Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry for she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon because of that I must get to bed at a reasonable hour as I must be up early and if this isn’t the most boring bit of information in the history of boring information, I don’t know what. Well, I do know what – I’m quite familiar with what and what is quite familiar with me, sometimes a bit TOO familiar if you get my meaning. I’m listening to two Russian symphonies by one Russian composer named Vasily Kalinnikov. I’m not listening to the two symphonies at the same time because that would create a cacophony of Russian madness. The first symphony, which is just finished is filled with good tunes and I guess it’s had some popularity over the years and actually has four or five recordings. The second symphony has only two, I think. I also managed to watch a motion picture I’d never seen before entitled Mrs. Winterbourne, starring Shirley MacLaine, Ricki Lake, and Brendan Fraser. I’d skipped it because it got horrible reviews back in the day. First thing you need to know, it’s a romantic comedy adapted from a novel called I Married a Dead Man by Cornell Woolrich (under one of his other pen names, William Irish) – you know, Cornell Woolrich, a master mystery and suspense writer. What he wasn’t was a writer of romantic comedies and I Married a Dead Man is anything but a romantic comedy. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the screenplay writers that and so we get this silly movie instead. It doesn’t help that the film is so ham-fistedly directed by Richard Benjamin, who was a fine actor, and who had one luck out with his first film, My Favorite Year – that film, however, had a good script and great actors. Here, stuck with a terrible script and at least one lead actor who is pretty awful, he’s completely at sea. Of course, Shirley MacLaine is wonderful and Fraser is fun, but the undoing of the film is, I’m sad to say, Ricki Lake. Yes, she was fine in her John Waters movies, Hairspray and Cry Baby, but then came her talk show, which floundered, and then this. She’s simply not got the acting chops for this kind of film and she’s so abrasive and charmless that there’s no chance for the movie to work. Of course, she’s saddled with an awful and horribly written character. I watched until the end, just because, but nothing here that I can recommend.
Yesterday was an interesting day. I got seven hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, and then went to the mail place, where I picked up the softcover of Preview Harvey. I’m guessing the hardcover will be here shortly. Nothing like the thrill of holding the new book in my hands and it looks great. Here is said hand holding said book.
When I got home, I was greeted with this good news – another festival win, this time for me as director and another for Sami as Best Actress in a musical. Here are those. I don’t think they mean that much in the scheme of things, but it’s still nice to get them.
I got some fresh bagels and had the rest of the lox and that was very good again. Then the Darling Daughter’s friend came by and found the box of posters I couldn’t find. I thought for sure I’d gone through the three big boxes, but apparently, I’d just glanced at the top of the bottom box and that’s where all this stuff was. I’m trying to sell off the posters therein, but the movie poster newsgroup on Facebook is, sadly, overrun with current generation people and maybe one generation back – you know, collectors whose whole mentality is to just play the waiting game until they can cheap someone down to the lowest price. I come from a different era where collecting like that was a fool’s game. I offered about seven things and we’ll see what happens, but I don’t think anyone will bite, even though the stuff is really good. I’ll put the list here, too, just in case any of our movie lovers are interested. On the Facebook page, I just said make me an offer and I’ll say yay or nay or counter. That’s the better way for me. I obviously have lots more to list, too. I don’t want to sell on eBay because no one ever sees those items. Too many dealers sucking the life out of everything over there.
After that, I had some telephonic conversations, and then watched the movie.
Today, I’ll be up by eight-thirty and out the door by nine, I’ll breakfast somewhere, and then I’ll do stuff until it’s time to return home, at which time I’ll return home. Then the rest of the day is a ME day, and then I’m meeting the Wechters for dinner and that will be fun. Then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll be attending a matinee of a long show, then dining somewhere after. Next week, hopefully I’ll get the hardcover early in the week so I can place the book order, there’ll be Sami stuff to attend to, and then doing whatever needs doing.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eight-thirty and out the door by nine, breakfast, do stuff, come home, have a ME day, the sup with the Wechters at six-thirty, then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of the wonderful Shirley MacLaine? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have won another festival thing, and especially happy to have held the new book in my hands.