I am back, writing late night from Pearl's once again. We got our Internet service restored this afternoon on our sixth day of trying, after another ATT technician spent two hours troubleshooting the problem and finally got it solved. It was indeed coming from the tray at the ATT central office, so they installed a new tray at that location, and Jimmy (our tech) set up a new modem here at the house. Even then, it didn't wanna take hold, and the service light was still coming up red at first. But Jimmy was awesome, and he called the next level of ATT technical support ("Tier Two"), and after another half hour of them programming the new modem, the service light finally came up solid green. I almost couldn't believe my eyes.
This was The Computer Problem From Hell, folks. I'm no expert, but I have had some problems with modems and such, and they've always been solved over the phone, between me and technical support, even in complicated cases that took a long time to figure out (and part of the problem here has always been outdated circuitry), but anyhow, I've never seen a glitch like this one and I hope I never see another one like it.
I'll be a little bit nervous to turn off my computer tonight, because for the next week or so, until this vibe wears off, I will awaken half-expecting to see the red service light again. The Horror! (and there's an idea for a Halloween costume, The Red Service Light! ooohhh scary!
But if a week goes by and it doesn't come on, then the anxiety will begin to fade. I know I'm being a bit melodramatic, but as I explained, this is my only outlet, my only form of social life at present. I have been a caregiver for a long time now, and I am in the house for 17 out of every 24 hours. So it helps to have the Internet, noisy and chaotic as it can be, just so I can connect with the outside world.
Jimmy The Awesome Tech left me his business card and told me to call him if the red light comes back on. Hopefully it won't, but Jimmy rules. Thanks, Jimmy. ////
Tonight I watched another classic film that I had never seen before "Phantom Of The Opera" (1925) starring Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin. Pretty ridiculous that I'd never seen it, eh? I guess you could chalk my negligence up to the same fact as mentioned recently, that I just wasn't ready for Silent films for a long time, and also the snippets of "Phantom" I had seen looked so damaged and ancient, and also the film ran at faster speeds in some sections, causing a bit of a "Keystone Cops" effect here and there. I guess I thought it was a relic, even while acknowledging it's status as an historical work. But I knew I had to one day see it, and since I have been looking at the work of Lon Chaney this month, I thought the time was right to finally do so.
It is said that with the "Phantom", Lon Chaney created the first cinematic horror character, and while I don't know if that is accurate (though I suspect it is), one thing is certain : Chaney created a character so horrific and unforgettable - so dramatic - that regardless if he was the first horror actor, he was without doubt the first major horror actor, and this is also because of his talent as a makeup artist. The "unmasking" scene in "Phantom", which I watched for the first time tonight, not only holds up today - 93 years after it was filmed - but is still horrifying enough to impress adults and to give little kids nightmares.
Lon Chaney's makeup creations were so far ahead of their time that they were only even approached in the 1970s, with "The Exorcist", and that's not really a cogent example because the Regan character was a victim rather then a villain. Suffice it to say that Chaney's "Phantom" look set the bar for movie monsters to come, and it still does so today (CGI be damned as always). Nothing will ever top actual, physical makeup effects onscreen, and Lon Chaney was the movie's greatest makeup artist in the early years, and maybe ever.
I am still thinking about last night's incredible performance by Fredric March as "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", really off-the-charts great, and I will bet that March was partly influenced by Lon Chaney's "Phantom" just six years earlier. Although March had the advantage of better camerawork (on an artistic and technical cinematic level "Dr. Jekyll" is a better film than "Phantom"), in watching his facial expressions and physicality, expressed in a manic desire to dominate his victims and later on to escape a mob, I got the feeling that March took his cue from Lon Chaney as the "Phantom" and decided to one-up him.
Both performances are so far off the charts that they are set apart. Last night, even though I only had a short time to write from my apartment, I wanted to convey just how outstanding was the performance by Fredric March. Not just great, but a cut above, up there in the Elite. And upon watching "Phantom" tonight, while it is not as advanced a film as "Dr. Jekyll" in the cinematic sense, it still blew me away, just for what the filmmakers were able to stage in 1925, especially with regards to the climactic scenes with "Erik" (the Phantom) as an angry mob chases him down to his hideout, deep in the cellars of the Paris Opera House. Only Lon Chaney could have pulled this off, and I would suggest you see this film not merely because of the horror but also because it is a classic Greek tragedy in which the theme of unrequited love is explored.
You already knew that, of course. It's been many a year since Andrew Lloyd Weber co-opted "The Phantom" and turned him into a Love Machine. But Lon Chaney is no such character. He does obsess on his love for Christine, but once she unmasks him, any hope for romance is over.
I have been watching some landmark Monster Movie performances of late, and I have to put Lon Chaney's role as the "Phantom" at the top of the heap along with Fredric March as "Dr. Jekyll" and "Mr. Hyde". I am glad I finally saw them both during this Halloween season. ///
Speaking of Halloween, I will be doing my usual trick-or treat thing here at Pearl's, handing out candy with The Black Kitty and The Spirit Of The Kobedog. I'll be carving pumpkins in the afternoon to prepare. If I have a chance, I would love to do a hike, even a small one as I haven't been "out there" in any of my spots for over two weeks now, since my trip to the Chumash caves. But even if I don't get out on a hike, we'll have a blast. I am like a little kid on Halloween, my favorite holiday of the year (well, tied with Christmas).
Hey Elizabeth, are you going to see Alcest tomorrow night? I am guessing "yes", and if you do go, post some pics, and have a Happy Halloween either way! I was glad to see your photo at the Arboretum this afternoon, the first thing I saw when my computer came back online. :)
I will be going to see Alcest on Friday night, although I am not thrilled with the venue, a sketchy place I have never heard of way down in the boondocks of L.A.
Well, one day at a time. Let's have fun on Halloween first. And thank goodness I've got my Internet back, here at Pearl's.
See you in the morning. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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