Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Holsts’ The Planets, in one of the oddest and most ponderous readings ever – conducted by the one and only Bernard Herrmann. It was one of his Phase 4 recordings and this new CD version sure doesn’t sound great – I have no idea of the source. I know I have another CD of it somewhere and I wonder if that’s better sounding. This has distortion all over it – now, that was a trademark of Phase 4 recordings, to push as far as they could, but this doesn’t sound normal. It’s almost a parody of The Planets and there are sections that sound like completely different music because the balances are so screwy. But it’s Herrmann, so one must have it. And there are those who think it’s the berries. If you want the berries, you need William Steinberg with the Boston Symphony Orchestra – that is the be all and end all of all Planets – superb conducting and playing and perfect tempos throughout. I’ve also listened to the first two CDs out of four on the Steinberg Boston Symphony albums he did – a Schubert 9 and Bruckner 5 so far – both excellent. Earlier, I did manage to watch a motion picture, another 2024 release. Someone mentioned it on the Facebook, and it sounded interesting, so I looked it up, it still sounded interesting, it was cheap to stream and so even though it was touted as a thriller horror movie, I took that chance. The motion picture is entitled Strange Darling. The writer/director calls it a movie in six chapters but non-linear. The chapter thing has been done many times, but it was the non-linear that was interesting. The two stars are Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. I’d enjoyed Willa Fitzgerald in the Reacher series and I’d never seen nor heard of Gallner. Also, in the cast and a ton of fun are Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley, Jr. The movie begins with chapter three, skips ahead, doubles back to chapter one – and yes, there’s a purpose to it all and it really works well. I’m not going to say more because the less you know, the better. It does have some violence but nothing you haven’t seen before. Ms. Fitzgerad is superb and the guy is good, too. Everything just works and it was very enjoyable. It’s gotten pretty much raves straight across the board. That was all I watched, but not for want of trying.
Other than that, yesterday wasn’t much of anything. I had a rough night in Jericho, was up for a couple of hours from 4:30 to 6:30, then went back to bed getting another few hours for a total of five or six hours depending on how you look at it. I look at it askance. Once up, I answered e-mails, did a quick run to the ATM (Automated Transcendental Meditation), then came right back home. I made a batch o’ Wacky Noodles and ate them all up – it was a fine batch. I did do the last of the writing on the new book until I officially begin it on January 1, although I’ll continue to make notes. I had a long telephonic conversation, watched the movie, did some stuff on the Internet, and here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll finesse the commentary, I’ll go to the mail place, I’ll get something to eat and bring it home and eat whatever it is, and then when finessing is done, I can watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, I’ll try to get to storage on Saturday so I can find the Drat box o’ music, and Sunday will definitely be a ME day and I’ll get my head in the right place for next Tuesday’s physical.
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, finesse the commentary, go to the mail place, get something to eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What is the most uniquely structured film you’ve seen – or the oddest? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as the ponderous Planets ponders away.