9th Oct - The 'Men, Women & Children' Premiere

October 9th, 2014.

It was only yesterday that the Red Carpet in front of the Odeon Leicester was graced by Rain, Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley for the BFI London Film Festival opening gala for "The Imitation Game". Just one day later, at the same location, a different Red Carpet was graced by Rain, More Rain, and Ansel Elgort.

Here's how it went down.

This is not the Odeon Leicester Square. This is across the square at the Odeon West End, where the premiere of "Bjork : Biophilia" was to have taken place. Except then Bjork cancelled and the idea of going to the premiere of the movie without the main star showing up seemed rather silly. On which note...

This is the Odeon Leicester Square, and we have been informed that lead actor Adam Sandler will not be attending, and lead actress Jennifer Garner has cancelled her attendance. In the absence of evidence of a serious reason, I will assume their non-attendance was because Ms Garner took one look outside her hotel bar and said "that rain will ruin my hair for sure" while Mr Sandler was busy elsewhere lighting cigars with $100 bills.

Fortunately for the organisers, the event for "Men Women & Children" did not become an empty wasteland in the wake of the two main stars canceling. Actually, it became clear that the majority of the young and female crowd probably had no idea who Adam Sandler was and they were here to see Ansel Elgort, a name so bizarre you know it must be true. Apparently he's the male lead of the recent Teen Cancer Sufferers Romance movie "The Fault in Our Stars"

This is the girlfriend of the guy signing autographs to her left (Chris? Charles? David?). She seems like she'd rather be anywhere else. Her combination black dress / yellow raincoat seems to want to be in two different places at once.

She: "I'm just saying... you're spending all your time posing with other girls and I'm RIGHT HERE"
He : "Babe, that's because none of the guys here want to pose with me! I can't help that"

This is not Ansel Elgort. This is director Jason Reitman, who has directed a couple of films, including the Ellen Paige/Michael Cera teen pregnancy movie Juno (2007), The George Clooney / Anna Kendrick movie Up In The Air (2009) and the Charlize Theron black-comedy (?) Young Adult (2011). The girl in the dress is also in this movie... more on her later.

"Hey, don't sweat it. I've got a phone just like that. Just not in pink. Mine's baby-blue/lilac". Gird your ears, for that high-pitched screaming you're possibly hearing is for the arrival of Ansel Elgort.

The Girl in the Spectacularly Crocheted Dress (which is not a David Fincher sequel) is Kaitlyn Dever, possibly best known for roles in "Bad Teacher" with Cameron Diaz, and as "Palmer's Daughter" in the movie "J.Edgar". But mostly I think it's possibly because of the dress.

Meanwhile, the possibly now-single David-or-Chris-or-Charles is continuing his foray into selfies-with-pink-phones territory to my left.

Ansel. So Hot Right Now. Ansel
(Yeah... I made a 'Zoolander' joke, from a movie that's almost from last Century)

"So I was like, OMG that's Ansel Elgort!!!! So for the first day I did nothing but take selfies and update my twitter and facebook and instagram."

"Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's probably eight point six trillion drops of rain and I should probably take out my contacts..." Apparently this is one of the film's producers. I'm not sure which one, but fortunately for me imdb.com exists and there are five producers only one of whom has a female name. But I don't subscribe to gender stereotypes, so I'm guessing she's Jason Blumenfeld.

"Prepare my carriage. It has begun". Sounds scary.

Director Jason Reitman has been nominated for four Academy Awards, but when it rains he still gets wet, and when the crowd is this average age they'll still all be shouting for Ansel Elgort and presumably wondering who the Old Guy is.

"If this dress gets any more waterlogged it's going to weigh more than I do, and you'll have to roll me along this red carpet". The weather does seem to have turned. Welcome, as yesterday, to London in Autumn.

"There's nothing wrong with your camera, ladies. It's just that my suit really is that sparkly" Ansel Elgort has hit our part of the crowd, and I am being easily outmuscled by girls less than half my age and bodyweight.

"Along with about 400 girls, there's also a guy over there who wants to hug you. I'll leave it up to you. He seems nice"

Ansel Elgort was also in the movie Divergent (2014). Because... of course he was. The Nikon I used for this shot appears to have underexposed by about 9 stops to commemorate this, and I don't actually mind.

"What was it like working with Ansel Elgort, and do you know where Adam Sandler is?"

"Divergent was totally groundbreaking, GRANDAD". Yeah, and so were all the other movies it copied.

"What was it like working with Ansel Elgort? Well... I kept trying to take selfies with him. It was weird."

