Last night I attended the AFI Film Festival's opening night party. Because I was DJing the event. Besides free food and booze and celebrity spotting, I got to see the new Kevin Spacey flick, "Beyond the Sea." Well, I only saw about 45 minutes of it due to a seating snafu. The AFI kids gave out so many passes to the screening to both smarmy and non smarmy types, that an overflow theatre had to be set up for those who were not necessarily A-listers.
It's nice to be reminded of what is disgusting about LA from time to time, and this was a great place to do it. After not finding my seat, I stood at the edge of the Arclight Theatre's infamous Cinerama Dome waiting for someone to tell me where to go next. I did this for about a 1/2 hour, with a bag of CDs slung over one shoulder, a record box, a cup of soda and a tub of popcorn I could only eat lizard style. I watched the crowd come and go, dressed in the latest Stella McCartney or whatever, earpieces dangling from their perfecty similiar hairdos, complaining about the 12 minute wait outside. Sometimes someone would complain about not having a seat: "I mean, this is terrible. I had to wait outside in the cold (62 degrees) and I've been standing here for 5 minutes. Don't you guys know how to organize? Jesus Christ!"
At this stage, I only spotted a couple star types. The teeny tiny Giovanni Ribisi was my first sighting, fumbling for a seat. The dude from Smallville was there, looking very scruffy - ie HOT. He was working the unshaven rock star thing. And it was working.
And then Udo Kier showed up with his lady friend. I mean, his fag hag. They were denied seats too. Udo was a little taken aback: "But vee vere supposed to come. Vee shouldn't haf to stind here, did sey book too many peee-ple?" Overall, he wasn't being a bitch about it, just babbling. As he talked to the AFI woman, he was looking over at me (which was very unsettling - I mean, Udo is uber-creepy), so I just nodded along to what the lady was saying to him. No, I shook my head, there are no more seats. Yes, I nodded, it's terrible. I think I made a face at him too.
Finally, I asked this woman if I could just go to the overflow theatre I'd been hearing about, and was on my way. About an hour after the alleged start time, Kevin Spacey bounded into our little theatre with a microphone and a wave and said, "Hello, I'm Kevin Spacey. Thank you so much for waiting - it means a lot to me that you're here. So this is the overflow? Wow - at that other theatre, everyone seems so... overdressed." He then introduced his labor of love, told us all that it was filmed in Berlin (posing as LA) and that when it was over, we would love and respect Bobby Darin as much as he did. And then he was gone.
Like I said, I only got to see about 45 minutes of "Beyond the Sea." I had to move on to the afterparty and setup, but what I saw was fun. Not Oscar buzz, but fun. Anyone wanting to see this movie: be warned. It's a musical. And I mean we've got Kevin singin', dancin' and hammin' up a storm. It's a movie within a movie, and that movie happens to involve alot of spontaneous group dance numbers.
Oh yea, and Kevin Spacey is not gay.
The party at the Fonda theatre afterwards was more fun than I thought it would be. I DJed some swing and lounge numbers before the big band started and while the crowd was arriving. The band played a long time, and we were free to wander.
I know that you want to know who was at the shindig. Kevin Spacey, of course, and his beard.... Um, I mean, mom. Kate Bosworth and her boyfriend, Orlando Bloom. Sofia Coppola with a little perm. (Sorry I kept pointing at you, Sofia.) Udo & Smallville dude made it, and the real Dude - my pal Jeff Dowd. I think there were some other people too, but I'm tired and can't remember.
The drinks were good. Bartenders cute. Bonus.
There were no gift bags. In the words of Uncle Grambo... NO BUZZ.
As we wrapped up the night, my friend told me that I was being toasted by the crowd below - including Mr. Spacey. I didn't see it, but I'll believe it.
We were given a CD by sponsor Audi on the way out. It was German style electronica (surprise!) which didn't make us want to buy an Audi. I think they made it for Udo, actually. To make up for not having a seat for him, you know.
