TIFF 2009: Jennifer's Body Premiere

Oh yes, my friends! It's that time of year again - the air is getting crisper, the nights come earlier, and My Boyfriend Michael Cera is in town for a film premiere... Suddenly, everything in the world seems right!

I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of Jennifer's Body on Thursday night, kicking of the Toronto International Film Festival's series of Midnight Madness films. Whooo boy. It was a good time!

The movie itself was a pleasant surprise - I had my doubts because of early bad reviews and the seemingly sudden genre-change for Diablo Cody. All was quickly proved wrong by the excellent casting, the tongue-in-cheek sarcastic script, and excellent acting by Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, and Johnny Simmons. Honestly? It was great and SUCH a good time. The audience totally got it, laughed a lot, and were genuinely scared at certain parts.

...And I haven't even mentioned how stunningly beautiful & fiercely talented Megan Fox is in this movie. I found myself anxious for her to come back on screen and wanting more. She was truly great (and ridiculously beautiful).

Aside from the movie, it was great to see such an ecclectic crowd out for a movies - from geeks to film buffs to industry insiders (my cousin and I were sitting beside the owner of one of the hottest hotels & clubs in Toronto - talk about a lucky coincidence!). The line up was long, the red carpet fans rabid, and the 2AM Q&A post-movie HILARIOUS.

Check out the snaps & DEFINITELY check out the YouTube video of the Q&A. Diablo Cody has officially become my fucking hero. I currently am obsessed with trying to find a way to use "anatomical reality" in a sentence... sheer brilliance.

The line-up stretched around the block


Waiting for the red carpet celebrity march to begin.


Red Carpet press.


An artsy shot of Adam Brody - he was so short in person!


And Adam from behind.


I have to give him props - he came around and signed autographs and took pictures with fans, which is a first in my red carpet experience (damn you Michael Cera! and there were half the fans at your premiere last year!).


Q&A


Q&A


Q&A

And the YouTube vid of the Q&A - totally worth the 9 minutes!!

I Wanna Be A Housewife

Last night a friend and I were lucky enough to catch Jay Brannan's solo accoustic show at the El Mocambo. He's out on his "Fat is a Feeling Not a Shape" tour, and with a catchy title like that you can your little bottom that I was there. I've been a Jay fan since seeing him have a three-way in Shortbus (amazing movie by the way... be warned, though, my Canadian friends - you'll have to rethink your entire childhood watching MuchMusic when you see the things that Sook Yin does with a huge black... well, I don't want to ruin it. But you've been warned!). He's got the voice of an angel and the looks of one to boot... and of course he's gay. Of course.

The concert was an interesting departure from my normal music scene, which I was rather grateful for. I think the last 5 or so concerts I've been to have all been Jason Mraz shows (hello, my name is Melissa and I'm a Jason Mraz fanatic) so it was nice for a change to be one of the few ladies in the audience and to not have anyone pull my hair or push me out of the way or call me a bitch for getting in the way of their picture. It was also nice to get there 15 minutes before the concert and to mill about without having to wait in line (the last show I went to I had friends in line as of midnight the night before. Like I said: fanatic). It reminded me how relaxed concert-going can be. It also reminded me how much I hate going to concerts with teenage girls - also at the aforementioned last concert my friend had a 16 year old dive between her legs so that she could get in front of us and take a better picture of Jason. It was awesome.

The show itself was lovely: Jay's music is earnest and vulnerable, emotional and sharp, and incredibly fun to sing along with. It was my first time seeing him in person and I was excited to see how his songs would translate live. I was not disappointed - he was witty and funny and just as gorgeous as I wanted him to be in the flesh. He also hit my song list trifecta by playing Soda Shop, Relax Your Neck, and Body's a Temple (my favourite Jay song). The crowd was loving him - quiet at the right moments (like when Jay teared up singing a song about an ex-boyfriend) yet vocal about having Jay take off his shirt... and pants (that may or may not have been me that screamed that out?). He was even generous enough to come out after the show and meet the crowd - he gets a little gold star in the "not a douchebag" box of my Singer-Songwriter Checklist for that one.

Aside from the concert itself, the other highlight of the night for me had to be the friends I met at the show- a big shout out to Jay & Steven (Stephen? We didn't get around to spelling. We were too busy finding out how much we had in common). They promised they'd come around and say hi and steal my pictures from the show.

Speaking of - linskies to my new flickr page and some shots of the concert. I used my old point-and-shoot camera so the quality is a little sad... I just couldn't risk bringing the big guns in and having to leave it in the car if it wasn't allowed in. I also have video of Soda Shop (plus the 10 minute diatribe about how Toronto/Baffin Island is hard to navigate) and Relax Your Neck. I'm only linking in Relax Your Neck until I can figure out how to use my video editing software to cut down the Soda Shop video. I'm pretty sure it's 15 minutes long. Whoops?



