, Mon Crime, which is a period murder mystery comedy that looks very stylish and has a great cast. The score is delightful, as are most of Rombi’s score. But back to Klute because prior to the music listening I watched Klute. I saw it back in 1971 when it came out, on its opening day at the Pantages Theater (I missed a Major Studio Preview at the Picwood to do so – it was Bunny O’Hare for those interested in such ephemera and American-International was hardly a major studio), and it was an astonishing film to see – frank, suspenseful, unique, gorgeously photographed by Gordon Willis, and with a career best performance from Jane Fonda. Leading man Donald Sutherland was terrific, but the whole cast was fantastic down to the smallest role. I saw it three or four more times during its exclusive run at the Pantages. Interesting factoids on that Thursday June 24 date: The number one hit song was – It’s Too Late by Carole King. The number two hit song was Rainy Days and Mondays by The Carpenters. Song of Norway in 70mm was at the Dome and Ryan’s Daughter in 70mm was at the Stanley Warner Beverly Hills. Shaft would open the next day at the new Fox Theater in Hollywood (formerly the Iris), Wild Rovers was flopping over at the Chinese, and Plaza Suite was garnering guffaws at the Village. If you were in the mood to see a play or musical, you could have gone to the Huntington Hartford to see Rachel Roberts in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds, Patty Andrews in the Sherman Brothers musical, Victory Canteen over at the Ivar, or you, like I did twice, go to the Ahmanson to see Company, starring George Chakiris and most of the original Broadway cast. The Blu-ray of Klute from Criterion is a quality affair and looks great. The film really holds up and yet is a time machine back to the early 1970s. If you’ve never seen it, fix that right now.
Yesterday began with an irritating text – I didn’t respond until much later in the day so that I wouldn’t be snippy, and my response was, in its way, humorous, which I’m sure irritated the sender. Once up, after almost eight hours of sleep, I answered e-mails, and did a few things on the computer. After that, it was my intention to go buy some fresh bagels for tuna sandwiches, but I got a 55% off coupon from Postmates, so instead I ordered the tri-salad from Art’s Delicatessen, which I love, but which is way too expensive. To use the coupon, you had to do a thirty-dollar order, so I ordered the tri-salad and a Diet Coke and with the discount and free delivery, it was about six bucks cheaper than if I’d gone to Art’s and had it there. It arrived about thirty minutes later and was excellent – it’s really my favorite thing there and the best thing they do.
After that, I did some Sami stuff, got the confirmed date for the Gold Derby interview, which will be on Friday morning via Zoom, but the main part of the afternoon was spent getting the singers their music for the June 10 Kritzerland show. I went to the ticketing site, just to make sure of how many of the reserved seats were left – only the VIP first three rows are where you can choose your table. We have the entire first row for Richard and family and my three or four, and I knew Richard’s Disney friend (mine, too) Howard Green had taken ten of the twelve in row two. He was the only one I sent the ticketing link to, and yet the entire third row is now taken, save for two seats (the extra two in the second row are gone). I have no idea who booked those seats because it wasn’t my folks, since I haven’t sent out the information or done the Facebook post. So, the rest of the reservations are first-come, first-served. I’m really hoping we sell out all the table seating, which is about ninety or something like that. Here’s the flyer.
I had a couple of telephonic calls, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish and first watched all the extras on All the President’s Men, then watched Klute and all its extras. And now, here we are, all current and happening.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, then I’ll do the bagel and tuna sandwich thing, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll make a show order, I’ll eat, I’ll start writing the commentary – would love to get all that out of the way today – I’ll see if there’s anything at the mail place, and then at some point I can watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, some meetings and meals, a Zoom with David Wechter, the Gold Derby Zoom interview, and then whatever else needs doing.
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, get a couple of bagels, do whatever needs doing, make a show order, start writing commentary, eat, check in with the mail place and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a 55% off coupon and it’s good for two MORE meals.