Well, dear readers, we have our first review for the new book from friend Robert Yacko – had he not enjoyed the book he would not have written the review. It’s a lovely thing, so here it is for your mental delectation.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Journey Through the Grit and the Glitter
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
Bruce Kimmel’s “Directed By” is a colorful and panoramic view of a journey in the Art and Craft of Direction of almost every kind of media there is to direct. His true life tale is filled with discovery, lessons learned in the doing, and the derring-do of learning as you go. This is a craft that few attempt to tackle and one can see why. As you travel through time with Bruce in this book, you watch him find his own way of seeing the big picture, while wrangling actors, producers, tech folks, editors, and countless others, all the while endeavoring to shape the ball of creative wax so the audience gets every nuance of every word, song and comedic goodie along the way, as well as the overall story. Having worked with Bruce in many venues, I know the gifts of collaboration he brings to every table and how we found our own shorthand to work well and easily together. I know also of his many other talents in music producing, acting and writing. But it was the tale of his learning to direct film, literally on the fly at an early stage in his journey, that became my first favorite section of his book. Like most notable film directors, it began with him falling in love with movies and the way they are pieced together at a very young age. He also recounts working with and being inspired by an endless stream of great artists of stage & screen, and those stories add some well placed glitter amongst the grit of the real work involved in directing anything and everything. For anyone involved in the Arts, and especially for those with even the slightest interest in directing, this book is for you. It’s down to Earth, fascinating, unique, positive, and unflinchingly honest in sharing the pitfalls that befall anyone starting out on this path. Bravo, Bruce, for another great read!
Isn’t that a lovely review? Hopefully, the other review that was written before Robert’s will show up soon. In other news, I watched a whole slew of YouTube videos – a bunch of Johnny Carson with animals segments from The Tonight Show – I’ll tell you, if you need a pick-me-up these segments are just the ticket. I laughed and laughed, out loud. I watched another This Is Your Life thing – this time Donna Reed was the surprised celebrity. The only thing that was cringeworthy in this was Edwards. One just wants to rip that toupee off his head. I’d watch a movie if anything really caught my eyeballs, but it’s too hard right now due to the double vision thing. But thankfully, next Tuesday I’ll have me a new pair of glasses with the right side having a prism lens that should correct the double vision. I’m probably going to have her make reading glasses, too. I did get eight and a half hours of sleep, so that was nice. Once up, I answered e-mails, did a few things that needed doing, then I moseyed on over to the eye place and that went pretty quickly. I then picked up a half rack of ribs – five in total – just because they looked quite good. They’re very calorie friendly, ribs are – about 380 for the five ribs. So, later, I made two Nathan’s hot dogs with mustard and onions and those were excellent. Otherwise, I just had a few cashews and dried apricots, which were actually kind of nauseating. I had a Zoom thing with David Wechter that was very productive. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll check with the mail place and if anything is there I’ll go retrieve it, I’ll decide on food – either some pasta with pink sauce, or some egg and cheese burrito things – I have all the fixin’s here for all of that – and then I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same, Friday I’m attending an opening night, and then it will hopefully be a restful weekend.
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, do whatever needs doing, check with the mail place, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you 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 know that on Tuesday I’ll hopefully be seeing straight and to have gotten such a lovely review.