Mother of all premieres
EVEN after basting those stripes together, Betsy Ross never saw a longer press line than for Paramount’s newie “Mother!” It stretched to Delaware. Nobody’s seen that many cameras since
Obama waved goodbye. NYPD barricaded Radio City. An unpressed graysuited Lilliputian, who wouldn’t recognize Don
ald in an elevator, guarded the road. Checkpoints were at intervals. It was easier to break in to see El Chapo — and he’s in solitary.
Each star had his own black SUV, and that befits the terrific movie, which deals with hell, violence, blood, spooks, malevolence and — for a nice touch — what’s paranormal. Javier Bardem, who plays Jennifer Lawrence’s husband, was first arrival in the VIP line of funeral hearses. How’s he decompress following a big job like this?
“After such a role in so scary a movie, it’s a hot shower. I scrub the tension away and wash that awareness out of me. With the water, this drama and all that’s pent up then goes down the drain. I just must be careful that I, too, don’t go down the drain.”
Next up, writer/creator Darren Aronofsky. “This one was like a home invasion for me. I wrote it in a five-day fever. I had to get it out, and I wrote endlessly. Nonstop.” (Being Lawrence’s current love, possibly he grabbed some minutes off ???) “After making ‘Black Swan,’ I knew I had to make a scary movie.”
The audience included David O. Russell, M. Night Shyamalan, Liev Schreiber, Adrien Brody. Harry Connick said, “I love scary movies. Spooky stuff ’s my idea of a great eve- ning.” Jim Gaffigan: “They must let anyone in, otherwise I wouldn’t be invited.” Griffin Dunne: “I’m Leonard Bernstein in Netflix’s new bio ‘Gore’ with Kevin Spacey. We filmed in his old Ravello house.” Not Gore as in Al. Gore as in Vidal. Last arrival and crossing the street to the barricaded fans, Jennifer then shook hands, did photos, smiled, joked, signed autographs. The lovely backdrop was Duane Reade. Its sign advertised pills. Jennifer speaks New York. When I asked whose shmatta she’s wearing, she answered without missing a beat, “Dior. But I don’t keep it.” How about memories. She keep any of those? “Oh, I definitely remember my f irst big movie. I was scared. Not while shooting. But during the audition.”