In Mother, Kim Hye-ja plays the title role of a single-mother, raising her adult son Do-Joon (Won Bin) who happens be a little slow mentally. Walking home drunk one night, Do-Joon has a run-in with a local school girl and then goes home to sleep off the alcohol. The next morning, the school girl is found dead and all of the evidence points to Do-Joon. Only his mother believes in his innocence and she summons every ounce of her willpower and conviction to prove it. Her journey takes her into dark memories and even darker territories that force her to confront realities she isn’t prepared to accept.

Mother is very Korean, which may distress some Western audiences. It’s also hard to separate the character traits from the culture. So while it’s common practice for Korean sons and daughters to live with their parents until their 30’s, it’s not commonplace to see an adult child sharing a bed with his mother and touching her intimately in Korea. Western audiences may inadvertently assume that all Koreans sleep that way. Unfortunately, these nuances will only be obvious to viewers familiar with the culture, since no concessions were made to explain these details to outsiders.

Nevertheless, what audiences will appreciate most is the indomitable spirit of the Mother. She is eternally hopeful and driven in her single-mindedness, using every parlor trick and manipulation tactic she knows to save the one thing she cherishes most in the world. She’s a wonderfully sympathetic character. Hye-ja’s Mother is everything that every viewer sees in their own mother. She’s sometimes flighty, somewhat overbearing and fiercely protective of her child. Hye-ja turns in a stellar performance throughout the film and easily carries the production in every scene.

The supporting cast helps add a certain reality to the film with their excellently crafted roles. Every character feels like he or she exists in the real world and don’t simply follow a script. Won Bin’s dimwitted Do-Joon especially stands out with moments of inspired acting. One particularly poignant scene has him paralyzed with indecision after realizing he’s done something wrong. His confusion and frustration with his inability to reason through his thoughts is heartbreakingly palpable.

The pace of Mother is deliberate and slow – maybe too slow. A good portion of the film is spent simply living with the characters, watching them eat or work or have trivial conversations. Western audiences may feel that the movie only comes alive once the Mother begins her investigation in earnest. There also seems to be an overabundance of unnecessary characters in this film. They have just enough to say and do to make audiences invest in them emotionally only to discover that these characters aren’t integral to the story and simply add texture.

Mother is beautiful to watch and is definitely styled. Director Bong Joon-ho’s touch is obvious throughout the film, like in the stoic title shot and the flashback/present day blend in real-time. The cinematography also does a wonderful job at illustrating characters’ state of mind without being heavy-handed.

Overall, Mother is solid entertainment with a lot of undeniable heart. The subject matter is very dark and complex, but the story is satisfying and the acting is superb. If audiences can get through some of the slower moments, they’ll find a rare gem of a foreign film that will appeal to more than just their basic emotions.

“This past year has seen a substantial growth in Indian companies in Hollywood. Indian entertainment is no longer a niche industry, but a burgeoning global business that has expanded into the mainstream,” said Bill Simon, senior client partner and managing director of Korn/Ferry International’s Global Media & Entertainment Sector. “These remarkable women have each contributed much to bridge east and west and their continuing efforts will benefit all in the entertainment and media for years to come.”

To honor these women, a reception and dinner will be held on their behalf at the 8th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) that is back at ArcLight Hollywood on April 20-25.

The Honorees Include:

We don’t start immediately and I pass a few moments making small talk about how long he’s staying in California and what he thinks of the weather. He replies in deliberate, but near-perfect English that he’s just come in from the east coast where it’s really gloomy and that he’ll be leaving soon to go back to Seoul, Korea. Then I turn on my recorder and we get to the issue at hand – Bong Joon-ho’s latest film Mother.

In this Korean film, a single-mother struggles with raising her beautiful, yet mentally slow adult son, Do-Joon. Both of their lives become much more complicated when a local girl is murdered and Do-Joon becomes the number one suspect. With all of the evidence stacked against him and with expensive defense lawyers looking for a plea bargain that includes years of jail time, Do-Joon’s only hope is his mother who must face dark realities to prove her son’s innocence. Along the way she demonstrates the unshakable bond all mothers have with their children.

