22 Oct 2013 - The 'Thor : The Dark World' World Premiere

October 22nd, 2013.

London Film Festival is barely over, and mere days later a World Premiere hits Leicester Square. And the hordes of Tom Hiddleson fans whose appetites were presumed sated after the premiere of "Only Lovers Left Alive" just days ago, found pretext to return once again. This time to support their hero in a movie sequel still inexplicably named after his brother.

Here's how it went down.

The Metro announced this morning that the five best Loki Lookalike costumes would win tickets to see the film. However, given these people were waiting in line since before 6am and couldn't have known about that competition, it stands to reason that they dressed this way anyway. (I'm going to say that this is extremely cool because I'm very sure otherwise they'd hurt me)

Well, this was inevitable. (As was the outcome : the Lokis in the queue outnumbered Thors about 6 to 1, plus they don't fight fair!)

For the past three days, the forecast for the premiere was heavy rain in a six hour band lasting from about 2pm to 8pm. This was then revised to consistent rain for the remainder of the day, which then met what I like to call 'reality', which is that it drizzled lightly twice in the afternoon, and heavily for about four minutes in the evening. Dear Meteorolgists, stop aligning yourselves with science, and get over _there_ with soothsayers and the designers of fad celebrity diets. (That said? nice umbrella).

The God Of Thunder does not approve of you inviting X-Factor contestants to this event. (Seconded)

"You! Your helmet... it still looks fabulous" This was part of a  'Phwoaaarr Thor' competition, amounting to exploitative ogling at semi-naked males in Norse outfits competition, that I will not dignify by naming the corporate sponsor involved. Because quite honestly I wasn't really paying attention.

The crowd for this film was skewed towards younger females, which I'm sure at least several accountants over at Marvel / Disney studios briefly puzzled over before revising box office estimations further upwards.

"If I can somehow drag it to the nearest tube station, can I keep it?"

A hat can dream, I suppose?

To give you a partial idea of the scale of this event, the giant hammer (shown earlier above) is on the right, and the giant wedge is one of two segments of Leicester Square open to the public, while the thinner bits on the side (one shown, one not) was for the first 500 people in the queue to get in (the earliest arrivals camped overnight. I did not). My position was on the middle/lower left.

My approximate distance from the stage and the number (and arm height) of the people who would be getting between my camera's lens and the main stage. And bearing in mind that these people are recording the trailer with their mobile phones (instead of watching it in better resolution and sound on iTunes or youtube), you can imagine they'll be photographing pretty much everything, all the time, no matter how bad their zooms or how low the light.

still, we're set... let's get down to it:

Kat Dennings is best known for also being in the prior Thor movie, appropriately enough called 'Thor'. She was also in Nick and Norah's infinite playlist, which I'm sure I've watched but just can't remember any of.

Stellan Skarsgard plays Dr Erik Selvig in the film, and yes I know the second 'a' in 'Skarsgard' has a dot above it but it's way past my bedtime and I don't have time to look for it right now. I think I last photographed him at the premiere of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"

"A petition for Loki to get his own standalone movie and subsequent follow-on franchise based on fanciful fangirl fanfiction? Hell I've written several myself - where do I sign" Kat Dennings has hit _that_ part of the crowd.

"Ladies, you may remember Tom Hiddleston from such premieres as "Thor", "War Horse", "The Deep Blue Sea", "The Avengers" and "Only Lovers Left Alive". Or perhaps you're stalking him, in which case he'd kindly ask you to stop on behalf of every other guy in Leicester Square who lacks his charisma and bow tie". Damnit, I gotta stop wearing t-shirts and a beanie to premieres.

"Guys, one last chance to join my empire willingly, rather than be forced to at sword, horn, and spear-point later. I mean, yes even when I do take over, things will get pretty awful for anyone who is not me, but other than that things will be pretty good."

"Best Birthday Present Ever"

Outstandingly, I've now photoraphed Natalie Portman, meaning I've now photographed 19 of this year's Empire Magazine Top 20 sexiest movie stars 2013 (only the mighty Ryan Gosling eludes my grasp) (Yes, I do have other hobbies).

"So you are aware that although you're apparently the hero of this movie, 90% of the screaming fans are here for your brother, who's not even the main villain in the movie?"
"Of course"

"And the Red Sox Win!!!" Well, that was random..

