Free Aviator screening with Leonardo DiCaprio Q&A

[Popular]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 7:38pm

http://www.backstage.com/backstage/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000778210

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 7:42pm

Can't wait to see THAT crowd.

[mabel]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 7:50pm

I called for reservations. I've already seen the movie (and wasn't overly impressed) but the friend I'd go w/ (providing we get spots...I just left my contact info after a recorded message) has yet to see it, it's free, and maybe their Q&A would shed some light on this film and what I'm missing about it that makes it so Oscar worthy. I don't know...I left the theatre w/ my ass hurting, wondering what all the hooplah was about (pretty much the same reaction I had to GoNY...guess, I'm just not getting the Marty/Leo combination?!?!?!) It'd be interesting anyway. I'm sorry I missed the one they did for The Motorcycle Diaries a couple of months back.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 9:32pm

This is really just another campaign tactic to enhance its chances of winning the Oscar. But I'm big on the film, so that's fine by me.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 10:16pm

I'm going tomorrow with my suitemate.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 10:25pm

"I'm going tomorrow with my suitemate."

Return with a review if you can. :) The gracious DiCaprio has many fans on this board...

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 10:30pm

Sure:) I've already seen the film but I'll tell you guys about the Q&A.

[mabel]

Posted: 1/28/05 at 9:50am

I went to the screening last night. There were a BUNCH of people already there when my friend and I arrived around 7. I was almost tempted not to bother staying, because I hadn't received an e-mail or phone confirmation, and I saw several people around me w/ e-mail confirmation print outs in hand. We opted to wait it out anyway, and indeed got in. The theatre was pretty much full by the time we got in, so we were relegated to the back. However, we lucked out getting one of the last pair of seats that was even remotely centered, which was nice! The screening of the movie itself was okay. I guess I may have liked it a smidge more than I did the first time around (which isn't saying much, since I didn't care for it at all before) but I still have a feeling I'll be fuming come Oscar night when they clean up. Sure, I don't predict it'll be a repeat of LotR last year (thank god; how boring is that?!?!?) but I think they'll end up doing pretty well.

Anyway, the Q&A after was pretty decent, technical glitches aside! They were having some SERIOUS problems w/ the microphones. There was some awful (and I mean AWFUL!) feedback! There were two really loud bursts before they came out, and then once they started the interview it happened over and over again pretty constantly. It was pretty amusing the first couple of times. Alan Alda had a couple of pretty funny adlibs, but after the 5th or 6th time, it was getting more than a little annoying (for us and them). Leo was trying to tell some story about seeing a Hughes book in a bookstore and realizing that there was much more to him than the hermit he'd always associated the man w/ being, and the mic feedback started up in full force. I was extremely loud and steady for like 30 seconds or so (Alan Alda even covered up his ears a bit). Eventually, they opted to do the Q&A sans mic, and it went fine from there (though before they gave them up, there were a couple of feedback-free moments, where you could hear the people backstage or somewhere bitching about something...really loudly!) Oh, and there was a funny moment at the beginning of the interview (they had a really lousy interviewer) when the mics weren't working at all, and the interviewer was asking a question w/ the mic held up. When Alda went to answer him, he asked if he should hold his mic up too, just in case (or something amusing), then asked Leo if he had anything to say, forking the dead mic over (guess it's not as funny typed out, but it was in person!)

The rest of the interview was pretty standard issue. The interviewer kind of sucked, so he kind of meandered around his less than interesting questions (I wish they'd just let the two of them go at it themselves...would have been much more interesting). Alda told a funny story about how when they went to shoot the table scene and he was supposed to be furious at HH, Leo left him waiting for a half an hour or something and he was convinced he was doing it just to piss him off (which it did) but it was really just because they couldn't get his mustache on right.

I don't know...other than that they talked a bit about their approach to acting, and spent a lot of time raving about good ol' Marty. They fielded a couple of questions from the audience, and then stayed behind to chat w/ the audience after the interview was over formally. Leo stayed out front and I saw him signing autographs and taking pictures, and I saw Alda outside the theatre chatting w/ someone.

All in all, it was pretty cool (even for a movie that I'm not crazy about)...a great way to spend a cheap Thursday out!

Updated On: 1/28/05 at 09:50 AM

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 1/28/05 at 10:23am

So the people in the audience actually told Alda and DiCaprio that they didn't like the film or certain aspects of it???

This does sound like quite an experience!

[mabel]

Posted: 1/28/05 at 10:44am

No, no one said that they didn't like the movie. Did you think that's what I meant w/ feedback? I meant mic screeching feedback. I reread my post and the way I wrote it, I could see it meaning loud boistrous audience feedback as they tried to speak (yeah, that'd be a sight indeed!!! ) Though, in reality, it was a pretty rude audience. People just up and left (probably dozens throughout the course of the Q&A). I would think that they'd have left after the credits rolled if they weren't interested or thought it was getting too late (we didn't end up leaving until 20 to 12 or so). Oh, then there were the people taking pictures w/ the flash and the lovely folks on their Nextels calling people so they could hear the interview (bleep bleeps and all!)

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 1/28/05 at 12:18pm

I was also there last night. You had to be a member of SAG or AFTRA to get in (or be a guest of a SAG or AFTRA member).
Mabel- I couldn't believe the horrible tech people with the screeching mics :o
This was my second time seeing the movie and still thought it was just ok. Leo and Alan Alda seemed really down to earth, and I loved what they said about the characters and the making of the film. The crowd was rude in leaving midway through and with cell phones etc. The cameras in the room were filming the interview for special features on the DVD so if you didn't go you will see it eventually It was a very cool night:)

[mabel]

Posted: 1/28/05 at 12:27pm

Well, I guess my friend and I lucked out, since neither of us are members of SAG. I just saw the announcement on Backstage's website and figured "what the hell, might as well call!" It was a fun night though, despite my blase' feelings about the movie, the rude people, and even the screeching mics!!!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/28/05 at 12:30pm

I totally agree. Both Alan and Leo were extremely down-to-earth and interesting. But God, that FEEDBACK! Oy. I was so embarrassed for them, but they were good sports about it. The funniest part was when you could hear some of the tech people's voices through the mics and Leo said "Do we have some sort of connection with an apartment in the Bronx?"