TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day #3 Recap

Thursday was the opening day of the TCM Classic Film Festival but day number 3 in my festival adventures. I spent the morning locked in my hotel room anxiously studying my notes, writing down questions, doing my hair and make-up and generally getting ready for my first red carpet event as a member of the media.

I was racked with nerves for a few weeks beforehand but once I got onto the red carpet my nervousness was gone and I was in my element. It's been my dream for years to be on the red carpet and interview people. Last year I begged my husband to get me a professional camera for my birthday. I wanted it so I could start filming more videos for my blog and to take it with me to TCMFF to capture some of the amazing moments I would experience there. The camera came in handy to film my interviews and to snap photos of stars on the red carpet. I'll be sharing full details on my red carpet experience here soon.

In the meantime, here are some photos of me on the red carpet taken by some friends who were sitting in the bleachers. Several friends were really supportive and said many encouraging things to me before and after the event. I appreciate all their kind words because I really needed them. Marya, now social media maven at TCM, helped us bloggers out a lot on the red carpet and directed talent our way. She was great!

Setting up for the Red Carpet along with Nora, Kim and Kristen (Photo Credit: Laura)

I was privileged enough to interview the following people:

Coleman Breland and Jennifer Dorian of TCM
Actor Darryl Hickman
Film Critic Leonard Maltin
Film Critic Sr. Rose Pacatte
Actor Chris Lemmon (son of Jack Lemmon)
Actress Gina Lollobrigida
Film researcher Lillian Michelson, Harold and Lillian director Daniel Raim and producer Jennifer Raim

Interviewing Gina Lollobrigida (Photo credit: Jessica)

Interviewing Leonard Maltin (Photo credit: Laura)

Interviewing Lillian Michelson (Photo Credit: Karen)

There were other people I saw but didn't get a chance to interview. These include:

Actor Alec Baldwin

Journalist Carl Bernstein

Actor Salvatore Cascio

Actor Keith Carradine

Director Roger Corman

Actor James Cromwell

Actor Ted Donaldson

Actress Illeana Douglas

Actor Lou Gossett Jr.

Actress Anna Karina and Director Dennis Berry

Producer, Actor and Director Norman Lloyd

Producer and Actor David Ladd (son of Alan Ladd)

TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz 

Actress Lee Merriwether

Writer and Director Edoardo Ponti (son of Sophia Loren)

Actress Ann Robinson 

and more.

Norman Lloyd on the TCMFF red carpet

I had a special moment on the red carpet with 101 year old actor/director/producer Norman Lloyd. I saw him walking past and knew he wouldn't be stopping for an interview. I called out to him and said "we love you Norman!" He stopped and looked around trying to find the face that matched the voice. I repeated "we love you Norman!". He spotted me and said "beautiful!". Then I replied "you're beautiful!" and blew him a kiss. And you know what, he blew me a kiss right back! It was such a delightful moment. A brief flirtation with one of the most fascinating entertainers in the history of film and television. I've had the pleasure of seeing Norman Lloyd multiple times at previous festivals but this encounter with him is my favorite by far.

Poolside screening of The Freshman at TCMFF 2016

I spent the majority of my time at the red carpet and missed the first block of movies. I wandered over to the Roosevelt Hotel pool where I caught the introduction to the silent film The Freshman (1925) which included Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation interviewing Suzanne Lloyd, granddaughter of actor Harold Lloyd.

Eddie Muller and Suzanne Lloyd

Did you know that Harold Lloyd lost a thumb and forefinger when a prop exploded in his hand? After the incident he would wear a prosthetic glove in his films.

The Freshman (1925) screened at TCMFF 2016

I couldn't stay for the whole film but enjoyed what I did see. I heard some complaints about the live music which was very modern. Personally I enjoy when contemporary music is matched with classic movies. I'm also the type of person who enjoyed all the contemporary pop and hip-hop included in the film The Great Gatsby (2013).

