Replies: 84 Unseemly Comments
I posted this on the 5/5 notes as the new notes were going up so I'll post it again as my contribution to the Wal-Mart discussion
Wasn't going to get into the Wal-Mart discussion but I thought I would chime in - Long Island is CRAWLING with Wal-Marts. They are all over. I know this for a fact because Ant's parents live on Long Island and we spend time out there. I have been to some of the WMs myself. Some of the suburban LI towns have more than one Wal-Mart so they are certainly in the broadly defined New York metropolitan area (if you include LI in that definition).
Posted by Ben @ 05/06/2003 08:33 AM PST
As far as today's topic, I stayed awake during my University years for about 30 hours to finish a project for Theatre Design class. Oh, how awful I felt. I would not want to do that again, unless I was paid copious amounts of money.
I think the longest I ever slept was about 14 hours and that was after surgery when I was 14 years old.
Posted by Ben @ 05/06/2003 08:35 AM PST
WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!
WEL blasts me for being in favor of Wal-Mart carrying alternate editions of CDs with "objectionable" lyrics removed or changed. Dave criticizes me for being against the practice.
Do you two want to figure out just which side you want to hurl the explosives from, THEN bombard me? Because at this point, I am more than a little confused. When you two come to an understanding as to just which side of the fence I am on, be sure and let me know, will ya?
My original post of last Saturday morning simply let people here know that I found DVDs at Wal-Mart for $5.88 -- good stuff like Towering Inferno and Poseidon Adventure with all the bells and whistles (anamorphic, extras), not public domain quickies. That's all my post was about. WEL is the one who kept posting stuff about Wal-Mart and altered CDs, and were their DVDs altered as well. I finally responded that I had no idea if they made a practice of selling altered DVDs. Why I'm now at the center of a firestorm of controversy, I simply do not know. This is NOT my battle.
By the way, WEL also writes "are there really enough Wal-Marts in the country to account for 15% of all single copy magazine sales in the United States when you can find magazines at every corner store, bookstore, convenience store and newstand wherever you go?" So you're trying to turn this around like I made that astatement and now you're questioning its veracity? For crying out loud, YOU are the person who wrote that you read an article that claimed Wal-Mart accounts for 15% of all single magazine sales. I didn't say boo about that.
Christ.
Posted by Lulu @ 05/06/2003 08:36 AM PST
I've stayed up for 36 hours straight. I don't remember why.
I think the longest I've ever slept was 13 hours. Again, I don't remember why...
Posted by Jason @ 05/06/2003 08:42 AM PST
First off - Happy Birthday George! If only we'd known we could have had a proper party here at haineshisway.com.
Second, I don't know what all this brouhaha re Wal-Mart is about. First of all, do any of you realize that Wal-Mart spelled backwards is Tram-Law? Doesn't that say it all. And Lulu is right - she just posted about sale DVDs, and there are some goodies there. Then, of course, the posts went off on a tangent and you know how tangents are. So, let's move on to other things, shall we? Let's have a group hug.
Re the time differential. Someone e-mail Mr. Mark Bakalor about it, please.
Finally, of course I Eat Mayo on Cinco de Mayo is a Meltz and Ernest song, and one of their finest.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 08:43 AM PST
The cast of the re-make of the Italian Job is: Mark (Marky-Mark) Walberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton and Seth Green. I've been seeing posters for it all over the subway walls.
Posted by Jason @ 05/06/2003 08:44 AM PST
The longest I have stayed up for is about 32 hours. My friend (Skye) and I once drove 8 hours to Laughlin, gambled for about 16 hours (we were on a hot streak), and then drove back to Los Angeles. It was quite the adventure. I can't remember the longest I have ever slept, but I am sure it was at least 24 hours. I can sleep 12 hours - no problem!!
Posted by JB aka JK @ 05/06/2003 08:57 AM PST
The longest I have stayed up for is about 32 hours. My friend (Skye) and I once drove 8 hours to Laughlin, gambled for about 16 hours (we were on a hot streak), and then drove back to Los Angeles. It was quite the adventure. I can't remember the longest I have ever slept, but I am sure it was at least 24 hours. I can sleep 12 hours - no problem!!
Posted by JB aka JK @ 05/06/2003 08:57 AM PST
Oops - sorry about that - I must have pushed the post button twice. :)
Posted by JB aka JK @ 05/06/2003 08:57 AM PST
Lulu, I'm not sure what I said to upset you, but let me try to make things clearer.
It was not me who first used the word "censorship", but William. In fact, his comment was addressed directly to you:
"Lulu - I was being perfectly serious regarding Wal-Mart censoring what they consider "objectionable" material out of CDs."
Your suggestion that I am unaware of ambiguity only goes to prove once again that you do not know me at all. In this case, I do have an opinion and felt free to share it. I think that if you can get past your vitriol you would see that we are mostly in agreement.
I agree that having the "right" to do something does not necessarily make it "right". For example, an artist may have the right to produce an album full of hateful racism and misogyny, but I doubt any of us would like to promote such a thing. And that is our right.
Likewise, a store chain may have the right to use their competitive advantage to exert pressure in the marketplace. Some people would opt not to shop at such an establishment. And that is their right.
So who is the culprit in this case? The artist for preaching a doctrine of hatred? The record company who sanitizes the message by deleting the expletives? Or the store who chooses only to carry the sanitized version of the artist's message? Or the listening public, who chooses not to listen to such offensive material? Or all of the above? Or none of the above?
