When the weekend arrived, I
expected to be reviewing the new "Sex and the City" movie for you guys today. I'd been invited to a screening on Saturday night, and a press conference on Sunday morning at Bergdorf Goodman with the four leading ladies plus Chris Noth and writer/director Michael Patrick King. But by the time Sunday night rolled around and I'd re-read the fine print on my two invitations -- "no photos, no guests, no Facebooking/Tweeting/blogging about it afterwards (until release)" -- I began to realize I wasn't really allowed to say or do much of anything -- lest me burning a bridge with an always-kind PR rep. I ran into my pal
Boy Culture Matt at the surprisingly intimate press event -- it was so Carrie and Samantha of us to bump into each other in the women's shoe department at Bergdorf's! -- and at brunch afterward I asked him, who has more experience at these things than I do, what WAS I allowed to say? Apparently reporters at these things are supposed to write articles based completely on the questions asked at the junket related to the screening, without actually reviewing the movie or giving anything about the film away. Well that didn't leave much.
Given the fact that I didn't even get picked to ask a question -- and most of those asked were broad-ranging ones about "life-changing experiences" and "memories of Morocco," where the Abu Dhabi scenes were filmed -- I realized that this post was really about something far more "Sex and the City"-esque than some movie review, that I was getting to experience one of those silly-but-wonderful New York moments -- IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, I'M STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO MR. BIG AND CARRIE BRADSHAW?!!! -- that I owe completely to my blogging journey. Everyone was delightful -- Cynthia Nixon is poised and thoughtful, and looks the freshest in person, Kim Cattrall is funny and smart and looks better in person, Kristin Davis is exactly how you'd expect her to be (REALLY sweet and really pretty) and Sarah Jessica Parker lays the style -- and the makeup -- on thick, but even that can't conceal her genuineness.
Chris "man's man" Noth was exactly how you'd expect -- kinda bored with all the girl talk and ready for it to be over.
Meanwhile, Michael Patrick King seemed oddly defensive when Matt asked him about the gays' affection for the series, but was clearly (and deservingly) relishing his moment. (He'll always be god to me because of "The Comeback"!)
While I'm
forbidden from reviewing the film until it's out, a woman from Warner Brothers interviewed me to get my reaction to it. I told her that I liked it better than the first one, because it was allowed to just be episodic and fun without trying to tie up so many (what-turned-out-to-not-be) loose ends from the series, which led to some plot points that REALLY rubbed me the wrong way (would Big really leave Carrie at the alter after everything he'd put them through and, if so, would she really take him back????). This one is at times cartoonish and over the top (and I found the "crisis" to be a little unnecessarily melodramatic). But if you're anything like me, just seeing the four women together makes the world seem OK again for a couple hours, and that alone makes it a must-see.
(Thanks to
Matt for the top two photos.)
When the weekend arrived, I expected to be reviewing the new "Sex and the City" movie for you guys today. I'd been invited to a screening on Saturday night, and a press conference on Sunday morning at Bergdorf Goodman with the four leading ladies plus Chris Noth and writer/director Michael Patrick King. But by the time Sunday night rolled around and I'd re-read the fine print on my two invitations -- "no photos, no guests, no Facebooking/Tweeting/blogging about it afterwards (until release)" -- I began to realize I wasn't really allowed to say or do much of anything -- lest me burning a bridge with an always-kind PR rep. I ran into my pal Boy Culture Matt at the surprisingly intimate press event -- it was so Carrie and Samantha of us to bump into each other in the women's shoe department at Bergdorf's! -- and at brunch afterward I asked him, who has more experience at these things than I do, what WAS I allowed to say? Apparently reporters at these things are supposed to write articles based completely on the questions asked at the junket related to the screening, without actually reviewing the movie or giving anything about the film away. Well that didn't leave much.
Given the fact that I didn't even get picked to ask a question -- and most of those asked were broad-ranging ones about "life-changing experiences" and "memories of Morocco," where the Abu Dhabi scenes were filmed -- I realized that this post was really about something far more "Sex and the City"-esque than some movie review, that I was getting to experience one of those silly-but-wonderful New York moments -- IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, I'M STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO MR. BIG AND CARRIE BRADSHAW?!!! -- that I owe completely to my blogging journey. Everyone was delightful -- Cynthia Nixon is poised and thoughtful, and looks the freshest in person, Kim Cattrall is funny and smart and looks better in person, Kristin Davis is exactly how you'd expect her to be (REALLY sweet and really pretty) and Sarah Jessica Parker lays the style -- and the makeup -- on thick, but even that can't conceal her genuineness.
Chris "man's man" Noth was exactly how you'd expect -- kinda bored with all the girl talk and ready for it to be over.
Meanwhile, Michael Patrick King seemed oddly defensive when Matt asked him about the gays' affection for the series, but was clearly (and deservingly) relishing his moment. (He'll always be god to me because of "The Comeback"!)
While I'm forbidden from reviewing the film until it's out, a woman from Warner Brothers interviewed me to get my reaction to it. I told her that I liked it better than the first one, because it was allowed to just be episodic and fun without trying to tie up so many (what-turned-out-to-not-be) loose ends from the series, which led to some plot points that REALLY rubbed me the wrong way (would Big really leave Carrie at the alter after everything he'd put them through and, if so, would she really take him back????). This one is at times cartoonish and over the top (and I found the "crisis" to be a little unnecessarily melodramatic). But if you're anything like me, just seeing the four women together makes the world seem OK again for a couple hours, and that alone makes it a must-see.
3 comments:
Oy. I've never experienced control freaks like those in the Hollywood publicity machine. I once had to jump multiple hoops to interview one of the Olsens (by e-mail no less!) -- and she was the "good" twin.
Okay, Kenneth, I'm not gay, but I have to say, you looked really hot at that party! Was it your happiness at meeting the fabulous SJP, or perhaps your new, less-stressful life? Anyway, you've lost that gaunt, tired look... you look about ten years younger now than you did about a year ago! Way to go, man!
Ed, I'm not a smartass, but...Kenneth has always been handsome. Now if you truly were gay, you would have known that, but luckily you are not gay nor the other Ed Koch.
I think I'll wait for SATC2 to air on HBO. I'll DVR it and maybe watch it some day. Unless there's a good cockshot in this one, too.
-Joe
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