Haines His Way

After lunch I went to Powell's Bookstore (largest bookstore in the Northwest) and picked up a few items...some greating cards and a Raggedy Ann and Andy book for my grand-niece.

Then I decided to fill my tummy with food before the movie and I came across an Indian restaurant named Swagat. I had Lamb pasdon (I think that is what it was called). It was wonderful! Then on to Cinema 21 where I viewed GOJIRA...

[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]WARNING RANT AHEAD![/move]

I was very excited to finally get to see the origina sub-titled 1954 film Gojira...but I tell you there should be a law!!!!

The theater was fairly full, which was wonderful...but there were certain audience members who seemed to think that they were here to view a Mystery Science Theater 3000! Now keep in mind that Gojira is quite unlike most of the later Godzilla films. Gojira is a very dark, serious film. Unfortunately these particular audience members have no understanding that a 50 year old Japanse film is going to have a different acting style and less sophisticated special effects then what you would see in a 2004 CGI extravaganza! So, much to my irritation, these people (and there were several of them...but one particular lady who was very loud) would laugh whenever Godzilla would show up or everytime a character would start to emote, or just about anytime that leading lady Momoko Kochi was on screen (which I didn't understand at all).

I came very close to leaving about half-way through the film as I was finding this lack of maturity to really make it difficult for me to get into the proper (for me) mood for the film. And it was impossible to block these people out.

Maybe I am just different when I watch a film, but I really like to become absorbed by the atmosphere and the feelings of the characters and the plot. I am quite able to suspend my disbelief and really believe what is going on on screen (even if it includes model ships and airplanes battling a man in a rubber suit) and it just bugs the heck out of me when others can't do the same.

Sure there are some films like Plan 9 from Outer Space or Manos Hands of Fate or Queen of Outer Space that you would watch and snicker, even in a movie theater, but Gojira is not that type of film.

I have come across this almost everytime I have been to a classic movie showing in a theater and it really irks me.

Ok, end of rant!

I guess I am a posting frenzy this morning! Must be the coffee! LOL!

Jose, do you have any Matt Battaglia for me yet??? (can you tell I am eager!!)

An adendum to my post above.  If I were still acting, I'd much prefer to trust my theatrical future and destiny to Equity over Clear Channel any day.

Good Afternoon!

So far, a nice, relaxing Saturday morning...  I stayed in bed listening to NPR, The Car Guys, and some Big Band jazz.  Then a nice big bowl of cereal, and some "Trading Spaces", etc.

And I guess I'm currently sucked back into watching "Drumline" on Cinemax... again.  -Well, I did play alto sax in my high school marching band, so...  It's basically the only thing on right that's not too distracting.

-Oh, the rain finally did come down here last night during the night, quite a nice gentle downpour - as gentle as a downpour can be.

As for Cy Coleman songs...

Ditto!

But I'm especially fond of "You There in the Back Row", "Our Private World", "Never", "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This", and few others I know I'm forgetting right now.  Unfortunately, due to some horrendous audition renditions, I am no longer a fan of "You Can Always Count On Me," "Nobody Does It Like Me," and "Lost and Found" (which is one song I really do still do like on a lot of levels, but if someone puts it in front of me at an audition...).  Oh, and "Big Spender" too.

From a pianist's point of view - well, actually an audition pianists's point of view - I'm continually amazed at just how jazzy Cy Coleman is.  Just how much a jazz composer he really is.  And since he really is a jazz pianist and a jazz composer...  Even in Barnum with it's circus-music flavor, the harmonies - especially in the up-tempo songs - are very intricate, "slippery" at times.  It's amazing how just one mis-placed finger, or one omitted note can affect the "sound" at times.  But it's fascinating to follow all the "movement" in his music, nonetheless.

And I still remember my first time reading through City of Angels... WOW!  And, of course, Sweet Charity too!  Btw, I like the music from both of those shows better than I like the shows themselves.  I know that Neil Simon has been tweaking the book for the upcoming revival of Sweet Charity... We shall see...

Jose, do you have any Matt Battaglia for me yet??? (can you tell I am eager!!)

Hmmm... that one is toooooo easy.  Too bad, DR TCB is having computer issues...

A Union is only as strong as its membership.  It's negotiation prowess is only as strong as its membership.  If your membership is too weak, too scared, or unwilling to sacrifice for gains, the union is at its mercy.  