I headed over the Chinese Multiplex to get in line for the Argentine noir Los Tallos Amargos (1956) andhung out with some friends in line. A fire alarm went off and the multiplex had to be evacuated. Some festival goers were enjoying the last few minutes of One Potato Two Potato (1964), Dark Victory (1939) and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) when we all moved out into the courtyard. It was a funny moment that generated some chatter and gave us all an opportunity to socialize outside. There was no real fire from what I understand and we had photos and a story to share later.

Jessica and Raquel during the evacuation (Photo Credit: Jessica)

I sat with Paula, Karen, Jessica, Danny and Carlos for Los Tallos Amargos (English translation: Bitter Stems). I was quite tired and not fully awake for the film. I'll have to watch it again later for my review.

Paula, Karen, Jessica and Raquel

Raquel, Carlos and Danny

Thursday was a fantastic start to the festival. Stay tuned for more TCMFF recaps!

TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day 1 and 2 Recap

Little did I know this would be a trip of a lifetime.

Carlos and I arrived on the Tuesday before the festival and I came with a packed schedule filled with things to do. On Tuesday evening I was filmed by the TCM crew for their promo videos. I was a bit nervous even though I had been mentally preparing for the filming for about a week. I didn't think any of my footage would be used but lucky for me something I said off the cuff made it into the TCM Friday Festival Update Video. In that same video you can also catch a glimpse of me interviewing Leonard Maltin on the red carpet. More on that to come!

Kim, Raquel and Carrie

The TCM crew filmed me, Carrie of Classic Film Fan and Kim of I See a Dark Theater. I had a blast working with these two lovely ladies and getting to know them better. Carlos was there too as official schmoozer and purse wrangler. He also took some behind-the-scenes photographs.

On Wednesday Carlos and I made a pilgrimage to the 101 Coffee Shop in the Hollywood Hills. It's a fantastic diner and happens to be one of the shooting locations in the film Swingers (1996).

Along the way we found Carlos Ave!

Around the corner from Hollywood and Vine, you can find Robert Mitchum's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I make the pilgrimage every year to see it and commemorate the event with a few photos. There was a lot of construction happening on that same block and some of the stars were obscured by partitions. It was sheer luck that Mitchum's star was one of the few that was still visible. It was one of several lucky occurrences for me on this trip.

As we walked down Hollywood Boulevard I took a quick photo of the iconic Capitol Records building which is just up the hill.

Capitol Records building

While we were waiting for the Larry Edmunds Bookshop to open, we stopped by a souvenir shop. Here Carlos is thanking the Academy for his Best Husband Oscar.

Visiting Larry Edmunds Bookshop is a treat as well as a major strain on the wallet. On this trip I purchased Harlow in Hollywood by Darrell Rooney and Mark A. Vieira as well as an out-of-print bio on Telly Savalas plus some prints of Murder by Death (1976) for a friend. I also attended two TCMFF book signings that were run by Larry Edmunds.

Larry Edmunds' slogan could be: come for the film books, stay for a chat. Jeff who runs the store and Sean who helped me find some prints are super friendly and I had a blast talking to them at the bookshop as well as at the festival.
 

Afterwards I headed to the Roosevelt hotel which is the central hub of the festival. There I picked up my media pass which unfortunately didn't have any film themed design. However the excellent goodie bag they gave us more than made up for it.

The media received a TCMFF tote bag, a copy of TCM The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter by Jeremy Arnold, a TCMFF 2016 booklet, the latest Now Playing guide, a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope wine and a complimentary subscription to TCM Backlot, their new exclusive fan club service.

Raquel and Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings

 Then I was off to a press conference hosted by TCM that included Charles Tabesh, Jennifer Dorian, Ben Mankiewicz and Genevieve McGillicuddy. It's also when I got to see some friendly faces for the first time during the fest including one of my best friends Laura! Make sure you check out my full coverage of the  TCMFF 2016 Press Conference.

