Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because I was waylaid by a telephonic call and am beginning these here notes rather late. And you know what they say about late notes. I don’t know what they say about late notes, but am happy that you do because one of us has to know what they say about late notes. I only know what I say about they. And now Microsoft Office has just decided it’s time to do an update so I shall return, as General MacArthur once said. I have returned, which General MacArthur did not say. Having returned I have lost my train of thought. If anyone finds it, unlike General MacArthur, do not return it. What the HELL am I talking about? Thanks, Microsoft Office and your out-of-the-blue updates for causing me to lose my train of thought, which is, I suppose, better than losing my car of thought or my bus of thought.
Yesterday was, well, I don’t know what yesterday was, really, because I have lost my damn train of thought. Oh, I suppose I got up after about seven hours of sleep. Oh, I suppose I had some telephonic conversations and answered e-mails and did some work on the computer. Oh, I suppose I went and picked up some packages and came back home. Oh, I suppose I rustled up some Wacky Noodles and ate them all up. Oh, I suppose I made a first pass show order. I know there were other things that happened, but I have no memory of them other than it was suddenly nighttime and I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched two count them two motion pictures, the first motion picture being on DVD. It was entitled Nude…You Die, a film of Antonio Margharetti (under his usual English pseudonym, Anthony Dawson). It’s a 1968 what they call giallo, I guess, but it’s not very good, it’s never suspenseful, it tries to be funny, and while there are several deaths there’s no real gore and there certainly isn’t any titular “naked” on view. I’ll tell you why I wanted to see it: a) the original version of the script was by Mario Bava, b) the director has made some interesting movies, and c) it stars Eleonora Brown, the twelve-year-old star of Two Women (she’s nineteen in this film). She grew into a very attractive young woman and I enjoyed her performance. As always, there were a couple of American actors, in this case Mark Damon and Michael Rennie. The film was distributed in the US in a much cut down version (missing twenty minutes) by American International, who retitled it The Young, the Evil, and the Savage. Go know. This version on DVD is the original cut of the film in Eyetalian with English subtitles. It wasn’t terrible and I’m glad I saw it, if only for Eleonora Brown and Mr. Rennie, who I always enjoy.
I then watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray from the year 2016, entitled Passengers, starring Chris Platt and Jennifer Lawrence. It’s a very peculiar movie – certainly adequately shot, but with a character plot point that would hardly endear him to anyone, which is a real problem when that plot point is at the heart of the film. But whatever one thinks of the ideas in the film, it’s strictly by the numbers, nothing really original, with a lot of cutting and pasting from other films, including the most shameful – the robot bartender behind a bar straight out of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. I mean, it is literally almost the same set and the robot bartender is no different than The Shining’s Lloyd. Lawrence Fishburn makes a brief appearance, but by that time the film has just become tiresome. It got very bad reviews and the US gross was not very good, nor do I actually believe it even grossed what’s reported and I certainly don’t believe the inflated overseas gross. But of course on the imdb you have all sorts of people bemoaning that the critics hated it because it’s BRILLIANT. It’s not. It’s adequate at best. But even some of the bad reviews said that Mr. Pratt and Ms. Lawrence are the hottest stars on the planet – I mean they put it just like that. For me, they may be “stars” in somebody’s book, but not mine. And in this film I simply cared not a whit about either of their characters, frankly. It certainly looks good and the Blu-ray is everything it should be, both image and sound-wise, but I cannot recommend the film itself.
After that, I did some more work on the computer, had more telephonic calls, listened to some Villa-Lobos, who really is the most marvelous and unique composer. And that was that. Oh, and I lost my train of thought thanks to Microsoft Office.
Today, I’m lunching with our very own Mr. Lanny Meyers, so that will be fun. I’ll hopefully pick up packages, then I have to do some stuff that I’d rather not be doing but I have no choice, and then I’ll start writing the commentary and at some point I’ll relax, I’m sure.
The rest of the week is more meetings and meals, seeing a show or two, and finishing up the commentary, as well as maybe announcing a new CD title.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, lunch with Lanny, hopefully pick up packages, do stuff I’d rather not do, and then write some commentary. 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, where I shall hopefully find my train of thought.