Well, dear readers, the Danes did it with The Killing and the Swedes did it with Wallander, and now the Danes and the Swedes have done it together with The Bridge. I have, of course, only seen episode one of the ten-episode series one (series two has been commissioned), but it’s a doozy and I am now already hooked on this show. The plot is a grabber – the lights go out on a bridge exactly halfway between Denmark and Sweden, and when they come back up, there is a dead body (of course there’s a dead body) – the body positioned so that half is on the Danish half and half on the Swedish half. The police arrive, including a blonde lady detective from Sweden, and a James Gandolfini type detective from Denmark. He’s instantly likeable, but she is definitely odd – no people skills whatsoever and very focused in a very odd way, to the exclusion of everything around her. I wasn’t sure what to make of either the character or the actress, but it was unique. Then they find the body has been cut in half at the mid-section. Then they find that the upper part of the body does not belong to the same person as the lower part. It’s a great set-up. And we get several side stories and characters going on at the same time. It’s decided that the Danish cop and the Swedish cop will handle the investigation together. One of her cohorts warns the Danish cop, “She’s a little odd.” As the episode goes on, her behavior is so weird and one finally gets the feeling there is something off – and although it is apparently not mentioned, at least in the first few episodes, the character apparently has Asperger’s Syndrome, but despite that, is a great detective. It does make for some of the weirdest scenes and the Danish cop’s reactions to her are hilarious and her focused, cold, asocial behavior is played against the kind of scenes where all you can do is just go, “What?” And it works. It’s funny, it’s unique, and there’s never been a character quite like Saga. Her cell phone conversation with someone locked in a car with a bomb that’s going off any second is breathtaking in its weirdness. I can’t wait to dive into the next episode.
Prior to watching that, I’d gotten a great night’s beauty sleep of nine hours. I got up and just dove into working on the East Coast Singer’s patter. She’d finally sent me some interesting anecdotes and stuff about her, and while not all of it worked, I was able to use most of it and finesse, add to, and smooth out everything and I got it all done and sent to her. After that I had an omelet and a bagel, then picked up several packages. I did some errands and whatnot and at the end of the day I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, in addition to the Danish/Swedish episode of The Bridge, I also watched two other motion pictures on Blu and Ray. The first motion picture on Blu and Ray was entitled Run for Cover, starring Mr. James Cagney, Miss Viveca Lindfors, and Mr. John Derek, directed by Mr. Nicholas Ray. Somehow I’d never seen this motion picture, despite being a huge fan of Mr. Ray. It’s a western and a really good little oater at that. Gorgeously photographed in VistaVision and color, and you really can’t go wrong with Mr. Cagney, who’s just wonderful in this film. The supporting cast is filled with wonderful character people, and the whole thing moves along at a steady clip. The script is very good, as is Mr. Ray’s direction. The transfer supplied by Paramount to Olive Films, is fine for being off an IP or some sort of internegative. If they ever went back to the VistaVision element, it would be something to behold, but they never will – it’s simply not a well enough known film. The color is reasonably okay – a tiny twist of the brown knob to the minus and the blue knob to the plus would have rendered perfect color, but it’s not bad. It’s pretty sharp and overall a pleasing presentation of a film worth seeing.
I then watched the second motion picture on Blu and Ray, entitled The Big Heat, from Twilight Time. Since I’ve talked about The Big Heat several times in the past, suffice it to say that I think it’s one of the all-time great films, and certainly in my top five Fritz Lang films. The script is superb, the acting all down the line is fantastic, and the film is filled with classic scenes. I wonder if songwriter Ed Kleban was a fan of the film – because one of its classic lines, “I’ve been poor, I’ve been rich, and rich is better” is used almost verbatim in his song Better. Glenn Ford is a particular favorite of mine, and Gloria Grahame is beyond wonderful. The transfer, given to Twilight Time by Columbia, is just about perfect. It doesn’t get much better than this, so if you haven’t seen it, or don’t know about the release, it’s a must-have.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must try for another good night’s beauty sleep.
Now I’m in the mood for a Danish and some Swedish fish. Today, I have some errands and whatnot to do, I have to write liner notes for our next release, I have to eat, I have to hopefully pick up some packages, and I have to have a few telephonic conversations. Then it’s back to The Bridge.
Tomorrow, I have to be up VERY early and to Dr. Chew by eight. It’s one of those appointments – Novocain, filing a tooth down, and a temporary cap, which means I now have to chew everything for the next two-and-a-half weeks on the left side of my mouth. After that, we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal, so that’s always a fun time. Friday is a bunch of stuff, Saturday is our stumble-through and then I’m sure I’ll be supping somewhere, and then Sunday is our sound check and show. I have no idea how many reservations we have at this point, but I hope we’re doing well.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, try to jog (my back has been bugging me, so I haven’t been), I must write liner notes, I must hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and then relax. 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 where I shall dream in both Danish and Swedish.