My Sister's Keeper Premiere

Read the fine print.

This is the lesson I learned when it came to passes I printed out for myself and a friend to see "My Sister's Keeper". Although they were from the same place that I had gotten passes from for the "Nights in Rodanthe" Premiere it just never clicked that these passes could be for a premiere too as it didn't blatantly say it on the pass - just to dress in appropriate business attire. It wasn't until I joined my friend in line and listened to her observations that it seemed clear it was in fact the movie premiere! Sheesh! I didn't even know they held premieres at the Lincoln Square Theatre. I guess now I do! :)

Thru intermittent rain we patiently stood in line to hopefully exchange our printouts for an actual pass for the premiere. Then we both recognized one of the security guys. He told us we should have no problem getting in and to let him know if we had any trouble. Cool. A few minutes later he came past again and asked if it was just the two of us. Yes, it was. Then a few minutes after that he came up and told us it was going to be a while still and asked whether we wanted to go to Starbucks and get a coffee with him...having a hunch something was up, we said sure and stepped out of line. As we walked closer to the entrance of the theater our friend slyly produced 2 passes -"Enjoy the Show", he said. How great is that?! :)

So we made our way upstairs and got our complimentary popcorn and bottled beverage and found our assigned seats. It was a bit harder to blatantly spot the celebs this time around. (We think we caught a glimpse of the young actresses and Jason Patric but weren't for sure.) After getting a late start the director, Nick Cassavetes, bounded to the front to introduce the movie giving kudos to everyone in the film with special note to the author of the book in which the movie was based - Jodi Picoult. He said he loved the book like many others and w/ his tongue planted firmly in his cheek he added that he did his best to ruin it. ;)

I haven't read the book, so I don't know how the movie measures up but I can tell you that it would be next to impossible not to shed a few tears or at least feel them coming on while watching this movie. The entire cast did a great job but I thought Jason Patric stood out because he did so much w/ so little. His character had the least to say but it was his face that said it all in so many scenes. Just right.

Afterwards, as we exited w/ the masses we saw Cameron Diaz riding the escalator down in her white dress. Just like at the Rodanthe Premiere, there were buses waiting outside to ship people to the after party but once again we weren't sure if anyone could go or what so we kept walking.

My friend commented that she thought it was funny how whenever she saw movie premiere coverage on TV it looked so glamorous and full of stars. Little did she know that much of the audience was filled with "us commoners". ;)

Up & Running

After a morning of tech (and our first official run thru of the show w/ all it's parts together in the space we are performing in) "Call Waiting" opened to a decent sized audience at 2pm today.

I was asked by more than one person if I was nervous. And found that I was more nervous as a director than writer...why was that? Well, since I was the director I knew exactly what was happening to my show but as the director, well...I just hoped everything would pull together nicely and the audience would enjoy the show! :)

Thankfully I have a talented and smart cast and a talented and smart person running lights/sound so my stress and worry was more the "it's the first show, I hope it goes well!" variety.

Now if we can only get critics to see it! We are listed in The Village Voice (as sisters who are best friends) and in New York Magazine (as a mother and daughter who are best friends) but at least we're listed, right?! An audience member already posted on the Facebook listing for "Call Waiting" that the show reminded him of "Friends" and he wanted to know what happened w/ all the relationships. May the buzz keep building and fill seats!

After the first show was finished and everything was put away, I decided a movie was in order and ended up at Chelsea Cinema to see Two Lovers. When I bought my ticket the ticket taker told me that tonight "Earth Hour" would occur and that the Empire State Building would not be lit. Interesting - I'll have to keep my eye out....

Back to the movie- It is a creepy movie in some respects but all too real in the characters' manipulations and which "side" they share with who, how those people perceive them and how circumstances force them to settle or maybe they're not really forced they just decide to settle. As an audience member you were able to witness every moment but then you leave thinking how in real life you aren't the audience member and how limited your knowledge really is about the people that surround you regularly. So many filters...even w/social networks, you can project the image you want. Very controlled and then...do people even know what their real personality is?! Yes, it's a ponderous movie...

Time for Karaoke!

A couple friends of mine share birthdays close to each other so a few years ago they started having joint birthday bashes. This year it was at iBop. (You can rent a room and each person is charged $7 per hour they are there.) Since the crowd was full of theater folk there were lots of show tunes and outstanding performances and of course the alcohol bolstered the non-theater folk's confidence so fairly quickly there was quite a wait to get the opportunity to sing! So...alas, I did not. Which was okay - my two "go to" songs weren't listed anyway (David Duchovny by Bree Sharp & Excuse Me, Mister by No Doubt) and well...sometimes it's much more fun to watch and sing along! ;)

Where's Doc & Marty?

The CBS Early Show is having a theme week that is covering each decade and every day they've had a different era of cars parked outside. Today the 80s were being represented by a line of DeLoreans! None of them looked like they were customized to fly though! ;)

@ 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! ;)

Festival & Marathon

It was a mish-mash of a weekend.

"Jump!" opened at the Strawberry One-Act Festival.

(Note the pic of me in my costume - I'm wearing my old cheerleading shoes and the socks were meant to cover my tattoo but apparently it did peak out as I got some comments after the show...oops. I guess I'm a church lady w/ a past!;) I'm also wearing a cross necklace that came in a "Buffy" set I have - teehee. Also note the guy in the stocking cap in our cast pic - he is not that much younger than me but played my son at the end of the show. Eh. It worked.)

"Jump!" is the first show in the lineup for our section - which is good because we can leave right after instead of waiting around (or watch at least the 2nd half of the show after us and the rest in the section) but it is bad because often times the first one up has a harder time sticking in the heads of the audience than the last one. (Since advancement in the festival is based on audience votes...having the audience remember us so they vote for us was kind of important!)

Aside from a near slip and fall on some lettuce on the ground (another actor spills her salad on stage in the show). I think it well well!;)

Will see what happens...
My friend from Boston came into town to see the show and also be in the city to prep for the NY Half Marathon on Sunday.

After the show, we got her pasta'd up at John's Pizzeria and then went to see Wall-E. Admittedly, I wasn't all that eager to see the movie but I'm glad I did. I loved seeing how much they could do with so little dialogue.

Cut to the next morning where I went to the race and stood watching for her about the time she thought she would cross thru. I never did get my eyes on her. But I took a pic of where I was instead! ;)

Finally made connections w/ her @ Battery Park. We wandered the various booths (and got free mini Jamba Juices) and then my friend headed to another friend's to recoup while I performed another show. Later we met up again and watched another movie via rental this time - 27 Dresses. Once again, a movie I wasn't all that excited to see - it proved to be cliche after cliche but at that point we weren't looking for anything too brain boggling to watch anyway I guess! ;)

The Strawberry One-Act Festival posted videos of our show online - but you have to pay to watch them. My parents did and for the money they paid were a bit disappointed in the quality. When I watched the rest of the shows after ours on Saturday I saw a guy w/ a recorder that used the full size tapes and during the last show the tape stopped and he had to switch it! Eeps! And they charged for that?! You'd think they could upgrade...maybe. It seems like there has be a decent amount of money brought in but what do I know...

