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| Diagnosis: Movies LA Film Festival Summer Series: Part 2 Anatomy of a Premiere June 23, 2009. The day arrived more than a year after I walked Michael Mann’s sets and met Johnny Depp on the streets of Columbus, Wisconsin. Today, Public Enemies was to have its red carpet premiere at the2009 LA Film Festival. Access limited for subsets of the credentialed press, I sat this one out as a fan rather than on the red carpet. Someday I will formally attend a red carpet screening, but as far as I was concerned in the moment, I was living the dream of my inner child, mesmerized by the air of gloss and glamour of the coming event. Arriving on site at 8 o’clock in the morning, Public Enemies scheduled for 7 o’clock that evening, a handful of folks sat perched on a street corner behind a metal barricade. The irony was all too plain as those barricades led me to the front door the night before with my press badge and would now prevent my entry from that which I sought most. Given the scarcity of fans at the time, I took my place in the neighboring Starbucks café that bordered the Mann Village Theater to write up my film review from the night before. Believe it or not, this was the first time I had ever partaken of goods from the omnipresent coffee shop, ordering a caffeinated grande as I watched from inside and later from an outdoor table shaded beneath a palm tree. The marquis teased and tempted with Public Enemies in bold face,a picture of Johnny Depp with Tommy gun in hand to the left of the print. What was the layout going to be? For hours, no one seemed to know, or they otherwise had a different take on the situation, as I spoke with LAPD, hired security, and LA Film Festival staff, the contacts easily made by virtue of the press badge worn around my neck. Its yellow coloring contrasted against the swing dress I wore in black, a style calling back to an earlier time, but due to the LA heat, I left my petticoat behind in the hotel room. As I waited patiently for more information, the red carpet was carried out on the backs of laborers who rolled it out along the block of Broxton and Weyburn Avenue. A black Lincoln Navigator pulled up to the street with a silver haired man stepping out onto the pavement at around 10 o’clock. For a fan of Johnny Depp, this was obviously Jerry Judge, the A-lister’s security detail and ceremonious Pie Customer #2 in Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It was then that I knew to focus my attention as Jerry pointed this way and that to show the path that Johnny would be following to greet his fans. The time had come for me to desert my comfortable seating for the streets. There it was,a giant banner reading Johnny Depp Reads (JDR), hanging over one of the metal barricades that were constantly being shifted throughout the course of the day by security crews. I knew this was where I’d be standing, having the pleasure to meet “burleycue” and “buccaroux” among others who represented the website hosted by its administrator Karen who was unable to attend the premiere for personal reasons. The website is tastefully done with concise posts and reputable material that I had come to follow during the filming of Public Enemies to catch the latest news. For a Hollywood event with an A list cast, I was surprised that there were so few folks burying roots until 5 o’clock or so when things began to sizzle, most folks coming to their feet for what was sure to be a dazzling spectacle. Prior to that time, Michael Mann made a sweep of the theater from his white Range Rover. The star-studded appearances began with Jon Voight randomly crossing the street with a rush of fans calling out for autographs. Shortly after, one brazen girl made a dash across the street to reach the red carpet (she was diverted at the last minute by a hulking security guard), and the cast arrivals began to fill the arena. From all appearances, limousines were passé in the parade of sleek Cadillac Escalades and Lincoln Navigators. The first to make rounds was John Michael Bolger who plays Detective Martin Zarkovich in the film,the dirty cop whose duplicity is the beginning of the end for Dillinger. Previously interviewed by Karen at JDR, he made a bee-line for the website banner where he indulged the fans with his good humor and awe in the moment. “This is a special message to my sister Philomena, my sister Bernadette, my sister Charlotte, Gina, Rory, Olivia, Jude, my brother-in-law Garvin,all my friends in New York,all the people that have supported me and sent me their love. I love you and I appreciate it and thank you so much. You’re all a part of my dream and a part of my experience and will be in my heart forever,” he said. John would soon be joined by Michael Bentt, former WBO heavyweight boxing champion and Michael Mann, starring in both Ali and Collateral, who plays Herbert Youngblood in Public Enemies. Wearing an orange based plaid shirt with casual scarf tied around his neck to match the comfort of his straw-colored hat and blue denim jeans, he stood in colorful contrast to the dapper Bolger who was dressed in a more classic suit jacket with shirt unbuttoned at the top to show his own playful edge. The two would indulge each other with joking prods and laughs caught on tape should anyone like to hear it. The gorgeous and more-than-sweet Leelee Sobieski would take her own laps when the pair of them were scooped into the swelling press of the red carpet. The audience burst into a roar when Christian Bale hit the scene, goatee in place to counter the clean-cut image of FBI agent Melvin Purvis in a made-to-order suit that would befit the gentleman that is Bruce Wayne. It was little surprising to the fans that the press would be his priority as he darted towards the red carpet. Surely, media recovery for his profanity- laced tirade caught on tape during Terminator: Salvation had to take precedence, but when he later came over to the fans, the audible gasp of shock had a ripple effect.Sadly,the appearance was short-lived, as he signed autographs for a few lucky folks. For all intents and purposes, it seemed an “I’m a nice guy after all” publicity stunt until he came to the JDR banner, made a snide comment under his breath and walked away. It’s a shame he couldn’t look beyond to the legions of fans who hoped to make his acquaintance. I was an arms length away from getting an autograph for my brother. All this hardly compared to the trio of black SUVs that pulled onto the red carpet in short order. Without a thought to the press – now I know why I was meant to stand as a fan – Johnny Depp darted across the street straight to his fans, sultry in his blue-tinted sunglasses with his hair cropped but playing freely over his face. He would’ve been comfortable in Bentt’s denim but chose a black suit more towards Bolger’s flair but with tailored sophistication and a rich blue shirt carelessly unbuttoned to display a thin chain around his neck. The buzz escalated to an out and out din with pushing and pushing back becoming a necessity for survival amongst the fervor. I have to send a shout out to my nearest and dearest friend Laurie, a Yale professor, who came with me to the event and saved me more than once from crashing into and over the metal barricade we had so painstakingly reserved over the course of the day. Security did a good detail as well. But I would not make the first pass. Johnny, always a last-minute arrival, had to make at least one round on the red carpet before entering the Mann Village Theater to announce the film. Promising he’d be back out to meet with the rest of the fans, he held to his word and greeted each and every soul who stood by the barricades. The moment was fast, nearly impossible to capture a crisp photograph with the rush of movement pushing bodies forward, but Laurie was an ace and got the master shot. I had Johnny sign my January Must See Films of 2009 issue of Entertainment Weekly with his Dillinger blazing boldly on the cover. “Johnny, can you say hi into the camera.” I could have kicked myself since I wasn’t holding a camera at all but a small digital recorder. He stopped for a moment, put on that classic Jack Sparrow grin, and looked up from what was to be my autograph. Looking me square in the eye, he smiled and simply answered, “Hi,” his amusement obvious in the subtle chuckle that followed. An ordinary guy, he then hopped into his Navigator and sped away from the hullabaloo of celebrity, leaving the live screening of his blockbuster film behind. I’m sure there were more than a few people wondering how they could get themselves into the theater seat he left behind. Laurie and I walked away from the event to have celebratory drinks at the Hard Rock Café. This was LA living at its best, and I was too easily falling into the flow. Days later, Karen from JDR would work with me to get the contact information for Bolger and Bentt. Pubic Enemies was going to continue for some time. Dr. Tanya Feke is a physician at Middlesex Hospital Primary Care – Coginchaug in Durham and a freelance movie columnist for the Town Times. With a lifelong love of film, she garnered press credentials to the 2009 LA Film Festival. |
