My Evening with Jim, Or: The Better Half Comes Through Again During A Screening Of The Hurt Locker
Let me start by saying that I love Kathryn Bigelow.
Okay wait, I don’t love her, love her (get your mind out of the gutter, but not too much, as you will soon learn), but I love her movies, and especially the way she puts these movies together. Stylish, cool, propulsive (there’s that word again), with a narrow-minded focus on making sure you don’t go too long without getting a healthy dose of an adrenaline rush.
Then I heard that her Iraq war film (another one?) was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last year. Wow, think about that for a second. A kick-a** Iraq war film that’s up there with all those little art films? Crazy!
So, I’ve been geeked about it ever since. The other day The Better Half noticed that there was going to be a pre-release screening with Bigelow in attendance. She made some calls and managed to snag some tickets (don’t know how, but she managed). And just like that, we were in like, um, Flint (I think it was).
The day approached, I was totally, um geeked. For once I decided to dress somewhat nicely. I managed to extricate myself from work a little early and TBH and I drive up to Hollywood together. It was a bright, sunny and reasonably temperate day (not guaranteed during this crazy summer we’ve been having…brrr!), and we even found a free parking spot pretty easily. Heck even the traffic cooperated.
Could the day get any better?
Apparently, it was about to. Because you see, as we approached the once-and-future famed Egyptian Theatre (short for The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre) there were lights set up, photographers caged up, security guards scattered up, and finally, the tell-tale sign: a red carpet unrolled up.
Oh…My…God!
They let us in and we saw the placards on the empty seats we had to walk past: C. Theron; C. Hanson; T. Chandler; L. Henriksen; Z. Efron; J. Cameron; and…wait…
…did that just say “J. Cameron”?
Oh…My…God!
J. Cameron? As in James Cameron? As in Jim Cameron? Jimmy, Jimbo, Jim-ster (sorry, at this point my rudimentary knowledge of American colloquialisms/nicknames starts running out).
Dude.
No really, dude!
Anyways, the celebrities roll in, the movie starts, and you know, the film itself was just so da*n good (great, it was bl**dy great) that you completely forget about the fact that J. Leguizamo never showed up to sit right behind you (right behind you!).
The final nerve-wracking minute ticked by, the credits rolled up, the lights came on, and the principals made their way to the stage. Look, there was Jeremy Renner (so good); Anthony Mackie (very good); Brian Geraghty (fantastic, absolutely fantastic); Mark Boal (looked way too young to have gone through what they did in the movie when he was embedded with the troops in Baghdad); and Ms. Bigelow.
Whoah. Maybe I do love her, love her (no seriously, get your head out of the gutter, she’s way too tall for me).
The Q&A was funny (the leads’ chemistry extended to real life). C. Hanson did, in fact, turn out to be Curtis Hanson (and no, I didn’t ask him about Lucky You). L. Henriksen turned out to be the Lance Henriksen, which sent my inner geekiness into maximum overdrive. T. Chandler was Tyson Chandler, who was extremely polite and gracious, and extremely broken-footed (no wonder the New Orleans Hornets lost so badly). Z. Efron was Zac Efron, and he seemed a little shy, and insecure, and seemed visibly nervous when he introduced himself to…C. Theron, as in Charlize Theron (who was, you know, not quite as impressive as you would think), before she snuck out the back with boy-toy S. Townsend a.k.a. Stuart Townsend.
Since these people have geekdar (I know clumsy, but it’s late, and I really can’t do much better) and would’ve seen me coming from a mile away, I deployed TBH to boldly go forth. A. Mackie talked to her for a bit (very polite and nice). K. Bigelow was polite, but seemed a bit nervous, and unsettled by the adulation from the crowds around her. (TBH came in handy the next day when we ran into C. Pine, as in Chris Pine, as in Captain Kirk, but that’s a story for another day.)
And then, like the colossus that he is, emerged J. Cameron. James, Jim, Jimbo (you get the drift) himself!