Hopefully the Strawberry One-Act Festival blog will post semi-final results soon... :)

Seeing shows @ the theatre(er)

I've been doing a lot of observing of actors on stage and screen lately.

Here's a rundown...

The Fever Chart:Three Versions of the Middle East @ the Public Theater
3 stories that are presented to the audience on a minimal set that are thought provoking, heartbreaking and at times prompt you to want to make a call to action but then wonder...how?

Maybe by just walking away w/ more knowledge of what was and what is, is a start. The playwright, Naomi Wallace, listed recommended reading for her pieces and the theater had a table in the lobby w/ all the books available for purchase.

The first one-act consisted of a soldier "guarding" the zoo that had been wrecked by war and contained animals who's bones were showing, a mother who remembered the zoo as it used to be and went there to remember her daughter who had been killed and an architect who was sent to rebuild. The communication barrier was reflected most in this play and thruout all 3 one-acts a theme beyond the Middle East seemed to thread them together - we are all human, we all have a story, whether you understand it or not - we hurt like you hurt and we mourn our loved ones that have passed.

The second one-act was a father who had also lost his child and was looking for a person that received his son's lungs in a transplant operation. He yearned to connect w/ what was left of his son but wasn't totally prepared for the person's beliefs and actions that now housed them.

The final one-act/monologue was an amazing show of talent by Omar Metwally. His character describes an almost Eden-like Middle East before war broke out during the first Bush's presidency. His "land of dates" disappears and his beloved birds who he had shown @ competitions and cherished as much as a relative (although he warns never to name a pet after a relative because if the pet dies, that may not bode well for the relative...) would soon become his only source of income and someone else's meal. But he went back and requested the bones to keep - A memory of what was. He tells a story of his friend being shot when attempting to surrender to the U.S. soldiers and other stories that make you shake your head at what goes on during war and what (many times) is easily swept under the rug and forgotten about by those who weren't the victims' relation. Where does "reasoning" exist among this place - or does it anymore? His Eden had become a living nightmare and the horrible part is that this isn't fiction.

I left the show feeling emotionally heavy, sad and helpless. It was a well acted show, I just wasn't sure what to do w/all the info I walked away processing.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall -

I was tempted to wait til video on this one but I was going to another one-act show in midtown later that evening and had a couple hours to kill so I thought, why not watch a movie? And FSM's start and end time fit my time frame perfectly.

I had already heard about the full frontal scene w/ Jason Segal and was somewhat prepared but I hadn't thought about the general audience reaction. It was hilarious. EVERY time "too much" was seen there were yelps and squeals. The audience continued it's dialogue when Jason's character started to make a bad decision towards the end of the movie - groans and "What are you doing?!" could be heard. Sometimes an audience can kill the movie experience and sometimes they can make it much better - thankfully this time it was the latter.

A few other observations about the movie -
If Kristen Bell is that skinny on screen, how tiny must she be in real life?! Yikes! It was a little concerning to me.
Jason's SATC tribute of sorts while he drank a cosmo was a kick! "Hi, I'm Samantha."
And...what is up w/ boys and cereal? There were huge bowls of cereal being eaten in this movie,which reminded me of Adam Sandler eating cereal in Big Daddy which reminded me of how my brother used to eat cereal out of a large mixing bowl which reminded me that Jerry Seinfeld even has a cereal fetus of sorts. I mean, I like cereal but never so much that I dumped almost the entire box in a mixing bowl to eat in one setting.

Once Sarah Marshall was over I had to scurry out before I saw the bit playing over the credits because my timing wasn't as good as I thought. I had to get to...
Bent,Broke & Blessed @ Stage Left Studio-

My friend was in the show and a former co-star had produced the show as well as wrote the 5 one-acts, directed 2 and acted in 3.

Stage Left Studio is a great space run by Cheryl King who is the resident acting coach for All My Children. She was there selling tickets and is a great promoter of the shows that are performed in her space.

Once again, this show was not exactly filled w/ "feel good" fare. One one-act actually seemed a bit out of place when it had a somewhat upbeat ending. But overall I was just impressed by the overall accomplishment of someone I actual know in the acting community here pulling together a showcase for themselves.

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard - Phare Play Productions
This play uses 2 different eras to tell the story of love lost, discovered and all the mysteries in between.
It wasn't until the 2nd act that the actors and storyline seemed to gel and clip along but not sure if it was the production itself or the script.
Needless to say w/ all the the winks and tie-ins to past and present (and the accents) I know I missed a lot of things so eventually it is on my list of "scripts to read" as I'd like to see what it is I missed and gain a better appreciation for the the story. The friend I went w/ said every time she reads or sees the show she catches something new she hadn't noticed previously.

Iron Man
A good start to what looks like will be a promising franchise although I hope they figure out what color they really want Paltrow's hair to be. Did anyone else noticed the inconsistency?! I know, I know...minor details.

A scene @ "Edwards Airforce Base" made a pic my friend emailed a year ago who's husband is actually stationed there make sense. At the time she was asking who the celebs in the pic were and said they were there waiting on news of a potential NASA shuttle landing but in reality I'm sure they were doing research for the movie! Sly dogs.

I also had to email my myspace friend, Jon Favreau and let him know I'd be willing to be a reporter for the fictional TV station in the movie - KNKV. My initials are part of the call letters and I have an acting/broadcasting background how much more qualified could I be?! ;) So far he has not answered my note. Will keep you posted! lol

Stretch (a fantasia) at The Living Theare

I found this play while looking for auditions. The subject intrigued me - Nixon's Secretary's last days in a nursing home during the 2004 election in Ohio w/ flashbacks to her days @ the White House and the Watergate controversy. Even better - The Living Theatre/New Georges offered a "pay what you can" night so I was able to enjoy a $10 meal of Burger & Bottled Beer (w/ bonus fresh made biscuits) before the show @ Clinton Street Bakery w/out totally breaking the bank! :)

A side note on the area where the theatre was located - Besides Clinton Street Bakery there were a lot of little eateries and bars that looked like they were worth stopping @ in the future including The Cocoa Bar that serves chocolate w/ their drinks. :)

The show itself was fantastic. No special makeup was used to age the lead - just her face and posture. When she'd go into her flashbacks/dream sequences a small orchestra was revealed in a stage behind her and it was complete w/ a young woman "playing" the typewriter! Genius.

A parallel plotline dealt w/ the younger generation (one was a caretaker @ the nursing home). It kind of worked for me but not quite - and I can't put my finger on what would have made it better or fleshed it out more.

Out of all the plays I'd seen this seemed to have the most refreshing and unique presentation. I would like to see another show in this space to fully appreciate how much of the set was created for the show or just created based on the space.