Next up on my concert list: Ray Lamontagne (I'm sending out good ticket vibes into the universe as this show is currently sold out and I will die if I can't see him) and 3 more Jason Mraz shows (1 in Toronto and 2 while I'm in Cali - you didn't think I'd go all the way to the West Coast and not see Jason, did you??). You can be sure I'll report back re: any friends giving birth to a surly 16 year old in the middle of any of these shows.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Or, 50 Reasons Why Melissa Might be a Cougar

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to attend the world premiere of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and I've decided to bring you all along for the wonderful and wacky ride it was.

Saturday, 1.34am: Oh shit. I'm fucking drunk. How did this happen? Where did all those Strawberry Buzz martinis come from and why is there a kid in a backpack giving me high fives right now? I have to be up at 6am tomorrow to make it downtown in time for the box office to open and get the extra tickets I need for my friends to Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I need to go home. Now.

6.00am: Fuck this. I'm going back to bed before I puke.

6.55am: Okay. Okay. I'm going to get up. I'll try the stupid internet site and phone and hope for the best.

7.10: I GOT FUCKING TICKETS! God, I am amazing. Now, back to bed before I puke.

11.30am: I can't feel my hands and I really need to pee. And why do I keep dreaming about backpacks?

1.00pm: Okay. I slept through the worst of it. Time to get up and get some shit done before my Date with Destiny. And by Destiny I mean Michael Cera.

5.00pm: Tickets? Check. Camera? Check. Friends holding spots in line? Check. Cute dress? Check. Autograph book with photoshopped collage of Michael & I on a series of imaginary dates? Check.

5.30pm: There are a lot of screaming girls here for Michael. I feel two things: 1. I am wayyyyyyy too old to be doing this and 2. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Is that Finch from American Pie????!!

5.35pm: It totally is Finch. FINCH! God, I've had a crush on him for longer than most of these girls have been alive. He was the first boy that made me realize I had a "type" (nerdy, strange, and goofy hair). I also dedicated a blog-before-there-were-such-things-as-blogs entry to him on my old website. This is, like, totally full circle. Totally.

5.45pm: Where the fuck is Michael??!

5.47pm: Jay! Jay Baruchel! He's been in movies! He looks like Elvis! Oh, he's coming over here... Gotta get my camera out and - oh shit, he didn't just turn to me to pose for my camera, did he? Oh god he totally did. I'm a fucking photographer now, bitches!

5.50pm: There he is. Don't scream like a little girl. Don't scream like a little girl. Remain composed and remember that there is no "omgmichaelcera" in dignity, girl. Oh, fuck it. MIIIIIIICHAEL!!!!!!

5.52pm: So many people in the way. And of course he's the only one not to sign autographs so my pictures are all far away and full of heads... Oh, he is absolutely adorable! Look at his curly hair! And his shoes are so white! I just want to ruffle his hair and pop the collar on his cute little navy blue jacket and - no. No. I am a one faded jacket bedazzled with the words "Rock On" on the back away from being a full-fledged cougar. Must stop now.

5.55pm: Okay. Time to head inside and scope out the seats... Oh shit. We're right beside Finch! FINCH! I've got to say something to him, right? I mean, to be this close and not tell him that he is single-handedly responsible for shaping my love of the geek would be wrong, wouldn't it? Okay... Go for it!

Me: Hey.... I'm a big fan!

Finch: Oh, hey. Thanks.

Me: I didn't realize you were in this movie...

Finch: Oh, well I'm not really. My girlfriend is.

Me: (shit. It was the chick with the sultry red dress and big jugs, wasn't it? Of course.) Well... I hope you enjoy your time in Toronto!

5.56pm: Dies.

6.00pm-7.30pm: MOVIE!

7.30pm: Shit, that was good! It was cute and funny and there were some genuinely touching moments. And Michael was hilarious. And Finch had a cameo as JESUS (see: nerdy, strange, and goofy hair)!

7.35pm: Here comes the cast out on the stage... It's question time. I really want to ask something but I'm shitting my pants right now. God, no one has their hands up. WTF? I figured there would be tonnes of questions and... shit. Alright. I'll ask one. Ahem. "Can the cast name one song that they would like to put on a mix CD?" God, I'm awesome. "No, not from the soundtrack. Any song. Let's open this thing up." Ha! Everyone in the theatre is laughing at me! Hear that Michael? That's what our life would be like: sorta awkward and full of laughs.

7.36pm: OMG, my question just made Michael Cera sooo awkward. I mean, I realize it's not hard to do but man, the dude is shy! He looks so cute when he blushes though, maybe I can ask a follow up question re: boxers or briefs and - oh. Wait. I get it. Cougar.

7.37pm: Who are all these hipster bastards and why are they all in one movie??! Most of them named these obscure bands that I've never even heard of. WTF?