As the screenwriter that created the story, it’s interesting to know why Bong Joon-ho chose this subject matter. “It was for the actress Kim Hye-ja – the Mother character. It was for her actually,” he says. “I really wanted to work with her. She started acting before I was born, but I remember seeing her on TV as this mother figure. Whenever I turned on the TV she was always there and she played…a great mother.” On creating the character, Joon-ho says, “I wanted to take a different approach with her…sort of give her a crazy, obsessive mother character. No one really agreed with me, but whenever I saw her I saw someone that was a bit crazy, like the character she played on TV. I wanted to make this story and luckily [Kim Hye-ja] wanted to take on this character that was different from what she’s used to being.” He adds that this story is a different look at the mother figure.

This new take explains why the mother-child relationship is told against the backdrop of a murder-mystery. Joon-ho readily admits that the two concepts don’t typically go together, but he wanted a new approach to the genre and put the mother figure in a perilous situation. He also adds, “I always love murder-mystery and crime-drama – my favorites.”

Kim Hye-ja, who has over 50 years of acting experience in Korean film and television, plays the Mother in the film. She confessed that the very first scene they shot took 18 takes and she feared that she was ruining the movie. Joon-ho laughs at the thought. The scene in question was technically difficult and required a lot of camera movement. “There’s a very long tracking shot. Track around and then pan and track. The scene was just very chaotic. It wasn’t that I was pestered or that there was any tension between us. [The scene] was just a complicated shot. I explained to [Hye-ja] ‘it’s not your fault.’ A small extra key, a mistake, you know, camerawork. I explained many things, but she [was convinced] ‘no, the director hates me.’”

“She was quite nervous,” he adds. “She’s been acting on TV for over 40 years, but this is only her third film.” Despite her decades of experience, Mother represents the very first time Kim Hye-ja was slapped. Joon-ho relates that, unfortunately, the slap had to be real considering the shot. Since Hye-ja commands an impressive amount of gravitas in Korea there weren’t many actresses who were willing to slap her, so Joon-ho cast a theater actress with experience in physical acting.

Regarding his directing style, Bong Joon-ho confesses that in his previous films Memories of Murder and The Host he allowed room for actor improvisation. This time around, his direction is heavier handed in particular scenes, simply because there was something specific he was trying to get from the actors. That’s not to say that the actors didn’t have any input. “In the case of Kim Hye-ja, her understanding from just reading the script itself was very intuitive. Obviously, she has a lot of ability, so some of the comments she said gave me more of an understanding of the [character] too – her take on it.” One of Hye-ja’s insights is how much the son means to the mother. Do-Joon is not only her child, but also fills the role as her husband and father. “I wanted to have an almost [romantic] relationship between the mother and son and the fact that [Hye-ja] saw that in the bigger picture was very interesting.”

Mother is very Korean and some American audiences may not understand why certain things happen in the film. For example, it’s not uncommon for children to live with their parents until closer to their 30’s whereas Americans are happy to oust their offspring as soon as possible. While Bong Joon-ho understands these cultural differences, he’s not interested in cutting together a Western version of his films. “There’s really only one way to edit a film and, for me, that’s hard enough. To do a director’s cut or an extended version would be so much harder for me. [A Western version] isn’t something that anyone’s asked me to do, but really there’s just an edit for me, whether it’s for Korean audiences or Western.” He notes that The Host is being remade for American audiences without his involvement.

Fortunately, the parent-child relationship is universal and every audience will be able to appreciate the themes in Mother. Look for the film in theaters on March 12.

Check back at Working Author for my full review.

From TMZ:

Sources say Haim got out of bed just before 1 AM and collapsed in front of his mother. She called 911 at 12:53 AM and Corey was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 AM.

