Well, dear readers, this month is flying by, like a gazelle eating a pop tart that was too pooped to pop. And frankly, who among us has not felt too pooped to pop? I think that’s a universal feeling, don’t you? Otherwise, I am sitting here like so much holiday fish on the Day of No Labor, listening to yet another composer discovery, a Belgian composer from Belgium named August de Boeck. Had I only discovered him two days ago, I could have written about August in August, but alas, I am writing about August in September. He just popped up on my YouTube feed, so apparently, he was not too pooped to pop. The piece was a prelude from an opera, and I was immediately taken with his music – tuneful, lush, beautiful, almost impressionistic (he’s credited with actually bringing Impressionism in music to Belgium. Of course, then I went down the August de Boeck rabbit hole and I have to say I am just loving everything I’ve heard – a symphony, a piano concerto, a nocturne, a suite from another opera – I’m going to search for more. His symphony, written in 1896 but sounding very much of the coming century, did not have its first public performance until 1921. I’m hoping there’s a recording of his ballet of Cendrillon (Cinderella). Anyway, if you’d like to check out August in September, he’s easy to find on the Tube of You. I did manage to watch half a motion picture last night, entitled Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz, his 1969 film that was much derided on its release. I was in my final month of living in New York and I saw it on its opening day and really enjoyed it – yes, there were a few issues, but I just loved Hitchcock and it had some amazing set pieces. It’s never really turned around in people’s estimation – it’s certainly better than stuff like The Paradine Case and Under Capricorn and Jamaica Inn. The theatrical release ran 126-minutes. I saw it two more times in New York at the Cinerama on Broadway. I had it on laserdisc, and then it came out on DVD and suddenly it ran 144-minutes, had alternate endings and some of the scenes that were in the trailer but not the released version. Apparently, this longer cut was the preview version, which got a big thumbs down from audiences in San Francisco, hence the trims. I prefer the released version – it’s more compact and plays better – but for some wacko reason, that version has not been seen in home video here since prior to that DVD release. I don’t quite understand it, really. It is, however, available on Blu-ray in the release version overseas, and I’m going to get one of those. When I say I watched half a movie, I fell asleep five minutes into it and didn’t wake up until the Cuba sequence an hour into the film. That’s one of the best set pieces in the film and I just got hooked. It meanders a bit after that, but with the appearance of the Philippe Noiret, the whole thing just comes to life in a great way. Unfortunately, Mr. Noiret’s screen time is only about fifteen minutes. What an actor, just wonderful. Not so wonderful, and the film’s biggest problem is the stick of a leading man, Frederick Stafford. It was a very bad casting decision. Hitchcock’s best movies always have stars in them. I think he was still recovering from Paul Newman and Julie Andrews in Torn Curtain, although that movie was certainly a hit in no small measure due to their drawing power. The preview version uses one of the alternate endings, rather than the one cobbled together for the release version – but I like that one better. This one just seems a bit silly rather than the irony it’s supposed to feel like.
The other issue is the Maurice Jarre score. It has its moments, but boy would Bernard Herrmann have made it a whole different movie and I mean that in the best possible way. Too often, the Jarre score trivializes what’s going on. If you’ve never seen it, it’s really worth it for the Harlem, Cuba, and Philippe Noiret sequences, and the opening scene, although Jarre pretty much trivializes that, too, by continuing the military march that accompanies the main titles – it makes it seem like that parade is still happening somewhere, when it isn’t.
Yesterday was a ME day, although I had a bit of a rough night for reasons unknown. I finally got up for good at noon-thirty – maybe I got five or six hours of sleep – hard to know. Once up, I had very few e-mails to answer, my Instacart delivery came, and then I made Wacky Noodles for food. Much later, I had some popcorn as a snack. I just played on the Internet and relaxed. After the movie, I watched a bit of Kubrick on Kubrick, an hour-long documentary, which consists of Kubrick talking about his work and movies. Then I made tuna pasta salad for today and tomorrow’s food. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll have another ME day, doing no Labor on Labor Day. I’ll have half my tuna pasta salad, and that will be it for food. I don’t plan on leaving the home environment. And I’m quite certain I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, it’s back to doing stuff, mostly Kritzerland prep and a work session. She of the Evil Eye comes in the morning, which is fine as I have to do some banking, then I’ll have a light breakfast. The rest of the week is more of the same.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora and the Texas Two-Step, for today is the birthday or dear reader Ron Pulliam. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to dear reader Ron Pulliam. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DEAR READER RON PULLIAM!!!
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, have another ME day, do no labor, eat tuna pasta salad, stay home, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What is the best job you’ve ever had? And the worst? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have discovered August in September.