A Forever Question: Transparency

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Is it desirable to have a clear head?

Friday the 13th The Series Visual Effects Crew

In October of 1988 I worked on a few episodes of the television series titled, simply enough, and not with any nod to accuracy, Friday the 13th: The Series.

The show's visual effects supervisor was John Gajdecki, one of the more talented film-artist/technicians to have worked in this town (Toronto), and also one of the most congenial. He went on to set up his own company, GVFX (Gajdecki Visual Effects).

When I worked at Film Effects - Toronto in the early to mid 1990s, I again met up with John when my employer and GVFX got the 'opticals' contract for the television series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. John, and his team, produced original FX elements on a Quantel "Harry" system at his facility; elements which he then outputted to 35mm film, which were then turned over to Film Effects. I took these film rolls and composited them with the appropriate live-action photography on the optical printer/camera.

Back to the photo.

My friends would spot me in a second. I've already gotten: "You look the same!" Think: a tall British-looking guy standing at the back in a brown jacket. My boss is sitting at the front of the gang.

Seeing my overall look now, I don't think I fit the image of an "inker" as much as I do a director from LWT or Thames Television.

Postscript: I remember most of the people in that photo. Gudrun Heinze, extreme left, and Claude Theriault, to my left, I more than remember since they were still with John during my Film Effects years. Fun times, even with the hard work and sometimes long hours.

DVD Liner Notes Reviewed (Stuff This Turkey, Me)

"Extras: The best extra for me was the enclosed booklet that provided some production information about the show itself, the situation that led to the show ever airing, and some of the issues that resulted in it falling into oblivion."

A friend sent me the above review when he learned that I wrote the liner notes for VCI Entertainment's DVD boxed set, "The Starlost: Complete Series".

The above snip was taken from the review, here, which is from the fine home-video review website, "DVD Talk".

It's a pretty fair review, although it, as always, is a matter of personal taste; and, if one remembers watching the NBC/CTV series when it aired, "memories".

A look-back at my experience writing the DVD set's liner notes: The Starlost DVD Set Liner Notes

As I note in my 'liner notes' piece, I interviewed a fair number of people who had been involved in making Canadian Television. In this show's case, they were: writer/creator Harlan Ellison; producer William Davidson; story editor Norman Klenman; writer Doug Hall; writer Martin Lager; actress Gay Rowan; actor John Colicos; designer Jack McAdam; and a few others ― a cast and crew all helpful and much appreciated.

A Forever Question: Thanksgiving Leftovers

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Are there any turkeys left for "American Thanksgiving"?

Sunday Fun: Polishing My Act

"Have any nail polish ideas?"

Something like that, and it brought back a memory; one, perhaps, best left to the drains of time.

But before I pull out the figurative acetone, an admission....

When I was in high school years ago, I arrived at the house of learning one day and proceeded to pull out my school books only to notice something odd about one of my fingertips.

Cut back to the evening before:

As I chatted with a friend over the living room telephone I noticed my sister's nail polish sitting on the table to my left. Pinching the phone's receiver between my left shoulder and cheek freed up my hands, allowing them to uncap the glass bottle and go to work. Almost unconsciously ― which is something I've long excelled at ― I coated, with great care and dexterity, a fingernail on my left hand with the glowing liquid.

Hot Pink, baby. Hot Pink!

Hey, I was ahead of my time!... in my own mind.

DVD: The Flash

The Flash

- The Complete Series -

Warner Home Video

2010

CQD; SOS; ETC; LOL

The rowboat is leaking. I'm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There’s a sandbar up ahead.

Made it.

The ratty old duffle bag holds emergency supplies: the infamous “desert island” physical media.

I discovered what was in my hastily-packed bag.

My discipline held to one of each:

Music: Carmina Burana
Movie: Metropolis


Darn.

I just realized that while I had remembered to pack a disc player, I forgot the a/c (alternating current) plug and adaptor.

I cheated in that I had packed quite a few books: Kafka; Allen; Hesse; Kerouac; “The English Channel” (Calder); “The Pearl” (Steinbeck); “The Mysterious Island” (Verne); “Roy Hinkley’s Guide to Making Coconut-based Electronics”....

A Forever Question: Alley Cats

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Can one have fun at a bowling ball?

I Hail Cesare!

Lee was a character. He still may be; I lost contact with him a few years ago. "Irreverent" is a word Lee would have called into being if it had not already existed.