Read the entire article here.

Rest in peace, brother.

Pick a side.

BG-386 is a remote planet where the Weyland-Yutani Corporation has been conducting experiments on Xenomorphs. One of the subjects is the uniquely intelligent and independent “6” whose initial goals are to free the Matriarch and escape the labs. The opportunity presents itself when Weyland-Yutani discovers ancient alien structures that belong to the Predator race. The Company tries to breach the doors, causing an energy surge that knocks out the power to the base, allowing the Xenomorphs to run amok. As a security measure, Space Marines are called down to control the situation. One of those Marines is a Rookie who’s forced to land on the planet after the military vessel he’s assigned to is obliterated by an unknown alien craft. The Rookie becomes separated from his squad early on and must fight to survive against overwhelming numbers and better technology. Unfortunately for both Aliens and Humans, BG-386 is also a prime hunting ground for Predators who do not want Human interference or an Alien infestation.

The plot is pretty standard, but does its job to get players into the game. Once the player actually takes control, however, Aliens vs. Predator does a fantastic job in immersing players into each respective story. As the Marine, players will have access to all of the weapons and abilities made famous by the film Aliens, like the Pulse Rifle, Smartgun and flamethrower. Best of all, each weapon sounds identical to its film counterpart. The Marine can throw flares and thankfully never runs out of juice for his flashlight. Finally, he has a handy motion detector to alert him of any movement in the vicinity. Players will feel comforted by its steady rhythm and alarmed when it starts whining as enemies approach in the darkness.

The Alien is the ultimate stealth assassin. It can cling to most surfaces, including walls and ceilings, and can hide in vents to attack victims as they pass. The Alien can see in the dark as well as detect pheromones that virtually allow it to see victims through walls. The Alien also features a unique head-bite ability, which switches the camera position into the Alien’s mouth for cinematic kills. The best part about the Alien is its ability to finish off victims in brutal and disgusting ways, like impaling them or ripping off their head while their faces freeze in a horrified expression.

For pure brutality, nothing beats the Predator. Not only does he wield dual wristblades, but he also uses the more ubiquitous weapons in the Predator arsenal, like the Plasma Caster, Combi Stick and Smart Disc. He can also leap great distances and heights and cloak himself for stealth kills. He can even mimic the sounds of his prey to lure them away from their groups and then eviscerate them with one of his many trophy finishers.

In each case, the player will really feel like he or she is playing the respective species. The Marine is the standard FPS experience, but the Alien is smooth and agile. As a nice touch, the game developers left the player model visible to the player, so when he or she turns around as the Alien they’ll see the Alien’s tail arcing back. The Predator also offers a genuine experience and players will love bounding from tree to tree and standing toe-to-toe with Xenomorphs.

While Aliens vs. Predator is immersive, it does suffer from a few drawbacks. For one, the gameplay feels thin, which is to be expected when it’s split up over three different styles of play. After a while, however, the levels begin to feel like one long corridor that players will travel just to press a button so they can travel down another corridor. There are also a few punishing moments where death is a one-hit affair, resulting in monotonous trial and error, like when the player is almost dead with no health packs and he or she crosses a checkpoint before a major battle. Some players will also be frustrated by the controls, especially with the Alien. The creature is sometimes a little too sticky and climbs onto unintended surfaces or catches onto a beam instead of falling on top of an intended victim. Finally, there are a few irritating screen-tearing moments during the in-game cinematics.

Marines are easy targets in multiplayer.

For online gamers, there are several multiplayer modes to choose from, including various deathmatch modes, a point control game and a survivor mode that pits cooperative players against waves of progressively stronger Aliens. There are also two modes that pit one player as either the Predator or Alien against the rest for those that want to test their stealth abilities.

