Woo! It’s a premiere in London, and I don’t care how many comments I have to dedicate to variations on “…. and it was SOOoooo COLD”, it was and I went and it was still pretty good. Kind of. The movie was “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and based on the decor and cast listing I’d say the chances of it featuring gunship battles and lamborgini car chases is negligible. Still, here’s how it went down:
As a movie title, it doesn’t have the punchiness of “Drive” or “Inception”, but “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” is hardly going to be mistaken for a movie with a similar title. Probably won’t have a blaring Hans Zimmer score, either, based on the Indian music they were pumping out of the speakers.
“Jim, you’re a prick for staying in the warm studio and sending ME out here. That is all” It was about -3 degrees Celsius plus wind chill. Yeah. I was very cold, and thinking of Australian summers.
Actress Thandie Newton (MI:2, Chronicles of Riddick) is briefly prevailed upon to take off her coat and pose for the Paps. She quickly put it on again.
“Don’t worry, I’m wearing ski gear under this” This is actress Celia Imrie. I don’t know who she is.
I seem to recall that director James Cameron needed to use CG to put breath effects onto peoples’ mouths in the cold water scenes in Titanic. I just gotta point a camera. This is director John Madden (‘Shakespeare in Love’), probably wishing this Indian-set film was having its premiere in Mumbai.
Dame Judi Dench muses over whether to step even slightly away from what little heat the bar heaters in the background provide just to sign some autographs for people crazy enough to wait out in the cold for her. I’ve never seen bar heaters at a premiere before….
Not sure who the guy on the left is, but he signed briefly. Meanwhile, ‘M’ from James Bond is signing and authorising License to Kill applications from enthusiastic fans in the crowd (“don’t rely on these in court, yeah?")
“Why, yes, I DO believe superheroes who resort to secret identities are cowards. Batman? Bah. Don’t talk to me about that poser”. Wow. Judi Dench has attitude AND a cape.
“Pose, baby! You’re lemur! You’re a meerkat! You’re…. you’re…. oh. Right. You’re a Dame of the British Empire.”
Tom Wilkinson looking suitably crime-boss Falconio-esque (he was in ‘Batman Begins’). He also looks like he’d cheerfully strangle you for the beanie you’re wearing, but I think that’s just his ‘relaxed’ face.
Actor Dev Patel (‘Slumdog Millionaire’) explains to his entourage that if even one person mentions his association with the M.Night.Shyamalan production of “The Last Airbender”, he’s outta here.
“Oh, hey! You brought an action figure from Last Airbender for me to sign! Beryl, punch this guy for me”
Bill Nighy (Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean, Minister for Magic in HP7b, etc) shows up and readies himself.
Bill Nighy’s hair is doing things that normal hair shouldn’t. But it does add credence to my claim of it being freezing. Minus 4 degrees PLUS windchill = I should have brought more layers. Yes, EVEN MORE.
One day China will overtake the West. But as long as we have Bill Nighy’s hair, we may still have time.
“I’m just saying, I HAD to leverage the success of ’Slumdog, and M.Night came along. What would YOU have done?” Well, sure.
“Well, if Dame Judi Dench ain’t using it….”
Director John Madden does a second pass-by our area and signs some more. I don’t know if autographs in this weather are representative of real signatures or what.
“It’s true. Bill Nighy’s hair just laughs everytime he sees mine”
“Get your hands off my neck, Celia, or I’ll drop you. I may not run the REAL MI-6, but they totally trained me.”
Group shot. (I’m clearly not in the press pen.)
Late arrival Tena Desae brings a beautiful dress and the risk of death by hypothermia to the event.
“Can I feel my legs? Hell no. I can’t even feel this dress on any part of my body” Tena Desae requires assistance. Or a taunton and a lightsaber.
“I’m not leaving this spot. You want to interview me, come out here”
“You sure that’s not making you warmer? I could get Tom Hiddleston – I hear that helps”
So.. that was another premiere. And it joins my 100-plus premiere Archive as the coldest one ever, temperature wise. In a rare occurrence, I went to a pub with friends afterwards to regain lost body heat and load up on calories for the long walk back to the office-thence-station. When I got home, it was -4 degrees and my apartment was 11 degrees. FIFTEEN degree temperature differential! It felt very warm…
So.. that was another premiere. And it joins my 100-plus premiere Archive as the coldest one ever, temperature wise. In a rare occurrence, I went to a pub with friends afterwards to regain lost body heat and load up on calories for the long walk back to the office-thence-station. When I got home, it was -4 degrees and my apartment was 11 degrees. FIFTEEN degree temperature differential! It felt very warm…Anyway, until next time!
Bryan Freeman
WEll done for braving the cold. Btw, sunner isn’t much better here at the mo’. Rainy days and 23 deg C MAX! Still, that is quite a bit warmer than where you are, I agree. Hope it warms up a bit for you mate and teh next premiere has your Charlize there too.