Monday, October 18, 2010

Greatly enjoyed "Sunday Musical Arts" (formerly "Sunday At The Opera") at the clubhouse. Yesterday,we saw an enthralling operatic version of A Streetcar Named Desire, with Renee Fleming as Blanche and a number of other attractive people in supporting roles. The opera was composed and directed by Andre Previn, and presented in 1998 at the San Francisco Opera House. It was faithful to the original in all important respects, although I'm not sure if it was put to music word-for-word. Anyway, it was wonderful.
Went to the cemetery after and removed the two mums from Pat's grave. They're getting a little past their prime and I'll just put them out front until I get around to planting them, if I ever do.
Had a nice web cam session with darling daughter, Ellen, always a treat on Sunday night.
Son Mike directed me to a site I added to my favorites: Joe Sharkey's and in this case, he wrote on what he sees as an entirely untrue portrait of Atlantic City in the Nucky Johnson* thing, Boardwalk Empire. I'm sure he's right and I have no interest in seeing the this particular "docudrama" or any other. It seems to me they tend to be false, ugly, and simple-minded mishmashes of a little splash of truthiness dropped in a big bucket of falsity, and topped off with gallons of show bizzy cuteness and utterly boring cliches.
How do you really feel about docudramas, Mimi?
* As a kid, I saw Nucky Johnson at church--St. James in Ventnor--and believe me, he was an unattractive little gnome of a man, nothing like the suave, fairly good-looking actor in Boardwalk Empire.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmm ... umm ... I guess the DVD Box Set of Boardwalk Empire that I sent you as an early birthday present may not be as appreciated as I originally presumed. Ahhh ... anyway, so much for trying to get on my mother's good side.

Mimi said...

But I saw the REAL Nucky Johnson!

iloveac said...

I heard folks say the real Nucky Johnson was much taller than Steve Buscemi who plays him. No way can Steve Buscemi be thought of as good looking. He's sort of odd looking , but a terrific actor in all the roles I've seen him play.
The docudrama is good to watch if one likes to see the culture of the day...the sets are done well and it does carry you back to what might have been.

Anonymous said...

God Bless Docudramas!

Mimi said...

I may have confused actors, Pat--not sure. Did you ever see Nucky yourself? He wore spats when I saw him at church, I remember, and even that long ago, they were odd to see.

Pat said...

No, but my Dad the bootlegger did. I heard about him as we all did....along with Hap Farley etc.

Wednesday

Busy, but not in a good way. I'm sure nobody else would want to read it, but I've elaborated on my entry a few spots down entitled &...