And for the past twenty years we have been living in an environment of vehement anti-unionism. I've seen it from the perspective of all the unions I belong to.

There's nothing in the above I disagree with, Charles.

But there's plenty in your posts that would seem to indicate you're not familiar with the current state of affairs with Actors Equity.

The troubles it's having have nothing to do with a lack of solidarity.  Sure, some people quit the union, as happens with every union.  But AEA membership is not weak, nor scared, nor unwilling to sacrifice for gains.

If Union leadership had more faith that Equity actors actually produce a better product, they wouldn't spend so much time bad-mouthing non-Equity theatre.  Last night you urged the DRs, in block lettering, to avoid attending non-union shows.   I'm wondering why you did this.  Some DRs live in parts of the country where the non-Equity show isn't just the best show, it's the only game in town.  And, sometimes, as I've just implied, the non-Eq show is better than the Equity production.  So, it wasn't for the good of the dear readership that you urged them to eschew non-union entertainment.

Perhaps I was too cryptic in the salary I quoted.  You said you earned $750 per week at the Ahmanson in 1980 playing a small role and had your own dressing room and health benefits.  I'm telling you that if you played a small role at the Ahmanson today (June, 2004) you'd be earning $777 and wouldn't have your own dressing room.  Health benefits kick in only if you work a certain number of weeks a year, so, playing just the Ahmanson wouldn't do it.

Finally, you mention Clear Channel, O'Reilly and Hannity and I hate all of them.  So, I guess I'm supposed to like Equity because Clear Channel hates them and I hate Clear Channel.  Actually, my hatred of Bill O'Reilly is even stronger.  Wait - what does any of this hatred have to do with the Equity question?

Saw FAHRENHEIT 9/11 last night.

I believe the film will be Number 1 at the box office for the weekend . Unprecedented for a documentary.

I don't think it can be #1 because I don't think the release is wide enough.  I know here it's only playing in a few theatres.

Also, while it might be hugely popular in LA or NY, it probably won't be in many other cities.

Tomorrow I shall be going to a Ren Fair with a few friends of mine.  Should be fun!  I've never been to one before.  

I've never been to a Ren Fair either, but der Brucer went to a few before we met and had a ball!  Here's hoping the weather is wonderful and that you have a great time!

As for the Unions...

As a member of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), I will say that I am truly thankful for the scale (wages), benefits and safeguards that the powers-that-be have been able to work out on my behalf.  And from my experience in the DC area, the DC Local has been more than willing to work out special arrangements and deals for various organizations and theatres.  Even "tiny" Signature Theatre has been under a union contract since their third of fourth season.  Yes, the scale at Signature is no where near what the "big guys" in town pay, but it is a smaller theatre, with a lower top ticket price, and they're on an Equity SPT (Small Professional Theatre) contract.  In short, their "scale" is in scale according to the theatre's overall size.  And since it is under a union contract, I have been able to make contributions to my pension whenever I've worked there.

However, sometimes I feel the Locals actually have too much "power".  And, actually, I feel all the unions have this problem to an extent.  Yes, accomodations do have to be made according to the local economics, but I don't think economics should really affect things such as break times, minimum hours, and amount of personnel required.

From personal experience, I will say I felt a little uncomfortable and "guilty" when I played Aida at the Kennedy Center two years ago.  The orchestration for that show required three keyboard players and one guitarist (at least for the road "book") in addition to the rest of the pit.  They travelled with three keyboard players and one guitar player.  Well, due to the CBA that the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra had worked out, a certain amount of local players had to be hired for the run at the Kennedy Center.  As it turned out, the guitarist who had been on tour with the show ended up getting laid off for the two months the show was in DC, and they hired two guitar players in his place.  And I, in turn, ended up replacing the third keyboard player on the tour for the two months in DC.  The third keyboard player was also laid off for those two months.  Additionally, two other keyboard players, locals, were hired as "floating subs" who were paid a full week's scale regardless of whether or not they got called in to play during a particular week for the length of the run.  -And since both players did learn the books they were to cover, they weren't true "walkers" since there were "on-call".  And, in fact, both floating subs did play a few times during the run.  But, again, they were paid a full week's scale regardless of how many performances they played in a particular week, or even if they played none.  -However, sometimes someone is called in to be the "local sub", and then it truly is a pay-as-you-play arrangement.  But that's another story...

