Category: Film & TV

Punched in the Sucker

March 25, 2011

I know it’s not that special in this hollywoodland of movies to see films before they are released in the cinema, but this country girl still thinks it is out of this world.

That is one of the reasons I’m a member of Australians in Film. You get to see many films before they are released, and if you conveniently forget that you paid a membership fee, then they are free! You also get to see the stars of the film at the event, and whilst I’ve never actually spoken to any of them, I’m quite starstruck.

Last night I took along My Friend Who Puts the A in LA to see Sucker Punch. The marketers have spent a fortune on this campaign with billboards and ads everywhere. It’s been all around me and I expected it to be a Kill Bill meets Scott Pilgrim type film – like, super cool with lots of awesome fight scenes and a video game fantasy element. It sadly didn’t live up to my expectations. It was stylised to the nth degree, which looked awesome, but didn’t draw me into it. There was minimal dialogue and I found the contrast between the action sequences and the mental asylum inmate camaraderie too extreme. I was also disappointed that the almost solely female cast were then placed in an even more demeaning situation than the mental asylum, a whorehouse (ostensibly to attract a male audience with action and chicks in minimal clothing). I really wanted to be surprised and like Sucker Punch, but it wasn’t to be.

Emily Browning who plays the lead character BabyDoll and Abbie Cornish who plays Sweet Pea introduced the film and I have to say, from a marketer’s point of view, that Abbie is PR gold. When she had the microphone, she then moved to in front of the sponsor banners so the photographer would get them in the background and she addressed the audience in the eye. She answered all the questions so well and really made us want to get suckerpunched.

So even if I didn’t really like the film, the screening still rates on my cool meter.

Starting a new tradition

March 5, 2011

Yesterday we started a new tradition for our little posse here in LA, that of seeing a movie together every fortnight.

Coming off Oscars hype and with some Best Picture nominees that we didn’t get to see, we’re all geared up to see a film together on a regular basis as a little bonding session.

Our first film together was The Adjustment Bureau at the Cinerama Dome at Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. It was a really lovely love story for the blokes and the chicks. It was billed as more action flick than it actually was, and despite some ridiculous moments that were laugh-out-loud funny, it was a nice film. I really liked some of the themes of persistence and forging your own path that it touched on, and I saw similarities to my favourite book, The Alchemist.

Post cinema session, we went to the Bowery Bar just down the road a bit for a debrief where we all shared our thoughts and ideas on the film. The group deconstruct of a film is such fun, and being with some technical experts only made it more interesting for me. I’m going to learn a lot!

Since we hadn’t had enough, we followed it up with a preview of Jane Eyre at the Australians in Film screening in Beverly Hills. We raced through the doors just as the film was starting. It was our second close call to make the film. One day we’ll make it on time and get better seats rather than having to climb over the back row in the dark and slide into the chairs.

First read-through

February 28, 2011

I got to pretend I was an actress! At least in voice.

Yesterday we had our first read through of our feature extract/short film in the park down the road. I read the lines of the female protagonist which, strangely enough, threw me back to a Year 8 audition for a school play. I played an older woman so I sat and rocked in a chair stroking an imaginary cat while delivering the lines. Where that performance landed me a key role, this read through didn’t quite hit the same high notes. However, it’s Rachael Taylor’s job to deliver the performance in the film, so it doesn’t really matter that my read through tone was a bit off.

The read through allowed us to analyse the characters’ motives, flag bits that didn’t feel right and familiarise ourselves with the script and sequencing. Not only was it interesting and appealing to that 13 version of myself, but it was really helpful for us all to share our thoughts and gain a better understanding of how we can bring it to life in the creative process.

I’m looking forward to more read throughs, and bringing my A game to the next character…or the scene descriptions.

Oscar time

February 27, 2011

I got to watch the Oscar’s live for the first time tonight, and just a few miles from the epicentre of action at Kodak Theatre.

Without an invitation to an Oscar’s party, my housemates and I made our own fun with nibbles, steak and salad and pavlova for dessert while watching the coverage on our brand new TV.

I was extremely happy that Natalie Portman took out the Best Actress award, and gave a lovely speech befitting such an elegant and graceful woman. Black Swan was the first film I saw after I arrived in LA, and it was quite amazing.

I also liked that Inception and The Social Network were recognised for various awards (the full list is here) as I thought they were neatly put together. However, there were so many major contenders that I hadn’t seen, like The Fighter, The King’s Speech, Winter’s Bone, Toy Story 3, True Grit or 127 Hours. In fact, I have only seen three of the ten films nominated for Best Picture.

So now that I’m in Tinseltown, my resolution is to see more Oscar-worthy films so that next year I can be really informed in my picks for the awards. Here comes the popcorn.

That’s my hometown

February 25, 2011

Last night’s screening of Summer Coda at the Australians in Film event was the first time I’d seen it (in 6 sittings) without having locals around me exclaiming over idiosyncracies in the film’s locations and pointing out extras they knew.

It was nice to not have the cinema erupt in laughter when Heidi waits for a train at the Mildura train station (where a passenger train has not been since 1993) or give an ongoing commentary as though they want to give a performance for the special features on the DVD.

The audience was appreciative and impressed with the result from a team of people on their first feature film and asked really good questions during the Q&A.

Afterwards over drinks and nibbles, I introduced myself to some people using the line “That was filmed in my hometown” as my hook. And a really good hook it was. One fellow asked me about Mildura’s population and another liked my story about the train. Another guy, an Australian actor from near Echuca who has been here for a year, said it felt good to see a little piece of home (being the Murray River) onscreen in LA.

I also met a lovely ballroom dancer, Willem, who has been a past participant on So You Think You Can Dance and has some really cool achievements to his name.

