@ the Premiere of Nights in Rodanthe

Thanks to Film Metro I got a voucher to exchange for a ticket to the premiere of Nights in Rodanthe. That's right, not a preview but a PREMIERE! Having never been a part of such an event I wasn't sure how crazy long the line would be so I sped over (on foot) to the Ziegfeld Theater after work and the line wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. After standing in line for less than 20 minutes I got my ticket and was in the theater by 6pm! (The movie was scheduled to start @ 7pm.)

Security directed ticket holders where to go - but oddly didn't search any bags. When we got to the screening floor, the lobby had tables full of bags of popcorn, ice bins full of bottled water and the counters were full of cups of soda. ALL FREE!!! :)

After grabbing my popcorn and bottled water (and some napkins - just in case...) I entered the theater. I'd never been inside the Ziegfeld before and what a grand theater it is! I soon discovered that my ticket actually had an assigned seat on it. I was on the aisle - 101, Row Y.

As I settled in, I started to notice a lot of people w/ their cameras out. Dang! I had left mine @ home because the voucher had said no recording devices and since my camera can record video segments I didn't want to risk confiscation. The lady behind me commented on other's w/ their cameras, too and said she left hers behind because when she went to another premiere (Journey to the Center of the Earth - she said that Brendan Fraser was there but they didn't actually show the movie, just clips!) security told her friend that they'd have to take the camera or the friend would have to go home. Stink. How are you supposed to know?!

Viola Davis, seemed to be the first cast member there and she entered and found a seat in the center. So is that where the others would sit, too?!

As it got closer to the start a quintet of middle-aged, bold and brassy ladies needed to scoot past me to sit and then 1 proceeded to spend the remaining minutes before the movie going in and out of the row - telling me not to hate her - as she got pics w/ whoever she saw. The lady behind me made a comment to her about the camera and the busybody said she ALWAYS brings her camera and said how she went to a premiere w/ Will Smith and got a pic taken w/ him after waiting and waiting but that he was very nice.

During all this we saw Richard Gere's wife, Carey Lowell, enter the aisle ahead of me and soon realized that Gere would be sitting in that aisle, too!

Ice-T settled in w/ his wife (?) 2 rows behind me. Christopher Meloni joked around w/ Ice-T but Meloni did not look thrilled when someone asked to take his pic. He ended up 3 rows behind me. Apparently some guy from a Bachelor show was sitting near us, too. Never did get my eyes on Diane Lane but right before the lights went down Richard Gere entered and the camera flashes nearly blinded me as they started to dim the lights. I can understand why the stars don't like the paparazzi flashing @ them while they are driving - @ night especially!

The movie started and as various credits showed, certain parts of the audience sent up cheers. And then the lone man w/ the quintet (and apparent hubby of busybody) began his 5-10 minute ritual of pulling out his blackberry to check it and annoy me w/ it's glow. Kept hoping one of the many ushers would catch him and say something...but no.

The movie was shorter than I expected and since I hadn't read the book I had no expectations but admittedly probably would not have spent money on seeing it. It wasn't bad but it wasn't spectacular either. It was okay - more due to the storyline than the acting tho. Not sure if it would be considered a date movie...maybe more of a chick flick I guess...?

Once the movie was over we were directed back out again and they were announcing that After Party Buses were on the left. Ummm....was that for anybody?! I didn't stop to investigate as my bladder was being strained and I needed to get home! (I had thought there'd be a spot to stop in the lobby but the way they moved us out I learned I should have found one on the same floor as the screening - doh!)

So, as I exited to the right, I saw cameras poised and ready to snap the celebs as they exited. Absolutely surreal to think that I can look at pics from this event and say that I was there!

Hopefully I can do this again - and find out about that bus! ;)