01 February, 2006

Phantom Freebie

So, as this post shows, I saw The Phantom Menace on one of the many freebie screenings I used to enjoy while working at Castle Sony. I'm just surprised at what I thought of it (which is at odds with how I feel about it now) and also which elements I chose to share.

Anyway...:


Date: Tue Jul 13, 1999 9:38am
Subject: Star Wars (no spoilers as such)

I managed to get tickets to the Cast and Crew screening of the Phantom Menace on saturday and I'm pleased to say I wasn't disappointed even though it's painfully obvious that so many people will be.

What made it for me was the moment when one of my mates spotted Kenneth Colley (Admiral Piet from Empire Strikes Back) sitting three rows in front of us. At the end of the film, as the decrepid unemployed actor walked up the aisle, my mate leaned over and expressed his (mock) disappointment that the man hadn't been in the film. "Oh, it was way before my time, I would have been sperm at this point".

Admiral Piet said the word "sperm" to my mate!!!

But more than that, he'd obviously sat there and worked out exactly how "young" his character would be at this point in time.

We also saw Chris Evans and his "posse" on the other side of the auditorium, Richard E. Grant and his daughter and we sat in front of Andrew Secolm, who plays a flying gonzo-like creature.

...and Samuel L. Jackson looks *so* uncomfortable, like he's just waiting to say "m-----f-----".


"I wasn't disappointed"?? So, when did that feeling eventually take hold and sink in then? Or was it just that I enjoyed it because I saw the film with my mate Russ, who had managed to stay spoiler-free right up until the second we got to Leicester Square, saw the huge posters and said 'Oh, I didn't know the droids were in this one'. His decision to avoid spoilers seems to make him enjoy things much more than anyone else - and by the looks of things it was infectious. I now recall that we were both really impressed with it all that day...

Spoiler-avoidance. A good plan...

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace [DVD] [1999]