The online experience is entertaining, but a little lackluster. Marines also appear to be seriously underpowered since they’re the only species that’s clearly visible and has to aim precisely to score a hit. The other species, while mostly limited to melee attacks, have a charge ability that allows them to close the distance quickly simply by aiming in the target’s general direction. Furthermore, the Marine doesn’t have any one-hit-kill finisher moves, but he can certainly die to them which Alien and Predator players will use with impunity. There are 40 ranks to climb through and several skins to unlock, but it’s hard to imagine most players sticking with multiplayer for that long.

While it isn’t perfect, Aliens vs. Predator is one of the best presentations of this hybrid franchise that has been made in recent history. Fans and newcomers alike will definitely have a good time playing it.

It was kind of a weird Academy Awards tonight and not one that people are going to remember because of the production. The reason to watch tonight was definitely because of the historic win for Directing awarded to Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker. The rest of the show was kind of a mess, ranging from sound issues to strange acceptance speeches.

I had a bad feeling for the evening as soon as the opening number with Neil Patrick Harris got underway. It seemed like this year’s ceremony was trying to capture the magic of last year’s musical opening with Hugh Jackman. The segment just seemed so random, especially since Harris wasn’t the host for the evening. It also seemed a little under produced.

Overall, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin did an adequate job hosting, but also seemed a little unnecessary to the ceremony. Having co-hosts was a novel idea, but they came off more as a two-man stand-up routine rather than as actual hosts. Their opening dialog was on the corny side and if the idea was to skewer the nominees they should have really gone for it rather than just poke fun. That way George Clooney’s reaction would have been funny instead of just weird. What was going on with that guy, anyway? He barely cracked a smile.

Regarding the sound: Am I crazy or was the sound just going haywire the whole evening? I could have sworn I heard a constant hiss or a high-pitched whine or sometimes random tapping. Whatever it was it was terribly distracting.

What was up with that tribute to horror movies? That was kind of random. Why not highlight action movies since they’re the tent poles that hold up the studios? What about comedies? Aren’t those important too? And why was Edward Scissorhands in that montage?

The interpretive dancing for the Original Scores was very disappointing. When the dancers started pop locking for The Hurt Locker I had to guffaw at the idea for a mashup called The Pop Locker. The dance numbers could have been so much cooler. I liked the contrast of b-boys and ballerinas, but their moves barely represented the films. Imagine how much cooler The Hurt Locker number would have been if the dancers surrounding the solo dancer exploded outward like, I don’t know, a bomb? Is that too on the nose? The whole thing reminded me of the joke dance number at the beginning of the 2009 Oscars when Hugh Jackman and company make up some silly dance because he hadn’t seen The Reader and didn’t know how to represent it.

The best presenter for the evening was Ben Stiller. It almost verged on crashing and burning, but his full commitment saved the day. Furthermore, the whole lo-tech fishing rod gag was beautiful irony juxtaposed with Avatar’s hi-tech visuals. Overall, Ben Stiller sold the bit and he was one of the few highlights in the evening.

The worst presenter was Cameron Diaz. She looked a little flighty and couldn’t sell the comedy even with Steve Carell helping her along. Runner-up for worst presenter was Elizabeth Banks who seemed a little too excited to be on stage. As a side note, the winners for technical awards totally got the shaft this year with their 5-second clip and group photo-op.

Acceptance speeches were adequately good, with Kathryn Bigelow delivering the most genuine of them all for her win in Directing for The Hurt Locker. I’m glad Sandra Bullock won for Leading Actress. She’s one of those journeyman actors that have never seemed to get that role that lets them really show off their chops. It’s nice to see her finally get a strong role and knock it out of the park.

I’m also happy to see Jeff Bridges win for Leading Actor, but his acceptance speech was all over the place and lasted way too long. It seemed like even he got bored of it when he sighed somewhere near the end. Someone needs to explain to me who that woman was that pulled a Kanye West during the acceptance speech for Music by Prudence. I didn’t even know what she was talking about and the poor guy she hijacked the microphone from did a great job controlling his disbelief and anger at losing his moment.

