Wallace and Gromit premiere
Moira de Swardt
completely differently from that of a movie intended for an adult
audience.
Today I was privileged to attend such a premiere with three guests,
a friend, her husband and their young son, Gavin, a charming young
man, shy and polite.
The foyer of the movie house was almost completely taken over by
various guests of UIP as four of the theatres were going to be
having simultaneous screenings of Wallace and Gromit. As a result it
wasn't difficult to find our hosts. My youngest guest was given a
Gromit mask.
The invitation had specified activities for the children for two
hours before the screening. I was curious to see what activities
these were. Firstly, a delightful surprise, a photograph of our
party in front of the large poster of Wallace and Gromit, with
Gromit peeping out above the head of the child. Digital technology
enabled us to collect our photograph within a few minutes.
Predictably, another one of the offers was face painting. "Anything
you want to be" was that advertisement, and there were pirates,
cats, mice, dogs, princesses and clowns. There were also a large
number of sixties style flower children. Gavin spurned this
particular activity in favour of decorating a flower pot. Bright
letters and shapes together with shiny stickers, glue and glitter
got attached to little plastic pots which were filled with soil and
a seed. This became a gift for his mother (so that she could hang
on to it while he went ahead and did some more exciting things),
reclaimed for a while when prizes (Wallace and Gromit hats in a
cheerful yellow) were being given out for such beautifully decorated
pots.
Decorating Marie biscuits as "faces" or finger biscuits as anything
one liked was the next activity. There was a generous supply of
icing, biscuits and suitable sweeties. During this time the masters
of ceremony conducted various competitions which provided lots of
prizes. Gavin managed to acquire a yellow t-shirt to match his hat
*and* some play dough. A lot of the sweeties landed up in the
packet the play dough prize was given out in. Predictably a yellow
carrier bag. The mask, hat and t-shirt also fitted into this bag.
A man on stilts made balloon swords, mice, dogs, hats and flowers
for people. I was attacked by a sword. I duly reported to the man
on stilts to be similarly armed for self-protection. He made me a
little mouse which attached to my t-shirt, brooch style. I was
entranced. All the more so as he had showed me how to make them. I
gave my mouse to Milly, the cat, when I got home. I wondered how
she was going to cope with the bang when her mouse collapsed under
her claws, but she's not being fooled. She sniffed it suspiciously,
but is not going to play with it. Anyway, I digress.
The banquet was a child's delight, although there was plenty of
cheese and biscuits and chicken legs for adults on the table, too.
Wallace and Gromit sandwiches (cheese, tomato and lettuce on white
bread) were provided by Sasko and Clover. Little cookies decorated
with carrots were provided en masse as were Fizz Pops, marshmallows
and other sweets. Scones and jam and cream were also featured. I
suppose Clover provided the cheese for the biscuits and the cream as
well.
When everyone was finished eating the banquet table was still half
full. We retired to the movie house with popcorn and colddrink.
There we got an animated cartoon before the movie, then the movie.
As this report is also serving the purpose of a review of the movie
I suppose I should at least say *something* about the movie. :-)
It had some lines which were clever by adult standards, yet simple
enough for them to be understood by children. The special effects
are delightful. The characters are plausible and the bunny huggers
will love the movie for its message. I found it entertaining and
was almost surprised when it ended - time certainly flew by
pleasantly. Worth seeing even if you *don't* borrow a child for the
occasion, but your nieces and nephews, granny's & grandpa's children
and neighbour's children will enjoy it just as much as you do.
At the end of the movie, as we walked out, Gavin was given a sheet
of small Wallace and Gromit stickers and then another sheet of large
shiny stickers. Then a poster.
It was an afternoon of fun that was wonderfully over the top. My
thanks to UIP for this delightful premiere.
Slow Eddy
> A grand premiere of a children's movie is, naturally, celebrated
> completely differently from that of a movie intended for an adult
> audience.
>
> Today I was privileged to attend such a premiere with three guests,
> a friend, her husband and their young son, Gavin, a charming young
> man, shy and polite.
>
> The foyer of the movie house was almost completely taken over by
> various guests of UIP as four of the theatres were going to be
> having simultaneous screenings of Wallace and Gromit. As a result it
> wasn't difficult to find our hosts. My youngest guest was given a
> Gromit mask.
>
Shows the level I really operate on, then, because I'm a great Wallace and
Gromit fan. I like the way it's not filthy with polish like the latest
stuff Disney and Hollywood are producing. You can see the strings of the
puppet so to speak. And I particularly love the sense of humour that comes
through.
Damn! And I've missed the party. No cake for poor Eddy, so spare a tear,
good folk.
--
Slow Eddy
Fables hold more Truth than Facts ever can;
but does that really mean every Story is true?
Innocence is a wire snare.
Moira de Swardt
"Slow Eddy" <man...@siyaganga.ko.zam> wrote in message
> Shows the level I really operate on, then, because I'm a great
Wallace and
> Gromit fan. I like the way it's not filthy with polish like the
latest
> stuff Disney and Hollywood are producing. You can see the strings
of the
> puppet so to speak. And I particularly love the sense of humour
that comes
> through.
This one has no strings attached, but the sense of humour is
delightful.
--
Moira de Swardt
The most beautiful, most intelligent, most amusing, most charming,
richest, most talented woman currently posting to
soc.culture.south-africa
JohnM
<man...@siyaganga.ko.zam> writes
>Shows the level I really operate on, then, because I'm a great Wallace and
>Gromit fan.
