Well, dear readers, I have breaking bombshell news for you – it is the last day of August and tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, tomorrow, we love you tomorrow you’re only a day away and it will be a brand new month called September and it is my fervent hope and prayer that September will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. I seem to have had an Annie moment, but who hasn’t, that’s what I’d like to know. I think everyone has had an Annie moment at least once in their lives, don’t you? Whether it’s hoping for a better tomorrow or getting a new deal for Christmas or going to NYC or never being fully dressed without a smile, Annie moment abound even if we’re not aware of them. What the HELL am I talking about? I think we’ve either gone off the deep end or are treading water in the shallow end. Now we’re doing swimming pool metaphors. And who hasn’t had a swimming pool metaphor at one time or another? Who hasn’t felt like they’re drowning or diving into something or doing a belly flop or waiting for a breaststroke of good fortune or coming up for air. Is this a metaphor day? I think we’ve had enough Annie moments and swimming pool metaphors, don’t you? Don’t you think we should just have some damn notes right about now? I do. I did manage to watch two motion pictures last night. The first motion picture was Inherit the Wind, which I haven’t seen since the Blu and Ray came out many years ago. I first saw Inherit the Wind at my beloved Stadium Theater on a Saturday matinee on January 14, 1961, after it had played its wider run for the last half of December. Interestingly, it played with Oscar Wilde, the Robert Morley version, which I very much want to see. I’m not sure I would have stayed for that one. I loved the movie back then, especially Fredric March and Spencer Tracy and the comely Donna Anderson. Considering she began with two good roles in major movies, both directed by Stanley Kramer, her non-career is shocking, as she was terrific in Inherit the Wind. The only sour note for me is Gene Kelly, who just doesn’t quite come off as the cynical newsperson. And I thought that back then, too. Otherwise, everyone is very strong, but it’s really a two-man show, just as it was on Broadway, where it starred two other powerhouse actors, Paul Muni and Ed Begley, along with Tony Randall as the newspaperman. Anyway, I enjoyed it thoroughly and it has a short but effective score by Kramer regular Ernest Gold.
The second motion picture was from 2013 entitled Stand-Up Guys, starring Al Pacino and Christopher Walken, badly directed by Fisher Stevens. Walken walks away with the picture, but that’s not saying much, as it’s just nove well-written and meanders along with too much improv, a caricature of a performance by Al Pacino (more in a moment), and a brief, somewhat embarrassing turn by Alan Arkin. The second-best performance in the film belongs to a young actress named Addison Timlin. While she’s had a career, I’m surprised she didn’t get further along but then again the film was a bomb. As to Mr. Pacino, all I can say is that he’s directed stuff and he would never allow an actor to do what he’s doing in this film. But apparently no director can do a thing about his excesses, and I find every performance of his in the last decade and a half to be exactly the same and completely indulgent. There are a couple of things he was better in, but that is more the exception than the rule. But the script is kind of hopeless to begin with. But Walken is one of our most unique actors and it’s always a pleasure to watch his work.
Yesterday was another okay day. I got the ubiquitous seven hours of sleep, answered the ubiquitous e-mails, had a few ubiquitous irritations, there was nothing at the ubiquitous post office, and that was the first part of the day. I did some work on the project with David Wechter and will be finished with what I was to do today, most likely. Then he has to do his work before we can mush on. Still no proofer two’s stuff – hopefully soon. When I checked DoorDash in when I got up there were no discounts before five deals. When I checked again at two, there they were, so I had a Marco’s pizza and it was, as always, very good.
Then I did a bit more work, had some telephonic calls, and then watched the two motion pictures. At about eleven o’clock, something dropped on my head and slid down my hair past my ear. I had no idea what the HELL it was. I looked around and saw nothing, but it had to be something. Then I walked toward the sink – nothing there – turned back and there it was, the most humungous cockroach in history (or whatever it was). I was prepared for it and swatted it swiftly and getting its squashed horribleness into the trash outside. I hope that was a one-off never to be repeated.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hope that the two important envelopes show up, I’ll do work on the project with David Wechter, I’ll eat, I’ll stop at this liquor store in the City of Studio that carries some English candies to see what they have, I’ll do some prep work, and then watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is September and hopefully I’ll be able to do my banking stuff, otherwise it’s more of the same, as is the long weekend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, do whatever needs doing, write, eat, check with the mail place and hopefully pick up two important envelopes, see what English candies are available, do some prep work, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Metaphors. What are your favorite metaphors? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had an Annie moment and a few metaphors.