You may note that in my original post, I did not accuse anyone of any wrongdoing. I only suggested that if someone has a problem with the marketing of a "censored" product, then one should address the source.
Hope this clears things up, and your day brightens up for you.
Posted by Dave @ 05/06/2003 09:01 AM PST
I've said it before and I'll say it again - everyone is entitled to their opinion, and others are entitled to disagree - but we must all post with respect and good will for our fellow Hainsies/Kimlets - that is what separates us from the rest of the Internet. Now, everyone take a deep breath, order Kritzerland, and have FUN.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 09:10 AM PST
Can't recall exactly how long it
was, but the longest I've
stayed awake continuously
was somewhere from 36-40
hours. It was finals week, and
I pulled an all-nighter prepping
for my music history test (that
quarter covered Beethoven to
the present, with LOTS of
"drop the needle" listening test
questions) and putting the
finishing touches on my vocal
pedagogy notebook. Had to
work that evening after taking
those finals, and only after that
was finally able to go to bed.
As for longest sleep, I'd guess
probably 14-15 hours. And
that probably for no particular
reason beyond general
tiredness.
Posted by Jed @ 05/06/2003 09:22 AM PST
Umm..wha?...the topic of the day is WalMart? Oh, NO! It's sleep deprivation...
...I think the longest contiguous period of time was roughly 48 hours...in college...Directing class...rehearsing a one-act for five hours...then working through the night building my set...then going to classes all day and finishing my set and then going into rehearsals to find my professor has "fired" my leading man one day before the show for being intoxicated, and then having to learn the lines myself and rehearse into the wee hours before finishing the paint on my set and going to a morning class. Fortunately, I was able to cut the rest of my classes that day...grabbed about four hours of sleep...finished learning my lines, found a costume I could wear...and the performance came off without a hitch.
However, for three weeks on the USS Kitty Hawk (as assistant public affairs officer) during our strikes against Iraq for violating the no-fly zone in January 1993, I averaged 3.5 hours of sleep every 24 hours. We had no fewer than 21 international journalists on board every day during that period and many of them were in my charge for getting interviews and I had all of them to find beds for and have laundry done for and to get all their video footage off the ship. It was crazy and exhausting and exhilarating. I learned I could grab a 5-minute nap while standing up just by holding onto a bulkhead beam in a room where one of the journalists was conducting an interview.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 05/06/2003 09:32 AM PST
Happy Birthday George for yesterday!
Re sleeping (or not, as the case may be). This story is more is more about sleeping for a long time rather than staying awake, but what the hell, eh?
I once went through a period of non-sleeping, many years ago. I would go to bed, exhausted, sleep for about an hour, then wake up and not be able to get back to sleep at all. This pattern repeated itself every night. When I woke up I would read books and got through loads of them (I remember being particularly impressed by Virginia Woolf's 'The Waves' at that time - haven't read it since, though).
After a few weeks of growing increasingly demented, I spoke to a doctor friend, who gave me some 'very mild' (she said) sleeping pills and said I could take one or two, and if they didn't work she'd give me something stronger.
The next night I took one at about 11pm. I had a friend staying with me at the time and she says she came in to say goodbye to me at about 9am - I have no recollection of that, but I slept right through until 8am the following morning (ie I slept for 33 hours non-stop). I then woke up, felt absolutely great and had no problems sleeping at all after that. I threw the rest of the 'very mild' sleeping pills away!
Posted by Allan @ 05/06/2003 09:59 AM PST
The longest that I've stayed awake is 40 hours. I woke up at 7:00 a.m. for a day at college (Western Washington University) and had my classes. The next day I had to turn in a paper (as yet to be written), so I stayed up all night writing and typing the darn thing. (In five years of college, I NEVER wrote a paper that wasn't due the next day or in two days.) Anyway, I finished my paper just as my first class of the next day was about to start (but I made it in time), had the rest of my classes then for some unknown reason, I just stayed up until 11:00 p.m. I got exactly 8 hours sleep, got up and felt absolutely fine.
The other times that I've regularly stayed up almost that long is the weekend of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. We have a team here at work and each year in June (here in Olympia), we walk and at least one person from the team has to be on the track at all times. The longest I've stayed up for one of these is 37½ hours. I have averaged staying up for about 36 hours for the last four that I've done.
About the censored vs. uncensored CDs: I work for a library and when the censored versions of CDs started to become popular, our selectors would buy both version and clearly mark in the computer which version is which. (In our internal notes before the CDs were released to the public for checkout, we would say they were "clean" or "unclean".) After several years of keeping and watching stats, they found that the "clean" versions had such low circulation stats, that they stopped buying them altogether. They now only buy the regular, uncensored versions.
Posted by George @ 05/06/2003 10:00 AM PST
Dave, yes, both WEL and you were - bizarrely - addressing all of your Wal-Mart comments to me, even though you were taking issue with each other's statements and attitudes regarding the matter. I'll say it once more - this was never my battle.
If you take the time to look through the archives, you'll see that I posted last Saturday about a DVD sale. When WEL posted - more than once - about whether or not Wal-Mart carried altered DVDs, I finally replied today that "I don't think" they do. Then (stupidly, I now realize) I posted once more to try to clear up what I saw as a misconception on your part, when you wrote "I would find it hard to believe that Wal-Mart is now in the business of re-mixing or editing CDs, against the will of the artists or the record companies." I knew that wasn't what WEL meant or implied, so I tried to clear the matter up by explaining that Wal-Mart doesn't make changes themselves, but they do pressure other corporations to make changes to products so that Wal-Mart will carry them.