Before TBH could make her oh-so-sweet approach, he skedaddled with S. Amis (Suzy Amis, they’re still married). Oh well, it was this close to being the perfect day, so I wasn’t going to complain.
TBH and I made our way out of this promised land of artistes and celebrities (not often enough the one and the same) and slowly walked out into the harsh night of Hollywood. We stood at the corner, waiting to cross with our fellow misfits and vagabonds when a jet-black SUV pulled up.
Before you could say Avatar (actually, someone did holler “Avatar!”), people began crowding around the imposing vehicle. The window whispered down and there he was.
J. Cameron.
People went crazy. They gave him stuff to sign. Flash bulbs popped. People screamed. S. Amis giggled in the background. Jim was patient (yeah, I was surprised) and polite and nice and indulged every last one of us (them?).
Then the light turned, Jim waved, and just like that they roared off into the night leaving us bewildered and perhaps a bit hot and bothered. Only in Hollywood do movie directors get treated like rock stars.
It was in precisely that moment that I realized, definitively, that it paid to be married.
Cheers!
The basu! Guide to the Movies
(The Awesome! Edition)
26 June – 03 July 2009
The b! List
Ten things that are the best, sorry most awesome, ever (currently)!
In Memoriam: Michael Jackson. Whether you loved him or hated, there is no denying that the world is a lot less interesting without Michael Jackson in it. http://tinyurl.com/579bev
1. The Sri Lanka Cricket Team. Give them a huge pat on the back for coming back from that horrific day in Lahore and making it all the way to the Finals of the World Twenty20. Words like “courage” and “heart” and all that get thrown around a bit too much in Sports Media, but this team exemplifies all of that and more. http://tinyurl.com/mbawgf
2. Roger Federer. My head says no, but my heart firmly says GOAT.
3. “Death” by White Lies. Simply put: best song, ever!
4. Shahid Afridi. The insanely talented, insanely exciting, and insanely inconsistent cricketer finally put it all together to propel Pakistan to an unlikely win at the World Twenty20.
5. Phil Mickelson. Ol’ Lefty came up short, but completely captivated the world with the wonderfully emotional roller coaster of a US Open at Bethpage Black.
6. Black Lips at the El Rey Theatre. The craziest, most adrenaline-rush-inducing concert I’ve ever been too! OMG!
7. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. I can’t remember the last time I saw such an audacious, risk-taking play that kept me captivated right from the beginning to the very end.
8. Bat For Lashes at the El Rey. That beautiful, haunting voice was just as captivating live, even after three encores!
9. The Oscar Best Picture Nominees. Expanded to 10! Awesome! More for everyone. Maybe Terminator Salvation will sneak in? 10 in ’10 is fine, but here’s to 15 in ’11!
10. Pixar. Just because, you know, they’re simply awesome!
One To Watch: An Awesome Kick-A** War Movie With Soul
The Hurt Locker
Directed by: The Great Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes
Plot: A bomb disposal unit in Baghdad has to deal with increasingly escalating situations under the guidance of a reckless new leader. Not-your-average-Iraq-war-movie type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: One Word: Awesome! Two Words: Wicked Awesome! Three Words: Bloody Wicked Awesome! Four Words: Totally Bloody Wicked Awesome! Five Words: It’s Like You Are There! Six Words: Great Acting All Around, Especially Geraghty! Seven Words: The Characters Creep Up On You Subtly! Eight Words: Totally Awesome Cinematography By The Great Barry Ackroyd! Nine Words: Gripping Right From The Beginning To The Very End! Ten/Eleven Words: An Awesome Kick-A** Action Movie That Delivers Like Few Others! Twelve/Thirteen Words: Kathryn Bigelow Is This Close To Ridley Scott Status (Minus His Self-Importance)!