Good news for fans of rain. We've got more of it.

My eye is fixed on the infinite calm of the girl at the bottom, who is probably getting a high score on Fruit Ninja and is letting nothing and no-one interfere with her Flow

Sometimes I do wonder whether it's better to be single and doing this in this kind of weather... or being single and at home watching TV. Right now, I'd rather be Adam Sandler, lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills....

"Guys? I'm honoured that you came, but right now you should probably find higher ground"

So... that was the glitz and glamour of a London Premiere, apparently. Still... I did kind of enjoy it. Rain might be uncomfortable (and probably not recommended for the longevity of camera equipment), but it adds a nice uniquenes and random element to photography. Wouldn't want to do it every day, but this was decent. I'm off doing other things tomorrow, but I'll be out soon enough as London Film Festival continues, but in the meantime it's "another premiere for the Archive of Movie Premieres".

Until Next Time!

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.

8th Oct - The (BFI LFF Opening) 'The Imitation Game' Premiere

So after all the waiting, it's finally time for BFI London Film Fest. And I'd just come from a late lunch with a girl I really like to whom I'd had to explain that it wasn't that I'd EVER choose Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch over her, it's merely that I hoped it wouldn't come to that. But I'm guessing you don't want to know about my tragically nonexistent love life... you're probably here for photos of Benedict Cumberbatch.

Very well. Here's how it went down.

With a scant two hours to go, a red carpet it laid and I'm here to photograph it from my perch in a rather surprisingly rare front row position at the far corner of the large public pen. I'm hoping that by giving up a spot near the drop off, near the disabled, and near the paparazzi I'll profit from proximity to the main interview area. Fingers crossed.

This movie is about WW2 codebreaker/ mathematician/ logician Alan Turing, and his story is one of genius, brilliance and breathtaking unfairness as far from being heralded as a true hero who saved countless lives through his efforts in World War II, he was instead lionized for his private life... one of the most awfully unfair things to happen to a person who had done so much. He was issued a public apology by the UK government years and years later but... well... let's just say : watch the movie. I'm yet to, but it looks very good.

"Jacques, you know nobody holds an umbrella with as much elan as you". Our first arrivals are Keira Knightley and a resumption of Rain. Well done, BBC Weather forecasting... you screwed up again. Fortunately, my camera is fairly weatherproof. Unfortunately, neither my jacket, jumper or beanie are.

It's too late for me to do anything professional like fact-check, so I'm going off vague memory and saying that this is most likely Andrew Hodges, the author of the book on which this movie was based. Also possibly Graham Moore, the screenwriter. Very unlikely Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy. (edited to add : he's Graham Moore)

Morten Tyldum at right is the director of this film, which is also his first English Language feature. Incidentally, while I'm as much of an uncultured swine as the next person (arguably more so) I do happen to have watched one of his other films, "Headhunters (2011)" which was pretty great. (I know... I'm totally credible!)

"The second umbrella is really helping. Thank you." Alex Lawther plays young Alan Turing in the film. And while the horde of excited young girls/women might ordinarily be into young heartthrobs, I'm pretty certain they're mostly to see the actor who plays ADULT Alan Turing in the film.

That feeling of cold dark dread you're feeling is the presence of Charles Dance, who despite what imdb.com is currently telling me, is certainly best know for playing the infamous Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones.

"Is this where I can buy Maltesers and Choc-tops?" Matthew Beard, who appropriately enough elected not to come to this event clean-shaven, plays the role of Peter Hilton in the film. He was also in 'An Education (2009)' with Carey Mulligan. That was a great film... the female genre equivalent to, say Terminator 2.

Has never heard of 'An Education (2009)' likened to Terminator 2 before. To be fair, nobody has. But I stand by me recommendation of that film (and obviously also James Cameron's Terminator 2)

Although he's not in this film, actor John Hurt is always a welcome presence on red carpet events - he's a really, really nice man (AND he was in V for Vendetta. You can do a fair bit of evil and still get credit for being in V for Vendetta in my opinion. It's a great film)

"Benedict Cumberbatch? Sure I can point him out for you. He looks almost exactly like this" Let the screaming commence : our lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch has arrived.

"I can't literally sign for all of you. I'd miss the movie, and it's pretty great if I do say so myself". I fully understand, although I think the largely female crowd around me isn't fully supportive of Benedict Cumberbatch not signing and/or posting and/or hugging and/or high-fiving everyone here.