One day over beers in the local pub Lee and I shot the breeze about our sports backgrounds. As we sat on our stools at the bar I told Lee that I had been a teenage hockey goaltender. He asked who I fancied myself to be when I stood between the pipes all those years ago. A young ice hockey player "pretending" to be one of his or her idols from the big leagues is natural, almost expected. (For me it was more a pre-teen road hockey thing.)

"Cesare Maniago."

Lee emitted his trademarked laugh, and said, somewhat mockingly: "You must have been a s**t goalie!"

I was not an "inadequate" puck-stop but that unimportant fact did not stop me from drooling a mouthful of beer down my shirt and onto my lap.

Origin: Latin. in 'not' + reverent 'revering'.

Elmer Bernstein on Jerry Goldsmith

"He's the composer I would pick if I were a film's producer."

Mr Bernstein said this in an interview in the 1980s. (Goldsmith died in 2004.)

Tales of Television Centre (Documentary on the Telly)

Tales of Television Centre gets one nostalgic for a place of work even if one did not work there. The sprawling complex wasn't merely a place of work, just as importantly, as pointed out by several interview subjects, it was a place of immense creativity.

The BBC's Television Centre was a hotbed of television production for over half a century (1960 to 2013), and its ultimate 'reconfiguration' remains a touchy subject for some. "Why?"

With the help of British television entertainment luminaries such as David Frost, Brian Blessed, David Attenborough, Peter Davison, and Terry Wogan, the how, where, and why are covered briskly but with some necessary detail. And with a lot of smiles.

The Centre was a culture all its own. Magic was in and on the air.

I wish I had worked there. (Here in Toronto we have the CBC's boring Canadian Broadcasting Centre. Only in Canada, eh? Pity.) Many presenters (hosts), actors, comics, technicians, designers, writers, and producers are thankful they did. There's that wistful nostalgia one expects to wrap up a documentary titled Tales of Television Centre.


On a humorous final note, I must mention that one thing I found obvious in the building's architectural style was the overall 'Soviet' vibe. This point is brought up by a few interviewees. The similarities are striking. (Does it mean anything?)

Book: TV North (Kenter & Levin)

TV North

- everything you wanted to know about Canadian television -

by

Peter Kenter

with notes by

Martin Levin

Whitecap Books

2001

Picturing: An Unmarked Passenger Jet Takes Off

I love flying, even on unmarked jets. Actually, it's a Bombardier Aerospace "Global 7000" being flight-tested here in Toronto.

Blu-ray: Pink Flamingos

Pink Flamingos

by

John Waters

The Criterion Collection

2022

Book: Europe at War (Davies)

Europe at War

1939-1945

- No Simple Victory -

by

Norman Davies

Pan Books

2007

A Forever Question: Halt!

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Is "Full Stop" anything like "Half Stop"?

Sunday Fun: No Work Being Done at the Desk

A "film and television" critic and writer I much admire, John Kenneth Muir, some weeks ago posted a blog piece looking at his home office. I was impressed by his large collection of film/tv toys, models, and dolls. I felt insecure as my abode is pretty spartan, at least there's not much in the way of 'geek' elements to reveal too much about my youth.

Recently, while polishing my computer desk, I looked down and noticed bits I'd long blanked-out. One gets used to his or her surroundings and fails to notice what 'signifiers' there are; over and above the layer of dust....

For those readers who may not be familiar with the above photo's captured items, from left to right: U.S.S. Enterprise (from Star Trek); Eric Cartman (South Park), Thunderbird 1 (Thunderbirds).

___

Postscript: I've not seen South Park in years, but I've long wondered if the German translation of South Park's resident kid-grump is "Erich Cartmann".

Picturing: The Donut Box in Dilemma Form

A client brought the above box of Tim Hortons donuts as a thank you for my hard work tackling an issue. My first reaction, as it did come with a large coffee, was something akin to elation. Then I realized it was a dozen donuts. Of course. It was a big box.

While I do like the odd unscheduled kick of sweets, I'm hardly a 'sweet tooth', nor do I possess the constitution to deal with a load of donuts before they begin to become day-olds. There are three sugar-trips left. Since Sunday I've managed to force down nine donuts. There's a reason I'm skinny and in fine shape. I don't eat a lot of donuts... unless required....

One thing I hate is food waste.

A Forever Question: A Chapter

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Is it the end of an era?

Battle of Britain Day 2022: Book on the Battle

The Battle of Britain

- The Greatest Battle in the History of Air Warfare -

by

Richard Townshend Bickers

Salamander Books Ltd

1999