All in all, the addition of the second guitar player actually helped the overall sound of the show - and it actually made the guitar "book" easier in the sense that the guitar player wasn't juggling so many different guitars (acoustic, 12-string, electric) since the duties were now split - and actually augmented for the parts.  -And both guitarists were still left with a lot of notes to play.

But did we really need to have two floating subs?  Did I really need to displace someone who was travelling with the show for over a year at that time?  Did the theatre really need to require that a certain number of people be hired regardless of the type of show coming in to the venue?

It's all about minimums.  And in this case, local minimums.  I won't get into all the arguments for and against "minimums" - at least in regards to my "brothers" up north on Broadway - but I just have to wonder what exactly is the "power" of the National office if the Locals can basically take an "overall" agreement and customize and nickel-and-dime it to death.  The touring musicians were under the standard Touring "Pamphlet" - a national agreement.  But that Pamphlet can be - and was - over-ridden according to the Local's own requirements.  And there's usually no room for negotiation - even though there would seem to plenty of time to work out something since tours are announced months in advance.  Usually a year or more.

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the work I have gotten through the Union.  Well, let me correct that statement, I am thankful for the Union work that my talent and perseverance has gotten me.  The Union office is definitely no longer a clearing house of sorts - even though some local offices claim to be.  -Again, that's another story...

I should also point at this time that membership in the AFM is truly "bought".  Once you mail your initiation fee and first quarter's dues into your local office, you're a card-carrying member of the AFM.  Yes, this does bring up issues of quality, but since most of the hiring - at least in my circle - is done through word of mouth (and getting to know the contractors) - the weaker players are usually found out and don't receive the "calls".  However, that doesn't prevent a "good player" from becoming lazy and staying on due to tenure issues...  -Again, that's another story...

My point after all of this semi-rambling...

As DR Pogue pointed out, the Union is only as strong as it's membership.  And, unfortunately, there is no such thing as a "perfect" organization.  We can only strive together as a group of musicians, as a groups of actors, as a groups of writers, as a group or technicians, to make sure our basic needs are met, and that there are safeguards in place to protect our work and our working environment.

And, again, as was pointed out by DR Pogue, well more like inferred*, there may be members in the Union - whichever Union they belong to - that may not agree with the current state of affairs of their Union.  And, as my current post has indicated, I am one of those not in total accord with the current state of things.  Does this mean I don't like being in the Union?  No.  Does this mean I don't think the Union serves a beneficial purpose?  No.

*And if I have inferred incorrectly, DR Pogue, please feel free to correct me.

What it does mean is that I hope that all the "good" that the union has accomplished so far will continue to benefit me and every other member down the line.  And that any further negotiation and "roadblocks" will be able to be worked out for the better for all parties involved.

For myself, work is work.  Always has been, always will.  Whether I'm playing in the pit of a Broadway tour, or accompanying a singer in some tiny cabaret space, it's the work that counts.  It's the music.

Union or no Union, it's always the Music first.  And one hopes that the Union know that too.

This is scary.  I'm finding DR Noel's arguments more cogent than DR Charles'.

Part of what drives me to Noel's way of thinking is that unions (and not just Equity) have become “Big Business” in their own right.  They represent thousands of workers, and yet seem to restrict their memberships on what they are allowed to do as much, if not more, than the businesses that are actually hiring the workers.  An amicable relationship between the worker and the employer, where it is agreed between them what the responsibilities of each are, is not usually allowed by the union unless that agreement conforms to what the union demands, even when the union demands are not what the worker him/herself wants.

This is bad for everyone involved.  It fosters an atmosphere of combativeness, of "us vs. them", where the parties most involved, the workers, end up caught in the middle.  When was the last time anyone has heard of a contract negotiation that went smoothly?  Of course, after the contract has been negotiated, the union leaves on its merry way, with the workers and management wallowing in lingering resentment.

This cannot be blamed on the current political administration, either, nor on any major political party. The contentious atmosphere the unions foster has been in existence over the span of several administrations; I first became aware of these problems back in the '60s.

Simply put, the unions are no longer a tool for the worker to negotiate better treatment/wages/conditions with the employer.  The unions have become a power unto themselves, as unresponsive to their memberships as they claim the employers to be.

Pity the poor worker, once again caught between a rock and a hard place.

I am eating a very tasty meal.  Threw a bit of salmon on the old George Foreman Grill, added a bit of Johnny's seafood seasoning.  Baked potato a la microwave with a bit of ranch dressing, salt, and pepper.  So simple, yet so yummy!