7.50pm: I am not stalking Michael Cera. I'm simply outside checking out this pretty grey Escapade because I really like SUVs with tinted windows and - my, that shadow inside is shaped a lot like Michael Cera's face! Wait. It is? Oh. And he's just turned around and looked at me and I was staring into the window like an idiot and/or crazed vagrant cougar? Awesome.

So that was pretty much my night. The excitement of seeing Michael in the flesh totally outweighed my killer hangover and I genuinely liked the movie to boot. It was a little rough around the edges but it was shot beautifully (there were many a panoramic shot of NYC at night and I mean, really? How many teen movies do you know that have sweeping majestic shots of one of the greatest cities in the world? I know of one. It's called Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Have you heard of it?).

My movie highlights:

1. The cameos - Seth Meyers having sex in the back of Nick's Yugo; Andy Samberg as a vagrant (I assumed I looked almost as creepy as him while I was stalking Michael's SUV); Eddie Kaye Thomas (aka Finch) as Jesus; Michael Cera as my boyfriend (ohhhh shit. There I go again!).

2. Kat Dennings - I was not a big fan after The 40 Year Old Virgin so I was pleasantly surprised to find her not only enjoyable but really, really likeable in this movie. She had the right amount of edge, sass, and irony for the part and her chemistry with both Ari Graynor (Caroline) and Michael really brought the characters to life. She also killed as the tough-on-the-outside-but-vulnerable-on-the-inside leading lady.

3. Ari Graynor - Never heard of her before but have added her to my one-to-watch list (past honourees include before-they-were-famous Amy Adams and Rachel McAdams). She sparkled as Norah's high-maintenance friend Caroline and had some of the truly hilarious and memorable (not to mention cringe-inducing) scenes of the movie. Plus she's really freaking bangin' in person.

4. Michael Cera - I can never tell whether some of his one-liners actually scripted or if he's improv-ing them. Some of his lines are just so perfectly quirky/hilarious that I doubt that they would all be in the script like that. Example: "yeah... well. You are... two penises away from a Shania Twain reimagination video!" I mean, who the fuck could write that? It was so random (and thus, hilarious) that I want to believe it had to come out spontaneously during filming. I'd love to see Michael in something serious-but-quirky next - like Juno but with a more meaty role (a male pregnant teenager?). He is one of the lucky few who could bring the right kind of levity to a darker role and I'd love to see him take one some really serious acting. I think he's a far better actor than most people realize or appreciate.

5. The Soundtrack - I expected it to be punk-y and thusly not for me but it was actually smooth and soft and I can't wait until September 23rd for it to come out so I can listen to it non-stop and think about all the things Michael and I will do when we get married and. Fuck. I know, I know. I'll stop.

6. The ending when Nick and Norah finally connect and tune out the distractions of their respective lives and a secret concert by their favourite band in favour of each other. Call me a sentimental bastard, but the last line of the movie gets me everytime:

Norah: Are you upset you're missing it?

Nick: This is it.

Yes. I get it. It's cliched and trite. But by god if it isn't damn true..... It also ranks near the top of Melissa's All Time Favourite Lines from Movies that Make her Heart Sad along with this little gem from The Way We Were (speaking of sentimental...):

Hubbell: Katie, you expect too much from me.

Katie: Oh, but look what I've got.

(Cougar) Swoooooon.

Premiere papparazzi pics to come later!

things i am currently looking forward to:

1. nick and norah's infinite playlist






i got THE LAST TICKET to the TIFF screening on saturday night (which is, as far as i can tell, the WORLD PREMIERE). let's ignore the fact that i actually needed 3 tickets and selfishly purchased the last remaining one for myself and will go alone and ditch my friends because that's how badly i want to see it. the point is i'm going and i can't. freaking. wait.


2. breathing the same air as my (he-only-needs-to-meet-me-to-know-i'm-the-one) boyfriend michael cera.

also on the list of things to ignore: the nearly 10 year age difference between myself and mikey c., my cougar-like stalking abilities (fitting because of the age gap and also because i'll be agile like a cat stalking it's prey and - no, wait. this is just getting creepier), and the fact that i'll have to get the guts to meet him solo.

3. my improv classes at the impatient theatre company, which start sunday. apparently i'm encouraged to blog about the experience, so expect more info (read: embarassing stories about how i stood up there crying uncontrollably in front of 14 strangers and my instructor for 15 minutes).

4. watching sophie's choice and silkwood. i've decided meryl streep is the best actress in the world. i'm very glad i am so ahead of the curve on this. cough.

5. cali, cali cali: planning a possible trip in october and another in january. god, i love that state. it has in & out burger and the ocean.

6. taking better photos: i just read scott kelby's amazing digital photography book and i'm really starting to get inspired to push myself to the next level. now i just need a spare $1000 to drop on a mid-range telephoto lens and lens accesories. no biggie.

7. have i mentioned michael cera and nick & norah? cause i'm so excited it deserves to be mentioned more than once. cougar swoooooooon.