Hey folks, Harry here... seems the weather for seeing stars in Toronto will be crisp and clear... of course the biggest star of Toronto is AICN's own Cartuna, who will be on a little board with a can pretending to have no legs begging for tickets because well, noone appreciates cartoonists in the world. Meanwhile, Anton Sirius rules the ball and is going to be working it like Moriarty in the John... So get going Anton!
"My God… it’s full of stars.’
- Dave Bowman
(or someone walking into the Park Hyatt this weekend)
Magdalena scored a great home base for me, as usual- third floor of a renovated house, attic walls and odd crannies, a little walk-out balcony from the bedroom overlooking the backyard… and quiet. Away from the hustle and bustle.
I take it easy as I get settled in and unpack my things. Actually ‘things’ is pretty much all wardrobe- I can buy a toothbrush anywhere. Make some calls, put out some feelers, hook up the laptop- and plug myself back into the loop.
I find myself in a curiously balanced state, both yin and yang. The universe seems to tremble around me, threatening to tumble to one side or the other but still maintaining its balance, for now. And every bit of news brings a companion to balance it. Consider:
- Pauline Kael died just before the fest, before I ever got a chance to meet her. A small bit of sadness to add to the pile. I also discover a small of happiness, though- a noodle house across from the Uptown has lichee bubble tea.
- I made a monumental blunder in my first preview, because I’m an idiot. The film You Really Got Me is actually Norwegian director Pal Sletaune’s follow-up to Junk Mail. The thing with all the Brit character actors is a Gala, Last Orders.
- However, because in my idiocy I am also deucedly clever, I have already landed an interview with Jean-Pierre Jeunet. If you need me to tell you who he is, never mind. If you already know, you can send me any questions you want me to ask to Anton2001fest@yahoo.com
Now let’s meet your starting line-up for the 2001 Toronto Film Fest Glitterati:
The AICN All-Stars – Guillermo del Toro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Albert & Allen Hughes, Andy Lau, Johnnie To, John Dahl, Hayden Christiansen, Monica Bellucci, Richard Linklater
The Chameleons – Anthony LaPaglia, William H. Macy, David Paymer, Steve Buscemi, Sissy Spacek, Frank Whaley, Steve Zahn, Geoffrey Rush, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Ray Winstone, Kevin Kline, Kristen Scott Thomas, Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn, Don Cheadle, Helena Bonham Carter, Elias Koteas, William Hurt, Dermot Mulroney, Peter Coyote, Stellan Skarsgard, Keifer Sutherland, Julianne Moore
The Crazy Japanese People – Shunji Iwai, Takashi Miike, Kiyoshi Kurosawa
The Funny Folk - Steve Martin, Andy Jones, John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Eugene Levy, Alan Arkin
The Lest We Forget Crowd – Barbara Hershey, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Gina Gershon, Amy Irving
The Living Legends – Paul Cox, Stockard Channing, Jeanne Moreau, Stacy Peralta, Harvey Keitel, Anthony Hopkins, David Mamet, Peter Fonda, David Lynch, Richard Harris, Glenn Close, Istvan Szabo, Denzel Washington, Ben Kingsley, Bernardo Bertolucci, Claire Denis
The Musos – Meat Loaf, Sarah McLachlan, Mick
The Pretty Young Things – Jennifer Tilly, Anna Paquin, Joaquin Phoenix, Julia Stiles, Wes Bentley, Heather Graham, Mira Sorvino, Salma Hayek, Marisa Tomei, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker, Jena Malone, Zooey Deschanel, Vincent Cassel, Marc Dacascos, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Michelle Williams, Kate Beckinsale, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Matthew McConaughey, Clea DuVall, Christian Slater, Billy Crudup
The Sub-Genii – Catherine Breillat, Michael Apted, Tim Blake Nelson, Scott Hicks, Mike Figgis, Bruce McDonald, Billie August, Monika Treut
The Guys That Don’t Fit Into Any Other Category – David Arquette, Danny DeVito, David Schwimmer, Jason Biggs, Edward Burns, Vincent Gallo
Handicapping the Belle of the Ball race:
1-1 Christina Ricci
3-1 Molly Parker
8-1 Julia Stiles
10-1 Kate Beckinsale
20-1 Heather Graham
50-1 field
Now I must sit down and contemplate whether a six-hour movie is a good way to start the fest…
Anton Sirius