I'm going to be a sourpuss, but I don't like 3D cartoons. I like my
cartoons 2-D the old-fashioned way and not computer-generated. I don't
like Toy Story, Ants, Shrek, Wallace and Grommit, none of them. Sorry.
--
JohnM
Author of Brazil: Life, Blood, Soul &
Rainbow Diary: A Journey in the New South Africa
http://www.scroll.demon.co.uk/spaver.htm
Slow Eddy
> In article <dn1tb4$jud$1...@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net>, Slow Eddy
> <man...@siyaganga.ko.zam> writes
>>Shows the level I really operate on, then, because I'm a great Wallace and
>>Gromit fan.
>
>
> I'm going to be a sourpuss, but I don't like 3D cartoons. I like my
> cartoons 2-D the old-fashioned way and not computer-generated. I don't
> like Toy Story, Ants, Shrek, Wallace and Grommit, none of them. Sorry.
>
Gorgeous cartoons, I can do without, but the number of dimensions isn't a
particular problem with me. And Wallace and Gromit is more plasticine
puppet show than cartoon. Don't you like the understated humour of Wallace
and Gromit then?
JohnM
<man...@siyaganga.ko.zam> writes
> Don't you like the understated humour of Wallace
>and Gromit then?
I'm sure I'm going to like the humour, but I can't even watch the
trailers before switching off. All of them: Shrek, W&G, everything. I
did watch Toy Story on TV (forced myself) and that convinced me I didn't
like the format.
Moira de Swardt
"JohnM" <jo...@n00.spam.scroll.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> I'm sure I'm going to like the humour, but I can't even watch the
> trailers before switching off. All of them: Shrek, W&G,
everything. I
> did watch Toy Story on TV (forced myself) and that convinced me I
didn't
> like the format.
It takes a strong stomach to watch a movie in a genre one doesn't
like. I don't like horror movies.
Peter H.M. Brooks
like. I don't like horror movies.
You're right - I don't like sickly-sweet mawkish Yank girlie films and
it does test my stomach to watch them!
Moira de Swardt
"Peter H.M. Brooks" <pe...@psyche.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> You're right - I don't like sickly-sweet mawkish Yank girlie films
and
> it does test my stomach to watch them!
I do try to warn you when it's been a "chick fliek". I love 'em.
Slow Eddy
> In article <dn4i6j$sc7$3...@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net>, Slow Eddy
> <man...@siyaganga.ko.zam> writes
>> Don't you like the understated humour of Wallace
>>and Gromit then?
>
> I'm sure I'm going to like the humour, but I can't even watch the
> trailers before switching off. All of them: Shrek, W&G, everything. I
> did watch Toy Story on TV (forced myself) and that convinced me I didn't
> like the format.
>
Yes, well Toy Story is a bit over-smoothed and digital. Wallace and Gromit
is lumpy plasticine, and not made with any obsessive "perfection"ism. I
hear what you're saying about Toy Story. Something about it repels me, and
I don't think I'll ever get round to watching it. Can't quite put a finger
on it, but perhaps it's to do with the characters looking for all the world
like plastic domestic ware. If that's what's putting you off Wallace and
Gromit, have no fear. It's altogether different.
--
Slow Eddy
long sig my pc newsreader keeps complaining about now deleted
Slow Eddy
>
> "Peter H.M. Brooks" <pe...@psyche.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>
>> You're right - I don't like sickly-sweet mawkish Yank girlie films
> and
>> it does test my stomach to watch them!
>
> I do try to warn you when it's been a "chick fliek". I love 'em.
>
I think I prefer a "chick fliek" to a comedy that suddenly turns all snotty
and sentimental - as every Yank comedy seems to do. Ruins it for me. I
suppose I should only watch these on DVD (when I get one), where I have
completed control and can fast forward through the emotional manipulation
scenes -- which I can accept in a chick fliek, but not in a bloody comedy.
I remember they had a nice, hard-edged satire on TV years ago about a
senator's family. "Niles" from Frasier was in it, and was brilliant. To
start with they all were. The parents, for instance, would forget the names
of their children. They didn't quite hate each other, but were so cold and
calculating in their relationships that they transcended boring old hatred.
Lovely. Very funny, the way it was done. And completely unique in American
TV comedy.
Ja, but then it got popular and some genius media exec decided that the
members had to discover they had feelings for each other and eventually all
hug ... Man, there are times when I could throw a bloody brick at the tv
set ...
Peter H.M. Brooks
Gromit
is lumpy plasticine, and not made with any obsessive "perfection"ism. I
hear what you're saying about Toy Story. Something about it repels me,
and
I don't think I'll ever get round to watching it. Can't quite put a
finger
on it, but perhaps it's to do with the characters looking for all the
world
like plastic domestic ware. If that's what's putting you off Wallace
and
Gromit, have no fear. It's altogether different.
Yes, you're right - good Brisle humour is that. Sadly their workshop
burned down the other night, just when they were collecting awards.
I thought that the characters appearing like plastic domesticware was a
virtue - they matched the language convincingly, for once.
All Yank films ought to be made like "Toy Story".
Slow Eddy
I think the police need to go and question that penguin about the workshop.
(There's another thing Wallace and Gromit have that you won't find in a
plastic toy movie: a believably evil character like the penguin).
Not having seen Toy Story, I can't agree or disagree about the language. And
as I've said, it's too visually repellant for me to go and give it a fair
hearing.