Well, dear readers, we had some very good potential news yesterday – some would call it breaking bombshell news, although I’ve known it was a possibility for the last year and a half. And so, the good news is that yesterday Variety reported that Miramax will remake The Faculty, with original director Robert Rodriguez producing, and a new writer doing the screenplay, adapted from Kevin Williamson’s screenplay, adapted from the screenplay and story by yours truly and David Wechter. We have no idea when it would happen, of course, but should it come to fruition, on the day principal photography finishes, we will get a nice payday, and wouldn’t it be nice to have a nice payday that was nice. But we’ll take even potential good news. In other news, two more people have dropped out of Drat! The Cat! less than a week before rehearsals begin. Why did they audition? Why did they accept the gig? This new generation of actors are the most entitled, unprofessional group I’ve ever seen. A commitment is a commitment. Once made, you stick to it. I never backed out of a project. I never said yes then said no. But this group? If they get lucky and get a Broadway show, then they miss tons of performances. It’s a whole different ethic now and not one that will serve them well in the long run. I work with really young kids who understand what a commitment is and who are a lot more professional than these other folks. So, we’re desperately trying to find at least two more guys and at least two or three more gals. I sometimes think there should be a list of people who do this – or even worse, who book an audition and then don’t show up – and that list should be passed around to every theater in LA and environs. I’d bet this crap would stop instantly. Otherwise, I watched the first hour of a three-hour motion picture last night, a true masterpiece and one of my all-time favorite films – Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. It never seems long, it’s brilliantly directed and acted, and I just love it. This is a new Blu-ray from a new 4K transfer and it is a HUGE improvement.
Prior to that, I only got about four hours of sleep, answered e-mails, showered, and them moseyed on over the hill to lunch with a friend I haven’t seen in two decades. We went to John O’Groats. I had a ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and thousand island dressing. It was a HUGE sandwich, but very good. I was very full. After that, I came right back to the Valley and right home. Then I dealt with trying to find new folks to replace the people who dropped out. I had bunches of telephonic conversations, once after another, then I dozed off for too long, then got both proofer’s once-over notes, entered those fixes, which were very few, and now the files can go to the designers after I run one thing by Muse Margaret. Once it’s designed, then I proof it one final time.
Today, I’ll be up by nine, then I’m picking up Donald Feltham and we’re going to storage and will not leave until we have the Drat! The Cat! music box. After that, I’ll go to the mail place and hopefully pick up two important envelopes, I’ll eat, someone’s coming by to pick up something in the late afternoon, and then I have a ton of stuff to do in the evening and at some point I’ll finish watching High and Low.
Tomorrow will be busy prepping for Drat! The Cat!, and I’m hoping some of the day can be a ME day. Sunday will definitely be a ME day. Then Tuesday we begin our Drat! The Cat! fun adventure.
Speaking of tomorrow, today is the last day of January. It flew by like a gazelle singing an Armenian art song in Greek. That means that tomorrow is a new month, namely February, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that February will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by nine, go to storage, find the Drat! The Cat! box, hopefully pick up two important envelopes, eat, have a brief visitor, the watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currenly in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had some potentially potential good news.