I will say that I’m very impressed that Avatar didn’t win Best Picture. I’m not complaining, of course, since Kathryn Bigelow is a stunning woman and I’d much rather see her on stage than Cameron.

Update #1: I can’t believe I left them out, but I really enjoyed Tina Fey’s and Robert Downey Jr.’s presentation for Original Screenplay. As an aspiring screenwriter I look forward to that conflict with front-of-the-camera talent. Also, since I’m getting a lot of hits from Google searches for “oscars bad sound” and “weird George Clooney” I see I’m not alone in my opinions.

Update #2: I’m hearing that the reason for the weird Kanye West moment during the acceptance speech for Music by Prudence is that there’s some kind of producing dispute. I’ll update again if I find out more.

This version of Alice in Wonderland takes places years after Alice’s initial adventures. She’s 19 now and her spotty memories of Wonderland have been dismissed as fanciful – albeit recurring – dreams. Her father has passed away and Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is set to be proposed to by a suitor she doesn’t care for who is part of a family she doesn’t like. Overwhelmed by her unpleasant prospects and dreading her future, Alice notices a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and chases after it. In doing so, she falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in the fascinating world of Wonderland – as she thinks it’s called, anyway. There she meets the strange inhabitants that populate the world, like Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) and, of course, the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). Unfortunately, Alice may not be the Alice the inhabitants hope she is. Only the real Alice can confront the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and end her tyranny.

First and foremost, Alice in Wonderland looks amazing. For the most part, Wonderland’s presentation is on par with most people’s imagination. Mushrooms loom large and inviting. Battlefields are chessboards. Decapitated heads float in the Red Castle’s moat. The score – composed by Danny Elfman – is the perfect complement to Wonderland. The music is magical and dreamy, but never tries to manipulate audiences’ feelings. Rather, the score simply adds another beautiful and subtle texture to the film without drawing attention to itself. The characters are also well-designed, with the Red Queen’s bulbous head, the armored Card Knights and the Cheshire Cat with his disquieting grin and mellifluous movements. The Mad Hatter, on the other hand, might be a little overkill on the “strange factor” even if the idea was to physically display his madness.

Overall, the cast is fun to watch. Tweedledee and Tweedledum (both played by Matt Lucas) are adequately silly and nonsensical. Helena Bonham Carter commands the screen in every scene she’s in and it’s obvious she’s absolutely enjoying her role. Her counterpart, Anne Hathaway, also manages to eke out a darker dimension to her otherwise Goody Two-Shoes character. Even the animated characters are expressive and sympathetic, thanks to excellent voice acting and artistry. Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter seems more eccentric than mad, but won’t necessarily disappoint. The Mad Hatter shines when something triggers a particular train of thought, setting off wild tantrums, but during these moments he’s almost unintelligible, mitigating the fun. The weakest member of the cast, unfortunately, is newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Her performance is bland throughout the film, lacking steep crests and deep valleys of emotion even when she’s involved in something dramatic. Her performance stands out even more since she has to play the straight-man to all of the zany characters around her. Wasikowska is never bad, mind you; she’s just lackluster.

Adult audiences may be a little disappointed with the plot. Certain events happen that seem important, but in the end don’t really matter. When a special scroll is stolen that can foretell the future, another character has to steal it back during a tense stealth scene. Unfortunately, the scroll doesn’t come up again for the rest of the film. Another time characters escape certain death by using an ability that was never previously disclosed. So when this ability is finally used it seems absolutely random. On the upside, children will hardly care about these minor complaints.

Finally, a word about the 3D presentation: Overall, it was unnecessary. Due to the heavy use of Green Screen there was no reason to shoot in 3D. Instead, the 2D footage was converted to 3D afterwards, resulting in mediocre effects this time around. The filmmakers made a conscious effort not to make the 3D effect a gimmick by poking things in audiences’ faces, but went too far with the subtlety. At times, viewers will probably forget that they’re watching a 3D film. If you can find it, Alice in Wonderland might be better enjoyed in its native form.

