Well, dear readers, I feel like I’ve been in a time machine for the past two hours. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, feel like I’ve been in a time machine for the past two hours. That is because I have just finished watching a DGA screener of a motion picture entitled Dolemite is my Name, starring Eddie Murphy, a film about Rudy Ray Moore, star of Dolemite, and what led up to the filming of that film and then covering the filming and release of that film. So, why did I feel like I was in a time machine? Well, for those who read There’s Mel, There’s Woody, and There’s You, those with keen memories of the section on The First Nudie Musical will know why, but I wasn’t quite aware of how many connections there were between Dolemite and my film. The big connection was and is that in late July of 1975, we took the work print and separate sound track and previewed the film in interlock at a theater in Pasadena (at least I think it was Pasadena – I really need to figure that out one of these days), where, despite the ragged workprint and no end credits, the film was a rousing success, laughs-wise – certainly one of the greatest moments of my life, then or now.
And then we had a second preview with separate picture and sound, just a few nights later, in San Diego, in a huge movie theater downtown. And the film we previewed with? Dolemite. I believe my friend from Mann Theaters had set up the two previews for us. The producer, the co-director, and several more of us arrived at the theater about thirty minutes before the preview. The theater was packed. I’m not sure anyone quite knew we were previewing with a blaxploitation picture and we were most certainly the only white people in the packed theater. We sat in the back row. I think we were all a little nervous, as our little low-budget movie comedy was the antithesis of Dolemite, or so I thought back then. But the fact was and is that we were both low-budget pictures (we had 50K more in our budget at that point), we were both movies that got made by the seat of the pants, and, even though I also did not know it back then, we shared one actor (Hy Pyke) and their cameraman, Nick Von Sternberg went directly from that film to being the best boy on our film. I did not know the latter until watching this movie tonight, since he’s a character. Thankfully, they loved our movie – howls of laughter and my favorite part was that their favorite character was Dick Davis, the black composer in the film within the film. Afterwards, so many people came up to me and told me they weren’t sure what to think when it began but that they absolutely loved it.
So, watching Dolemite is my Name last night really took me back to those crazy days of 1975. I have to say I found the film wildly entertaining and just about perfect. The director and cameraman really capture the feel of 1975 – it actually feels like it was shot back then – there are no sops to modern moviemaking in the film, which I thought was great. Eddie Murphy should win the Oscar for Best Actor – it’s a real performance from a terrific actor – and not that method acting shmacting of Mr. Phoenix, which so made me hate Joker. And how great to see Wesley Snipes back in action as actor D’Urville Martin – he’s hilarious and should be nominated for supporting actor but probably won’t be. It’s probably my favorite of what I’ve seen this year – maybe not the BEST motion picture, but certainly the most entertaining and fun, at least for me. Those were the days when independent films were INDEPENDENT films – our kind of movies don’t get made now. Every low-budget film, every independent film is simply made to emulate bigger budget offerings. There’s no more fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants anymore and, for me, that’s a crying shame. This is yet another Netflix thing, so if you’ve got that service, this is highly recommended by the likes of me.
Prior to watching that, I’d gotten just under eight hours of sleep. Once up, I had a brief visit from the helper’s mother, who picked up the new Creature DVDs for whomever might need one. Actually, only seven people so far, so it’s clearly working in most players. From now on, any orders will be shipped with the extra disc and an explanatory note. Then I moseyed on over to Jerry’s Deli and had a turkey sandwich and no fries or onion rings. Hadn’t had one in over a year and it was quite good.
Then I went to the mail place, picked up a bunch of packages, mostly DGA screeners, and then came home. I had another brief visit, and then I listened to some music, whilst beginning to prepare for the final three releases of 2019. The afternoon went by way too quickly, and then I had to be on my way to the theater to audition one whole human being. So, I was in and out very quickly. I decided I wanted a mild chicken breast so I could forget the too spicy taste of the two chicken breasts from the night before, so I stopped at Popeye’s. There was a line to the door, thanks to people being sheep and that damned chicken sandwich, which is ALL people were ordering and/or eating. These are people who, I believe, have never stepped foot inside a Popeye’s before. But, as I’ve said before, they wear the eating of a fried chicken sandwich like a badge of honor. They have a limit of four per person and that, believe it or not, is what everyone was ordering. This all cannot end soon enough. It took about twenty minutes to get to the front of the line, and once there, since they weren’t yet out of the sandwich, I went and ordered one, just so I could speak from a position of knowledge – that and one mild chicken breast.
I came home and ate the chicken sandwich that is causing everyone to behave like a heroin addict. And it was – okay. A piece of fried chicken on a bun with pickles. I mean, that’s what this is all about – a piece of fried chicken on a bun with pickles. This is what is causing people to behave like Shropshire sheep. The breast was much better. I didn’t eat the biscuit because they forgot the butter and I’m out here in the home environment. After that, I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched Dolemite is my Name.
Today, I’ll be up no later than eleven and perhaps a bit earlier than that. I have to get two sets of liner notes done, audio samples done, and blurbs done and on their merry way. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then I’ll eat something very light. Tonight, I’m going to see friend Eric Petersen do a Christmas show at a club – I’m going with Kerry O’Malley. So, I really don’t get to have an evening to myself until Saturday night and then not again until Monday night.
Tomorrow, we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal, this time with almost our full cast, and then I have to go to the brush-up rehearsal, which I would frankly rather not go to, to make sure our new Banjo is up to speed, and there are a couple of blocking things that are not as sharp as I want them, so I’ll clean those up. Friday, I have the day to myself, then I’ll see the evening performance, just to support our Banjo. Saturday, we have our noon o’clock stumble-through, and then the rest of the day and evening are mine all mine. Sunday, I’ll relax until sound check, and then we do our show.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the ham chunks and cheese slices, let’s all dance the Hora or the old-fashioned waltz, for today is the birthday of our very own dear reader Ginny. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader Ginny. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER GINNY!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do stuff, write liner notes and blurbs, hopefully pick up packages, eat, then see a Christmas show. 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, happy to have taken a time machine back to Dolemite and I.