Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Druxy]

TOD:

THE SAPPHIRES

Also, recorded from TCM:

THE SCAPEGOAT
STATION WEST

[ChasSmith]

Overall, I've kind of ignored latter day Coppola.  I do like certain aspects of "Bram Stoker's Dracula".

This will show how much I've paid attention over the years, but I always conflate "One From the Heart" with Lynch's "Wild at Heart".  I'm pretty sure I never saw the former, and am likewise pretty sure I did get through the latter once on DVD.

Might give "Twixt" a try sometime, and will heed warning about the featurette.

[John G.]

With regard to THE GODFATHER, Part III:

It's certainly not in the same leagues with its two predecessors, but it is also not the total disaster that BK and others claim it to be.

The major problem, as I see it, was the casting of daughter Sofia.  But the story of Michael Corleone needed to be completed and, for the most part, it was told quite well.

I think that's why it's so disappointing to me. There's so much in it that reaches for the stars, but Sofia -- and some clumsy writing -- keeps it earthbound. And somehow I only see its greatness through the filter of its shortcomings.

[John G.]

TOD:

DVD: Murder at the Gallop, a bootleg of Once

CD: Bring It On, The Last Smoker in America

Car CD: The Song of the Lark

[Jrand74]

Well I certainly agree with MR BK's notes today regarding Mr Coppola.  However I have to add that I liked THE OUTSIDERS and RUMBLEFISH.......

[Doug R]

TOD:

Blu-ray
HENRY V (Olivier)
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
THE GREAT ESCAPE
RUNAWAY TRAIN
THE MASTER (rental)

DVD
LUNA DE MIEL (aka HONEYMOON) – I’ve given up waiting for an English language or English sub-titled version of Michael Powell’s neglected 1959 film but this Spanish language DVD of the 2002 restoration, on the Filmax label, is very acceptable because the inconsequential plot is irrelevant for what is essentially a Spanish travelogue with a great deal of music and flamenco dancing. The Technirama photography is wonderful – this is a film deserving of a Blu-ray release but I can’t see that ever happening and unfortunately the DVD is non-anamorphic widescreen. Mikis Theodorakis’ title song (as arranged by Wally Stott and performed by Marino Marini) is very tuneful and was extremely popular at the time. Curiously the main titles are from the English language print despite the Spanish-only audio. 

[ChasSmith]

BK mentions the "Pals" clip which didn't garner any comments at all for some reason.  I was reading the notes at the car dealership around people in front of whom I wouldn't care to try to properly listen to clips of anything at all.  And did I remember later that I had left something to go back to?  Well, of course not.  No excuses.  So this morning I listened, I like it, and I'll welcome more when the time comes.  I've sort of said it before and I'll sort of say it again on this sort of day:  there's sort of something special about the way BK captures the coming of age years, in both books and music.  And largely because of that, I've been able to take some very probing - and critical - looks back at my own such years.

[Jrand74]

Today I am having sort of a day off.

Last night, our regular pianist was sick, so we had a walk in play for our rehearsal....  She had NEVER seen the music before.....and a lot of people sang as if it were their first time hearing it as well.  It was a lot of torture....but we did get through it.

I dropped a lot of lines, so I am still working....NO BOOKS next week.  But today is my sort of day off....so I am relaxing and posting here at HHW.

[Jrand74]

TOD:  Nada....I am too wrapped up in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the moment....and I have to work tomorrow....

I will be interested to hear about the BluRay of HARLOW.  Of course I purchased the DVD, but I can't imagine it looking SO MUCH better on Bllu Ray that I would spend more $$$$ - at least not without some extras!!!  But I guess Carroll Baker said all she intends to say about it in her autobiography....she would not consent to an interview with Tom Lisanti for his book DUELING HARLOWS which is a kind of cut and paste book about the two versions of HARLOW released in 1965.  There are some new interviews including some great comments by Carol Lynley.

[Jrand74]

DR ELMORE the Dream-O-Matic 6000 says that your dream indicates that you are concerned about health issues and that you don't have time to address them properly at the moment - however you are sure that a home remedy or holistic treatment will work for you - if you can remember what someone told you about it when you were growing up....a remedy that they used.....

[Jrand74]

Please deposit $35 in my PayPal account.

[ChasSmith]

Today I am having sort of a day off.

Last night, our regular pianist was sick, so we had a walk in play for our rehearsal....  She had NEVER seen the music before.....and a lot of people sang as if it were their first time hearing it as well.  It was a lot of torture....but we did get through it.

I dropped a lot of lines, so I am still working....NO BOOKS next week.  But today is my sort of day off....so I am relaxing and posting here at HHW.

OMG.  I have, a couple of times, been that pianist.  And there's no worse feeling than that of knowing your unfamiliarity with the material just has to be letting some people down.  My worst ever (for me) experience was substituting for someone who at the last minute couldn't play their own auditions for Schmidt & Jones' PHILEMON.  There were one or two numbers in particular in which I had to do real battle with the manuscript P/C score, and I regret to say the score won.  Nightmarish.