Look for my feature soon.

Partnering with KIIS-FM and MySpace, Walt Disney Studios invited several musical artists who contributed to the Almost Alice album – “imaginative compositions brought to life by the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland” – to perform a short set in the main courtyard of the Hollywood & Highland Center. Manny on the Streets from local radio station KIIS-FM hosted the event onstage while MySpace personality Roslynn Cobarrubias and YouTube personality Philip DeFranco interviewed each artist before they performed. A giant JumboTron hung above the stage to display the performances and interviews in crystal clear high definition for the crowd that gathered against the railings of every level, like spectators in a Roman coliseum. In the courtyard below, fans were invited to dress in their best Alice in Wonderland costumes, which ranged from simple, store-bought affairs to elaborate, just-like-the-movie getups. Costumes were judged by Academy Award-winner Colleen Atwood who is also the costume designer for the film. The Ultimate Fans – both in costume and plainclothes – crowded the stage and rocked out to each of the sets.

First up was Estonian singer-songwriter Kerli. She was dressed in a sexy black and white dress with what appeared to be a panda head stitched to the front of her skirt. She performed her single Walking on Air as well as two tracks from the Almost Alice album: Tea Party and Strange. For the latter piece, a harpist joined Kerli onstage dressed in white and covered in white makeup for a visually stunning performance. Between songs Kerli threw candy into the audience, which had fans diving over each other.

Never Shout Never took the stage next with the current members of his touring band “The Shout.” He played three songs: What is Love?, Jane Doe and Sea What We Seas. The last song is supposedly a track on the Almost Alice album, but Never Shout Never is curiously not listed as one of the contributing artists nor is Sea What We Seas one of the tracks. Nevertheless, he put on a show that had the young girls screaming. In a show of bravado, he even stopped the last song after the first few measures in order to ask the crowd to hold up their cell phones in place of lighters.

Metro Station had a slightly longer set, playing four songs consisting of Kelsey, 17 Forever, Shake It and Where’s My Angel. The last song is their contribution to the Almost Alice album. Metro Station was obviously a crowd favorite and they started getting cheers when they appeared on the JumboTron before taking the stage. Once they started playing, co-frontman Trace Cyrus – Miley Cyrus’ half-brother – got the crowd amped with his trademark high-energy antics.

Rounding out the performances was two-man group 3OH!3, which was the biggest draw for the evening. In fact, shoppers at the local Hot Topic were given wristbands for an exclusive meet-and-greet with the group and were given access to the preferred viewing pit in front of the stage. The group’s energetic performances were stretched over five songs: Starstrukk, Hit It Again, Don’t Dance, Don’t Trust Me and their Almost Alice contribution Follow Me Down. Despite having absolutely nothing on stage to accompany them, 3OH!3 still got the crowd moving and throwing up the group’s signature hand sign.

The lucky fans that were admitted into the viewing pit were also granted a sneak preview of select footage from the upcoming Alice in Wonderland film at the El Capitan Theater across the street. Everyone else got to enjoy the recently and temporarily remodeled Hot Topic, which had been re-imagined as a setting out of the Alice in Wonderland film. Giant trees grew out of the front of the store. Oversized mushrooms towered over customers. There was even an Alice lookalike wandering the premises.

Throughout the evening, recorded interviews with the cast of Alice in Wonderland punctuated the performances. The cast shared their thoughts on the film, their characters and their experiences during production. After the last band exited the stage, everyone was pleasantly surprised to see the cast appear live on the JumboTron for interviews with the hosts of the event. The hope that the cast would actually step out on stage was palpable in the audience. Sure enough, director Tim Burton walked out onstage to introduce select actors, which included Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Michael Sheen, Mia Wasikowska and, of course, Johnny Depp. The roar of the crowd was deafening.

Check back for more Working Author coverage of Alice in Wonderland.