Bottom Line: Those Lucky Few in Manhattan and Los Angeles: Theatres – First Week!; Other, Less Geographically Fortunate Souls: Wait For It To Hit Theatres – First Week! [Won’t Be The Same On DVD]
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): Strange Days; Point Break; Near Dark; Blue Steel; K-19: The Widowmaker
One to Watch: An Awesomely Great Director in His Element
Public Enemies
Directed by: The GREAT Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Lili Taylor, Emilie de Ravin, Leelee Sobieski, Giovanni Ribisi, David Wenham, Stephen Dorff, Rory Cochrane, Shawn Hatosy, and the soon-to-be-big Carey Mulligan
Plot: A notorious bank robber becomes a folk hero while trying to stay one step ahead of the law. Watch-a-great-director-in-his-element type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: Oh…My...God! Are you kidding me, this is Michael freakin’ Mann we’re talking about here. You know how I said that Kathryn Bigelow was this close to approaching Ridley Scott status? Well Scott is quite a few notches below Mann. Is he the best director out there? Debatable. Is he the best craftsman out there? Ooh, that’s a good one. I mean I know there’s Steven Spielberg out there, right? And Marty Scorsese (I can call him Marty, I’ve known him that long), he’s up there too. Tony Scott is not up there, but great nonetheless. Jim Cameron (yup, I can call him Jim) is above Scott (Ridley) and below Spielberg, or is he? I mean is he really below Spielberg? And of course, Danny Boyle is well on his way. Where does he fit in? Above Scott (Tony, yes, Ridley, maybe?)? Don’t forget the now-aging enfant terrible David Fincher. Tim Burton is always good for a ghoulish laugh. Karyn Kusama might get there; she has the chops. Of course, Pedro Almodovar and Wong Kar-wai and Paul Thomas Anderson are up there too, but they’re more than mere craftsmen right? Oh, wait, don’t forget about the two amigos (not the third, not the third) Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo del Toro; man can they put a movie together. And even though we haven’t heard from Jane Campion for a while, her movies are usually a feast for the senses. And never forget my desi brothers Vinod Chopra and Mani Ratnam. And before I forget it, give a hand for Bale for not giving into his ego (he doesn’t need to be the No. 1 on a film) and instead choosing to work on a variety of different movies, in different capacities, with very-good-to-great directors. Good to see that the young buck Tatum following his example. And, Mann, yeah, he’s up there!
Bottom Line: Theatres – First Day!
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): Collateral; The Insider; The Last of the Mohicans; Heat; Thief; Manhunter
Movies
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
Plot: Robots (in disguise) from another world continue their lifelong battle, putting the Earth, and a young college-bound kid and his girlfriend at risk. Suddenly-I’m-terrified-of-my-Roomba type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: Look, I know there are those Bay-haters out there. I, on the other hand, love Bay. Why? Because, he’s awesome. He really is. He is completely self-aware; he cranks out awesome movies that are big and bold and tons of fun. And trust me, he’s a lot better at it than you think. Don’t believe me, just you wait for G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. Oh yeah, then you’ll be glad for Bay. I know I am. Why? Because he’s awesome! Check this out if you don’t’ believe me:
Bottom Line: Me, and Others Who Like Their Movies to be Awesome: Theatres – First Week [In “Awesome” IMAX]; Other, Non-Awesome People: DVD [Really? A Michael Bay Movie on DVD? Really?]
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): Bad Boys; The Rock; Transformers
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Directed by: Carlos Saldanha
Starring: Denis Leary, Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah
Plot: Our favorite prehistoric creatures now have to deal with a new threat: dinosaurs. Be-careful-of-the-raptors-those-guys-are-bad-a** type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: Talk amongst yourselves: is this franchise actually better than the average DreamWorks Animation output? I mean, not saying that it’s better than the Shrek or Kung Fu Panda franchises, but the rest? I dunno man, I think it might be. The first two films have been fun, touching and thoroughly enjoyable (I mean talk about great casting), and there’s no reason to believe that this won’t be too. And then, of course, there’s that adorable little Scat…
Bottom Line: Those With Kids in Need of Some Babysitting Help: Theatres – First Week [In 3-D]; The Better Half and Others Who Enjoy a Fun, Touching, and Thoroughly Enjoyable Computer-Animated Film: Theatres – Eventually [In 3-D]
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): Ice Age; Ice Age: The Meltdown; Horton Hears a Who!