There are so many opportunities to meet people and learn new things, which is really what this move is all about for me.

A read through

February 9, 2011

The design of a film is mighty important.

It makes all those small details that the script doesn’t include visible, so a production designer has to determine all the right props to match the characters and the location. It all goes towards making the film believable and natural, which is probably why I never believe any of those over-styled rom-com or family dramas that have everything so neat and perfect. They are designed without everyday pe0ple clutter (like I am accustomed to) and really are just show-room floor. The devil is in the detail, so they say.  

So today we met with a production designer for the short film we’re making and did a run through of the script. This meant that we looked at each scene and the possible angles and what kind of furnishings need to be sourced to go with the character’s apartment. We love our production designer. She was a really cool, down-to-earth local who we think we’re going to get along with smashingly.

In the meeting we talked about couches and the type of couch, the colour of couch and the location of the couch for the shoot. We talked about what should go on the walls, is it art or photography, what style, where can we find a loan for those for free. We talked about what should go on the floor, what type of appliances should go in the kitchen and all sorts of other prop details. It was all fascinating.

I spent the meeting pencilling notes on the margin of my script and standing with my mouth agape I’m sure, as I took in all this new information, detail and lingo. Of course I had my little bits of input like “I think a plain red rather than a Persian style rug would look best”. Maybe they weren’t taken up, but I’m going with my fortune cookie reading from yesterday and using my imagination rather than my knowledge.

Only at the cinema

January 7, 2011

A visit to the cinema yesterday to see Morning Glory, which by the way is a very forgettable title in the context of this great film, highlighted that cinema etiquette has gone out the window.

For a Thursday afternoon there was a good-sized audience, but still plenty of room to select good seats. My friend, Movie Lass, and I walked down the aisle complete with popcorn, coke and Kit Kat, and sat towards the front on the right next to the aisle. We settled in for the film and chatted through the ads.

Along came Rude Woman, coffee in hand, who chose to sit in the next row, directly in front of us. Movie Lass and I looked around the cinema. There was no one sitting opposite us and just a few people scattered around the back seats. We looked at each other and said “What is this?”

The lights hadn’t gone down yet, so in one shared meaningful glance, we picked up our belongings and moved directly across the aisle where we had an unobstructed view of the screen and were a couple of rows in front of the nearest people.

We exclaimed about Rude Woman’s complete disregard of cinema etiquette. Common sense and courtesy dictate that unless absolutely unavoidable, you sit AWAY from others in the cinema. No one likes a dandruffy scalp blocking your view of the latest blockbuster. More often than not, there are way more empty seats than occupied ones at a screening. Unless you choose Friday or Saturday nights when huge gangs of Teeny-Boppers frequent cinemas with  juvenile and Gen Y behaviour that seriously flaunts cinema etiquette, but that moan is for a whole other blog post.

While we commented on such appalling behaviour from a woman old enough to know better, Rude Woman went a step further. She took hold of the armrest, turned around in her seat, noted that the seats behind her were now vacant and GOT UP and moved to the seats WHERE WE HAD BEEN SITTING! Quite simply, a normal person would not do that. A polite person would not do that. A cinema-holic would certainly not do that.

I still have a bad case of slackjaw recalling this scene. So, if I’m to make a list of cinema etiquette it would start with:

1. Never sit directly in front of other people unless absolutely unavoidable. Under no circumstance move after you have been the cause of other people moving, and especially not to their recently vacated seats.

As for the movie, I enjoyed it. Rachel McAdams was wonderful and Harrison Ford brought a delightful mix of Indiana Jones and comic softie to his role as Mike. I hadn’t heard anything about Morning Glory, but it comes out on top of the list of the last three films I’ve been to see, beating Love and Other Drugs and The Tourist. Respect to all those out there working on morning shows.

Breakfast where?

January 5, 2011

Can you believe that I got to thirty-one years of age with a love of movies and have never seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

I couldn’t believe it either, so much so that I always thought I HAD seen it, and just forgotten what happened.

This myth was shattered after catching a few glimpses of it as it played in the background at a friend’s place. The music sounded so familiar, I’ve heard it in so many other films, but I’d never seen it in the context of a big old taxi pulling up outside the grand New York Tiffany’s.

My announcement prompted my friend to make me watch it with her that afternoon.

Whilst it was nice and I somewhat enjoyed the scatter-brained Holly, it certainly didn’t make me reconsider my list of favourite films. I loved the song Moon River and of course the fashions in the film but I didn’t feel overly sentimental or romantic about it. In fact, dare I say it, I don’t think I need to see it again.

If that’s the case, what are the classics I should be adding to my ‘watched’ list?

I’m scared just thinking about it

December 26, 2010

I don’t do scary movies very well. I am big on anticipation so I jump, scream or break out in a petrified sweat before the scary bit even happens. 

The thought of sitting in a darkened cinema being surrounded by frightening sounds, screams and super scary activities makes my skin crawl. Perhaps because I get so swept up into a film that it becomes my reality for a couple of hours is the reason why I don’t like scary movies. I can’t make that delineation between what’s real and what’s not and so I feel like I could be a possible victim in the storyline.

One of the more memorable moments was when I watched Jurassic Park on a school outing to the cinema in Year 9. It was during the scene where the kids are hiding in the kitchen and the raptor is stalking around outside them. The moment the raptor’s head appeared in the round porthole window, I screamed loudly. I was the only person in the cinema screaming. And I got teased mercilessly for that.

So it’s quite ironic that I am researching horror films right now. Just looking at the poster art makes me a little squeamish, so I’m thankful for the bright sunshine and birds chirping outside. Many of the titles are somewhat familiar, but I’ve only watched a handful of them.

So if you’re a horror fan, maybe you could help me out here. What type of scary movies do you like? What are your stand out horror films and why?