On New York, UCLA, AFI and that dodgy Leonard Cohen bit from Watchmen.

So I got back from New York this morning with a shitload of jetlag and a big fat suitcase filled with goodies…including Reese’s cups, peanut butter parfait nibs (not for me, I’m a dairy free gym bunny) a new Diana-F film camera from MOMA and a stack of faux Christian Audiger stylee tees from Conways. I decided to stay in the same hotel as last year, that being the Paramount; the room was tiny but just dandy and the hotel itself is swanky and most importantly, slap bang in the middle of Manhattan (West 46th). Friday was spent endlessly preparing for my looming UCLA interview and I was PETRIFIED, I was so afraid I was going to fluff it like the AFI interview last year…PLUS I had to pitch a short film idea. I took some Kalms tablets beforehand, drank a bottle of Bach Rescue Remedy (not advised!) and arrived an hour early. I have to say, I managed to remain pretty calm…I couldn’t articulate a few words but that is far better than whole answers like last year!! Overall, I think it went well, it was very relaxed and the interviewers were lovely…we ended up going over the allotted time but I don’t want to speculate in case my fragile hopes doth be dashed again…you never, ever know with these things what boxes you’re actually ticking. The only thing I wasn’t happy about what was the pitch idea, I changed it at the last minute because the other one was too risky and didn’t quite fill the criteria but it was unique…the story I actually went for was bland and bleak but at least I got through it without faltering.

 

Following the interview I was in good spirits so I went to the cinema to check out Coraline in 3D…I bow to Henry Selick and his absolute mastery of stop-motion. The film was beautiful and incredibly imaginitive…so a big, warm congratulations to the deliciously rapturous coupling of Neil Gaiman and Mr. Selick; I seriously hope they collaborate again…I can actually see a Master Burton being a little miffed at the fact that he didn’t come up with this one…I will say however that I found myself thinking ‘Ooooh…if Burton got his Scissorhands on this one, it too would be fantabulous!!’ …I missed some of the Burton stylizations but the mad-haired chappy can’t have everything, he got Alice and that’s enough for the time being!

 

On my last day in NYC I decided to see The Watchmen on the IMAX in Times Square… I just think this movie should be seen in IMAX but it did mean I had to queue for an hour and a half; I’m not a happy queuer and I ended up chewing my way through a whole pack of gum. Anyhoo, the film itself was very, very cool and though I am by NO means a fan of Zack Snyder, I think he managed to pull off one of, if not the best comic book adaptation that has been. The film was very dark, at points even in the vein of Fincher but there were noticeable flaws such as the *cough* Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah scene…that was a big, big speed bump. If you’ve seen it, please comment. I did however dig the sweet interpretation of Dr. Manhattan by Billy Crudup *thumbs up* and the side story between Sally Spectre and The Comedian…I wasn’t sure about Patrick Wilson (Night Owl II), I normally really like this guy so I was disappointed here. I really, really disliked Malin Ackerman (Laurie Spectre)…I genuinely thought she was poo; very unconvincing and sans the emotional spectrum the character needed in order to elicit catharsis at the end…did you really care who her father was? (intentionally not spoiling it) and she lacked va-va-voom; that missing ingredient that Michelle Pfeiffer had as Catwoman or Famke Janssen as Jean Grey or Angelina Jolie as…anything at all

 

Okay so I’m now back in Blighty and I have about 4 days of prep for my phone interview with the AFI, send wee leprechauns my way. On a side note, I’ve just finished watching the insanely great documentary, ‘Taxi To The Dark Side’, it was actually directed by former UCLA student Alex Gibney and it won the Oscar in 2008 for best doc; it’s about the atrocities that happened in Bagram prison and then Guantanamo Bay to the captured, ‘alleged’ terrorists…if your faith is dwindling in the powers that be, this might just sever that last, oh so fragile tie. It will shock you but the truth often does.

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