Despite having my name called over the speakers on the airplane before take off and my passport taken by security, we managed to make it to Toronto (the passport was returned and I never found out what that was about). We even made it in time to pick up our industry credentials.
Of course with a festival this large everything is sponsored, such as the Cadillac Audience Award, but you gotta dig the Starbucks neckbands. I just wish someone would figure out how to make a neckband so the ID doesn’t always land facing the wrong way.
After a delicious Indian dinner at The Host, and meeting some execs from HBO and Showtime (who were eating together, which just seemed funny to me because I always imagine them as fierce competitors), we went over to catch the Midnight Madness screening of JCVD, a film about Jean-Claude Van Damme starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
I’m sure I’ll get some eye rolling here, or “how are you a film student?” but whoever I thought Jean-Claude was, this was not him. I think my image was some sort of French version of Luke Perry. No idea why, and I was definitely wrong.
So suffice it to say I am not at all familiar with JCVD. I should also preface this with the fact that it was midnight, we had been traveling all day, and I’m a morning person, so my thoughts will be brief.
The opening shot was stunning – a one take, over the top action sequence. The film itself was very stylized and beautiful.
I wasn’t able to get a ticket for Unwanted Witness the first time around, so I’m going to try again when tickets reopen at 7, though it’s almost 4 now so we’ll see how that goes. The rest of the day is filled with meetings, networking, and being Hollywood.