Like most things in this industry, Press day was running a little behind schedule. I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often, actually, since journalists will often try to squeeze in an extra question even after the moderator has already called time. The talent, of course, is always happy to answer more questions – usually with something interesting, albeit longwinded. Sometimes they just prattle on and even forget the point of what they’re saying, like Tim Burton did during the Alice in Wonderland Press conference. I’ll get to that in a second. So, we – the journalists – ate our fill, grabbed some Fiji water and stood around in the hallway until the TV interviews were done. See, the Press gets broken down into different groups. Typically the groups are TV, radio and print/online. I presume this is done because of the different needs of each group. Sometimes radio sits in with print/online, but I don’t see that much. When I share a roundtable with the radio people, their microphones and recording equipment dominate the tabletop, dwarfing my tiny Olympus digital voice recorder. The TV people definitely need their own time, because of all the equipment they have to lug around and set up.

After a few minutes the TV journos finished and the rooms were converted for the rest of us, with radio Press splintering off into their own room while the print/online journos did our best to fit into another room with chairs set up in rows Press conference-style. That was when the musical chairs situation with the Euro-journo happened. Anyway, the talent for the day was the director Udayan Prasad, producer Arthur Cohn and actors William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne.

You know, I’ve been doing this long enough now that I’m no longer star struck when I sit down in front of a celebrity. Instead, I’ve come to appreciate other things about these people, which don’t really have much to do with their celebritydom. Mainly, I pay attention to the way these people speak. I’m always impressed when talent can answer a question on the fly without using an “uh” or “um” to fill the silence while they think about what they’re saying. Udayan Prasad has that ability and he’s got a great accent to boot. I’m also impressed when foreigners use American accents on film and then speak with their native accent during Press day. If I hadn’t read the production notes for The Yellow Handkerchief I’d never know that Eddie Redmayne was British. His American accent is spotless. He also loves to talk. He sat down with Kristen Stewart and we interviewed them together. Since Kristen is the bigger star considering her Twilight fame, I’d expected her to be the chatterbox. So much for expectations.

You know what I like about Kristen Stewart? She’s got kind of an edge to the way she looks. I like how her hair isn’t evenly cut. Not that it looks lopsided or anything, but it’s got a great style to it so that it hangs thinly in all the right places. There’s also something around the eyes that I like – a certain amount of darkness…? I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Finally, I like the angles of her chin. They’re very sharp. Oh, and instead of verbal fillers, she sometimes uses visual fillers, like screwing up her face when she’s trying to find the right word or phrase.

I also like William Hurt’s attitude. He came in late during the interview with Maria Bello and had a playful attitude, commenting on all the recorders on the table and saying, “So many trinkets for us!” Or something like that. He’s pretty easy-going and an ardent supporter of the United States armed forces. He has family currently serving. Mario Bello also had kind words to say about the military in regards to their performance and assistance in Haiti.

So after The Yellow Handkerchief junket, which I think ended around 3:30 p.m. or so, I rode down the elevator with a group of journos and we all discussed our schedules for the rest of the evening. Almost all of us were going to the Alice in Wonderland Press screening at the El Capitan Theater by the Hollywood & Highland Center. I’m not sure if some of the journos were from out of town or what, but a few of them didn’t know how to get there. One of the radio journos advised to drive up Doheny and make a right on Sunset before I could suggest to make a right on 3^rd and make a left on La Cienega and then a right on Sunset. Since I’m always willing to try new routes, I took his advice. Bad mistake. Once I got to Sunset I found that construction crews had shut down one of the two lanes going east, which meant that I had to sit in the traffic of the damned. The cherry on top was that the construction ended at the cross street of Sunset and La Cienega. I don’t know why I doubt myself sometimes.