Next thing I knew, both you and WEL were addressing your comments to me, each of you criticizing me for not taking what you perceived to be the right stance to take.
If my earlier post was indeed "vitriolic," I apologize. I was feeling more than a little cornered and I believe I'm right in saying I got dragged into a battle that really had nothing to do with me, my statements or beliefs.
I guess the lesson learned is never...NEVER post about a DVD sale to the HHW site.
Posted by Lulu @ 05/06/2003 10:03 AM PST
Forgot! Happy Birthday (albeit late) George!!!
Kerry, if you please, we need cake here. Jose, could you whip up some of your amazing baked goods, please?
A late party is better than no party at all.
Posted by Ben @ 05/06/2003 10:04 AM PST
As I said, I will never again post here about a DVD sale. I will, however, continue to post breaking news about new DVD releases - as witness the following WONDERFUL news:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The "Indiana Jones" trilogy, one of the most requested film series for the DVD format, is finally slated for worldwide release Nov. 4 as "The Adventures of Indiana Jones -- The Complete DVD Movie Collection," a box set that will include a fourth disc specifically dedicated to bonus materials.
Posted by Lulu @ 05/06/2003 10:14 AM PST
Lulu---
I have not been attacking you. When you first mentioned Wal-Mart DVDs in all seriousness I asked you if they censored DVDs like they do CDs and your response was a humorous response about wanting some "objectionable material" so I assumed that you didn't think I was serious about the "censored" CDs (and yes, it is a form of censorship). Then when I posted this morning it was just to let you know that it was a documented fact that they do sell their own sanatized versions of some material. When you said you didn't buy R. Kelly CDs I then mentioned how if they do it to Rap they could easily do it to Broadway albums as well. I was not attacking you.
The question about magazine sales was a general question, not aimed at you in particular... just a query about a statistic I find hard to believe.
None of this was meant to be anything personal against you or any other Dear Reader. Had you answered my initial (serious) question regarding if their DVD policy was the same as their CD policy with a simple "yes", "no" or "I don't know" --- or even ignored it instead of coming back with something cute ---, that would have been the end of it.
I appologize if you took it the wrong way.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 10:17 AM PST
Well, clearly I am very much in the wrong here. My abject apologies to everyone who has suffered the fallout from my vitriol and my propensity for taking things wrong. I hope you all can one day find it in your hearts to forgive me.
Posted by Lulu @ 05/06/2003 10:21 AM PST
Good afternoon! -Albeit a gray and drizzly one here in Fairfax, VA - I'll be heading back to Richmond tonight - I think.
JRand - Yes, Lori did win Best Supporting Actress in a Resident Musical. And she thanked me during her acceptance speech. -Oh, and apparently, I had a small cheering section of my own when my name was called. Of course, I wish South Pacific had won more than just that award, but Sweeney did win a few (Best Actress - Christine Baranski; Best Director - Christopher Ashley; and Best Musical). -Oh, and Kelli Fournier won for her Amneris in ida in the Best Supporting Actress in a Non-Resident Production. And Stokes won not for Sweeney, but for Man of La Mancha. -It was very nice catching up with him and his wife, Allyson, during the reception.
As for longest time staying up - probably 48 hours - which I tend to do every now and then just for the sake of it. In college, it was standard practice for me - the local NPR station had a great overnight classical show - sometimes he would even take requests. It was definitely not background, fall asleep to music... Always kept my mind active - especially when he would tease with the upcoming playlist. It came in very hand when I was cramming for my Music History tests.
As for longest sleep - had to be at least 36 hours. I got into this "cycle" in college once - who knows, I may have have had an undiagnosed case of mono - but I did manage to sleep a lot. In fact, I remember getting up one time and realizing that the toilet in my bathroom had been fixed - I had called my super a few days before. However, I don't remember the repair guys ever coming in, AND to get to my bathroom you had to go through my bedroom. So...?!?!?!?!?!?! Talk about a sound sleeper.
As for the Wal-Mart stuff... I sure do wish Meijer would expand further out! When I worked in Indiana, Meijer's were definitely "event shopping" trips. I loved going there around 2:00am, and watching the stock clerks dancingin the aisles - sometimes we'd join along!
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 05/06/2003 10:57 AM PST
Lulu---
I never stopped loving you so there is nothing to forgive. I love you as much as BK loves Ann and vice versa. I'm sorry that you got caught in the middle of my curiosity to know if Wal-Mart had the same policy with DVDs as with CDs and since I don't shop there anyway it won't make a difference. I just feel sorry for people who live in areas where there is no alternative to shop at and for the people who owned/worked at the stores Wal-Mart put out of business. So far NYC (all 5 boros) is safe, but if K-Mart and Target came can Wal-Mart be far behind?
To answer the question of the day - back in my summer stock days (when Equity allowed stock companies to play seven nights a week with no night off) I would pull all-nighters every other week so that when the Sunday night show ended the entire stage could be re-painted and re-set for the Monday afternoon dress rehearsal and subsequent opening night. How I loved it then, but doubt if I could last now over forty years later.
