Well, Dear Reader, it’s Monday, February 20, 2023 – President’s Day here in the United States – and in my little corner of the Tampa Bay area in Florida, it is late morning. It’s not a shabby late winter day – the sun is out and the temperature is mild (74°F/24°C) – and if my Remington Microscreen shaver were any good – it’s not – I’d probably be in the bathroom right now and preparing to go out on a rare walk to the nearby park to read a book or just enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.
But my foil-type Remington does not “shave as close as a blade” – as the late President and CEO of Remington, Victor Kiam, used to claim – and my dexterity sucks when it comes to using old-fashioned manual razors. So I have several days’ worth of beard on my face and neck, and even though my hair is still decently short, I don’t dare go out looking like a bum.
So, no “constitutional” to the park – or anywhere else, for that matter – for me today.
(Author’s note: Keep in mind that I’m not the world’s fastest typist/writer. I started writing this before 11:30 AM and finished it at 12:07 PM, so my package arrived well before I hit the Publish button on WordPress.)
On the bright side of things, UPS informs me that my Amazon package with my multiformat set of Universal Pictures’ The Fabelmans has been marked as Out for Delivery since 8:55 AM Eastern Standard Time.
As a matter of fact, the UPS delivery truck with my package is currently just a few blocks away, so by the time you read this, the 4K Blu-ray/2K Blu-ray/Digital Copy combo with director Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-nominated film – which is a fictionalized autobiography that focuses on the filmmaker’s childhood, the breakup of his parents’ marriage, and Spielberg’s first efforts to make movies with a 16 mm camera – should be in my hands.
Will I watch it as soon as it’s inside the house?
Probably, although I should at least take a shower and get into “street clothes” even though I’m not – for the reason I mentioned – going out beyond the threshold to grab my UPS package. I’m not the neatest person on the planet, but I do like feeling – and smelling – clean, and lounging around in PJs all day has never been my bag, really.
Other than that, though, I don’t see why I should not at least watch the extra features on the Blu-ray. Because The Fabelmans – sadly – did not make a ton of money at the box office when it was released less than three months ago, I think Universal was compelled to rush it to both streaming (where it has seen some success) and home media, so the bonus features are modest compared to those of Spielberg’s four Indiana Jones films or even last year’s home media release of his West Side Story adaptation.
Here’s what The Fabelmans offers up as extra features:
- The Fablemans: A Personal Journey, an 11-minute-long featurette in which the director, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwright/screenwriter Tony Kushner, explains why he chose to dramatize his family life in the late Fifties and early Sixties, the mix of fact and fiction, the need to be relatable to all audiences, and honor the memories of his late parents.
- Family Dynamics, a 15:28 featurette about the casting of key roles, why each actor was chosen for his or her role, and specific traits that each cast member brought to the table to portray his or her character.
- Crafting the World of The Fabelmans, which at 22:04 is the longest behind-the-scenes piece, describes the filmmaking process that brings to life Spielberg’s most personally revealing film to date. Included are interviews with Kushner, Spielberg, and composer John Williams. There’s also material about the cinematography, production design, costumes, and the poignancy of shooting an important scene on the first anniversary of Spielberg’s dad’s death.
Well, Dear Reader, my package arrived at 11:46 AM – just a bit over 30 minutes ago – so I’ll close for now. I’ve got a shower to take, clean clothes to change into, and a movie to watch. Until next time, stay safe, healthy, and warm, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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