My Sister's Keeper
Directed by: Nick Castanets
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Brisling, Alec Baldwin
Plot: A young girl seeks emancipation when she is asked to provide an organ for her dying sister. And-I-thought-that-sisters-were-supposed-to-be-best-friends type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: It’s from the director of The Notebook. It has a child with cancer. It has Diaz looking for some “cred.” Get those hankies ready.
Bottom Line: DVD [Don’t Forget The Hankies]
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): The Notebook; Beaches; Steel Magnolias
Cheri
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Written by: Christopher Hampton
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Kathy Bates
Plot: A retiring seductress in Paris decides to take on a young man as her last job. It’s-always-the-last-job-that-gets-you type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: You know what happened the last time Frears and Hampton and Pfeiffer got together? Oh, a little something I like to call Dangerous Liaisons. C’mon, just based on that alone this film is worth checking out, no?
Bottom Line: Those Lucky Few in Manhattan and Los Angeles with Fond Memories of Dangerous Liaisons: Theatres – Eventually; Other, Less Geographically Fortunate Souls: DVD
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): Dangerous Liaisons; Pride and Prejudice [TV]; Howards End
Surveillance
Directed by: Jennifer Chambers (Daughter of David, Yes That David) Lynch
Starring: Bill Pullman, Julia Ormond, French Stewart, Michael Ironside
Plot: Two cops try to deal with lying murder eyewitnesses. Something-tells-me-there-will-be-a-Lynch-ian-twist-in-there type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: The last time Ms. Lynch decided to direct a feature, it resulted in a lawsuit against Kim Basinger that was a lot more interesting than the strange film itself (Boxing Helena). Me, I am totally geeked for the awesome Pullman who (I hope) is well on his way to completing his transformation into the next great cult actor.
Bottom Line: Me, and Other Fans of the Awesome Bill Pullman: DVD; Other, More Blase Sorts: Pass
Other Movies to Check Out (instead): Zero Effect; Lost Highway; While You Were Sleeping
The Top Movie of 2008 That I Saw in 2009
Gomorrah (new entry)
The Top 10 Movies of 2009
Goodbye Solo (new entry) [tie]
The Hurt Locker (new entry) [tie]
Up (new entry) [tie]
The Hangover (new entry) [tie]
Star Trek (new entry) [tie]
Drag Me To H*ll (new entry) [tie]
Coraline (new entry)
Sin Nombre (new entry) [tie]
Tyson (new entry) [tie]
Rudo y Cursi (new entry)
Terminator Salvation (new entry)
Duplicity (new entry)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (new entry)
The International (new entry)
Taken (new entry)
Angels & Demons (new entry)
Sunshine Cleaning (new entry)
Special Mention: The Battle of Algiers (still great after all these years!)
Special Mention: Shoot the Piano Player (still great after all these years!)
Special Mention: Police Python 357 (still great after all these years!)
Special Mention: Bugsy Malone (still great after all these years!)
Top 10 Films Out Right Now That I Positively Have to See
Public Enemies
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Year One
Food, Inc.
Away We Go
Whatever Works
Cheri
The Proposal
The basu! Guide to the Oscars Early Wishful Picks
Best Picture: Goodbye Solo; The Hurt Locker; Up; The Hangover; Star Trek; Drag Me To H*ll; Sin Nombre; Tyson; Coraline; Rudo y Cursi
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Best Actor: Souleymane Sy Savane (Goodbye Solo)
Best Actress: Julia Roberts (Duplicity)
Best Supporting Actor: Red West (Goodbye Solo)
Best Supporting Actress: Lorna Raver (Drag Me To H*ll)
Best Screenplay: Ramin Bahrani and Bahareh Azimi (Goodbye Solo)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman (Coraline)