"The queue for Maltesers and Popcorn is HOW long?? What if I tell them I've won an Academy Award, might that help?"
"No, ma'am"

"He's my brother, but I'm slowly going to slide my hand down his back and see what the fanfic writers make of that" I fear the internet might be a dangerous place to tread for the next couple of hours.

Thor The Dark World is directed by Alan Taylor who has directed six episodes of the excellent Game Of Thrones, and nine episodes of The Sopranos which I've been told I should (have) watch(ed). And also six episodes of Sex and the City which I don't really have time for in my busy schedule of hair maintenance and home taxidermy.

"No, I will not accept fan spec scripts for Thor The Dark World because I know exactly what kind of fan fiction you girls are writing. Also, you'll notice the movie is finished, so you're kind of late"

Kat Dennings returned to our area to sign more. I'm calling her look Hathaway-esque until I'm told by Anne Hathaway's people to stop.

"Sure I'm still trying to take over the world, I'm just wearing a tux now rather than leather cloak and a horned helmet. I figured it was too much of a giveaway, and plus it was hell to wear on most forms of commuter transport"

Kevin Feige has the impressive sounding title of President of Marvel Studios Development. It's no 'God of Mischief' or 'Lord of the Sith', but I guess it beats Senior Benchmark Analyst. Well... kind of.

At the distance I'm shooting, and with the amount of crowd streaming past, and the number of people grasping for Stellan Skarsgard's autograph nearby, I'm fairly pleased this shot turned out okay.

"I'm not saying I disapprove of you two standing right next to each other, I'm just saying it'll take the fanfic I'm planning to write in an entirely different direction"

Clearly wants to read that fanfic.

"I know OF Home and Away, what about it?" Chris Hemsworth got his start on the Aussie soap, across 184 episodes. I didn't watch them....

....but I did watch the Australian series Dancing With The Stars back in 2006 which he made it to the Grand Final of and I worked for the company sponsoring the event and used to write weekly recaps of it. Good times. (Wait... did I just admit to that?) (Time for some moody melancholy lighting for my misspent 'youth')

"Prithee, woulds't thou sign?" By sheer coincidence, I watched Joss Whedon's "Much Ado About Nothing" just yesterday. It was good. Cleverly done, though I think its modernisation was fraught with the odd cultural problem that didn't translate well across the centuries. Not that I think I'm going to get a chance to discuss this with anyone who might care.

"Very well. 'I will not condone an action that will lead us to war'. But I'm not wearing the stupid hat"

Natalie Portman exits the stage and I'm prety happy that I prefocussed this shot as more or less every umbrella in the crowd was being being waved back and forth by people holding them in one hand, balancing their posters, photos and autograph book in the other hand, and somehow still taking photos on their mobile phones and ipads.

Every now and then, I don't really feel like thinking overmuch about writing a comment. I'm pleased the Nikon got this shot right at short distance.

Idris Elba arrives, and is cooler than you, me, and... well, probably not Tom Hiddleston I guess. But pretty much everyone else.

"Our organisation is small, but we're undergoing a period of rapid and aggressive expansion. So certainly I'd be interested in seeing your resume if you're as ruthless as you claim"

Christopher Ecclestone, still under the misapprehension that he's the bad guy in this film, signs some autographs. He'll always be Raymond Calitri from Gone in Sixty Seconds to me... but mainly because I don't watch Dr Who.

"Shhhh.... Thor and his guys are listening. Let's pretend we're here just to promote the movie and leave our little insurrection for another time"

Late and unexpected and rather awesome arrival : Joss Whedon, director of The Avengers (and its upcoming sequel). He dismissed claims that he was parachuted in to do emergency script surgery on Thor2 as an exaggeration. I assume that means it was a helicopter, not a parachute, that dropped him onto set.

"I don't care what any of the rest of you have planned,  I just want the guy I'm pointing at to watch this movie" Aww... do I *have* to? I'm still coming off my relative disappointment at Iron Man 3.

"I'm sorry I can't talk about Shakespearean adaptations right now. I'm so busy I haven't even found time to buy the watch that I'd be pointing at to tell you how late I'm running"

So... that rather massive event was a World Premiere. Sorry for the length, I usually go for less than 30 photos per premiere, but I allow myself more for Awards and World Premieres or really, REALLY big premieres like say The Avengers or The Baftas or... Twilight. But now, it's time for me to get some sleep and add one more to "The Archive of Movie Premieres" and try to get enough sleep to plausibly claim that I'm fit to work tomorrow. Those pricing models won't code themselves.

