Denzel Washington on the Flight Red Carpet

I'm not really sure how much I'm ok to say here so I'm just going to let you know that last night I was on the red carpet reporting on the UK premiere of Flight for Filmoria. I got to speak to Denzel Washington, director Robert Zemeckis and two of the producers as well as having a brief chat with Adam Deacon from all those British 'hood' movies. I also got to meet the From the Red Carpet guy Craig Stevens who used to present Brain Teaser, a daily quiz show I loved back in my student days!

Anyway for now, here's some pictures from the red carpet. There were some other non-film celebrities but I'm afraid I have no idea who they were. The picture quality is terrible due to the only camera I own being on my crappy Blackberry. Sorry!

My full premiere red carpet report is here at Filmoria with proper professional pictures, maybe some video and lots of interviews with the stars including Washington and Zemeckis! My review of the film will also be up at Filmoria soon.

Happy Denzel

Thoughtful Denzel

Lovely Jamelia

Bob Zemeckis and Denzel in background

From L-R: Denzel, Zemeckis, producers Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey

Oliver Proudlock from Made in Chelsea

No idea who this is

The red carpet before take off

Interviews @ Filmoria

I have been doing most of my writing for Filmoria recently and this has given me all sorts of new and amazing opportunities.  I now get sent to screenings and get sent DVD and Blu-ray screeners to view at home and review.  It means that I've had to cut back massively on posts for I Love That Film but I hope that some of you may still follow the links over to Filmoria for the pieces that interest you!

Juggling writing for three websites, maintaining this here blog and continuing with part time teaching and PhD is getting hectic.  At least I don't have kids yet!  I'm desperately hoping to find a way to get paid for writing about film so that one day I can cut right down on the teaching!

Anyway today I thought I would share the interviews I have done for Filmoria over the past three months.  I have to say interviewing these people has been one of the most nerve wracking parts of the job but also without a doubt the most exciting!  It's fascinating talking to the people behind the films and I hope to get many more interviewing opportunities in the future.

It feels like I have had a great range of interview experiences so far.  The first one was a roundtable interview that other film writers were present for.  This was very daunting as everyone was more experienced than me and it was my first time even using a recorder.  The second was at a gala screening and I was in a press pit fighting for the attention of celebrities with other journalists.  The third one was face to face, just me and the director and was a piece of cake and finally I did an interview with Susan Blackwell over Skype.  Next I hope to get the opportunity to conduct a video interview.  That would be cool (and save me transcribing)!

So it has been a hugely interesting and exciting few months with a real range of opportunities.  I'm really looking forward to getting the chance to tackle more interviews, though I was also quick to learn how long they take to transcribe!

For the time being, here are the Filmoria interviews so far:

Mathieu Kassovitz, director and star of Rebellion

Denzel Washington, Robert Zemeckis and the producers of Flight on the red carpet

The Baytown Outlaws Writer Griffin Hood
 

Untouchable Directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano Interview

Paranormal Activity 4 Gala Screening: Katie Featherston Interview

Hello Quo Director Alan G. Parker Interview

Margin Call Interview – Susan Blackwell Means Business

Who is the coolest person you have interviewed?

Great Scott!

Just finished re-watching the Back to the Future trilogy on DVD. Reminded how absolutely brilliant the first film is. The screenplay is so well crafted and the complications build and build right up to the climax which is still nail-bitingly tense even after watching it so many times. Marty and the Doc have got to be one of the great buddy-pairings of cinema or at least 80s blockbuster cinema when everyone was making 'buddy' movies. And it's a film that sets up a sequel in a totally not annoying way but the rest of the film itself still feels like a complete story (like The Matrix also does). 

Two was slightly disaappointing after all these years of it being my favourite of the trilogy. Still very clever (with the alternate 1985 and discussion of continuums) and love going back into the first film but this time it just kept reminding me of how perfect its predecessor is. 

As for part three, it's never been anybodys favourite as far as I'm aware but the train sequence at the end almost equals the clocktower climax of the first film for nail-biting thrills. Just don't mention the lessons learned and flying train ending.

The whole trilogy should be celebrated for so many reasons; Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd's awesome performances, Robert Zemeckis pushing the technology of cinema forwards (and not forgetting his great characters), not ruining the childhood memories of so many by cashing in with a far inferior fouth film, Crispin Glover and last but not least Thomas F. Wilson as Biff who is a hysterical panto villain throughout. 

It's also got me wondering: Are these the greatest films featuring time travel ever?