 

Left to right: Tabesh, Dorian, Mankiewicz & McGillicuddy

After the press conference a few of us stopped by the TCM Boutique which was not at the Roosevelt this year. Instead it was situated in the Sweet! shop in the Hollywood & Highland mall. If you attend any of the Chinese Multiplex screenings during the festival you inevitably pass by the boutique so it was conveniently located. The set up was beautiful but I didn't end up buying any merchandise. I was more interested in spending my money on books.

Several of us headed to the Roosevelt hotel pool for what ended up being several meet-and-greets happening at the same time. I had two delicious mojitos which calmed some of my nerves and had some good chats with friends. It was a bit chaotic and I didn't end up getting any pictures.

However, a group of us opted to go out to dinner at the famous Miceli's for what proved to be a convivial and more relaxed evening. I had such a blast talking to my friends I forgot to eat my dinner!

Left to right: Casey, Kate, Meg/Millie, Lindsay, KC, Laura and Raquel

Stay tuned as I'll have more recaps as well as detailed posts on my 2016 TCMFF adventures.

TCM Classic Film Festival Press Conference

Left to right: Tabesh, Dorian, Mankiewicz & McGillicuddy

On Wednesday April 27th, TCM held a press conference before the start of their classic film festival. The conference panel consisted of Charles Tabesh, senior VP of programming, Jennifer Dorian, Ben Mankiewicz, host of TCM and Genevieve McGillicuddy, VP of brand activations and partnerships and festival director. Tabesh and McGillicuddy oversee the logistics of the festival and Mankiewicz is taking a bigger role this year, as he did last year, in the absence of Robert Osborne. He'll be conducting most of the big interviews that will happen during the festival.

Here are some key takeaways from the press conference:

• Mankiewicz, who is introducing the opening night film All the President's Men (1976), gets emotional every time he sees the movie because of the connection to his father. NY Post's Lou Lumenick has a great article with more details.
• According to McGillicuddy the projected number of attendees this year is 26,000 which includes passholders and standby attendees. I didn't realize it was that many people!
• TCM is launching FilmStruck (think of it like "awestruck"), a new subscription service. They've teamed up with Criterion, who will end their current partnership with Hulu, and together will be curating arthouse films, indie and cult classics and other more obscure films. Jennifer Dorian says this fills a need in the marketplace. It's important to note that this is not a standalone streaming TCM service. While it was not said at the conference, TCM's relationships with cable TV companies most likely prevents them from having such a service. Read Will McKinley's post for more details about FilmStruck.
• TCM is launching TCM Backlot, an official fan club. The membership costs $87 a year and comes with a variety of perks. There will be meet-ups across the country, exclusive content for subscribers, etc. The Backlot will give members a behind-the-scenes look at TCM and an opportunity to share feedback.  Dorian says "early members will help us build the club of our dreams." I have a membership and will be following up with my thoughts on this blog.
• Based off feedback, The Manchurian Candidate (1962) will be the most sought after event at the festival. Tabesh says Angela Lansbury, who will be at the screening, is always a big hit with TCM fans.
• McGillicuddy says they've been really working hard on curating Club TCM events and she's proud of the offerings this year.
• On sought after guests, Tabesh says Olivia de Havilland almost made it to the festival one year and their number one pick Doris Day is unlikely to ever be a guest. McGillicuddy said Sidney Poitier is someone they've tried to get multiple times are still hopeful he will come. Tabesh says Barbra Streisand is interested but hasn't been able to make it work with her schedule.
• Ben Mankiewicz said "The success that the previous six festivals have had has unquestionably played a role in smoothing it over for some people because their friends and colleagues and other big stars have told them this is a worthwhile thing..." Having several successful festivals under their belt has opened up opportunities to feature other special guests. For example, this was key in getting Faye Dunaway to attend this year. Although it was not said during the conference, I do believe having Sophia Loren last year really made a difference. I can imagine that opened an opportunity to feature Gina Lollobrigida.
• Spotlight and Essentials passes sold out in 14 minutes. They won't be expanding the festival to add more venues, screenings and days. They want to keep the intimate atmosphere of the festival.
• Tabesh says the industry is moving towards digital. Access to 35mm prints and the ability to show them becomes more and more restricted over time.