April 21, 2017

Unforgettable: Press Junket

LADIES!! When I tell you to grab your best girls and get out to see this movie, you gotta believe me. Now you know I have been to many movie screenings but none as crazy fun as this one for the #UnforgettableMovie. I'm not totally sure why this event ranked so high in my books. I think for me it all started when I arrived at the pre-party and said hello to the publicity team who organized this event and screening.

The two ladies were very welcoming and kind. You felt like they really wanted you there and wanted you to relax and enjoy some Moms Night Out (MNO) time. All the ladies gelled right away over hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

After that we were ushered into the the movie theater for the screening. Oh Em Geee! That movie was bonkers! I loved every moment of it.

You felt like you were part of the experience and Rosario Dawson, one of the lead actresses in the movie, was your girlfriend. In our theater folks were yelling at the screen, "girllllll, don't go in there!!" and when other lead actress, Katherine Heigl did something awful folks shouted "oh no she didn't!"

I cannot tell you how long it has been since I've seen a movie like this. It's like Single White Female, meets Basic Instinct. SO good, right?

I was exulted when the movie ended and sad to say bye to my new girlfriends but excited to know the next day I would be attending the press junket to interview the cast and director of the movie.

First up was Rosario Dawson, Katherine Heigl and movie director, Denise Di Novi.

The moment they came into the room it was like we knew them. They were so down to earth and engaging. They shared how they felt having a female leads and director. Denise Di Novi mentioned that actors need a safe, intimate and insulating environment which is a requisite she was able to provide. Rosario and Katherine agreed that that's the environment she created for them on set. They called it a sacred space.

Although the interview was fun and light in some spots, it also went to a place not so cheery but really important to hear.

Mental illness and domestic violence are covered in the movie and the women wanted us to know that although there is a stigma surrounding both issues, they wanted the audience to know they were both handled with great care. They want the audience to know what the characters were dealing with and how that stayed with them and led them to make the decisions they made in the movie. No spoilers here, you'll have to see for yourself what we're talking about.

After about 30 minutes of chatting and photo ops, Rosario, Katherine and Denise (notice how I call them by their first names, like I know them? HA!) had to go.

We thought that was the end of the junket but we were pleasantly surprised when veteran actress Cheryl Ladd came in the room. Dy-ing!

She talked about her early days playing Chris on Charlie’s Angels and I almost lost it. I know all the episodes and even have a lunchbox depicting the Angels from the 80’s. I was totally going to bring it with me but it might have been a bit creepy.

I loved listening to her talk about how she prepared for her role in this film as Tessa's mom. She talked about how the character just wanted the best for her daughter but did it in a very caustic way. This character was quite different for her than other roles she has played.

Again we thought we were done, but alas, we went downstairs to shoot marketing promos for the movie. Yes, me, talking in front of a camera about how much I loved the movie and what it meant to me. I shared how incredible it felt watching a movie with two female leads and a female director. It has to be said again, FEMALE. As in the future is female. We are 50% of the population people, we need to represent and scream out that we need to be in a better place, not just in the entertainment industry, but everywhere!