Monday, September 28, 2015

a mess of a night

There's a scene toward the end of The Martian where Matt Damon's character says, "When things start heading south they just keep going. You solve one problem then another one pops up."

Weeks ago I confirm a screening with Fox for The Martian, followed by a Q&A with Sir Ridley Scott.  

We choose a moderator. A few days before the screening he has to cancel: kidney stones.

We find another moderator. I arrange with Fox for him to see the film today so he'll have time to prepare his questions.

Around noon I get a call from Tim in LA. Tim has a senior role at Fox and is my most favorite person that I've never met. We've been working together for maybe three years.


Tim tells me that the moderator arrives a little late at the pre-screening and is not allowed in. Okay bad, but not horrible. He'll see the film at the same time everyone else does. This should have been a warning of things to come.

I arrive at the theater early. Everyone who needs to be there is. BAFTA check-in volunteers. The photographer. The moderator. The studio rep. And 200 guests.


The studio rep is named Charlie. He's the nicest, most capable guy. We've also been working together for about three years. Tonight he has on new glasses (he usually wears none) and longer than usual hair;  I think he's someone named Andrei. I twice introduce him to others as Andrei. I even say, "I didn't know you worked at Fox," thinking he was Andrei.  And then later I ask, "So are you here instead of Charlie tonight?" He responds, "I am Charlie." He didn't want to embarrass me by correcting me in front of others.


The movie is starting at 6:30. At 6:28 the theater rep says, "There's a little problem with the film ingesting. It should be ready in five minutes." 


At 6:35 there's still no film available.  The theater tells us, "We're at 93%," (whatever that means). It should only be another five to seven minutes."


I make my little intro and tell the audience the movie should be starting within ten minutes.


7pm and still no film. I get the manager. He is in touch with the projection room. "Just a few more minutes." I make another announcement, repeating again what I've been told.


7:20. A handful of people start to leave. I apologize again as they are walking out. One guy smiles and says, "Hey, not your fault. Sh*t happens."


We convince the manager (who readily agrees) to give out free movie passes. 


I make another announcement. It's the nicest audience. Patient and understanding.


We pass out the tickets and while we're distributing them, the movie starts.


At the climax of the movie, Charlie finds me and asks me to come outside.  I'm assuming that Ridley Scott has arrived.


But outside are two more people from Fox and no one looking remotely like Ridley.  Unfortunately he couldn't wait the extra hour as he had prior commitments. Totally understandable.  


The credits roll and I have to stand before this great audience one last time and tell them now there's no Q&A.


The poor moderator. The poor photographer. The poor studio exec's. And the poor audience.


I give my final little speech of the night, and rather than the expected anger, people applaud. I think because they too, recognize that sometimes sh*t happens, and well, sometimes there's just not a whole lot to do about it.



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