The Hollywood & Highland Center

Once safely parked in the Hollywood & Highland Center garage I found that I had a couple of hours to kill before the show. I hadn’t been sleeping well the few nights before because of the stomach issues and I was fond of sleeping in my car so I thought I’d get a few winks in before heading to the surface. Unfortunately, whoever builds multi-level garages apparently makes them really flexible – just in case of an earthquake, I guess – because every time a car drove by I felt like I was on a boat in the ocean. Sleep wasn’t going to happen so I killed time walking around the courtyard and watching the stage crews set up for the next day’s Alice in Wonderland Ultimate Fan Event. I felt like garbage. I was tired, cold and my intestines were three sizes too big. While waiting, I got an email from my Editor-in-Chief Richard Elfman, reminding me to go to the movie early since they were overbooked. I looked over to the El Capitan and saw a long line forming along the sidewalk. It was no doubt the line for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, but it unnerved me enough to get me to head over.

Walt Disney's El Capitan Theater

When I got there the people manning the check-in table said they weren’t checking anyone in yet. Strangely, there was a line of non-journalist-looking people leading up to the check-in table, so I asked someone in line if they were Press. He looked at me confused and shook his head. I stepped back and just people watched for a few minutes as the line to the check-in table grew longer. Curious, I asked the check-in people if there was a separate line for Press and they said no. I sighed and walked to the back of the line. A group got in line behind me and I guess they were industry people because they were discussing which studio was flying them where and why they couldn’t make it to what screening.

At last, I got inside the El Capitan Theater to pick my seat. Interestingly, only the first five rows in the middle section were available, which meant I’d have to choose between getting a stiff neck or sitting in one of the side sections and watching at a skewed angle. I opted for the former.

If you’ve never watched a movie at the El Capitan Theater let me tell you now that it’s a mixed bag. Imagine flying coach. Think of how uncomfortable those seats are and how little reclining you get. Now remove the leg room and bring the seat in front of you all the way up to your knees. That’s what it’s like to sit in the El Capitan Theater. The seats are so tight that the ushers would have to ask Kevin Smith to leave if he tried to watch a movie here. Also, it’s impossible to get by anyone if you have to get up to use the restroom or, in my case, leave. As soon as the credits were rolling I got up and tried to barrel my way over the guy to my left and his family. No good. He politely said he would stand and I got through, but then I got caught behind an old lady with a cane being helped by her daughter. I’m not a jerk by nature so I slowed to their pace until I found an opening to get around without putting them off. The one awesome thing about the El Capitan Theater is the organist that comes rising out of the theater stage to play Disney tunes for half an hour before the show. I didn’t catch his name, but apparently he’s some kind of world champion. Admittedly, his performance was delightful.

Anyway, I was in a hurry because I had one more event to get to before the night was over. Raleigh Studios – they’re right across the street from Paramount Studios – was throwing an exclusive party to celebrate the grand opening of their studio in Budapest. My friend and colleague Parimal Rohit had been there since 7:30 p.m. and was expecting me to show up around that time, not realizing that I was at the Alice in Wonderland screening. I was dead-tired, but I’m not one to leave my friends hanging so I made for Raleigh Studios as quickly as I could. By the time I got there I had already missed the main events and all of the food was gone. Ironically, I got there just in time for goodie bags, which had information about the new Raleigh Budapest studio, some Budapest confections and a Rubik’s cube, which is apparently a favored toy in Budapest. The bag also had some towels with FotoKem branding on it. I assume they also use towels in Budapest.

Raleigh Studios shares the wonders of Budapest.

Parimal and I didn’t stay long. I glad handed some publicists and met the president of Raleigh Studios, Michael Moore – a different one – and then I stood in the parking lot with Parimal to rehash Alice and talk about our respective futures in the entertainment industry.

I got home a little after 1 a.m. and then got up for work the next day. I wonder how long I can keep this up before I go insane.

Editor’s Note: While proofreading, I realized that I didn’t cover the Alice in Wonderland Press conference. Oh well. Something to look forward to in a future post, I guess. Sorry about that. -René