By the way, DEF POETRY JAM closed. I give it credit for trying and lasting as long as it did, but once THE PLAY WHAT I WROTE and Jackie Mason were classified as special events I guess DEF POETRY decided not to wait for the Tonys to pull the plug. It's not my type of show, but I would have thought there would have been more of an audience for it.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 11:09 AM PST
All right, group hug RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW, do you hear me? Let us move on and have FUN. This site is about FUN - so let us have FUN. Anyone can post about anything they damn well want to, as long as it's done without rancor towards another dear reader. We must not have rancor. I ask you to remember the following: It is not possible to "hear" tone with posts, so sometimes misunderstandings can happen. If they do, then discuss and move on. And where in tarnation IS everyone? We've gotten a few book orders but not nearly enough. Mr. Mark Bakalor worked so hard getting the order page ready that he's had to sleep for thirty-one hours straight. Well, four of the hours he slept crooked, but that's another story.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 11:14 AM PST
Ok, I've ordered, have you? And I have another question, do we all have offical HHW t-shirts and stuff and other things off the website that would act as conversation pieces and publicity for this wonderful site? Sleep... well, I don't believe I've gone more than 20 hours without sleep, rathering boring, I should say. Lulu, click on my name and send me an email so I can send one back to you, if you have a chance.
Posted by Matthew @ 05/06/2003 11:18 AM PST
I just read that Ruthie Henshell won't be in BOY FROM OZ after all. I never cared for Peter Allen very much, especially after seeing him and his "brother" as Judy's opening act but it might be interesting seeing Hugh Jackman go against type as Allen. I would assume that Jackman is too butch for the role, but I wonder how far he, the script and the director will go with the real Allen. Tom of Oz --- did you see the show in Australia? Just how close to Allen's real life is it?
With the talk of X3, I thought Jackman might back out and I wonder just how long he will stay? As I originally predicted LES MIZ was held over once, but I thought if OZ were postponed again it would be held over for the whole summer. With Jackman appearing in a Full Page ad in the Sunday Times, I guess OZ is a go this time. So next season will see two different musicals about two different countries named OZ.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 11:27 AM PST
What's all this talk about Wal-de-Mart? Are we in a Harry Potter story?
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 05/06/2003 11:28 AM PST
GROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN Ron ;)
Ok.. just back from Best Buy where I picked up Catch Me If You Can. How disapointing to see that there isn't a booklet inside - but just a one sheet. And no chapter stop list!
Oy!
Posted by Craig @ 05/06/2003 11:31 AM PST
Just pre-ordered Kritzerland. Very simple and easy. Looking forward to a read for the summer. It won't be here in time for my trip to Key West (next Thursday May 15 through Wednesday May 21) but I'll be occupied with other things anyway.
Posted by Ben @ 05/06/2003 11:40 AM PST
I think the longest I've ever been awake is about 48 hours, like Jed, during finals week. Pulled a nighter to study for a final, took the final, stayed up to pack all night, spent the day getting from Wellesley MA to the airport in Rhode Island, finally slept on the floor of the airport for an hour before my flight. And to whoever that kind young man who woke me up to get on the plane, I thank you.
As far as sleeping, like Ben it was post-op. I remember waking up on Wednesday morning, closing my eyes for a quick nap, and waking up late Friday night...I had no idea time had passed until I realized my dad was wearing a different shirt. Amazing what drugs will do to you...
Posted by Ann @ 05/06/2003 11:42 AM PST
Drugs Ann? We learn something new about you all the time!
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 11:52 AM PST
And don't forget - when you buy the book from this site you will eventually get a CD which features Guy Haines singing songs quoted in the book.
Re Peter Allen - I saw him live at the Roxy on Sunset, and he put on a helluva show - really terrific energy. That said, Legs Diamond was a cruel joke.
Latest B'way grosses are unbelievably horrid. Urban Cowboy played to 15% capacity and Frog and Toad to not much more. I mean, I've NEVER seen grosses like that. These producers are out of their minds, hoping against hope for a Tony nomination like that's going to save them. Didn't save Steel Pier, didn't save Side Show, didn't save any number of other shows.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 11:54 AM PST
BK will you be recording a mini cd with Guy Haines of song associated with Kritzerland like you did with Benjamin Kritzer if we ordered through HHW?
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 05/06/2003 12:20 PM PST
I even turned down comps for URBAN COWBOY based not on the reviews but on how awful the television commercial makes the show look, and I rarely turn down comps for any Broadway musical. As for FROG AND TOAD, it looks cute and I'm sorry I missed it at the New Victory but I would never pay Broadway prices for a children's show, and I'm afraid it will not reach its target audience because very few families with young kids can afford it. Now this show I wouldn't turn down comps for. However if I had money in either of these shows I would demand they be closed before they lost even more.
Added note: URBAN COWBOY has already announced its tour dates.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 12:21 PM PST
The longest I ever been awake was about 48 hours. I was shooting a TV series, commercial and movie with a two day period. The commercial started from about 6:00 am to 6:00pm. Then I went home shower and changed and had to go to the location where we filmed the exteriors for twilight, evening and very early morning. Then I went home changed and showered and went to the set of the other movie I was doing.
The longest I ever slept was when I was in a coma for two weeks. (kidding) The longest I ever slept was after those two days of marathon filming (with a little assistance was about 19 hours.