Looooooooooooooong Weekend

Friday after work I went to rehearsal, went to an audition then killed a bit of time by getting caffeinated before I got my playwriting assignment for Who Wears Short Shorts? (Cubed). I got home about 11pm, brain stormed, took a nap and officially started writing the script @ 2am. I finished the script @ around 6am and tried to sleep for a few hours before getting ready to turn in my script @ 10:30am but my bod was so caffeinated and out of whack that is just shuddered. Yikes!

This blog gives further insight into the process.

After the lunch that is referred to in the blog, I then went to tech from 1-4 (during which they took publicity photos) and was tempted to go home and sleep afterward but was afraid if I did - that would be the end. So...I opted to kill time til the 7pm WWSS3 show by seeing Run, Fatboy, Run. I did feel myself drift a couple times (no fault of the movie) but managed to get thru it okay and the movie actually was better than I thought - the trailer doesn’t actually give everything away! Then off to the show - considering the time frame I was impressed w/ what everyone had come up w/ and knew it would improve w/ the 2nd show however...I had another stop to make so snuck out after the first show and went to a friend’s b-day party @ a karaoke bar @ 9pm. Needless to say I didn’t hang around long but I did make an appearance and I also didn’t wake up before noon on Sunday! ;)

Sunday night was opening night of Office Hours and we had a reviewer in the house. We had a couple opening night snags but it is good to have the first show under our belts!

Christmas, Christmas Time is here...

I started my first Xmas day away from home with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Technically I was in the same room with them - but they were on the screen. ;) I saw "The Bucket List". A bit more serious than the trailers would have you believe and some of the special effects seemed a little shoddy for a film directed by Rob Reiner and starring the two gentleman mentioned prior. It is a nice movie but you can wait til video. It always amazes me how great Freeman can be no matter what the quality of film and Jack just seems to be a in a rut, playing they same kind of character over and over.

My roomies had the day off too so we made dinner (I used the same recipe for taters as I had for T-day and then made quick & easy chicken & dumplings) and watched "White Christmas". I had never seen that movie before. We kept commenting on Vera-Ellen's waistline. A quick google by my roommate sadly brought up that she battled an eating disorder and her high neckline costumes were made to cover her neck which had suffered from the disorder.

After the movie, I took advantage of the mild weather (high was 49!) and walked. A couple days ago it was in the 60s, but unfortunately it was accompanied with blowing rain. :(

And that was the gist of my Xmas in Queens!

Since the holiday season seemed to inspire the baker in me once again - here are some recipes that I used with great reviews...fairly easy, if you are looking for something new... :)

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf - and yes, I used Watkins ingredients. My mom is a rep! :)

Quick Chicken & Dumplings - couldn't find the soup they suggest so used Chix & Veg soup instead - it was gobbled up by the roomies!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Expresso Thumbprint Cookies

Crunchy Peanut Clusters - sans holiday sprinkles

Peanutty Squares - I used honey

Where'd the Weekend Go?!

Already it's Sunday!

I met up with visiting friend #1 in Times Square to watch a matinee of "Enchanted" before she flew back home. We saw them filming a part of the movie in Central Park on our first visit to NYC so we thought it would be appropriate to view it together in the city, too! :)

While I was waiting for my friend I snapped a pic of the dress made out of Hello Kittys in the Hello Kitty shop window. Never would have thought of that idea! May be a tad more comfy than the aluminum foil dress. ;)

"Enchanted" was fun, better than I had expected (except I didn't quite follow the climactic near ending) and after I saw the movie I found out there are a lot of "inside" references that I didn't catch...may have to see it again sometime to find all the "eggs".

I bid friend #1 adieu and later in the evening I met up w/ visiting friend #2 on 5th Avenue during a severe downpour of rain! Aside from the Rock area, 5th was pretty dead on a Sunday night. And we finally decided to hunker down in the Starbucks I frequent every weekday morning on the way to work! ;) Soon it was time to say goodbye again as she was flying out the next day. Hopefully it will be a little less wet by then...

A MUST See!

After sitting at the Irish Rogue, watching the end of Callahan's career unfold during the Colorado game and watching even ABC give up on the Huskers by cutting away with two minutes left to show the Texas v Texas A&M game, I decided it was time for a movie.

There are a handful I've been wanting to see but the timing left me with 1 option - No Country for Old Men.

I have not read the book this movie is based on so not sure how true the movie is to it but the movie by itself is amazing. Now, I don't want to give it too much hype by saying that, but it is truly worth watching.

Josh Brolin - After surviving a post-teendom slump, he is definitely on the rise again with this performance that actually shows hints of his days as Hickok on The Young Riders (and yes, I totally had a crush on him then...so it was nice to see that smirky smile appear again - insert giddy girl laugh). The character is also a nice contrast to the one he played in Planet Terror.

Javier Bardem - I've heard a lot about him, but hadn't actually seen him in a movie yet. The dialogue he has is fantastic and he presents it perfectly.

Tommy Lee Jones - Well, he's Tommy Lee. That's just the way it is. But he is still good, cause he's Tommy Lee. ;)

The only hiccup I had concerning the movie was the casting of the mother in law. The actress just didn't seem to fit - and quite frankly whenever I see her I always think of her reaching out from the bus on Speed and getting blown up. She'll forever be a whiner who dies to me.

The wife however is great. Understated, but just right. Her last scene is once again filled with great dialogue. Not sure how Oscar will look upon this movie but it deserves at least a nomination for best adapted screenplay.

There is a lot of blood in this movie but at the same time they don't show as much as they could have. Many times the Coen Brothers choose to cut away and leave it to the imagination - a decision that makes the movie even better. Haunting? Creepy? Not sure those are the words I'm looking for, but the movie certainly stays with you after you see it.

I'm definitely buying it when it comes out on DVD - which is saying a lot since I'm trying to be more conservative with such purchases. And speaking of...for those that have yet to watch The Waitress, it is now on video. So go rent it!

An Evening with Michael & Kenny

Tonight I went to another movie and talk back sponsored by Variety Magazine and the Moving Picture Museum. This time the movie was "Sleuth" and the speakers were one of the stars, Michael Caine and the director, Kenneth Branagh. (Jude Law was originally scheduled to be there too but apparently had a conflict and couldn't make it.)

It was Jude's idea to remake Sleuth. (The original had Michael Caine playing the young lover and Sir Laurence Olivier playing the husband - both fighting for the same woman.) Michael Caine originally had no interest in re-visiting the movie when he was approached by Jude to play the husband this time around. But then Jude told him that he had asked Harold Pinter to write the screenplay and that changed everything.

Pinter had never seen the movie nor read the play. He took the basic plot and made it his own - keeping all but one line from the original script and even adding a "wink" line in the script - "What's it all about?" - a thinly veiled reference to the movie "Alfie" which both Caine (original) & Law (remake) had been in.