Very special thoughts are with you at this time TCB. "A Trip To The Library" must now become your priotity every day. Thnak you so much for keeping us up-to-date with your less than pleasant situation.

Well, all this talk of Equity. Today I recieved in the mail my new Equity card and News Letter.

Why should we hate Clear Channel?  If you hate what they've done to radio, you may want to worry about what they will do to theatre (apparently what they're already doing to theatre) if they control too many venues.

Jose, I am not always happy with my unions either.  Within the WGA, I have often been considered a rebel rouser, on the wrong side of an issue, and a fighter for the journeyman, in-the-trench writer rather than on the side of the big star-writer faction. I'm tough to pin down because I've remained an independent agent in the guild and have never trapped in a faction.  While it's made me some enemies, it's also gotten me a lot of respect...even from my enemies, I think.  I've been asked to run for Officer postions in the guild in the past (I've always turn them down, for while I know how to fight valiantly and ferociously for a specific cause, I would not be a competent politician.)   A few weeks back, the board wanted me on a committee to pick the officers running for this year.  I was told I got more votes to be on the commitee than anyone else.  I didn't take the gig (though I've done other committee work) because I was in the throes of work.  

But I think people can love their guild and still criticize it.  I also still maintain that it is almost impossible to  have a satisfactorily paid, life-long career in the Arts without being a member of the necessary unions.  It's dicey enough to have one even in as a member of unions.

Noel maintains that Equity keeps knocking the quality of non-Equity shows.  I really don't know about that.  But it's something I pretty much agree with him on; it's the wrong tack.  I didn't become a better actor once I got my Equity or SAG card; I didn't become a better writer once I got my WGA card.  

And I've been to open Equity calls. I've seen a lot of cretins who you look at and wonder how they ever got their card.  It must have been a momentary aberration or they were just perfect for that one particular role that one time in their life and never worked again.  

And as far as the WGA goes, my pal Harlan Ellison has said openly in the past to WGA members:  "There are a lot of you in this guild who can't write for sour owl poop!"  He's quite right.  They did that one sitcom or  detective show once in their life and never really worked again.  There are also those who can't write for sour owl poop and have inexplicably made millions, but that's an entirely different debate...

That said, even SAG and WGA do their share of denigrating non-union work, when they should be pointing up the possibilities for abuse and sub-standard working conditions and wages in non-union situations.

Hollywood Collectors Show Addendum:  The guy who seemed to be doing the most brisk business was Dickie Jones of Buffalo Bill Jr. fame.  He had the biggest lines, believe it or not.  I think he was also the voice of Pinnochio.

I have returned from seeing Farenheit 9/11, Dear Readers, and must report I have never seem a film quite like this one.

I was shaken by it.  I was profoundly disturbed by some of the images in it.  Parts of the film were downright funny.  Most of all, it made me angry.  Very angry, indeed.

There's a lot less of the muckraking Michael Moore in this picture than in his previous outings and much more of the documentarian.  Does the film offer a balanced point of view?  Absolutely not.  Does it cover, in factual manner, some of the reasons why we are in Iraq right now?  Absolutely yes.  Does this film personalize the Iraqi situation and the realities of this war from the perspective of those who are fighting it and their loved ones?  Definitely yes, in a highly effective fashion that will probably be overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the film.

My favorite sequence is a typical Michael Moore schtick in a movie that does not contain many of them:  Michael Moore accosting members of the Congress on the Capitol steps, encouraging them to have their children enlist in the armed forces.

It will be interesting to see how well this film does between the coasts.  It was playing on three screens at my local art house cinema, with a fresh screening essentially each hour through the day.  When I left the theatre at about 3 pm, all showings were sold out until the 10 pm show.  I've never seen anything like that at this theatre before.

I anticipate that this film will create some degree of widely experienced political/social/cultural impact.  I am not sure how it will be manifested, but for a powerful film like this to hit the screens while its main subject sits in the White House and is up for re-election surely must be unprecedented.

And one last note:  Perhaps the fight over the "R" rating was undertaken in the belief that there's no such thing as bad publicity.  In my humble opinion, the "R" rating is deserved.  (It's a pity, though, that the same "R" rating isn't applied as well to fictional films that contain the same kinds of images that appear in this one.  Do I detect a double standard?)