Shot with iphone. Click to enlarge. Pretty much sums up the ComicCon mania here. When you can see a Cenobite and a Jedi commiserating outside Hall H deciding which panel to go to next...that's ComicCon.
Shot with iphone. Click to enlarge. Big night tonight, had my THIRST screening with Chanwook Park in attendance, and this after a VERY long day of supervising crews, shooting AND making sure the "48 hours with Olivia" video shoot goes off without a hitch. Another successful day at the convention center, although my Supervising Producer Mike D almost got shot by one of the dick-weed security guards working the event. Hear him rant about it HERE. But again, great work all!
After we finished the Post show, I raced back to the hotel to get changed, sop the sweat from under my tits and speed back over to the theater that was playing THIRST (free tickets were given out at the G4 booth all day today). When I got there I met Liz, the friendly PR woman in charge of wrangling the whole shebang together, and I noticed that my friend Marcus' movie THE COLLECTOR was also screening tonight, as well as some other movie I have no recollection of. So between the fact that its a Friday at ComicCon (not the best night to want to watch a flick, free or not) and there's already 3 movies here to choose from, I feared the worst. What if noone came?
Well come they did (that sounded wrong) and inside the theater it was mostly full, more than I expected! Park was nowhere to be seen (he wasn't going to show up till the end) but I warmed up the crowd before the film started, informing the 2 Twilight fans in attendance that there was "No sparkling, No Teams, etc" and that fans of OLD BOY, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN & NEAR DARK were in for a treat. This would be my second time watching the film, and I was even more excited this time, especially to make sure my questions were sound and engaging, not the usual PR crap from people who don't know or care, just looking for a bite.
What was great was that instead of finding flaws in the second screening, I loved THIRST MORE this time, it was a much more enriching cinematic experience and I found so much more on this go, which only made me more psyched to meet Mr. Park and pick his brain.
As the lights went up, I rushed out to the lobby to greet the director, who i had never met prior to this. This is when Im informed that there will be a translator present during the discussion....great.
Then, as most of the crowd stayed for the Q&A, I went back to the front and began getting the crowd riled up for the director's intro. Now, let me first mention that I had always assumed his name was like it's credited Chanwook Park, however because sometimes Eastern names are said in odd orders, I had asked the PR folks from Focus Features how he liked to be referred to and someone shot back, "Park Chan Wook" so I spent days trying to make sure I said it right. SO CUT BACK TO TONIGHT: I go "Here he is, the man, the myth! Park-Chan Wook!!"
Noone comes out. Um....
Then one of the PR people raced over to me and whispered "It's Chanwook Park!" DAMNIT!!!! Glad I know this NOW!
So he finally comes out, very demure and looking tired as hell from a long day of shilling for his film in a foreign environment, translator in tow. We sit down in very uncomfortable director's chairs and begin the Q&A and already, its awkward as hell as I spew passionate, excited questions, only to have them translated in a muted, soft tone by the translator and then answered in a similar low decibel octave by Mr. Park himself. It was, at least to me up there, VERY awkward, but I think the audience got into it and enjoyed the Q&A, especially since it was past midnight and people were itching to unwind and drink. Also, I got the slightest hint that Mr. Park was not really into doing this Q&A, especially this late with some douche-bag round-eye geek (i.e. "me") and his detached mannerisms and slightly asshole-ish answers to my questions ("Actually, if you see ALL of my films you'll notice I care a LOT about sound design") left me with a slightly sour taste in my mouth, but after the day I even had, I can totally understand his feelings and attitude...I guess I just expected more out of it. But overall it was fun and I was honored to do it; afterwards many people in the crowd came up to me and complimented me on the night, saying it was infinitely better than the panel earlier in the day and that I made a great MC. Really nice of them to say that.
The night wasn't done though; I had to literally RUN about 15 blocks to get to a party G4 was covering to make sure it was OK and when I got there, covered in sweat, it seemed that the soiree was winding down, but I got to meet up with the FrightFest Lovelies who are in town, so the night was not totally lost. Whew. What's today?
Joe
Shot with iphone, click to enlarge.