[ChasSmith]

I'd been wondering about the VixTrip, thinking that perhaps it was already underway since Vixmom had been kind of scarce.  VIBES for a great trip, and for the rest of us getting to see some damn pictures!   

[Ginny]

Friday media report:

DVD - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

mp3 (iPhone) - audiobook, UNFINISHED DESIRES, by Gail Godwin.  I am "power reading" this one.  That means I listen when I exercise, knit, and do household chores and read the print version otherwise.  This is something I do when I've gotten bogged down and just want to finish the blasted book.

[ChasSmith]

Power Reading Mode, in spite of the negative connotations, can be a good thing. 

It's something that's especially useful to employ on one's first time through Proust.  You have to get through that whole bast book, using whatever method it takes, before you can begin truly appreciating it.  Subsequent readings are then effortless and richly rewarding.

Speaking of which, oh dear, I seem to still have a couple of volumes to get through...

[MBarnum]

TOD:

CD: In my car I have been playing 70s pop music and disco, lately.


DVD:
Don't know if I will have any time to view much this weekend, but I would like to watch A HAUNTING AT SILVER FALLS. It was filmed last year right here in Salem, Oregon, USA, although I had no knowledge of it until I saw it listed as one of the new releases on Netflix Streaming.

[elmore3003]

Greetings from Toyland!

DR JRand62, this is the second Dream-O-Matic account of my health worries, but if I have them, I am not aware of it! I'm quite puzzled.

[Jrand74]

Hmmmmm.....I will send your $35 back.

[Jrand74]

DR CHAS SMITH - we appreciated Kathy's efforts.....and if our people were more familiar with their OWN music, it would have been much better for all.  You have to learn the music and lyrics sometime folks....

[ChasSmith]

You have to learn the music and lyrics sometime folks....

Testify!     

[John G.]

Found a copy of the book: "Oklahoma: The Making of an American Musical" for $10 yesterday. It seemed expensive for a regular hardback at Half-Price Books, but I find on Amazon today that the suggested retail is $65!

And why is it necessary? Max Wilk's book, "OK: The Story of Oklahoma!" was written with plenty of the original players on hand to provide information.

Has anybody read it? 

[elmore3003]

Found a copy of the book: "Oklahoma: The Making of an American Musical" for $10 yesterday. It seemed expensive for a regular hardback at Half-Price Books, but I find on Amazon today that the suggested retail is $65!

And why is it necessary? Max Wilk's book, "OK: The Story of Oklahoma!" was written with plenty of the original players on hand to provide information.

Has anybody read it? 

Yep. I enjoyed it. It's a scholastic press and those books always cost more; I think it's partly to do with the size of the run and the fact that they can get away with it.

[ChasSmith]

Found a copy of the book: "Oklahoma: The Making of an American Musical" for $10 yesterday. It seemed expensive for a regular hardback at Half-Price Books, but I find on Amazon today that the suggested retail is $65!

And why is it necessary? Max Wilk's book, "OK: The Story of Oklahoma!" was written with plenty of the original players on hand to provide information.

Has anybody read it? 

Yep. I enjoyed it. It's a scholastic press and those books always cost more; I think it's partly to do with the size ofd the run and the fact that they can get away with it.

I have the Max Wilk one but haven't read it yet.  Is it better, or does it cover some good additional material?

[John G.]

Found a copy of the book: "Oklahoma: The Making of an American Musical" for $10 yesterday. It seemed expensive for a regular hardback at Half-Price Books, but I find on Amazon today that the suggested retail is $65!

And why is it necessary? Max Wilk's book, "OK: The Story of Oklahoma!" was written with plenty of the original players on hand to provide information.

Has anybody read it? 

Yep. I enjoyed it. It's a scholastic press and those books always cost more; I think it's partly to do with the size ofd the run and the fact that they can get away with it.

I saw that it was a scholastic press. But it still seems a bit much. Sadly, it was the only copy on the shelf.

[FJL]

Here's the link for Angela Lansbury's workout from 1988

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gbqugDx9E

[John G.]

My allergies are now bothering my left eye, which is so pink and itchy and swollen that I've made an appointment with one of the staff nurses for a bit later today.

[ChasSmith]

TOD

Happy to report that my Blu-ray of THE DRIVER just arrived!  Tonight, baby.

Otherwise, I need to go downstairs and see what I've got in the stack.

[bk]

I'm up, I'm up - damn ringing telephonic device, but I did get my eight hours.

[bk]

So, bk, do you make copious notes during each "take" during the final vocal sessions, so that when you go in to comp the vocals, you pretty much have the road map of what you know you want to do? Or is it more free-form?

I do make notes on each take and I have them with me at the comp sessions - if there's a clear winner I start with that one, but I have a comp sheet which has a number for each line of each section and as I listen to each take I put in the number of the best take for that line - sometimes splitting it between two, sometimes splitting it between three, or even grabbing one word from elsewhere if need be.  When that's done, I listen and may make further adjustments if something doesn't sound of a piece.

[singdaw]

Thanks, bk. I find the whole process fascinating, and we are fortunate that you share that insight with us!