Incidentally, the other Marvel premieres I've been to so far are:

Thor - Hemsworth! Brannagh! Hiddleston! Alexander!
The Avengers - RDJ! Johansson! Hemsworth! Hiddleston! Renner! Ruffalo!
Iron Man 3 - RDJ! Black! Kingsley!

(And no, obviously I'm not including Spider-Man....)

Incidentally, if you ever want to know when I post one of these journals, feel free to follow me on twitter @berndt2_photo, or on facebook at premieresdotco.

Until next time!

19 Oct 2013 - The BFI LFF 'Only Lovers Left Alive' Premiere

October 19th, 2013.

Note : I have posted this premiere before, on Redbubble. This journal is an exact duplicate for now

In contrast to yesterday where I stepped off a plane and then went to three premieres ("Drinking Buddies" and "12 Years A Slave" and "Locke"), today the jetlag hit and I managed to make it in for the premiere of Only Lovers Left Alive anyway. The list of attendees wasn't too major, and of those only one person attended. Fortunately for estrogen levels in London, it was the right one. If you're not a fan of Tom Hiddleston, look away now, but if you are (and who wouldn't be - I'm a guy and even I think he's pretty cool), then here's how it went down.

"No Tilda Swinton? And no Jim Jarmusch? Plus there's Vampires?? What kind of premiere IS this?" The kind that they needed to remodel the Odeon West End carpet setup for the first time in three premieres for, on the strength of just *one* anticipated attendee.

It's actually a pretty cool thing that the mass of Tom Hiddleston fans got the premiere area expanded, and yet unlike other highly loyal fans they do not require much larger and cage-like barriers. Those typically reserved for teen heartthrobs and cult(ish) franchises who need to be protected from their overenthusiastic fans. Here, I felt totally safe and protected, and I'm just a normal guy.

The Man. The Myth. The stylish tuxedo. Jim Jarmusch and Tilda Swinton can stay in the hotel sipping vodkas, because Tom Hiddleston has arrived and he's got things covered.

Meanwhile, Maryam D'Abo was the Bond Girl in "The Living Daylights", and the only other time I've photographed her previously was another London Film Festival premiere. (I'm sorry. I'll get back to photographing Tom Hiddleston now.)

Thanks, security dude. (though your sideburns are sensational)

On the offchance you're not aware Tom Hiddleston has been in such films as "War Horse" , "The Deep Blue Sea" .... but more famously he was the villain (your view may vary) in "Thor" and "The Avengers"... and he's a likely attendee at next week's "Thor the Dark World" premiere

Although she has no discernible connection to this film (correction : she's Yasmine Hamdan and she wrote two songs from the movie's soundtrack, and performs on one of them), in any event I'm rather pleased that this lady showed up to lend some variety to my photographs at this premiere. I'm not trying to diminish either Tom Hiddleston or Maryam D'Abo, I just like variation.

"Well, time to look all awesome and stuff" Tom Hiddleston heads off to pose for the paparazzi.

It's all about angles. And access, if you can get a press pass.

"Sorry lady, but I'm standing here as long as that starburst lasts"

"Nobody insults my half-brother but me.". That seems to be Thor's attitude as much as Loki's

Orange dress on Red Carpet. My camera's metering might not like it, but I remain positively inclined.

"Loki fanfic, huh? Let's see who I end up naked with this time"

"I'll read more fan fiction later, I promise. I just gotta do some interviews first!"

"Thor2? Well, that premiere is next week and I'm hoping to be there. Also, I'm hoping they change all the posters and just call it 'The Loki Movie' because... am I right?" I feel sorry for Christopher Ecclestone, who might think he's the villain/drawcard in Thor2

"OMG it's...!!!" Yes, it is. Keep moving.

"My daughter wants to marry you. I told her 'not before I do'." Tom Hiddleston looks flattered.

"I have a niece, and she's twenty years old and wants to marry you. Can I at least tell her you'll consider it?".

"NOOOoooooo!!! Don't do it!!!!"

"Well, there's that guy's cousin and the nice lady over there and I'm feeling that love, but sometimes I just want to talk about the movies I'm in"

"Okay, I'm only talking to you guys because I've been assured by my assistant you don't have wives, daughters or nieces who want to marry me."

"By the way, if you can find your way to discreetly get me a copy of that fanfic I read earlier, do so"

"No you can't have my tie. I need it to look cool and hold my collars together".

