Out of the Past

Monday, May 14, 2018

TCMFF Red Carpet Interviews

As promised in my original TCMFF red carpet post, here are the video interviews. I embedded each one individually including a quick intro from me.

This year I approached my videos differently. I invested in a microphone which helped immensely. Thanks to my friend Jonas and my husband Carlos who helped me get the right one for the project. The audio quality of my TCMFF red carpet footage is leagues better. Instead of doing compilation videos (like I did in 2016 and 2017), I decided to separate the interviews into their own videos. Now viewers can easily pick and chose which interviews they want to see. If you want to view them all in one go, complete with my intro, you can watch the TCMFF Red Carpet playlist here. Unfortunately my Dennis Miller video didn't pan out and I had one glaring issue with my Leonard Maltin one that corrected itself mid-interview. However, I was pleased as punch that my short interviews ranging from 2-4 minutes all came out really well. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed these interviews, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel!

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Cinema Shame: Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) was always one of those classic musicals that I've meant to see but I never got around to. When the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival schedule was announced, I saw the film was part of their Sunday morning line-up. And the director Norman Jewison, who has directed some of my absolute favorite films, was going to be in attendance at the screening. TCMFF is the best venue to experience a film for the first time. Unfortunately it didn't happen. When Sunday morning rolled around, I was very sick from the physical effects of social anxiety. I've since gotten over that and can attend the festivals with no problems.

Fast forward to the 2016 TCM festival when I got to meet film researcher Lillian Michelson on the red carpet. She was there with director Daniel Raim and producer Jennifer Raim to screen their documentary Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story. This is a documentary I've been championing ever since I watched it in November of 2015. In the film, Lillian discusses how she did research for Fiddler on the Roof and she met with Jewish ladies "of a certain age" at a deli and asked what young girls wore for undergarments. One of the ladies fetched her a pattern and the end result was period-specific undergarments, with scalloping on the bottom, in the Matchmaker musical number.

In my brief red carpet interview with Lillian Michelson (which you can watch here), I asked her which of the films she worked on was her favorite. And her answer was Fiddler on the Roof. Her research went beyond just the clothing so when you see the film you know the specifics are as true to turn-of-the-century Russia as possible. Also for Lillian this helped connect her to her familial roots.

Fast forward to 2018 and I was heading back to California for my sixth TCM festival. I was scheduled to have a lunch with Lillian, Daniel and Jennifer and I knew I had to watch Fiddler before I got there. The film on briefly came up in conversation but I was glad that I finally got to see that film that meant so much to Lillian, and to the Raims too!

I really connected with Fiddler. Even though I was raised Protestant and I don't know what it feels like to deal with Anti-Semitism, I connected with the story about family, about marrying for love, going against ingrained cultural norms and the disconnect between generations. The movie is over 3 hours long but it didn't feel it. The plot and the pacing are perfect and I was swept into this family saga and stayed engaged the whole time. I can see how it became a beloved musical. I would watch Fiddler again in a heartbeat.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) is the third of eight films that I am watching for the 2018 Cinema Shame challenge. Check out my original list and stay tuned for more reviews!

Monday, May 7, 2018

Red Carpet: 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night

Thursday April 26th was the opening night for the 9th annual TCM Classic Film Festival. That evening TCM celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Producers (1968) with director Mel Brooks in attendance. Director Martin Scorsese was also on hand to received the inaugural Robert Osborne Award for excellence in the preservation of classic film heritage.

For the third year in a row, I was on the red carpet at the opening night of TCMFF to take photos and to interview some of the special guests. The red carpet is the most exciting part of the festival. Not only do the evening's honorees walk the carpet but you also see TCM hosts, festival presenters, festival passholders, actors, actresses, directors and a host of other celebrities. And of course, Norman Lloyd.

I had a blast this year on the carpet. I of course had my moment of Norman Lloyd as I called out to him with words of adoration and air kisses. He stopped for a brief moment to acknowledge me and my fellow Lloyd admirer Nora aka Nitrate Diva. Lloyd is always a highlight of the festival. You can read here all the previous times I've seen him at TCMFF.

The red carpet has been a test of my social skills and each year I get better and more confident. I went from being an awkward and shy teenager to a thirty something who yells out to celebrities on the red carpet. If you told me years ago that I'd be yelling out to Maxwell Caulfield (Empire Records!) and Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!) in the same evening I wouldn't have believed you.

Below is a collection of photos I took on the red carpet. I also conducted interviews which I'll be posting here and on my YouTube channel. Those video interviews include Alan K. Rode, Ben Model, Wyatt McCrea, Dennis Miller, Leonard Maltin, Bill Morrison, Ruta Lee, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.