Friday, January 16, 2015

On the Town with Buddy B: Life Inside Out at The Quad Cinema

What a great event tonight! Attended the 7 pm screening of Life Inside Out with my friends Nick Lion and Kathy Towson. It was followed by a Q&A conducted by Richard Skipper with producer Tessa Bell and the film's star, Maggie Baird, and her real-life husband, Patrick O'Connor, who plays the music-store owner in the film. Ms Bell quoted part of my review in which I described Mr O'Connor's character as the film's "fairy godfather." I may not be getting young again but I was feeling mighty Jungian when I made that comment.
http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2015/01/cine-beaverhausen-life-inside-out.html

I spoke with the Juilliard schooled actor after the event, in the lobby of the movie house, and he proudly took on the archetypal mantle I bestowed. During Richard's Q&A, I learned that this independent feature took three years to put together although, amazingly, it was filmed over only 16 days. Not surprisingly, sadly, despite its film festival awards, distributors were not interested in this feature, claiming it non-commercial. In fact, the full house at tonight's screening were wowed by LIO and applauded it enthusiastically. I assume anything wthout sex and/or violence is "non-commercial" these days.

This is a movie that's about something real we can all of us relate to and that touches the heart. During tonight's screening, I was moved by the realistic mother-son relationship. The depiction of a working mother's self-sacrifice was very Mildred Pierce! And, of course, I couldn't help but think of my own mother and how she sacrificed a lifetime for my brother and I.

This project was a labor of love, said Tessa Bell, and many of the talent involved worked for free because they believed so strongly in its story. A dvd distribution deal has been done. Ms Baird also mentioned that her co-starring son couldn't be at the event because he's cast in a new tv series, currently shooting its second episode. (She could divulge no more at the current time.)

Who was there? Who wasn't! The NYC theatrical glitterati attended! Sybil Bruncheon was in the house, giving a heartfelt reaction, from a gay man's perspective, identifying with the movie's themes. Everyone was verklempt

Carly Ozard and Kim Grogg -- two of my favorite live performers of 2014 -- were there and posed together! http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/12/goodbye-2014-buddy-bs-favorites-n-years.html




















Nick & I posed with Maggie Baird, despite being severely overly lit. (I posted a candid shot of us instead.) I asked Ms Beard if anyone besides myself ever told her she resembles Leslie Ann Warren. "Oh my God," Ms Baird replied. "I hear that A LOT! The other day, a delivery man said, when I opened the door, "You're Leslie Ann Warren!" And I had to tell him that no, I'm not."















And Ms Baird generously shared her cinnamon roll recipe on the back of flyers for the film.






4 comments:

  1. I'm so happy this was a fun night out with the stars...I'm copying the cinnamon rolls recipe...lol Your blog is one of the best out there Nick looks amazingly suave as usual and what counts Charles the night was a super success.

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  2. It was so great being at the film showing last night and the Q & A afterwards with leading lady Maggie Baird, her husband and co-star Patrick O'Connell, and producer Tessa Bell! And they'll be appearing at every showing (1PM and 7PM) everyday now through January 22nd at the Quad Cinema! What a terrific opportunity to see a truly beautiful "independent film" and to meet some of the folks who created it....much of it from their own lives! Truly, a "story within the story"! Congratulations!

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  3. Thanks, Sybil. Your talk during the Q&A was very moving.

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