Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, and having finished the Mitropoulos box am listening to Richard Rodney Bennett’s stunning score to Yanks – I have it all – the stereo album from the master tapes and the film cues that weren’t on the album. The main themes from this lovely film are so emotional and beautiful, I simply cannot get enough. And what a treat it was to finally get to work with Mr. Bennett and get to know him. Such music as his makes the heart soar. And I don’t care who knows it. Prior to listening, I watched several things – first, a documentary called The Great Hack – you will see no horror film scarier than this documentary, about the heinous company the SCL Group and its off-shoot, Cambridge Analytica and how they gathered information on millions upon millions of voters, here and the UK to influence Brexit there and our election here. If you want to know just how Mr. T got to be president, watch this. These people should all be in jail – they’re not. And that is the world in which we live now – we’re all data, 5,000 data points for each and every one of us, and I think we’re in for a lot more election manipulation by companies doing this. Thankfully, there were two whistleblowers who brought Cambridge down, but not before they’d done their dirty business. It’s shocking, and Facebook, you will find, bears a major portion of the blame. None of us have any privacy anymore. Anywhere, anytime, none. After that, I watched a motion picture entitled The Wolf Hour, starring Miss Naomi Watts. It’s advertised on Amazon Prime as a thriller, horror, and Hitchcockian. I don’t think any of the nincompoops who write those things have ever actually seen a Hitchcock film, because this film is so not Hitchcockian. Nor is it a horror film. Nor is it a thriller. It’s an art film about an agoraphobic author played by Miss Watts. And she’s reason enough to watch it – she’s just a fantastic actress and she’s literally never off the screen. Until the ending, the entire film takes place in her apartment. It’s not great, but it’s certainly got a great performance and after the tripe I’ve been watching, that was a breath of fresh air. And then I watched the latest Liam Neeson film (unless there’s been another recently), The Marksman, a rather nothing title for a by-the-numbers nothing film. It’s described as an action thriller, but aside from its opening and closing, there’s not much action and not many thrills. And the action we do get is perfunctory. Neeson is always fun to watch, but this one just plods along and plods along. I think it’s best to avoid any film that contains the words “drug cartel” in its description. And now, I’m listening to the classical music of occasional film composer John Veale – wonderful, melodic stuff. I’ve been sitting on it for three years, maybe it’s finally time to issue it.
Yesterday was, well, Saturday. One annoying text early on, which I responded to as best as I could, otherwise I didn’t get enough sleep (about five hours), I had a breakfast at Mel’s Drive-In (not the Adriana Hofstetter location, but our local Mel’s here in the Oaks of Sherman) – bacon and eggs and toast, oh my) – it was fine. Then I picked up a package (a returned Kritzerland package – boo), then went to Gelson’s and got food for later and for today (and maybe even tomorrow). I also went to the nearby Westfield mall and walked around, looked in the Apple Store, which was almost completely empty, as were most of the stores, and checked out the food court. I forgot there’s a Charley’s Philly cheesesteak jernt in there and I remember it being pretty good, so perhaps I’ll go over there this week and have one or bring it home. Then I came home at noon o’clock, did a few things on the computer, and settled down and did my viewing, which you’ve already heard about. For my evening repast, I had two bagels with lox and cream cheese. They were excellent, both.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, which will hopefully be nothing other than relaxing and enjoying myself – I’ll eat (I bought turkey and onion rolls for two sandwiches), and, of course, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
This week is busy – doing stuff on the screenplay so we can begin revising, some meetings and meals, a work session for the Kritzerland show, and whatever else needs doing.
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, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have shared the things I did on Saturday.