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 05/06/2003 12:26 PM PST
I'm a firm believer of supporting new and most of the time struggling musical theatre. I think it's sad that someone would turn down comps to a show just because what you read or saw about it doesn't appeal to you. The support of the theatre should be first and foremost in one's mind, and if getting your butt in a theatre seat is what you have to do (especailly if it's FREE) then that's what you have to do. It's not fair to be opinionated on something that one know's nothing about, especially if one hasn't seen the product. If you say you support theatre, support the underdog as well.
(steps down)
Posted by Matthew @ 05/06/2003 12:46 PM PST
Just ordered Kritzerland!
Hmmmmmm....longest awake was probably during the weekend marathon of ROCKY HORROR SHOW when we did 8 shows in 48 hours. Whewwww....but we didn't miss sleeping the audiences were great!
Longest I've slept is probably about 14 hours - after going to King's Island Amusement Park....and then being sick. Happens every time...you can set your clock by it.
RE: Wal-Mart, I shop there. There. Don't buy many DVD's or cd's there. But I like it when they have sales like the one Lulu mentioned to begin with.
Actually that whole rant is putting me to sleeeeeee....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/06/2003 12:49 PM PST
I'm sorry Matthew, but two to three hours of my time (plus the time to get to and back) is more important to me than supporting a show that I have no desire to see. It wasn't the reviews. I've seen many shows that had bad reviews - some I liked and some I didn't. But I can put my time to better use than spending it watching a bunch of people sing hillbilly music and try to ride a mechanical bull. If this were a show that appealed to me in the first place, I'd go even if I had to pay. But why should I sit through something I know I won't like just to "support" theatre. I support it almost every week - and usually at non-profit theatres that can use the support, not at shows where it is only open because of a producer's ego.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 01:00 PM PST
P.S. I'm not the only one who won't even see URBAN COWBOY for free. My source for free tickets usually gives out any Broadway tickets almost as soon as they are listed. URBAN COWBOY has been listed since early yesterday for a choice of performances and apparently there have not been enough takers to even run out of the limited number of comps available through this source.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 01:11 PM PST
WEL- FYI, Frog and Toad is heavily discounted. I can't imagine too many people are actually paying face value. I just got an emailing for $25 tickets. And I think that's a mighty fine price for a show...
According to playbill.com, the average ticket price for F&T was $47 and change.. which I would still consider a fair price.
Posted by Craig @ 05/06/2003 01:21 PM PST
Obviously our posts crossed Michael. Yes, there will be a mini CD, but it will be sent seperately.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 01:21 PM PST
Oh yes, I believe in supporting theatre. But I don't know if I want to see something that I am just interested in. I didn't like the movie URBAN COWBOY, so I just don't think I would like the stage show.
Free tickets for a Broadway show are very tempting....but then it would be a loooooooooong drive for me. 8-D
Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/06/2003 01:24 PM PST
Oh my, BK, I hate to play school marm, but that little spelling mistake bugs me ever since I learned the mnemonic in high school (ooh, ooh--oh, a Stan Freberg reference).
It is separate, and you always misspell it because... there is A RAT in it! Well, it impressed me as a child, and it worked.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 05/06/2003 01:26 PM PST
Way back when, a friend got comps for Oh Calcutta!. And we went.
It wasn't worth the price.
And I think we were the only ones in the audience who weren't Korean businessmen on expense accounts.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 05/06/2003 01:28 PM PST
But WFO...there is a RAT in it when you spell it "seperately," too.
;)
Posted by Lulu @ 05/06/2003 01:41 PM PST
Actually, WFO, in the interest of fairness, I spelled it correctly in an earlier post, and mistyped in that later post.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 02:00 PM PST
Just got it on the way home..."A RAT" sepARATely...DUH! ;)
Posted by Lulu @ 05/06/2003 02:15 PM PST
On my way to rehearsal. Click on my name to see a photo of Lt. Joseph Cable, Liat, Ensign Nellie Forbush, and Emile deBecque as they will be portrayed at Putnam County Playhouse - a barn in the middle of a field in Greencastle, Indiana.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/06/2003 02:31 PM PST
Oh, my...a redheaded Liat! She looks like Anne Shirley. :)
Posted by Lulu @ 05/06/2003 02:40 PM PST
Earlier (much earlier, at 08:44 AM PST to be exact), Jason wrote that he's been seeing posters for the remake of The Italian Job all over the subway walls. I find this funny, because part of the remake was filmed in the Los Angeles Metro Subway, which is decidedly poster-free!
Posted by S. Woody White @ 05/06/2003 02:49 PM PST
Just ordered KRITZERLAND. I can't wait.
Regarding spelling, isn't there a way for Bark Makalor to insert some sort of spellcheck here? If there is a word I am really not sure of I open "Word" and check it first but that's a real pain. Since even BK makes spelling errors, maybe this can be done.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/06/2003 03:32 PM PST
WEL...
Hospital drugs, i.e. morphine.
:-) The usual stuff they give
you after they've cut your head
open. Although I admit that
after being in the hospital with
a morphine drip for two weeks,
I went through a mean
withdrawal at home.
Posted by Ann @ 05/06/2003 03:33 PM PST
Re "The Boy From Oz":
I did see the show here and remember writing to the "Real A" column that I thought it had too many Australian references that would need to be written out or whatever. The star here was Todd McKenny who did a great job as did the supporing cast. The "Allen Brothers" were a sort of Everly Bros act in the early sixties. They had minor chart success but were really not very good at all - cringe act on TV as far as Melbournians were concerned (they were from Sydney so that did not help!)