Michael Caine talked about how he knew Pinter when he was an actor named, David Baron. Back then he told Caine that he wanted to write and Caine ended up being in Pinter's first One Act play - The Room. Caine added that Pinter must not have liked him in the show because it took all these years before he was asked to perform one of his pieces again. The moderator chimed in that he might have been busy making movies or the like when other opportunities arose for Pinter plays. Caine nodded and agreed that that might have been true. ;)

In describing Pinter, Caine said he lives in a totally separate world. In reference to the "story" of sleuth, Caine quoted Pinter - "I don't do plot." He added that you have to play it straight with Pinter's writings. That you should never look like you are acting. "Stay straight and Howard will take care of you." He said that Pinter himself (who happens to have a cameo in "Sleuth" as an actor in a mystery movie slapping a man - the slapped man we were later told was Kenneth Branagh) can say the most normal thing like - "Good Evening" and everyone in the room will look at each other and say - "What did he mean by that?!"

Moving on to his own acting, Caine said, "The worst thing he could hear is an audience member turning to someone during a movie he's in and say - "That Michael Caine is a great actor!" Because if a person does that during the movie that shows that he isn't doing justice to the character he's playing if they see him as the actor playing the character as opposed to just being the character. Of course, if you wanted to praise his acting after a movie is over - he was all for that!

He added that he considers the rehearsals the "work" part of acting and the actual performance relaxation.

Caine then reflected on his time filming the original version of "Sleuth". Saying that before filming started he received a letter from Sir Laurence saying something along the lines of..."I'll bet you are wondering how you will address me." Caine said he hadn't really thought about it. Sir Laurence said from the start he could be addressed as Larry. So Larry it was.

Apparently Larry had a rough time of it at the beginning of filming. He had just been let go from the National Theatre and was basically in the middle of a nervous breakdown. He declared that he couldn't act with his own face and came to the set with a mustache one day. Just like that he was on. Caine's quote - "My God he's got it! I'm in trouble."

Filming for the original "Sleuth" took 16 weeks. The new version took 23 days.

Caine said that he and Jude "Got along like a house on fire." (I think that's a good thing!)

Kenneth Branagh (or Kenny as Caine called him) did manage to get some words in although you could tell he was more than happy to let Caine go on...

Kenny said that directing the movie was like sitting in on his own person Master Class as he watched Law & Caine go at it.

One element that Pinter hinted at in the script and Kenny expanded upon was the idea of the house in "Sleuth" being a character, too.

The design of the house and the subsequent shooting style is very visually fascinating at times.

The movie itself? It is a mind f*@%, plain and simple. There are times that Jude seemed a bit much for me but that's merely an opinion. A movie worthy of seeing but you can wait til it comes out on dvd.

Football and The Fab Four

The Huskers were on pay per view this week and the Irish Rogue had it available for the fans to watch.

After battling a delayed subway line we finally get above ground where it is raining! We scurried to the Rogue - passing set load-in for "Young Frankenstein" and got there just in time to settle in for kickoff.

Once again we scored seats in front of the big screen and we watched as Nebraska struggled to keep and gain a lead on Ball St. A struggle that shouldn't have been...

As the game clock ticked, the nails of Husker fans were getting shorter. A lone Ball St. fan was very vocal and kinda seemed to have a chip on his shoulder even though no Husker fan trashed talked him. And then non-Huskers/Ball Staters started to invade. There was a drunken group that started to crowd our space with one sitting on the arm of a couch where a couple of my friends were sitting and putting his drink down on the table with ours. Uh? At first we thought he was a fan - but no, he was just drunk and falling into my friend. My other friend asked him to move. He did, but not without having to explain himself and although he was asked nicely him and his drunk friends decided that they needed to flex their man muscle and start beating on the couch my friends were sitting on, spilling their drinks on it and make loud comments about how they were true New Yorkers and that we needed to go back and watch the game with our season tickets, blah, blah. So brave considering our group consisted of 4 girls and 1 guy. Jackasses.

More than just Husker Pride was riding on a win - we knew that a win was the only thing that would make them shut up!

Thankfully, the Huskers did win. Whewy!

Afterward, I was ready to decompress in front of a movie so back to Times Square I went. This time I saw Across the Universe. I knew that visually it would be a good movie to see on the big screen but wasn't sure about content. I had already heard a review by Roeper comparing it to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. And although it does have celeb cameos and Beatles songs like the former - Sgt. Pepper's still holds the cheese title.

Lots of inside winks to Beatles songs from character names to visuals and one liners. A handful of celeb cameos with the best being from Bob Seger - except his painted on pimp hair was a bit much.

When I got home I looked up more info and saw that most of the songs were sung live when filming and that Rachel Evan Woods took only one take for "If I fell". An impressive feat in the age of lip synching Britney.

The storyline itself was a bit forced at times to fit with certain songs but going in with somewhat low expectations I was pleasantly surprised. Am curious to see where Jim Stugess's career goes after this... And Wow! Dana Fuchs! Modern day Janis and I enjoyed the what if? look at a pseudo Janis/Jimi relationship in the movie.

Beatles songs are still running thru my head...

Wake UP!

Decided to see Eastern Promises Friday after work. Knew the basic plotline of it but wasn't fully studied so most of it would be a surprise to me.

The opening scene showed a guy getting his throat slit and blood gushing out - I mean GUSHING. The audience responded in horror. I flashed on how Dennis Hopper stabbed the guy in the ear with a screwdriver in the opening scene of Speed (the first R rated movie I saw by myself and before I was truly "legal" to do so - I saw that and thought...maybe this wasn't the best idea afterall...but then the movie rocked so I got over it. ;)) This movie was not Speed-like however.

It wasn't bad and it wasn't great. (I actually preferred the Viggo/Cronenberg collaboration - A History of Violence)It is worth watching on video. Viggo Mortensen is a great actor. He just disappears in his characters. Naomi Watts...I'm noticing she seems to give the same pained expressions for a lot of the acting she does. Wasn't overly impressed. The guy that played her Uncle was great and so were other character actors that fleshed out the cast.

This is a film filled with silences and not even a third of the way into the movie there was a soft snoring that began in the audience. Some looked around and I thought it was below me and center of where I was sitting but no one seemed to be waking the person as it got louder and more obnoxious. Then it was pinpointed to a large lady sitting or rather LAYING in the back row! People kept looking, but no one was doing anything. One lady shouted to "Wake Up" but of course that didn't rouse her. Two big, sturdy guys were sitting near me but didn't move. I was tempted to approach her but was a bit worried about what her reaction might be when she woke. Then finally an older gentleman stepped up and stepped over people in the same aisle as the snoring lady and shook her, telling her to wake up because her snoring was keeping people from hearing the movie. She left about 10 minutes later.

Back to the movie - I was left with some logistic questions, like...a baby born to a mother that had been shot up with heroin, would said baby be bouncing and healthy when born? I know...it is a movie. I should roll with it...