"People, I gotta go in now, but if I didn't kiss your babies or bless your cats I'm sorry and that doesn't mean you can't also do these things. Peace out"

After today there's still one day to go. I might get some sleep after that.

So... that's the most photos of Tom Hiddleston I've taken probably since I first photographed him at the premiere of Thor back in Sydney in 2010. Hopefully I'll address that at next week's premiere of *Loki*... I mean Thor2

And in any case, it's another entry into my "Archive of Movie premieres"

Until next time!

Incidentally, if you ever want to know when I post one of these journals, feel free to follow me on twitter @berndt2_photo, or on facebook at premieresdotco.

11 Jun 2013 - The 'Much Ado About Nothing' premiere-ish 'thing'

June 11th, 2013.

Much Ado About Nothing is a Shakespearean play, adapted now into a film by Joss Whedon, the director of The Avengers. And since Mr Whedon wasn't actually at "the premiere of The Avengers film a year ago"  there were a reasonable number of people who would have seen this as an opportunity to see / meet / clamour for an autograph from the guy. Oh, and Tom Hiddleston was expected.

Here's how it went down:

There was a list and there was a crowd, but Red Carpet, barriers or any sense of 'event' was somewhat lacking…. as shown below

So we're calling THIS is a premiere now? (Actually, this is still quite civilised... check out the photos later in this journal...)

Probably not a prop from a Shakespeare adaptation.

The man under the Notting Hill Gate bus indicator is actor Anthony Head. I don't know who that is. But I can guess based on what people are getting him to sign.

Anthony Head drags himself into the event before the crowd drags him back to pose for more photos.

The man in the tan (not tan-green, but tan-beige-yellow) jacket in the far background (no... FURTHER BACK than where you're probably looking) is the director of the third-highest grossing film in history (inflation nonadjusted).

Joss Whedon is like "are you guys SURE you're all fans of Shakespeare? Because the posters you're holding suggest otherwise"

Tom Hiddleston is not actually in this movie, but his presence is generally welcomed by fans and autograph hunters alike.

"No I will not sign your belated Mothers Day card. Okay, maybe..."

Is this crowd getting larger, or just louder. I've seen the trailers for World War Z. This is more or less what it's like. The full size shot is "here if you want it"

Desperate times. I'm photographing Joss Whedon through a window. Not something I'm excessively proud of. (Except for the other shot where he's reflected in a bus behind me.. that kind of works)

"So I said... keep that nose directly where it is, blocking my chin" And, Gosh darn it….. it is.

"....?"

Tom Hiddleston is still being interviewed at an open doorway and at this stage has still not committed to an answer to the previously asked (or subsequently asked) question or questions.

"I have no idea which one of you is a person and who is a reflection of a person, and who is a reflection of a reflection. Do you mind if I just treat you all as if you only *might* be real?"

Alexis Denisof, who unlike Anthony Head and Tom Hiddleston is actually IN this movie... is in this movie.

"Sorry I can't sign, but me and Joss are thinking of sneaking out the side exit in about ten minutes. But please don't tell anyone". Okay.

I think this photo has about four levels of reflection in it. If you would like me to do something like this for your commercial photo shoot, it will require a ratio of Cash : Desperation of approximately 3:2

Joss Whedon, reflected in a window... with the reflection of a bus reflected IN that window, along with the reflection of a man standing in front of him without a light source. There is almost no way you could *deliberately* set up this shot.... (Also falls under the category "Blurry, therefore Art")

So.... that was a thing. And it's another one for the "Archive of Movie Premieres"

By the way, if you ever want to know when I post one of these journals, feel free to follow me on twitter @berndt2_photo (or facebook at premieresdotco) (or both!)

Until next time!

18 Feb 2013 - The 'Cloud Atlas' Premiere

February 18th, 2013.

A mere one day after the semi-failure of the premiere for "Stoker- with Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska" it was time for another premiere at a different Curzon cinema. This one for the Wachowski's latest : Cloud Atlas.

Here's how it went down:

It was released in the USA late October last year - but it's finally here! And they've got a Gala for it, no less. Unfortunately, unless you were in the first 40 people in line (aka : homeless or jobless?) you weren't getting into the 'special' pen adjacent to the red carpet. Argh.

"Jane, you tell the plasterer I want it in pink or he needn't bother. Oh, and have somebody punch the guy pulling a face behind me" Nothing gets past the mighty M&A Security at these events.