According to imdb, apparently Allen Leech has been in no less than 38 episodes of Downton Abbey, none of which I've watched but I've been advised by numerous people I should rectify that. Well... sure. I'll get right on that once I watch all of Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, The Sopranos, The West Wing and all of Doctor Who

As the Red Carpet gets ever-soggier, Keira Knightley approaches to be interviewed in front of me, and however many assistants it takes to keep her dry who will block my view of her.

" 'Pentax'. Is that, like a real brand?" Ummm.. .kind of. Keira Knightley and I share a brief moment as she's introduced by the lady doing the interviewing this evening whose name I don't recall because even if I'm not staring at Keira Knightley, I'm at least regarding her lacey dress with some slight interest.

"Piracy? Well, I'm against it, obviously. OH, you mean the movies. Okay". In other news, I don't think I've ever wanted a blonde woman to move about a meter away from me (left or right) quite so much before.

Argh. And I was already holding my camera about fifty centimetres to my left to take this photo. Curse my short, human, non-chimpanzee proportioned arms just this one time!

Benedict Cumberbatch, meanwhile, because you're interested, is still doing interviews and the odd bit of autograph signing / high-fiving / selfie-ing to my far right and out of view. Stay tuned... he'll get here eventually (at the premiere they had large screens that frequently showed his progress and whereabouts... I'll attempt to do the same here)

"I'm just going to say nothing and let the question hang until it's time for my interview further below"

Meanwhile, directly in front of me:

"Benedict Cumberbatch? He's over to that guy's right, signing autographs, high-fiving fans, blessing infants and kissing babies". That's pretty much what I said.

"Did I think about my sizeable Balding Men Fanbase when I decided to put on hair for this role? What kind of question is that?? Of course I did!!". Mark Strong, along with Jason Statham, remains a personal hero of mine.

"Maybe the hair in the movie was real, and maybe it wasn't. But the eyebrows? They're real, baby". Mark Strong is probably best known for his role as the villain in the first Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes film, but he was also in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (with Benedict Cumberbatch, no less) and ... umm.... Green Lantern...

"Benedict Cumberbatch? I think he's signing autographs, doing high-fives and selfies over to that guy's right.....?"

FINALLY! To the quivering excitement of the girls to my right, left and behind me, the man of the hour has arrived and has settled within sighing-distance to answer some questions.

"Hi, I'm Benedict. I might just wait for the screaming to die down before I start answering questions". Spirits were fairly high in our area....

"Well.. I can deduce that you're about to ask me a question that's nothing to do with the movie I'm in, for one thing" Good call, that.

Possibly seeking eyecontact with me because in the public pen I'm in, right now I'm one of the few people not actively propositioning him, holding up something for him to sign, or looking to hug him right now, regardless of what question the interviewer asks next.

"Spoilers for Sherlock? Well, I shoudn't. But let's just say I've filmed all three episodes so if I appear to die in episode 1 or 2 it's likely a fake-out?"

"I'm not sure that request is called for, or quite possibly legal. I'm flattered though, certainly".

"Christmas already? But I was still looking forward to a few more weeks of Pumpkin Spice Lattes before all the Festive Season flavours arrived"

"Could I ever see myself playing a Bond Villain? Certainly... check this out!"

"Seriously, though. Check out the movie. It's pretty great. And yes, full disclosure : I'm in it."

And at that, Benedict Cumberbatch returned to the crowd to sign and hug and pose for a while, before returning to continue yet more media interviews.

Charles Dance is unlikely to apologise for Tywin Lannister being directly or indirectly complicit in the deaths of any of a number of your favourite Game of Thrones characters.

"No I don't need you to hold my umbrella. I can't take the risk of anything that could be used as a weapon falling into the hands of anyone who isn't a Lannister. And, frankly, any one of several who ARE Lannisters"

"What about I ask YOU some questions?" Charles Dance is pretty awesome... in a scary/cool way.

The Lannisters Send Their Disdain.

"Yeah, I was pretty choked up at Joffrey's death too"

"Guys, the movie is about to start, and I don't mean The Imitation Game.. I mean 'Fury' on Sunday... the gala is going to be over by the time I finish answering all these questions and I haven't high-fived and hugged everyone". Sad but true... he did try, though.

"Peace out guys... get yourselves home and warm and dry." Which is pretty good advice. I might just do that.

So... that was that, and BFI London Film Festival 2014 is off and running. I'm pretty much planning to live in Leicester Square for much of the next fortnight.

It's another one for "The Archive of Movie Premieres"

Until next time! (ie. Tomorrow!)

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.