Also, I was surprised by a fight scene that had NAKED Viggo defending himself against 2 knife wielding thugs! Now one might think this would be great to see Viggo in his birthday suit but it was actually a bit unnerving as with every swipe of the knife you worried for certain parts getting whacked off! Yikes! I'm sure that was an interesting day of filming!

And I was a tad disappointed that they let the leads kiss. The way the story ran, I felt like a tease was fine - but it didn't seem right for them to actually kiss. If you've seen it, let me know how you felt about it.

As I'm leaving the theatre in Times Square a guy is standing outside hollering at ticket buyers - "Hey, I got these movies on disc for cheaper than a ticket!" Gotta love New York! ;)

The Ten w/ Marino, Wain and Sudeikis

Last week I got an email newsletter from the Sunshine Theatre that Michael Showalter was introducing "Wet Hot American Summer" for the midnight movie. I was tempted to go but decided to wait and save my movie money, keeping my fingers crossed that perhaps there would be special guests to introduce opening night of "The Ten" and then the email came....David Wain and Ken Marino were going to introduce "The Ten" opening night! Woo-Hoo!!!

Since the movie started at 8pm, that meant being there shortly after 7 to stand in line in order to have a decent place to sit and since you can never predict the timing of subways I knew I probably didn't have time to head home first and then go back - so while killing time I noticed a huge line forming in front of the Best Buy near where I work. Apparently, Common was going to be there to sign his new CD. Didn't actually see Common but the signs said as much...

Finally, I thought I'd killed enough time to hop on the subway and head towards the theater - I rose out of the underground and STILL had a sizable amount of time to kill - Whole Foods helped a bit with this and finally I just decided to head over. While doing so I was chatting with a friend from Cali on my cell and attempting to hover outside of the theater but the humidity finally won and I headed for air-conditioning in the lobby. I entered the theater, telling my friend about my plans this evening. Since not many of friends were familiar with "The State" or the actors I tried to be simplistic about my explanation so she kind of knew what I was doing - knowing that she is a Reno 911 fan I thought I'd start there and then worked to "The State" - and she HAD heard of it. Go figure, should have started there first - so the whole time I'm talking I'm not using their names I'm just saying "those people from" and probably sounding like an ill-informed idiot as I round the corner to the concessions and see David Wain sitting there posing for pics. Not sure if he heard me yammering or not but I quickly ended the phone call with my friend and tried to get out of the way of the picture taking.

After standing in line for a little less than an hour we were finally let into the theater and then a voice came over the speakers as David Wain introduced himself as he made his way down the theater stairs. Then he introduced Ken Marino who proceeded to run down the stairs, yelling "Woo!" like it was a starting lineup announcement at a game, giving audience members high fives, circling around and back up the other stairs and then back down the first set again. A surprise guest was SNL's Jason Sudeikis who is also in the movie. Wain said he did little skits on SNL and Sudeikis responded - They're called sketches. - jokingly.

They were open to some Q&A but for whatever reason there weren't a lot of questions being asked - I think many were like me and just wanted to listen to them do their thing.

They asked how many people saw "Wet Hot American Summer" 5 times. Then 15 - saying that they wanted honesty. Wain said that Roeper gave "WHAS" a thumbs down but gave "The Ten" a thumbs up - adding that "Roeper killed Gene Siskel ya know. Poor Gene Siskel."

Someone wanted to know if they were making a sequel to "The Ten" and they laughed saying various sequel titles like "The Ten 2" (which Sudeikis made into a driving joke) and Wain said their next movie would actually be titled "25 or 6 to 4".

Another asked about when "The State" was coming out on DVD. Wain explained to those that didn't know, that "The State" was a show they did back in the 90s on MTV, where Ken Marino used to dip his balls in things - at which point Marino held his pop cup down by his crotch. (The box set for "The State" is coming out October 10th.)

A shout came from the back as to whether there would be any prizes and Wain said, "Yes, you can get a postcard of "The Ten" that has been touched by the director." He then handed out some of the postcards he'd been holding onto. ;)

The movie started and it is one of those that I will need to see again just to catch all the little connections/references they made to other stories thru out. The cast is amazing! No, seriously...the characters they play may be goofy but you still have to have an appreciation for how all of them just went with it. Liev Schreiber, Oliver Platt, Winona Ryder (who is featured in "Thou Shall Not Steal") and others including the ENTIRE cast of The State. One member couldn't be there in person, so they made sure to include him via photo - a framed photo that a guy uses to cover his nakedness.

I would try to explain more about the movie, but it is just one of those movies you have to see to appreciate. Off the wall, goofy, yet truly a smart film with all its winks.

After the movie, Marino, Wain and Sudeikis were in the hallway as they were getting ready to introduce the next showing. I really wasn't sure what I'd say to any of them but felt like I couldn't let the opportunity go by to shake their hands at least - I'd think of something. Hopefully.

I started with Sudeikis (not that he's ugly on TV or anything but he is very attractive in person and has this great announcer's voice). I told him I liked him on SNL, but really enjoyed him when he was on 30 Rock. He told me I sounded like his parents. Oh. Awkward. So then, not really knowing how to respond to that I responded anyway and then it was this hanging convo that there really wasn't an ending to. I just started to move away to let others in and he said - "Nice talking to you." Ugh. Not only do I need to take a monologue class I need to take a "How to make small talk with celebs class." With any luck, they feel my pain of awkwardness trying to respond to a quite possibly over-smiling admirer. Will remember this when I get famous! ;) har.

I moved on to David Wain and he was telling those that liked it to tell their friends. I'm his friend on myspace and he always writes about how he'd like to meet all his myspace friends - so I told him I was one. And he gave me this look (maybe he remembered me from the lobby earlier) and said something like - "That's great. I've been looking at your profile and looks like you are doing well." Me and others around had a laugh and I was ready to head out - why couldn't I think of anything "cool" to say?!

On my way to the door I saw Ken Marino and he was saying how, yes, he was married and has a 6 month old. Then proceeded to pull out his cell and show everyone a pic. Cute. I told him I enjoyed the film and unlike Wain who was encouraging promotion, Marino said - "It's stupid. But if it made you laugh, that's good."

I had my camera with me but didn't see anyone else taking pics so decided against it. My encounters had been awkward enough!;)

And that was the evening. Go see "The Ten" - matinee is fine. And remember what Marino said - if you have no other expectation than to laugh, you'll enjoy it tremendously.

Movie Watcher

Seem to be in movie-watching mode lately.

Caught a before noon showing of "Hairspray" on Saturday. Of course my goal now is to win a lottery ticket to see the show on Broadway so I can compare.

Since my roommate was in the traveling production of the show he already shared some differences - like the addition of the seduction scene. He also told me that those sitting on either side of Ricki Lake as agents in the audience at the end were writers/creators of the musical. I also read that one of the songs that they play over the end credits is sung by Ricki Lake, Nicky Blonsky and Marissa Jaret Winokur (who was the original Tracy on Broadway).