The Paparazzi have gotten their preferential pen, the first 40 people in the queue have got their 'special people' pen in front of the red carpet, and I'm standing across the road where passing through-traffic will interrupt the odd photograph. It's totally *Hollywood*. Except nobody's got a genuine tan and bleached teeth, and it's about about 4 degrees celsius.

The first arrival is Jim Broadbent, who played Horace Slughorn in the Harry Potter movies, which thrilled the curiously young kids hanging around near where I was. He plays five (5) roles in the movie, which involves a lot of castmembers playing a lot of different roles. How does that compare to the rest of the attending cast, though? Read on..

"Harry and GINNY?? No Frikkin' Way!! But what about that Ron kid he kept hanging around with?"

"I'm going to have to take some time to process that" Jim Broadbent also played owner Harold Ziedler in Moulin Rouge which means he's one of the few people at this premiere who can claim to be on my iPod!

Almost nobody in the past few decades has done 'warily downbeat terrified Englishman' like Hugh Grant. It's enough to build a career off.

"I play SEVEN roles in the film?? I guess that explains all the costume changes."

"That's sweet - you drew a picture of me with love hearts and everything. And you're how old? Forty-six! Well, thanks..." I'm yet to see Jim Sturgess in any movie in his filmography, but I did photograph him at the premiere of "One Day" - with Anne Hathaway

"I'm actually very proud to play a mere four roles in Cloud Atlas, as it equals the great Michael J Fox's four roles in Back to the Future Part II (Marty, Marty's Son, Old Marty, His Daughter)" James D'Arcy is absolutely right.

Also, James D'Arcy looks weirdly like the actor who plays the lead in Scott Pilgrim vs the World. That's two wins in my book.

No idea. Everybody was screaming out "Ollie" but that could just as well been the brand of vest he was wearing.
(edited to add : I've since been informed he's 'Colin Morgan' and he's in 'Merlin'. Thanks for that!)

Ben Whishaw is the new 'Q' in the Bond franchise. But don't worry - if his character ever starts to get interesting that's probably because they're about to kill him off.

If I hadn't recently watched Skyfall, I would have wondered why a member of the band Kasabian was at this premiere. By the way : Ben Whishaw's Cloud Atlas Character Count : 5

"I'm just going to stand here until people stop telling me I look great" Jim Sturgesss plays seven roles in the film, which looks to be equal most alongside Hugh Grant. Meanwhile, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugo Weaving do six each. I'd like to think that even the caterers were also key grips and sound editors at various stages of the production.

"Took me only fourteen minutes to decide to leave my top button unbuttoned at this premiere, regardless of the temperature" and THAT's what success can be built on. I usually wear a t-shirt to these things, which is clearly where i got wrong (though I think ahead enough to usually wear many layers on top)

Lana, formerly Larry Wachowski has arrived, as has her brother Andy. They directed The Matrix Trilogy, V for Vendetta AND Speed Racer. No small feat - one of those had a monkey in a lead role!

Art By Lana (and possibly a slightly longer than necessary shutter speed on the Nikon). She was very nice : I even got an autograph : meaning I'm now only one Wachowski short of a Starship. Given they take, like, five years between movies I'm kind of concerned about completing that set.

Meanwhile,Tom Hiddleston. Side-Profile. No immediate connection with this film, but to be frank I'd have said yes to a free ticket to see the movie also. Might have worn a suit, probably not a tie. Once again.. this is presumably where I go wrong in my key decision making.

"Tom Hiddleston? Here? I knew I should've shaved..."

Andy Wachowski's beanie does not look as warm as the one I'm wearing right now. But the Mercedes he was driven to the event in probably does have climate control.

"Tom's here. Not Hanks. Just saying"

Cloud Atlas actually had THREE directors : Andy and Lana Wachowski and Tom Tykwer (who also did 'Run Lola Run'). Now, since most of the actors in the cast play somewhere between five and eight characters, I'd say the directors were pulling comparatively light duty.

One more of the three Directors, and one HAD to wear a shirt white enough to throw off both the metering AND white balance on the photo. Well played, sir.

So... I guess that's another entry for the "Archive of Movie Premieres" and another challenge to bring my core temperature back up above non-hypothermic.

ps. if you ever want to know when I post one of these journals, feel free to follow me on twitter @berndt2_photo (or facebook at premieresdotco) (or both!)