Well, dear readers, this month is flying by, like a gazelle putting on the Ritz. The gazelle loves to put Ritz crackers all over itself, and who am I to judge? Let me just get to the good bits first. I picked up both important envelopes. I got my new license plates and registration/tags and I’ve already received a bill for new registration and tags, since these expire in April – but surprisingly, the car company refunded me that money, so I don’t have to put out anything. I would deal with that company anytime. Our musical director came by, and we sorted through the Drat! The Cat! Boxes and happily there were two sets of reed books and two trumpet one and two books, so we don’t have to make copies of those. We only have to copy the bass and drums books – lots of money saved. The weird news is that there were no string books anywhere. The only thing I can think of is that they got put in another box and I’m not about to go through sixty-plus boxes until the show ends its run. But it won’t impact either our production or the thing they’re doing in New York. I made faux chicken stroganoff for food – very good – and that’s all I ate all day. Then I got everything ready for the book interior designer and sent that off. But a very nice day overall. How many of you have worn overalls? I have never worn such a thing as overalls, even though there was a time when they were very popular with the populace. I did finish watching High and Low. If they were to make that today, there’d be an immediate sequel called Low and High. And I hate to tell you this, but they ARE making it today, which, for me, is the height of chutzpah – director is Spike Lee. Now, since Mr. Kurosawa really only used the central idea of the Ed McBain (Evan Hunter) novel the film is based on, King’s Ransom, maybe Spike is sticking to the novel. Well, no, he isn’t. It’s brilliantly retitled Highest 2 Lowest and stars Denzel Washington. I hold out little hope, although I do like some of Mr. Lee’s films. Mr. Kurosawa’s film is one of my top-ten greatest of all time and I have never tired of watching it. The structure is fascinating, it never overstays its two hours and twenty-minute running time, and everything about it is masterful. It’s divided into three very distinct sections – the opening third sets the plot in motion and the moral dilemma facing the Toshiro Mifune character. More I cannot say about that. The middle third is like a police procedural, and the third half is about the capture of the criminal. That’s followed by a short coda.
This new Blu-ray from a 4K transfer is spectacular in every way. I’ve owned every iteration of the film and there’s never really been an optimal home video version before – finally we have something that actually looks like film. I have no doubt that Criterion or a company like them will do a 4K UHD at some point, but I’m thrilled to have this Blu-ray. You do need an all-region player, however. After the movie, I plopped into bed, intending to just get an hour nap. I woke up and it turned out to be a three-hour nap. Too much nap and I feel so groggy and froggy and foggy still, two hours later.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, and I WILL have me a ME day of doing nothing but taking it easy. I’ll listen to the Drat! The Cat! CD and I’ve been making notes of staging ideas – just general stuff of getting from scene to scene. I’ll probably do a Gelson’s run for something to make here, and then I’ll just watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye is coming a day early, so I’ll have breakfast somewhere, do banking, do a Macy’s return and then come home and really get myself in gear for the start of rehearsals. Tuesday, we begin that journey with music rehearsals, which continue on Wednesday and Thursday, then Saturday I’m staging a bunch of solos and duets.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora or the old-fashioned waltz, for today is the birthday of the lovely Dear Reader Iris. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to the lovely Dear Reader Iris. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO THE LOVELY DEAR READER IRIS!!!
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, have me a ME day, take it easy, listen to Drat! The Cat!, do a Gelson’s run for food, 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 had a most pleasant Saturday.