It is a fun movie, but I was disappointed that the relationship between Tracy's parents never advanced to a kiss. They do on stage - according to my roommate. Wonder if it was a studio choice or the actors... I was pleasantly surprised with James Marsden's skillz in the movie. Admittedly, when he first started showing up in movies I thought of him as just a "pretty boy" but more and more that pretty boy is showing he has talent to boot! ;) Amanda Bynes just seemed a bit out of place with her character - not quite like Penny in the original movie, nor (from what I hear) like Penny on stage so once again don't know whether it was a choice by "the powers that be" to tone her down or was it just her?

Speaking of Hairspray actors...My parents heard that Christopher Walken grew up in Astoria. His dad even ran a bakery there - trying to figure out where that used to be and if it was even close to where I live.

Sunday after I volunteered I battled the pouring rain to see "Once". Have been wanting to see this movie ever since I saw the trailer before "The Waitress" (if you still haven't seen this movie - GO! Run! NOW!) in May.

As a whole I'm glad I went and saw it. The music is well used - but some kind of have the same emotional arc. They start out soft and build to this yelling and then taper off again. The lyrics are always different though! :) I think the aspect of the storyline that really impressed me was the strength of the female lead. She stuck to what was right - no matter. And made the male lead better for it.

Tuesday I spotted an ad on craigslist asking for people to come see a movie (for free) that hadn't been screened anywhere yet. They wanted people (specifically over 25 - the movie took place in the 70s so I suppose they wanted people to somewhat get all the movie references and what not) to come in and give their opinion on the rough version they had so far. Saying that the director and producers would also be present.

The screening was in the same building on the NYU campus that I saw the short film I was in screened. No directors or producers were introduced but we were told that we were going to be viewing an avid of the movie. Which means no sound editing has been done, nor color correction, among other things. Basically we were looking at a movie sans spit and polish.

The movie was "Multiple Sarcasms" starring Timothy Hutton, Dana Delany, (they played husband and wife, just like in Kidnapped - wonder which was filmed first?) Mira Sorvino, Stockard Channing (who looks like she may have had a bit of work done) and Mario Van Peebles. I was expecting good things....

They gave us sheets to fill out at the end of the show asking who our favorite or not so favorite characters, parts of the movie, etc were. What could be done to fix it or did anything need improved?

On the surface the original plot line presented seemed promising and then somewhere along the middle it kind of couldn't decide what kind of movie it should be. A man grappling with his choices in sort of a midlife crisis starts to write a play and all of a sudden it switches to an independent movie version of a romantic comedy. Much like Tim Hutton's character - the plot line was lost and wanting... The movie has so much potential though so I'm hoping they got useful feedback and can rework accordingly. Will be interesting to see the finished product - or read reviews on it. According to IMDB, it is set to release in 2008.

And tonight I saw "Broken English". Where the lead character played by Parker Posey happens to be named, Nora. Although most of her character traits were nothing like me...

After seeing a scattered plotline in Multiple Sarcasms it was nice to see a movie with a plot line that although maybe a little too neat in the end - was solid. Parker was steps away from portraying a character that you just wanted to shake and say - SNAP OUT OF IT! But she managed to just hover near that territory so you still wanted her to find what she was looking for instead of being indifferent towards the character. I don't know that I'd recommend seeing it in the theater - but put it on your future rental list. (Even if it is just to watch the all to brief appearance of Justin Theroux's character - well acted, but made me wonder what kind of personality Justin has in real life.)

Now to watch my rental (To Have and Have Not - Bogey & Bacall's first movie together) that's been sitting for over a week!

Oh. And memorize lines...

Laura Smiles @ Tribeca Cinemas

I signed up for the Tribeca Film Festival newsletter emails thinking they were just sent out during the festival and then discovered they have events going on all year round!

Their newsletter is how I learned about the "drive-in" movies they had at Rockefeller Center. And it is also how I found out about a free preview screening of a new independent film called "Laura Smiles".

A friend was able to join me on this outing - which was good because this was a good movie to have someone to discuss it with! And unlike my failed outing to a Hairspray preview (they way over invited with passes), this one wasn't nearly as packed. In fact, the theater worker was surprised at how early everyone was there to see the movie - he wasn't even officially opened yet and finally decided to unlock the doors a half hour early as he kept having to go over to the door and let people in.

The Tribeca Cinemas has a marvelous view of the Empire State Building and is just down the street from the Moondance Diner.

The preview audience was mostly female - but I'm not sure you'd call "Laura Smiles" a 'chick flick'.

The story revolves around Laura who lost her true love just a day after they were engaged to be married. The movie picks up again 9 years later where she is married to another and has a son. When the audience sees her again, it appears that perhaps she's operated on autopilot since her fiance's death and now all those feelings that weren't dealt with are wreaking havoc on her seemingly perfect life.

The story takes some surprising turns - even when you know Laura isn't in a perfect state of mental health. Some parts of her history are explored more thoroughly than others, thus leaving the audience with many questions - many leading with, "why?" Perhaps this was done intentionally to the viewers as even Laura doesn't quite know why she's functioning the way she is - what is real and what isn't?

The actress that plays Laura (Petra Wright) is probably not a name familiar to most but I would not be surprised to see her rise in the ranks soon as this film is an impressive showcase of her talent. More familiar faces in the movie include Jonathan Silverman (also impressive in his small amount of time on screen), Kip Pardue and Mark Derwin (best known from One Life to Live).

Will be interesting to see what kind of buzz this movie gets as it opens today in NYC and next week in L.A.

If you see it - make sure to take someone with you! You'll definitely want someone to discuss the events that transpire or give sideways glances to as you witness what Laura's life is and was. (I would add that this is probably a better movie to watch with a friend rather than a date though.)

Up on the roof...

Around the 4th of July I was doing searches to see what there may be to do during the day of the 4th - as of course fireworks wouldn't happen til the evening. As I searched I came across a site representing Rooftop Films. The program is sponsored by IFC and every weekend in the summer they show independent films on various rooftops in Manhattan/Brooklyn. They were looking for volunteers to help with the events. I thought this sounded interesting so I submitted.

A few weeks later I heard back from them and was asked to volunteer with my only instructions (besides where I was to go) were to not wear open toe shoes or flip flops.

A basic summary of duties said that we would setup chairs and later be assigned to man tickets, selling beverages or "crowd control". Pizza would be provided between set up and showtime and depending on the show an open bar would be had post show. Mention of a goodie bag for volunteers was also made but it depended on the sponsor.

Pizza and potential goodie bag aside I just thought the concept sounded interesting and it would be a good opportunity to meet people.

