Well, dear readers, I’m sure I mentioned that three days ago, May 5, which was actually a Monday back in 1975, we began filming The First Nudie Musical. That’s forty-nine YEARS ago. Unbelievable. Next year, we really must do something special for its fiftieth anniversary. Well, sadly another two people from our cast have passed away – in mid-April the last of the actors who played the backers, Greg Finley passed away, and yesterday, Susan Buckner, who does the first verse of the Honey, What’Cha Doin’ Tonight number also passed. She was a wonderful gal – down to earth, funny, and we had a great time with her shooting the number. She was best known for another 1970s film musical that happened two years later, a little movie called Grease, in which she played Patti Simcox. We reconnected on Facebook in the mid-2000s, and I saw her a few times at those signing shows and that was fun. She used to message me of Facebook and text me every now and then, but not for the last couple of years. So, all four backers have passed away, Cindy, of course passed last year, Alan Abelew passed just before the pandemic, and over the years we’ve lost Frank Doubleday (Arvin), Kathleen Hietala (Eunice), Rene Hall (Dick Davis), Vern Joyce – those are the ones I know about – but the four Dancing Dildos are still with us, as are Stephen Nathan, Diana Canova, me, several of the dancers that I know of, although I haven’t been able to find all of them on social media. On the other side of the camera, the producer and executive producers are gone, our assistant director who also plays Navy Morgan is gone, sets and costumes Tom Rasmussen is gone, cinematographer Doug Knapp is gone, editor Jack Peluso is gone – others I don’t know about. Sad to think of so many friends and people I’ve worked with over the years who are gone. Hopefully, there all in a nice, warm place somewhere, having fun.
Otherwise, yesterday was certainly a day of some sort. I got seven hours of sleep, so we’re going in the right direction toward eight, got up, answered e-mails, had some telephonic conversations, did an Instacart order and then made hot dogs for food, did some work on the Kritzerland show but didn’t get around to the show order or commentary, which I will today, and I went down the endless rabbit hole of watching over eighty musical numbers by the Pink Windmill Kids – most of them are really delightful. The ones from the later 1980s aren’t as much fun because the director (don’t know if it’s a different one than the earlier seasons) decided to get all arty and the late 80s clothes they stick the kids in are embarrassing. The earlier 80s stuff is great because – they look like KIDS. Anyway, it was more fun viewing those than the Poltergeist remake. For anyone who loves Once Upon a Time in the West, the new 4K transfer is up for free on Prime. I actually bought it last year from Vudu – it’s pretty great. There is a 4K disc coming shortly and it includes a Blu-ray of the new transfer. That was pretty much the day and evening.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven at the latest, I’ll try to do the show order, I’ll try to start the commentary, and then at two-fifteen I have the Social Security call, which I hope goes well. Once that’s done and depending on how it goes, I’ll either make something here or go out for a nice meal. We shall see. Then at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is a work session with the MD, as well as Kerry O’Malley and Jason Graae – so that will last a little longer than usual, probably a couple of hours. Not sure what the weekend holds, but boy do we need some modern major miracles to show up soon.
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, try to do a show order, try to write commentary, have the call with Social Security, eat, either here or out, have more telephonic conversations, 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 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, hopeful that the important call today is successful.