The bio story line of the show seemed fair enough - not that the songs were in chronological order. The songs were just selected to "fit" the storyline
I do find it difficult to imagine Australia's "Gaston" playing the role of Allen. I also wondered how an American audience would accept both Judy & Liza being portrayed on stage (as written). I can't remember if there was any mention of "Legs Diamond". In all, I really don't think the show has much to offer. It might be better than the Bacharach show! Perhaps DR Pam might give you an idea of her thoughts on the CD of the OZ show. I was never really an Allen fan.
I do of course have the Oz cast CD if anyone is interested in a copy - my copier is still away ebing fixed so there will be tile delay!
Many of you have my email address. Since I changed it I am reluctant to post it again as I would prefer not to receive all those charming letters from people on the African continent who wish me to aid them with investments etc. I know DR Laura is helping them so much.
I really don't sleep on planes so my trips to the UK have always been "Awake" for 26 hours in the air with possibly eight hours at each end! I hate planes. (Sondheim reference). My last trip was from NY to Melbourne via LA & Sydney. The flight from NY was about 4.00 pm so I had been up and about since 8.00 am. Hours were spent waiting for connections in LA & Sydney. A very long no sleep period!
My longest sleeps have bene post-operative too.
Happy birthday to George.
WEL:Oh Calcutta! - a definite boring evening of theatre. i saw it in London and it was oh so dull. Smutty schoolboy humour and IMHO not entertainment al all.
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 05/06/2003 03:34 PM PST
The Italian Job was shot in the LA subway? This sounds just as bad a movie I did where Montreal was both Moscow and Lennigrad! The front of the old court house was Moscow the side of it was Lennigrad!
Posted by Michael @ 05/06/2003 03:39 PM PST
I always taught my students the "a rat" mnemonic, too, and for those who listened, they never missed it again.
I have one comment about Wal-Mart DVDs. I think you have to be careful buying them at Wal-Mart because if you're buying a title for which there is a separate full screen and widescreen release, the Wal-Marts around here ONLY stock the full screen version. As I'd rather have nothing rather than a full screen version, I don't usually end up buying many DVDs at Wal-Mart.
I was very excited today because for the first time since I've had HBO-HD, they showed a Panavision movie in anamorphic high def widescreen: THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. All of the other high def Panavision movies I've tried to watch on HBO (like HIGH CRIMES) have been pan and scanned high def (which to me is worthless. Why would I want to see a super sharp blow-up of only half the screen?)
One other comment: who has caught Helen Mirren in the remake of THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS. STONE. Just wonderful. I highly recommend it.
Posted by Matt H. @ 05/06/2003 03:54 PM PST
Oops. I forgot to comment on the awake/asleep topic of the day. I simply cannot stay awake for long periods of time. I remember the day and night of the senior class play in high school, I managed to stay awake 23 hours. And I can remember being able to sleep for 10 or 11 hours at a clip years ago. But those are old, OLD memories.
Posted by Matt H. @ 05/06/2003 03:57 PM PST
I'm back from Portland. We had a wonderful weekend with our son and his girlfriend.
I'm sure, on more than one occasion, I have gone at least two days without sleep. I have difficulty sleeping on a regular basis (seems to be a family trait). Even when I sleep my dreams tend to be so busy I wake up tired. Since last night was one of those nights I will wait until tomorrow to order Kritzerland.
Posted by Jane @ 05/06/2003 04:29 PM PST
Dear reader Jane will be especially amused at the Prologue to the third Kritzer book, but I'm afraid she'll have to wait until next year to read it. Meantime, Kritzerland hopefully will keep her happy.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 04:35 PM PST
I wouldn't complain about gardeners mowing my lawn at ANY time of day! Because that would mean that someone else is mowing my lawn for me.
Posted by Laura @ 05/06/2003 07:33 PM PST
Lulu - actually her hair is a nice dark blonde/brown, but my scanner did some funny things with the color.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/06/2003 07:37 PM PST
The chat was indeed chaming. I
arrived late, and didn't stay for too
long, but it was wonderful as always.
The girl scout cookie ice cream that I
mentioned was delicious, by the
way.
I've never pulled an all nighter, I
have been awake for 20-22 hours at
a stretch if I got up early and stayed
out late. I find that if I sleep more that
12 hours I have trouble falling
asleep that night, but I try to get a lot
on the weekends.
I must agree with WEL about
"supporting the theater." The only
theater that we have the obligation
to support is GOOD theater. Keeping
a bad show open helps nobody.
Almost as distressing as the fact that
some shows were at less than 50%
capacity this past week was that
"Long Day's Journey" was anything
other than sold out. A chance like
this comes along very rarely, and I
will never forgive the fact that
"Mamma Mia" will always be more
popular than "LDJ." Sigh.
"The theater is dying, the theater is
dying, the theater is practically
dead!"
Posted by Hapgood @ 05/06/2003 08:03 PM PST
I just ordered my "Kritzerland" book! I first had tried to order it using Netscape, but Netscape crashed. I had to use Internet Explorer. When I ordered the region-free DVD player (Sampo brand from hkflix.com. Thanks for info, Bruce. A woman that I work with also bought this same model), I tried three times to order it using Netscape and Netscape crashed each time. I eventually realized that it doesn't work through Netscape (at least on my computer) and I had to use Internet Explorer.