So I headed over to the Old American Can Factory in Brooklyn with the proper footwear and upon climbing out of the subway I realized I was running a few minutes late. I've yet to get a handle on what is considered "late" in NYC because there tends to be some leeway with the subway systems but since this was my first time volunteering (and they said to call if running late) I thought I'd call.

Someone answered the phone and wasn't overly worried saying they had just gotten started. Although I said I was letting them know, the person got it in their head that I needed directions and she went to fetch someone who could help. By the time that person got on the phone I was less than a block away. Already I was a little worried about things to come...

I get there and the atmosphere is very laid back. No set plan or assignments, lots of standing around and helping IF you wanted to. But of course EVERYONE was sure to eat the pizza! ;)

I buddied up with another first time volunteer helping with ticket sales. She asked if I thought I'd come again - she wasn't all that impressed with the set up either.

As the night closed in - the mosquitoes came out. Even with jeans, socks and shoes on I still came home with bites around my ankles.

All rooftop films have an opening musical act. The one we witnessed was very interpretive with a one note, rhythmic beat that was presented with various stock footage projected onto the screen. It lasted FOREVER and then before the film could start one of the directors had to get up and speak. At first it was interesting but then he didn't know when to stop - he was not a natural born speaker. He kept saying - "Real quickly" and "One more thing..." and it drug on long enough that 2 audience members that came to see the film asked for their money back.

The film FINALLY started and although the concept for "Fish Kill Flea" sounded interesting - it was inspired by the death of malls and how one had been turned into a weekend flea market. It just didn't live up to expectation - especially after waiting so long for it to be shown in the first place.

When the film was over, the volunteers were expected to put away the chairs. However, half the volunteers (many of whom were not first timers) decided to split before the film was even over. Uh.... I stuck around long enough to clear out all the chairs from the roof and while they were "adjusting" the stacks I split. Enough excitement for one night - even if there was a free wine tasting offered when we were done.

There are future shows to volunteer for that once again sound interesting but I'm not sure if I really want to commit another evening to it - but there's always that chance that maybe it would be better, right?! Hmmmm...

Perhaps it would just be better to pay the $5 to be an audience member for the films I'm interested in! ;)

Midnight with Marty, not Harry (pt 2)

While others were standing in line waiting for the final Harry Potter book, I was waiting to see the midnight movie of Back to the Future.

Having finished the first movie of two at Sunshine, I decided to let the bathroom line dwindle and opted to get concessions.

I hadn't indulged in concessions since moving here. This theater had popcorn flavoring like the Dundee Theater does but they didn't have Garlic Parmesan Pretzels. :( They did have Pretzel Fillers though. I got the Jalapeno but it just wasn't the same... I also got a giant Coke. In theory all of this was well and good to kill time - then it occurred to me that I'd have to finish it all before heading to the bathroom, because I certainly wasn't going to take it in there with me! Doh.

So I proceeded to guzzle my drink and fill my tummy as my bladder continued to plead with me.

Then FINALLY, I was able to make a trip I should have made a few hours ago. Whew!

I still had about an hour and a half to kill before Back to the Future started so I headed upstairs to hang out in a commons area and read my book only to be surrounded by PDA. I decided to sit out in the hall and wait.

A theater worker came by and asked the growing crowd if we were waiting for the midnight movie. Yes. He asked us to move against the wall, so a shuffle occurred and I ended up standing in line behind one of the heavy-petting couples. Lovely.

Ahead of the couple stood a group of guys who seemed laid back and fun and one kept looking over at me (was it because I was looking at him?) I decided to join them.

"Mind if I join you in line? They need their space." (gesturing to the couple behind me - at that point I didn't care if they noticed, I don't think they cared whether people were noticing them anyway...) All of them welcomed me and introduced themselves. One of the guys was a HUGE BTTF fan (he even had a DeLorean lighter) and had drug his friends there. They asked me if I was a big fan. The more understated friend in the group said he'd been giving the fan crap because he didn't know how many gigawatts it took to power the DeLorean. "1.21" I said. I had really won them over then! ;)

The fan had said that he used to only date girls who had seen the movie in the theater - the first time, but he said as the girls have gotten younger that's been a harder rule to stand by.

I didn't share that I was one that saw it the theaters the first time. One of my first movies. The selling point my parents gave was that "Alex P Keaton" from Family Ties was in it. I remember watching the opening sequence and getting antsy, thinking...when are they going to show him?! And then promptly jumping in my seat when the speaker blew as he played his guitar. Rock and Roll. Of course, my mind was totally consumed with that movie afterwards. My brother and I even recreated it with my dolls - Barbies being the current day characters and Strawberry Shortcake dolls being the past characters. I had a gray corvette that acted as the DeLorean and a white granny wig for Barbie that we put on Ken's head for Doc. When it came to the shooting, we threw a sharpened pencil at Doc. So creative! ;)

Okay, er....back to the present. Another friend joined the group and I just stood and observed their banter - the more understated friend was good about filling me in.

When it was time to go into the theater I sat with them. One of the guys said - "Don't ignora, Nora." I'd never heard that one before (no, seriously) - he was proud to be original. Har.

The understated friend wondered if the movie would actual be on film or just a popped in DVD - that question was answered quickly as the movie crackled to life. The 2nd time I would see it on the big screen.

When BTTF was realized all of the present day action was indeed present day - dare I say, trendy. Now 1985 itself stands as a time capsule. I often think that the line about "Tab" and "Pepsi Free" probably goes over the current generation's head when they watch it. As does Huey Lewis's cameo appearance.

Watching it this time around, I appreciated it so much more - as a whole the script is a tight one. Every reference visual or verbal is given with a purpose to tie into something later. If you can get past the 1985 setting it really is a smart film - smarter than most that play on screens today. Thus its continued appeal I suppose.

So many lines I could have said verbatim from that movie. And the audience would clap after many of the key lines like Doc's proclamation that he'll send Marty "Back to the Future".

Groans were drawn from the audience when a pop in the film happened right when Doc was saying "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." Making it so half the line wasn't heard.

As the credits rolled, I thanked the understated friend I'd been sitting next to for letting me crash their group and headed for home. Upon which I discovered, there is no quick way home at that time of night since subways are few and far between. (Insert Doc's set of "Damns" here.) Will probably make me think twice about catching another midnight movie but I was glad I went to this one. If you can't tell, I LOVE that movie, I truly do. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to some of those quotes - rent it and watch it! You'll be glad you did! :)

Sunshine at the Sunshine w/ Danny Boyle (pt 1)

Sometimes it pays to stay up late. Sometimes it pays to stay up late checking your email. At about midnight (11 pm to you Central Standard timers) Thursday night, I got an email from the Sunshine Theater announcing that Danny Boyle would be holding a Q&A Friday night after the 8:10pm showing of his new film Sunshine (you'll notice the connection to movie and theater name...)

Well, of course I immediately leaped into action to get a movie ticket - for just the cost of a movie ticket I could hear the director talk about the movie! And it was bonus for timing as I had already toyed with the idea of checking out the theater's midnight movie - Back to the Future. Double Feature!

