Well, dear readers, I have finally finally signed off on the galley to my handy-dandy novel and am, as they say in Hollywood, “walking away”. There comes a point where you have to just say, “I think we’ve got everything, but if we haven’t, we’re done anyway”. So, I have signed off and the book is going to their Quality Control center today, and I will have test copies of both softcover and hardcover in the next seven to ten days. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too? We should celebrate, but let’s hold off until Friday, and then we can celebrate two count them two events at once, which is better than celebrating one count them one event at twice.
I had originally signed off on the book last week, but when I got the hard copy of the galley I could see there was a spacing problem (I couldn’t tell when I looked online, which is why I asked for the hard copy) and I asked them to fix that last Monday. They actually were able to fix it within two hours of my request, but in so fixing a handful of other things got screwed up. They just got to those yesterday, and in fixing those, three other things got screwed up. They fixed those this morning, everything looks spiffy and beautiful and this part of the journey, which seems like it’s taken as long as it did for me to actually write the book, is done. I will definitely have books in hand to ship the third week of June. Here is a question: Should I do an audio book? This publisher doesn’t do them, but I could do it on my own and have it sold through amazon and the other online booksites. Do you think that is an interesting idea? Do you think anyone would care and/or buy it?
Yesterday I picked up the Cliff Richard DVD box set. Those crafty people at Anchor Bay released The Young Ones and Summer Holiday, which I got early when Tower inadvertently put them out three weeks ago. I didn’t even know there would be a box set, and wouldn’t you know those clever Anchor Bay people put one more DVD, Wonderful Life, in the box set and that DVD is only available in the box set, hence I had to buy the box set even though I already had the other two movies. Oh, well, perhaps I’ll give the other two movies out as sparkling prizes. So, I watched Wonderful Life last night, and once again I was amazed at how entertaining it was. These are real musicals, very much in the old MGM B-movie style of Give a Girl a Break. They have only a handful of actual rock and roll numbers with Cliff and the Shadows – most of the numbers are full-out musical comedy numbers, and they are just delightful. The first two films were choreographed by Herb Ross, but Wonderful Life has choreography by Gillian Lynne, and is once again directed by Sidney J. Furie, who did The Young Ones. There is one production number in the middle of the film which is a literal musical history of the cinema and it’s great – they cover everything from the Keystone Cops and Chaplin, to Garbo, to West Side Story to James Bond (hilarious, actually). The story is, of course, very silly, and Walter Slezak’s character is extremely tiresome, and at 113 minutes it’s a good ten minutes too long, but it’s all just fluffy and grand fun and I think these are my favorite DVDs so far this year. The transfers on these films (all “scope, enhanced for widescreen tvs) are gorgeous. All three films have director commentaries (two with Furie, one with Peter Yates). Cliff Richard was a strange rock and roll star – he could do the Elvis stuff (he was considered the Elvis of England), but he was also a terrific song and dance man. Anyway, I recommend these films to one and all and also all and one.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Do you all know what day it is today? Today is Ask BK Day, that’s what day it is today. So, let’s all click on the Unseemly Button below, because if you don’t, then you won’t be able to Ask BK on Ask BK Day and that would be unseemly. If you don’t click on the Unseemly Button you will forever be in this first section and we simply can’t have that, now can we? So, let’s click away.
Have I mentioned that we’ll be having a big double celebration on Friday? We will be, so don’t miss it, be here or be square. No, that’s not right. Be there or be square is right. But I don’t want you to be “there” I want you to be here, so I suppose it’s be here or be squeer. Yes, Virginia, be here or be squeer – do not miss out on our big double celebration because it will be an affair to remember.
I am going to keep these here notes fairly short today, because Thursday’s notes are always so incredibly long (last Thursday’s notes were twelve count them twelve pages long!). Mr. Mark Bakalor tells me he’s going to work on having our handy-dandy Nudie Musical and Benjamin Kritzer links on our handy-dandy splash page up by tomorrow. We shall see what we shall see said the blind man to the mutant vegetable. In the meantime, I think I shall be very coarse indeed and provide the links once again right here right now, so that anyone who would like to place their preorder can. By the way (or BTW, in Internet lingo), many of our dear readers have already placed their orders, and for that I offer my heartfelt thanks and gratitude, not necessarily in that order. Here are the handy-dandy links:
I’m told that two great new Percy Faith CDs are out as of yesterday, but I haven’t been able to find them here in Los Angeles, California. They are his cover versions of Do I Hear A Waltz? and Subways Are For Sleeping (funny pairing, given that I produced the latest cast album of Waltz, and oversaw the release of Subways to CD) on one CD, and The Most Happy Fella and Porgy and Bess on the other. These are wonderful albums and must-haves for any showtune lover.
Oh, several people have asked me how my pitch meeting went last week. It went fine, but I’m never able to judge people’s reactions at those things. We sent the Hollywood Producer hard copies of our ideas and we shall see what happens. He did seem to like one of them pretty well. Today I have another meeting about other things and if anything comes of it you shall be the first to know.
Another must-have CD came out yesterday, Randy Newman’s wonderful soundtrack music to the film, Ragtime. It sounds great, and all I can say is, “It’s about time”. Has anyone noticed how many confounded links are in these here notes today? This is link central today. There are so many links today, that we should fry up a couple of eggs, make some hash browns and we’d have a nice big breakfast. Some of these links are hot and hot links are the best, aren’t they? What the hell am I talking about?
Well, dear readers, I hope all of you have thought of some excellent questions for me. I am ready, willing and able (not necessarily in that order) to answer said questions, and I will answer, as always, in a forthright and truthful manner. You will get the straight skinny and maybe even the bent fat, here at haineshisway.com. And while you’re posing your questions (look to the right – no, move your shoulder to the left – yes, that’s a good pose) do partake of our links. Our links are fat free and contain no calories.
Well, dear readers (didn’t I just say that in the paragraph above?), I must take the day, I must shower and prepare for my handy-dandy meeting. So, ask your excellent questions and I look forward to seeing what they are and more importantly I look forward to giving you the straight skinny and/or the bent fat. Ask away.