Posted by George @ 05/06/2003 08:17 PM PST
Haven't people been saying "the theatre is dying" for years now? As with CATS, this too shall pass.
BK: Per your suggestion, I am about to watch "Kiki's Delivery Service"--in Japanese with English subtitles.
Posted by Jason @ 05/06/2003 09:19 PM PST
Jason, let us know what you think of Kiki's (in Japanese with subtitles - any other version is a sham of a pretense of a charade).
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 09:25 PM PST
Anyone else bugged by the "Chapter 24" part of the title of the upcoming "Raiders" DVD? It's an attempt to link the movies with the "Indiana Jones" kiddie TV show which is also being sold on video. (BUY THEM ALL!!!)
--You know, just like the new kiddier-than-kiddie Star Wars prequels are linked to the superior 1977-83 originals via their "Episode" numbers.
It's bad enough that the title's been changed to "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark." It used to be called just "Raiders of the Lost Ark." I hope George "Special Edition" Lucas can resist tampering with the actual films with his self-revisionist tendencies. Changing their titles is quite enough of an "improvement" for me.
I'm clearly running out of things by which to be bugged. Can you tell?
Posted by Sigerson Holmes @ 05/06/2003 09:30 PM PST
BK: I loved it, I loved it, I loved it. What a beautifully done film...and much more grown up than I expected from an animated feature. I couldn't believe how mad I got when that girl was talking about how she hated her grandmother's pies! That ticked me off.
Anywho, thanks for the tip, BK. Any other suggestions?
Posted by Jason @ 05/06/2003 11:03 PM PST
Things I love about Kiki's - no villain, no wisecracking sidekicks (unless you watch it dubbed), no forced plot developments, blessed silence in certain scenes (the dubbed version has music in EVERY scene), the charm, the art, and the beautiful music.
All of Miyazaki's work is excellent - if you can get hold of Porco Rosso on eBay (tons of bootlegs for 8.99, they're letterboxed but not enhanced, but it gives you a chance to see the film, and they're in Japanese withs subs) I loved that one too. Spirited Away, of course, is wonderful. I also really enjoyed Castle in the Sky, which is part of this current release, and Nausicaa, which is the hardest to find. Also, if you're in the mood for a rather harrowing viewing experience, try Grave of the Fireflies. Like others, I always thought anime meant those goofy Pokemon things and the cyperbunk things. The Studio Ghibli films are among the best animated films I've ever seen, and in the case of Kiki's among the best films period.
Posted by bk @ 05/06/2003 11:14 PM PST
One of the things that I liked the most about Kiki's was the attention to incidental detail...Kiki tripping on her way up a hill, or slipping on a fallen leaf. There were even nuances in the facial expressions that I don't think I've ever seen in an animated movie. I dunno...maybe I was looking for them.
I agree with you about how wonderful it was to have silence when there needed to be silence. How refreshing and, at times, incredibly powerful. As my voice teacher used to tell me, silence is a musical nuance, too.
I hadn't thought about it until you pointed it out, but you're absolutely right--there was no villain in this movie! Again I say: How refreshing.
In addition to renting Kiki's, I bought one of my favorite movies, "Chocolat." If I recall correctly, a few of my fellow Readers didn't enjoy it, but I did, so I purchased it! I love Juliette Binoche and I would pay money to hear Ms. Judi Dench burp the alphabet. What a wonderful ensemble of actors and, IMHO, what a charming little story.
Anyway, I have to work the matinee and evening show at the Met tomorrow (its American Ballet Theatre season), so I'm off to bed.
Posted by Jason @ 05/06/2003 11:27 PM PST
So true, George. I used to used Netscape for everything, but now I have had to switch to Explorer because of all the crashes.
I bought KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE and enjoyed for all the reasons above. I think I may watch the dubbed version for awhile just to see the difference.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/07/2003 03:09 AM PST
Sigerson: Did they really officially change the title to "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark"?? Ick. Guess they have to make sure the brand name is highly visible. What a shame -- Raiders is still one of my favorite movies ever. Since Spielberg directed it, hopefully he'll keep Lucas in check re: the temptation to "reimagine" everything via CGI. Granted, he did tweak ET to many people's chagrin, but unlike Lucas, he included the original version on the DVD (Lucas still swears that the original versions of the original trilogy will NEVER AGAIN be available. Hopefully he'll change his mind before they're finally released to DVD. I, like many, didn't think the "special editions" improved upon the originals).
The thing that gets me is this relatively new practice of forcing consumers to buy an entire box set of a trilogy in order to get the one film they actually want to own. Yeah, I'm sure there were some diehard fans out there who were actually anxious to purchase copies of Back to the Future II and III, but the rest of us just wanted the chance to buy or rent the first movie. Well, the trilogy was NEVER made available for rental, and also was not offered for sale individually -- only as the boxed set. Result: I still haven't seen BTTF on DVD, because I hate the idea of paying to own movies I didn't much care for when I saw them in the theater. And I hated Temple of Doom when I saw it as a youngster, and while the third film was an improvement on the second, that frankly still wasn't saying much. I'll be looking to get a really good deal on the set in order to get Raiders and then...maybe I can give the others away as gifts? LOL.
Posted by Lulu @ 05/07/2003 04:50 AM PST
Oh, just wanted to add this about the whole changing-the-title-when-the-film-becomes-a-franchise deal...does anybody else's skin crawl when they hear people refer to Star Wars as "A New Hope" or (even worse) "Episode IV"??? I hate that!
