Showing posts with label Kim Novak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kim Novak. Show all posts

Friday, May 9, 2014

TCM at 20: Inspired by the Classics at the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival


Press Photo

The TCM at 20: Inspired by the Classics panel kicked off the opening of Club TCM for the first night of the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival. TCM's Pola Chagnon interviewed four of the ten artists including actress Kim Novak, actor/playwright Charles Busch, actress Jane Seymour and artist/producer Bruce Eric Kaplan.

Unfortunately I lost my audio recording of this event so I'll do my best to share what I remember. I'm getting a little help from the TCM at 20 Custom Designed Cards that I received in my media welcome bag. The set includes the 10 works along with a note from the artist on the back of each card.

It was a short interview and each of the four artists discussed their pieces including the symbolism and inspiration behind each of the different works. Kim Novak explained that it was a chance for her to revisit the film Vertigo, to take ownership of her image, Hitchcock was very much control on set but in this piece she was in control. Also the swirl of blond hair becomes a "Vortex of Delusion" which is the title of the piece. Jane Seymour's piece is from Gone With the Wind and the tree represents strength and the sunset represents new beginnings.

I really enjoyed Charles Busch's description of his piece. His includes a line of chorus girls auditioning for a part. All of them look the same and are looking in the same direction except for one who looks straight at the camera. Busch says that she's the one who is destined to be a star. He likens that chorus girl to Betty Grable and Lucille Ball. Bruce Eric Kaplan's piece is an illustrated homage to Hitchcock. He gives the director his own street which includes famous landmarks, both real and imaginary, including Bates Motel, Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, the school and playground in the Birds, etc.

TCM at 20: Inspired by the Classics panel discussion
TCM was having some technical issues in Club TCM. I think they were going to show the pieces on the screen behind the panel. I think it would have helped to have each piece of artwork up on the screen as the artist was talking about it. I pulled out my cards to look at each one and it helped follow along.

TCM at 20: Inspired by the Classics display at Club TCM
The original pieces were on display at Club TCM and below is a short video promo TCM did for the series.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Robert Osborne interviews Kim Novak at the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival

Press Photo

Press Photo

A screening of Bell, Book and Candle (1958) was held at the historic Grauman’s Egyptian theatre as part of the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival. This was a real treat because actress Kim Novak was in attendance. When the event started, Robert Osborne introduced Novak by plugging her art website KimNovakArtist.com as well as praising her for being “a terrific lady” and for giving him one of the best interviews he’s ever done as part of the 2012 Live from the TCM Festival. He explained that Novak doesn’t like to do interviews but was so open and honest in the hour-long interview they did in 2012 and he admires her for that.
Novak came out and was applauded by a packed house. When she settled down I could tell that she was trying to veer the conversation into a particular direction. She started by saying that it was really important for an actor to be open and that it wasn’t easy to come back to the festival. Novak wanted to address the “elephant in the room” which was her recent appearance at the Academy Awards. There was a backlash and a flurry of negative reactions online and on TV. Novak had been really looking forward to attending the Oscars because it had been a while she she had attended. It had also been a while since her last public appearance which was at the TCM festival in 2012. It wasn’t easy for Novak to go back to the Academy. She still harbors some negative feelings. Novak never won an Academy Award and she felt it was partly her fault because she left Hollywood so early in her career.

Novak was very open about being bipolar and being aware of what was said about her. After she left the Oscars, she read many of the negative comments and it sent her into a deep sadness. However, Novak came to the realization that she was being bullied and that no one should have to take that sort of abuse. Novak was also hurt by the bullying of Liza Minnelli who was also in attendance at the Oscars. (There was some negativity shown towards Sidney Poitier too and all of this made me see red). Robert Osborne chimed in and revealed that this was the first year he didn’t watch the entire Academy Awards ceremony. He was so put off by Ellen DeGeneres’ joke about Liza Minnelli that he just stopped watching. He points out that they were cruel enough to have a camera ready to capture Minnelli’s reaction when the joke was made.

In the below video, Novak discusses how she felt after attending the Oscars and why she seemed groggy during her appearance.





Novak received a lot of love from the audience that night. We cheered her on and I even got a bit teary eyed. I’ve always had a conflicted view of Kim Novak. I adore her as an actress but have not been happy about certain things she’s said or done in the past. But I was rooting for her that night. I don’t think she deserved the Oscar night bullying and I was proud of her for standing up for herself.

There was no discussion of Bell, Book and Candle besides Novak saying that it is one of her favorite films. I was a little disappointed by this but was happy that Novak got a platform along with a supportive audience to open up about what happened to her at the Oscars. I really hope this experience was cathartic for her.


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