So, the shift was pretty standard, as is becoming clear to any readers out there. It is very interesting watching people coming in and out the library however. Latin Journalists come in and generally take out the Spanish language films, makes sense considering their readership i suppose, Festival reps from around the world fly through titles twenty minutes at a time, they must watch them with the fast forward on or something, all the time looking for the type of films that could appear in the festival in their neck of the woods. There are guys i assume are in acquisitions at their respective company, weedling through the films looking at twenty minutes or so looking for something wiht commercial value or what not that they could buy and distribute. Or maybe thats not what they are doing, its not my job to ask but i cant help but be curious. Must be something like that.
What i can say is that some of these folks engage you in conversation from time to time and its always good to talk to people who clearly know their films and love their films, its both inspiring and gratifying.
At some point during the shift, I dont know whether i came out during the conversation or what as i almost missed it, we (the three of us) were offered the chance of a ticket to a red carpet screening which is essentially a premiere with stars of the film and such like at it. As i say i almost missed it as my boss who offered it up asked for a final time before she left and i had no idea what she was talking about. She explained again and I thought why not it will be interesting if nothing but no doubt it will be pretty damn cool too and so took the ticket off her hands. My decision on what film to see that day had been made for me and i was happy of that, plus i wouldnt have to use a token meaning when i finished i would now have three sitting unused!
I should probably mention what film it was that i got a ticket to, heres a photo
I have absolutely no idea why this photo appears length wise as i definitely took it horizontally, my hands dont work that way either, but the upshot is yes, i was going to the premiere of the new Hugh Hefner documentary called Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel at the Visa Screening Room in the Elgin Theatre. Oh, and he was there! The director too and Shug's 3 girfriends were there, it was a big bag of excellent all round.
So here is what happened according to me, with a bit of a review thrown in for good measure. This being my first actual screening at the fest (Steamboat Bill Jr not withstanding) it was a different experience to going to the cinema as normal. The filmaker and star on show being one thing but also other aspects are different. It all begins with a Festival representative getting up and introducing the film, then the director, a lady called Brigette Berman, got up and said some stuff (introductions and nice stuff bout Mr Hefner mainly), all new things to me but all good. Then with introductions over, the movie started.
You know what, its really good. Its a little overlong at just over two hours and lots and lots of stuff is skipped over without much of a mention, his first and second families for instance, but on the whole its very very interesting. There is so much i just didnt know abot the man they call Hef. If I am honest my knowledge about him was that he was a bit (a bit is a slight understatement) of a shagger who ran a magazine. Now this could be because i have never gave him much thought beyond the shagging loads of women thing and the whole multiple girlfriends at the same time stuff, i am sure if i had actually took time to think it would have dawned on me that running magazines is kinda hard work and to run one fo the most successful and popular magazines in the world is the work of someone special, but hey, i have never got my mind beyond the shagging.
What he was was an actual activist who fought for civil rights (in his own way of course) both for black people in America and also for women believe it or not. Using his media platforms, both in print and TV at the time he put black people on the map, jazz musicians, actors, singers, you name it. He gave black activists a voice in his magazine. He also stood up for Hollywood types tarred by the commy brush during the McCarthy era. He was also a bit of a genius becuase he did all this while building a magazine up to be what it is and at no time really give up any of the reigns on it, even now. I was shocked and amazed. There is lots of excellent people as talking heads and really it could have gone on forever as he is, to say it again, so intersting!
But i suppose therein lay the problem for me, it could definitely do with a trim, the points it makes are made regular and the stuff it skirts over is amazing. Maybe, a trilogy could have been commisioned, Part 1: Playboy, Part 2: Activist and Part 3: Rebel but who would bother witht he other two if one is called Playboy? You would just watch part 1 three times surely!
So afterward the credits rolled a few chairs were brought up on stage and Hef, Berman and the intrduction guy took seats to field some questions from the audience (photo below is my view from way back on the balcony, i had a chance to go on the floor and for some reason i never took it, idiot) it was a shambles really i thought, mainly due to the fact that Hef seems to be deaf as a post now and to me he seemed frail. Its odd because even though i know he is an old man, his persona in the public eye is such that he pertetualy seemed to be a man in his fifties or sixties. what i saw that day was a old man however, stark contrast to the guy talking in the film in his own house. I would maybe stretch to say that this may be the last we see of Hef in the public eye, thats how frail an old man i felt he seemed. The reason incidentally i thought it was a shambles was becuase whent he questions were asked the TIFF guy would repeat them to the hard of hearing Hef but would shorten them so the context of the question would be lost and so Hef would be lost and end up just talking about something else. Maybe not so much Hef's fault as I may have made out.
Lets be honest, it was cool as anything seeing someone like Hefner in the flesh, i mean if this film makes it to the cinema chances are i wouldnt go, in fact the time i would be getting to see this film would be 10o'clock on a Sunday night on channel 4 or something, myself! So i thank my lucky stars for the opportunity that presented itslef that day. Also i may have mentioned (without checking further up) that he was there with his three girlfriends whoa re all smoking hot, not that my photo does them justice however. lets just say that TIFF gave me a peek at Hef and his chicks and i adjourned home a happy man.
Incidentally, i searched about for a trailer for the film but found this instead, its the shambles that was the after film Q&A. Worth a look.
I will finish up with what i wrote on facebook after i got home full of beans from seeing the film plus Hef live and in colour:
got a freebie to premiere o hugh hefners doco film today, was pretty good. hes an interesting man & could be argued he did more than most 2 pave the way 4 the world today ie obama in white house. sadly it was slightly overlong & no enough tits from 2000s on show, more 60s, 70s and 80s boobs. anyway, review aside, i want2 say that heff & his burds were there watching too, so i saw hugh hefner today! so that was cool
I am class in a glass.
No comments:
Post a Comment