Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because I must be up very early, as CDs and helper will arrive and we have a lot of shipping to do. I’ll tell you one thing about the Internet: People find you. That is mostly a nice thing. And I don’t only mean via Facebook. Many people have found me via Google and finding this here site. Just last week someone found me, someone I haven’t seen or heard from probably since 1966. In fact, this person is mentioned (by a fictional name) in Kritzer Time, someone who did shows at the Bluth Brothers Theater in Culver City. Why our very own dear reader Jeanne has spoken to me many times about this person and now I have reconnected via e-mail with her. It’s always fun to hear how people’s lives have gone and to reminisce about the old days. We’ve been having a lovelier than lovely e-mail volley for the last few days and it’s made me want to find other people who were around during the Bluth Brothers days. And that’s one thing about the Internet. Yesterday, I had quite a nice day. I got a good night’s sleep, did stuff on the computer and then moseyed on over to Sierra Madre to attend the opening of a friend’s memorabilia and collectible store, which is filled with treasures, so yes, it’s sort of the treasure of the Sierra Madre. It was bustling with people, only a couple of whom I knew. I met one nice fellow who was doing card tricks (close-up magic, I believe they call it) and he was really good at it, and I do profess to be taken in by that sort of thing every time, and I never have any idea how they do these things. He had a deck of blank cards and asked me to think of any card. I did. I did not speak what I thought of, I just thought of it. And by gum and by golly and buy bonds if he didn’t just make that very card appear. Now, how does he DO that? I haven’t spoken the card. He cannot read my mind. And yet, there was the card. I was properly amazed and astounded and also astounded and amazed. He did several others for other folks and they were all equally baffling. To help my friend kick off his new store, I purchased one CD. I had some carrots and a Coke Zero, which I must say was the vilest tasting liquid I’ve ever had. I hung out there for a couple of hours, looking at all the neat collectibles in the various and sundried showcases, and then I headed home. I stopped at Gelson’s and got a nice piece of halibut filet and some green beans and mushrooms and damned if I didn’t just cook me up a home-cooked meal. I baked the halibut (with some seasoning and butter and lemon on top) and I sautéed the green beans and mushrooms. It was all quite yummilicously yummilicious and very calorie friendly. After that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish (in this case, halibut).
Last night, I watched a motion picture I’d TIVOd in high definitions entitled Dick Tracy, a film directed by and starring Mr. Warren Beatty, and a rather stellar supporting company of players that includes Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Al Pacino, Mandy Patinkin, R.G. Armstrong, Charles Durning, Dick Van Dyke, and lots of others, as well as Madonna. I went to see the film on its original release and I made it to thirty minutes and bolted from the theater. Over the years, I have tried to watch it in its various and sundried home video editions and each and every time I make it to thirty minutes and shut it off. Well, last night I finally watched the entire movie. First of all, the set design by Richard Sylbert is fantastic. The costumes are great. The cast is great. The direction is fine. The score is bombastic (Danny Elfman). The Sondheim songs are not well served by the film, but they, too, are fine, with one exception (Live Alone and Like It – for me, the worst Sondheim song ever). So, what exactly is not fine? Well, the script. But now having watched the whole thing, I didn’t hate it – it had some really fun moments. The real problem with it is that some of the actors seem to be in one sort of film while some actors seem to be in another, none more so than Madonna. I just don’t “get” her performance at all. What should be a really fun part is played so real and so low-key that it just doesn’t jibe with the comic book feel of everything else. Her voice doesn’t sit well on the Sondheim songs and it’s a shame it wasn’t someone better suited to that sort of, shall we say, larger than life film. But I’m glad I finally made it to the end.
After the film, I had to book an upcoming trip to New York, New York – not happening for a while, but good deals to be had right now. I’m coming in to put up The Singer’s act for the Metropolitan Room, so I’m hoping that we can have a get-together with hainsies/kimlets, and I hope a few of our East Coast denizens can come see the show, too.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I really must try to get to bed early so I can greet the day with energy and oomph, not necessarily in that order.
Today, I shall be shipping a lot of CDs, after which I have errands and whatnot to do, which includes banking and hopefully picking up a few packages. After that, I’ll eat something light but amusing (perhaps a salad, perhaps some tuna pasta salad, or perhaps something else), and then I have some liner notes to begin.
Tomorrow and the rest of the week I’ll be rehearsing with The Singer, and prepping our next release. I’m really praying that approval comes early in the week on something I’ve been waiting for, because if that happens then that’s our next release and it’s completely finished and ready to go to the printers. If not, I have to rush a CD project through. One way or another we’ll have something to announce next Monday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, ship CDs, do errands and whatnot, eat, write liner notes, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Warren Beatty films as well as your favorite Al Pacino films? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I hit the road to dreamland where I shall dream of the treasure of the Sierra Madre.