My first thought was that I'd just head there after work but spoiled that plan when I spaced and bought fresh corn on the cob at the Farmer's Market over lunch. Now I had to go home and get them put in a fridge - no way they'd last in my bag til past midnight.

Because of the quick trip home and concern for what the lines may be like once I got there - I failed to check with my bladder before heading out again. By the time I reached the theater, there was quite a line already (it was a little over an hour before the movie started) and felt I had no choice but to get in it right away if I wanted a decent seat in the theater - my bladder would have to be patient. (Admittedly, this is the downside to going to events by yourself - no one to hold your spot in line if your bladder calls! ;))

Once we were let into the theatre I saw that it wasn't packed solid but it was probably about 80% full.

I was still aware of my bladder but once again didn't feel like I could get up for fear I'd lose my seat - yes, there was space elsewhere but I liked where I was sitting! ;) So I told myself - hold on for a few more hours...ugh.

Got to see some trailers new to me before Sunshine (Including Wes Anderson's new flick, The Darjeeling Limited, The Ten and a film directed by Ethan Hawke - The Hottest State. )

Admittedly, I would not have chosen to see "Sunshine" had Danny Boyle not been attached as a perk. It wasn't something that interested me - much like 28 Days Later.

BUT, much like 28 Days Later, once I saw it - I was glad I did.

If you have any inclination to see this movie, I HIGHLY suggest seeing it in the theater. The effects and colors just pop on the big screen and I can't imagine the massive scope of dealing with the sun would come across as well on a laptop or tv once it comes out on video. Plus, the cast is excellent as a whole - although I was a bit embarrassed for Troy Garity, not sure if it was the character or his acting... I really liked Michelle Yeoh in a somewhat understated role.

Sunshine does leave you with a lot of questions - fortunately Boyle was there to answer some of them!:)

Before the credits were even over, Danny Boyle stepped out with mic in hand to get started - another crowd was waiting outside to hear him give an "opening statement" before they watched their movie.

Here's a summary of what Boyle had to say -

Sunshine took 3 years to make.

He said after making this movie, he understood why no director makes a realistic space film more than once. Explaining the "high standard" that the audience expects from space films and trying to find a way to make your mark in a genre that has been so well established - i.e. using blue/gray shading that started in "Alien". He said that they tried to step out of the standards by coming up with their own spacesuit but that was about the extent of it.

That being said - Boyle likes using genre films (like space and zombie flicks) as a base to build and experiment from with a built in audience already established.

Even though he has begun to experiment more with genre films, he still says his films are hard to market. Just like 28 Days Later, the film was opened in Great Britain first so they could gauge reaction and see how to market it to the U.S. Boyle said (tongue in cheek) - The U.S. likes to use the rest of the world to experiment with.

In keeping with the blue/gray coloring, they consciously kept orange,red and yellow out of any scenes that didn't involve the sun, so when it did appear it grabbed you visual even more so. The audience not realizing they'd be deprived of those colors until they saw them again.

The screenwriter - Alex Garland - is (according to Boyle) an adamant, confident atheist as were most of the scientists they spoke to when making the film. But even though that was the case, part of the storyline suggest a "greater power". Boyle also mentioned how all these atheist scientists were studying particle acceleration to find the smallest particle created - the nickname for this, so far elusive particle? God's Particle. Boyle said - It's funny how it always comes back to that, isn't it?

The "greater power" in the movie ties in with the villain. When asked to explain the villain - Boyle said it was up for interpretation.

Someone asked about the villain being named "Pinbacker". Alex is a "Dark Star" fan so he snuck in the nod. But the connection goes further as the actor that played Pinbacker in Dark Star wrote Alien.

There are hints of a budding relationship in the movie but it remains platonic. Someone asked if Fox Searchlight fought Boyle on this point, asking for sex in the film. Danny said that actually it was he and Alex that tried to find a way to put sex in the film but it just didn't work. They even filmed a scene. "So serious, space."

Boyle's favorite space movies are the 1st Alien movie and the original Solyaris. He also recommended reading the book Solaris.

Boyle said getting back CG prints takes longer than having babies. Great patience is needed. He said at one point they sat in the editing room and wondered...does this movie really have to take place in space?!

In using CG, he wanted to make sure it looked real. That often he watches movies and the actors look bored - because when they filmed it, they were looking at a green screen. So he tried to simulate moments as best he could. Dumping an actual pile of dust on one character and coming at Cillian Murphy with a large rack of lights to simulate the sun - Boyle said it was like a U2 concert was about to fall on him.

Once the q&a was over I attempted to make my way to the bathroom, but my plans were thwarted as most everyone had that idea. Well, if I'm going to wait, I may as well get something at concessions. And the wait continued...

Sicko and Drowsy

Decided to see "Sicko" on Friday. As usual Michael Moore raises a lot of questions concerning policy. Whether you believe he presents the facts fairly/accurately or not - there's still no denying that our healthcare system sucks...er...isn't that great...

He showed only a handful of stories but you know there are so many more out there. People who have to choose between which finger they think they can better afford to reattach, people who lose loved ones to cancer and other illness due to denials and limits on where a person can go to for service and volunteers from 9/11 who were shut out of healthcare help from the government since they didn't work for the government. They volunteered unselfishly and now they will suffer for a lifetime.

Examples of how healthcare ran in other countries were given (made me seriously consider moving to London if I ever get married and want to have a family - costs involving hospitalization are "free" - covered by taxes) and a common theme that was brought up was that unlike the U.S. the government in these countries are afraid of the people. They know they could revolt and overturn them if they don't try to keep them happy. In the U.S. the people are afraid of the government. Many so buried by debt from school, credit, medical bills uncovered by insurance, etc that they are afraid to buck any system because they might lose their mediocre job that pays the bills. Sad.

I was talking to some people about the movie and one person was from France - a country that Moore showed as an example of universal healthcare. He said that the system was starting to collapse. The grass is always greener I suppose - good and bad for both ways, but when 9/11 volunteers can't even get help that's pretty bad.

With all that said, I do recommend seeing it. You can probably wait til video, but it is certainly worth watching and discussing.

Later in the day I again met up with my friends to try for the Wicked lottery and then Drowsy Chaperone. Two friends decided to just buy discounted tickets for Drowsy before the lottery just to make sure they got them - and then one of them won the lottery!

Because of a cheaper ticket being available, I was finally able to see my first Broadway show since moving here. And what a show! It is a funny, tight and clever show. Most of the original cast is still there with "newbies" Jo Anne Worley and John Glover. The show closes in August and will be going on tour - so if you haven't seen it, perhaps it will be coming to a city near you! Not sure if fan favoritie - Danny Burstein will be touring with the show or not, his Aldolpho is priceless. But the original Mrs. Tottendale (Georgia Engel) will be.

I need some sleep....