Posted by Lulu @ 05/07/2003 04:52 AM PST
I am still waiting for the remastered Director's Cut of ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN and the Frances Farmer DVD Box Set with RHYTHM ON THE RANGE, EXCLUSIVE, and AMONG THE LIVING.
Prolly shouldn't hold my breath, right?
Posted by Jrand52 @ 05/07/2003 05:31 AM PST
Jrand, I think those are marvelous ideas - you should definitely write to the studios who hold the rights to those films and let them know what you want - nay, demand - from them. :)
Posted by Lulu @ 05/07/2003 05:52 AM PST
Just a quick late post about those TITLES:
While the STAR WARS films have ALWAYS had the titles (A NEW HOPE, etc) on the films themselves, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK has never (on film) had the credits altered to read INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. It's just a marketing tool that was used when the trilogy appeared as a boxed set on vhs.
According to www.dvdfile.com and USA TODAY (which somehow managed to snag the scoop on Paramount's release) not one frame will be cgi-enhanced, nor will there be any additional scenes branched into the film at will, and last but not least: the Nazis guns will NOT be replace with walkie-talkies.
Posted by td @ 05/07/2003 06:12 AM PST
Regarding the poor business LONG DAY'S JOURNEY is doing... there was an excellent production in NYC just a few years ago with Francis Sternhagen the only name in the cast. That production sold out its scheduled run and I believe it was held over. The current production is charging $125 a ticket for prime seats, more than twice what the Sternhagen charged. Also the current production has four excellent actors in the cast, but none of them are exactally names that automatically sell a lot of tickets. Hopefully the reviews and probable Tony nominations will help, but the unfortunate fact is this is not an easy show to sell.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/07/2003 06:20 AM PST
td: I beg to differ. My recollection (and admittedly I was very small at the time it came out) is that Star Wars was always called Star Wars, both "in the street" and in every official capacity; and (I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong) upon its very first release, I do not think it had the words "A New Hope" in the opening. I believe that was appended shortly thereafter and was present for all subsequent re-releases and certainly for the film's premiere on HBO and on VHS.
Even if I'm wrong about the words "A New Hope" not being present from the very beginning, I think my points holds - that nobody thought of or referred to the film that way until relatively recently.
Posted by Lulu @ 05/07/2003 06:49 AM PST
Whaddya know about that? I was remembering correctly. Once I started thinking about this, I decided to try and find out if I was right, or if what I remembered happening was just a lotta baloney. I found the following information:
Star Wars was still playing in numerous theaters a year after its opening on May 25, 1977. It was re-released in 1979, 1981 and 1982. But when was the change made? For the indisputable answer, we went to Lucasfilm's film archivist, Sterling Hedgpeth. Here's what he says:
"I found a box with all the positive elements for the 'revised' opening crawl, and the assorted trim boxes are dated from October through December 1980. This, then, is consistent with the view that Episode IV: A New Hope was added for the first time to the opening crawl for the April 10, 1981 re-release."
Posted by Lulu @ 05/07/2003 07:02 AM PST
BK - So glad to hear that there is going to be a third book!! I just finished reading Kritzerland for the second time, and again, I loved it! I must say that you have a wonderful writing style. Everything comes to life for me when I read the book, as if I am right there.
The same goes for Benjamin Kritzer, which I have read four times. Benjamin Kritzer MUST be a movie! And just think, you can have your own trilogy that you can rename when it becomes a box set. :)
Since I am fairly new to this site, can someone please enlighten me as to what IMHO means? I think I have figured out the rest of the "internet lingo", but this one I can't figure out. Thanks! :)
Posted by JB aka JK @ 05/07/2003 07:49 AM PST
Lulu---
If memory serves me right, the initial release of the film was called STAR WARS, but the crawl began with the words Episode IV while "A New Hope" was nowhere to be found. I'm not sure when those words were added.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 05/07/2003 07:52 AM PST
IMHO=In My Humble Opinion (in internet lingo)
:-)
Posted by Jason @ 05/07/2003 07:52 AM PST
Thanks Jason! :)
Posted by JB aka JK @ 05/07/2003 07:54 AM PST
No problem.
There's a "scandalous" article in the Post today my Michael Riedel which features a picture of a milk carton with Bernadette Peter's face on it which reads "Have You Seen Me?" I think its kind of funny. Apparently Ms. Peters will be missing both performances today. Click on my name for the link (God, I hope this works.)
Posted by Jason @ 05/07/2003 08:27 AM PST
I very distinctly remember NOT seeing (or even hearing about) "A New Hope" being part of the "Star Wars" title. Also, I remember (a Sondheim reference) hearing/reading George Lucas say when "Star Wars" was first released, that the saga was going to be three, three-movie trilogies...that there were going to be NINE movies all together. When "Episode One" was released, however, all I heard was George Lucas saying that it was going to be six episodes and not even acknowledging that he had originally said that there were supposed to be nine episodes. Does anyone else remember this?
Posted by George @ 05/07/2003 08:30 AM PST
As promised, I just ordered my signed copy of Kritzerland. Bruce, will my copy be personalized to me or generic?
Posted by Jane @ 05/07/2003 06:32 PM PST
I got busy today with all the things one has to do on one's day off and forgot to post. Can one be forgiven?
Posted by Kerry @ 05/08/2003 10:31 PM PST
