AFI Fest 2009: DAY 1

Day 1: Fiday 10/30/09

The Fantastic Mr. Fox
God is great! I had a little medical set back this past week so I had to rest up a bit and I thought that I would miss AFI's Festival opening today. Thankfully, I felt better after a strong prayer from the pastor at church and the jacuzzi on Friday so I decided to brave it and go to the AFI Festival opening event, the red carpet movie premiere of The Fantastic Mr. Fox at the Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Unfortunately, I didn't have a ticket so I had to stand in the rush line for tickets but, thanks to Audi, the events are all free this year so it was worth the wait. I also met some real nice people in line and we became fast friends over the hour or so wait. Luckily, the line wasn't too long and we all got in and got the best seats in the front row. I waited a bit then relocated to my favorite seat which put me next to some of some Fox studio execs. who talked the whole time about an upcoming movie from Fox Studios starring Julie Roberts. Then the movie's writer-director, Wes Anderson introduced some of the voice cast including Bill Murray, who took the stage to roaring applause and whistles.

Movie Review: The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Though the movie used the old fashioned technique of stop-gap animation(my fav) and no CG it had great fresh dialog and a wonderful story line that both kids and adults could enjoy. I loved the movie and the entire audience and I laughed the entire time. I loved how the humans and animals spoke with different accents and I loved how the way the word "cuss" was used to substitute for every potentially offensive cuss word.

My view IMHO:
See this! See this! See this!

Post Prem:
Afterwards, I got to meet and talk with quite a few stars and industry insiders, including Bud Connor (Harold and Maude)and movie critic, Leonard Maltin. I missed taking a picture with Matthew Gray Gubler who plays Dr. Reid on Criminal Minds. He was carrying a stylish black and chrome cane (which I thought was a "pimp cane") and which matched his suit. My new found friends and I playfully chastised him for the cane but later, as he walked away, we saw that he had a definite limp and his right knee could not support much weight. It turns out that he had surgery for a dislocated knee cap before the start of the Fall TV season.

AFI Fest's opening event was a wonderful industry event but unfortunately, George Clooney did not make it to the premiere and many of the female fans were disappointed. Meryl Streep didn't make it either but I think both have a full slate of films in some level of production so their absences are understandable.

I waved going to the Roosevelt Hotel Entertainment Weekly Lounge and missed a possible meeting with the rapper, Snoop Dog(lol) and instead I hurried home after this event because the streets were filling up with 10 times the usual "holly-weirds" in freakish costumes, partying and already out of control although it was only October 30th. Not to be outdone, the Twilight/New Moon fans are camping out overnight in lines for autographs a week in advance. However, they are looking normal and sane in comparison to the wild revellers streaming by.