Miscellaneous Film Events

[LondonCityNights]

Did anyone else get onto the workshop that the UK Cinema Showcase are holding on Sunday? 9am in Piccadilly Circus for a film writing class followed by a day of previews? I think (hope) we're going to get 'Django Unchained' and 'Zero Dark Thirty'.

[canadian_turtle]

I won tickets to see L'Atalante at the BFI Southbank last night, which was a very enjoyable screening. As it was part of the BFI's "Epiphany season" it was introduced by Helen Mirren and Stephen Daldry. I expected a few word exchange before the start of the film but it was actually much more Q/A between the two and at some point Helen Mirren was even on her knees on the stage showing the audience how a certain scene in one of her earlier films, Excalibur, was done. Highly entertaining.

The film itself was good, though not quite as brilliant as the introduction led me to believe. It was mostly funny but sometimes, out of the blue, something quite raunchy (for the 1930s) or inappropriate would happen which would throw me off. However, while I wouldn't call it a "classic" per se, the film was highly entertaining and many of the effects seemed very advanced for the time it was made in. Plus there were a lot of adorable kittens throughout that made me go "awww" ^_^

Bonus: We got mini linen goodie bags with water bottles and popcorn, both of which had labels with the name of the event on them.

7/10

[prettyxcool]

That's lovely c_t well done for winning. I entered too as it looked interesting. It sounds like a good evening.

[canadian_turtle]

It sure was, pxc! I had a Google yesterday and the BFI has been doing these Epiphany screenings for years so I'm hoping another one will come along before too long :)

[prettyxcool]

ooh great! Will keep my eye out too!

[canadian_turtle]

Saw A Place in the Sun at the BFI tonight (my first of a few films in the Montgomery Clift season I'm seeing in the next few weeks) which I thought was just brilliant. Great performances by both Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. I had no idea what I what the film was about going into it, which meant that I was pleasantly surprised by how the story progressed and changed genres. However, that ending, really?!?! [spoiler]I fully expected a last minute clearance of murder charges on account of George tripping over the rope in the boat in the courtroom and *someone* making the connection that this also happened on that faithful night in the water which explains why he was unable to Alice. But, alas, this didn't happen [/spoiler]
Still, 8/10

[prettyxcool]

Saw A Place in the Sun at the BFI tonight (my first of a few films in the Montgomery Clift season I'm seeing in the next few weeks) which I thought was just brilliant. Great performances by both Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. I had no idea what I what the film was about going into it, which meant that I was pleasantly surprised by how the story progressed and changed genres. However, that ending, really?!?! [spoiler]I fully expected a last minute clearance of murder charges on account of George tripping over the rope in the boat in the courtroom and *someone* making the connection that this also happened on that faithful night in the water which explains why he was unable to Alice. But, alas, this didn't happen [/spoiler]
Still, 8/10

Finally got my prize, so will go and see The Misfits on Saturday.

[prettyxcool]

Not sure where to post this or start a new thread.

Went to Sky's Lily Cole's Amazon Adventure press launch at Mayfair Hotel last night. I think Beate will definitely find this event boring!

I had a good time, wondering around the beautifully themed Crystal Room of the Mayfair Hotel, they even built a little wooden bridge, and had a projected waterfall hanging over the door where we all had to walk through to leave the Crystal Room to get to the screening room. I arrived pretty early, and watched Mariella Frostrup and Lily Cole being photographed "in the jungle". I was standing right next to the PR people at one stage, and Mariella walked right up and stood next to me as she waited for Lily Cole to have her photo taken. I said "hello" and she just looked at me surprised! Before I could ask for a photo the photographers whisked her away to be photographed with Lily. Damn!

The cocktails, wine and beer were flowing, and in my mingling around the room, I spied shmile and we stood where the canapes were coming out, shame they were all the same, but I was peckish, and they were nice! I left one on the table with my cocktail, as I spied Lily Cole and rushed to get a photo with her, when I came back, my canape had gone! Well, I did not mind too much, when I discovered it was Beate who ate it, she said it was inviting her!

There was a lot of hanging around while they waited for the VIPs to turn up. Then finally they let us into the screening room, only to be told to fill up at the back! Typical when I want to sit at the back, they say fill up from the front, but this screening, I wanted to sit at the front because of the better view for the Q&A. So I hang back a bit, and when he was busy trying to get others to fill up at the back, I sneaked in and sat near the front (the front two rows were reserved.)

As an environmentalist, I loved the documentary, Lily Cole's Amazon Adventures, and even enjoyed the Q&A and then the clip shot by Lily Cole, and then after the Q&A, they showed another Sky programme of Lily Cole talking to famous artists (Lily Cole's Art Matters), which is quite fitting as she is a history art graduate.

Afterwards, there were more drinks and canapes, slightly different ones, which was also very yummy!

8/10

[Beate]

I left one on the table with my cocktail, as I spied Lily Cole and rushed to get a photo with her, when I came back, my canape had gone! Well, I did not mind too much, when I discovered it was Beate who ate it, she said it was inviting her!

I thought it was abandoned! And I thought you had planned to go home after the screening!

I thought Lily Cole was BORING. She just stood around never smiling. The documentary was BORING. The waiting around was BORING. Even the canapes were BORING. Sitting around in a totally oversubscribed May Fair Hotel screening room with hastily assembled extra chairs was BORING (and probably against Health & Safety).

I find I really detest documentaries which are more about celebrities than about the cause - celebrities who constantly order someone to "tell him I like the forest too". Riveting. Not.

Weirdly, OH enjoyed himself. He doesn't get out much though.

4/10

[prettyxcool]

That is what super models do! I didn't stay long afterwards, but just to see what the canapes were! They were actually nicer then the pre-show ones!

Official photos:
http://www.sipa.com/en/feature/2540653/ ... ERTAINMENT