'Paperboy' LA Test Screening Reactions - SPOILERS
So, the LA test screening was a couple weeks ago and I've compiled some of the reactions below. Nothing is blacked out, so if you click on a cut, there will be SPOILERS
More from IMDB NYC Person:
How is the first encounter of Kidman and Cusack?? I have read the book and thats a great moment...
Cusack is hot for Kidman when they first meet at the jailhouse. Cusack the criminal and Kidman cannot touch each other but do an involved scene of stimulating airsex very convincingly complete with a climax. It was one of the highlights of the movie
Is there a scene involving Efron and a group of girls on the beach with kidman'?
Here, Kidman and Efron are on the beach while he is expressing his undying love for her. She wants none of it and suggests he try to talk to one of a group of girls on the beach. He's having none of it, having only eyes for Kidman, and goes out in the ocean for a swim, presumably to cool off. Unfortunately (in a scene that was not entirely constructed yet) he is stung by a jellyfish and his erratic swimming alerts the girls. He makes it to shore exhausted and in pain and the girls surround him, noticing his jellyfish stings. One or two of them suggest the ole pee remedy for jellyfish stings but Kidman comes running over to stop the *itches. If anybody is gonna save Efron, it is her and she does just that, pee on Efron
An IMDB LA person:
The film was a very early rough cut (a lot of music needs to be put in, some parts were out of focus and hard to hear ect.) Fortunately Lee Daniels and crew have 8 months time to tighten things up because the potential for a great movie is there. The acting was amazing. John Cusak and especially Nicole Kidman were great. I was apart of the focus group at the end and most people felt Nicole gave the films best performance. However I also thought Matt McCounaghey was amazing. he didn't stray far from his dramatic comfort zone (lawyers, attourney's ect) but had some of the films most devastating and emotionally arresting moments towards the end and was much better than I was expecting. He also had some quiet affecting moments with Zac; they had a believable brother rapport and the chemistry was spot on. What I didn't like was someo fthe pacing particilarly in the middle and the rushed, glossed over ending. Too much was inplied instead of shown and I don't the ending was as powerful as it could've been because of this. Also Zac Efron while not terrible, was a bit bland in partd and underacted in some of the films most crucial moments.
To which the NY person responded:
AHHH SO YOU SAW IT IN LOS ANGELES. I did not stay for the focus group here in NYC. YES it was a very rough cut, ie ZAC'S scene in the ocean comes to mind (LOL). Glad someone else gets to chime in. NICOLE gave the best performance?! HMMMM, I DUNNO....she was good but I guess I just expected ZAC to be forgettable and he wasn't. I think he held his own. Here, Macy Gray seemed to impress folks though her role was small. I think they just liked her character
From hloveszac on FF:
Ok, not really sure how I can really talk about the film, because it's so strange! Also a VERY rough cut. I mean it was barely strung together. But I can tell it will be incredible, and likely have Oscar buzz. It will be hard-R rated for sure.
1. The film is fantastic, great story.
2. It's very very weird, sexual, and disturbing.
3. Jack is in love with Charlotte, they get it on, but they didn't show it. Maybe in the final cut? But he is obsessed with her. But she loves the prisoner.
4. Jack does not wear pants in like 80% of the movie haha. Just chillin in his undies.
5. Charlotte pees on him...
6. The acting was incredible by everyone.
7. Lots of swearing, several lewd sex acts (Ward is gay and gets beat up and I think raped, he's in to some bad stuff)
8. Jack was particularly great in the end scene.
9. The maid was the narrator. I somewhat wish it was Jack, but Macy was great.
Honestly, not much I can say because it won't make sense, out of context it's kinda silly. It's a really weird film. But it's great! The audience was silent when it ended.
I started to read the book, but I couldn't get through it. It's so odd...
Not sure that scene is necessary.
Maybe awards? Honestly all 4 of the main actors were great. I would guess Nicole would be more buzz worthy. Zac will get buzz because this role is so different.
Macy worked as the narrator, till the end when they said this was Jack's story it was almost like why didn't he tell it then?
one of the questions on the sheet was something about do you think it would do better in an art house or major theaters or both. I said both. To me it's not fair to bury such a good film in an art house. I mean it has an allstar cast too...
It is somewhat centered around all of them. It's Jack's story they are telling... but the adventures were because of Ward... he's trying to find information about Hillary, because he's not convinced he really killed the sheriff. Charlotte has been writing Hillary in jail, she has a fetish for prisoners. They kinda all end up teaming together and It kinda ends up being a little bit about all of them. I'd like to say Ward, Jack and Charlotte are all somewhat equal characters.
The movie however isn't from Jack's perspective like the book (i didn't finish the book though). It ends up being an outsider view (the main narrates).. but, they say that it's Jack's story and he won a pulitzer prize for telling it.
There is cougar action haha. He has a massive crush / borderline obsession with Charlotte. They do sleep together, but they don't show anything (Or at least didn't in the version I saw.), she pretty much ends up sleeping with him out of pitty. There are some strange scenes of them dancing together in their underwear, and she pees on him when he gets stung by a jellyfish.. it's SO WEIRD haha.
Again the version I saw was SO rough and cut together, some of it was even hard to understand, I'm guessing a lot will change, but what I saw was great, I can't imagine the final cut won't be great!
A couple twitterers:
More from IMDB NYC Person:
How is the first encounter of Kidman and Cusack?? I have read the book and thats a great moment...
Cusack is hot for Kidman when they first meet at the jailhouse. Cusack the criminal and Kidman cannot touch each other but do an involved scene of stimulating airsex very convincingly complete with a climax. It was one of the highlights of the movie
Is there a scene involving Efron and a group of girls on the beach with kidman'?
Here, Kidman and Efron are on the beach while he is expressing his undying love for her. She wants none of it and suggests he try to talk to one of a group of girls on the beach. He's having none of it, having only eyes for Kidman, and goes out in the ocean for a swim, presumably to cool off. Unfortunately (in a scene that was not entirely constructed yet) he is stung by a jellyfish and his erratic swimming alerts the girls. He makes it to shore exhausted and in pain and the girls surround him, noticing his jellyfish stings. One or two of them suggest the ole pee remedy for jellyfish stings but Kidman comes running over to stop the *itches. If anybody is gonna save Efron, it is her and she does just that, pee on Efron
An IMDB LA person:
The film was a very early rough cut (a lot of music needs to be put in, some parts were out of focus and hard to hear ect.) Fortunately Lee Daniels and crew have 8 months time to tighten things up because the potential for a great movie is there. The acting was amazing. John Cusak and especially Nicole Kidman were great. I was apart of the focus group at the end and most people felt Nicole gave the films best performance. However I also thought Matt McCounaghey was amazing. he didn't stray far from his dramatic comfort zone (lawyers, attourney's ect) but had some of the films most devastating and emotionally arresting moments towards the end and was much better than I was expecting. He also had some quiet affecting moments with Zac; they had a believable brother rapport and the chemistry was spot on. What I didn't like was someo fthe pacing particilarly in the middle and the rushed, glossed over ending. Too much was inplied instead of shown and I don't the ending was as powerful as it could've been because of this. Also Zac Efron while not terrible, was a bit bland in partd and underacted in some of the films most crucial moments.
To which the NY person responded:
AHHH SO YOU SAW IT IN LOS ANGELES. I did not stay for the focus group here in NYC. YES it was a very rough cut, ie ZAC'S scene in the ocean comes to mind (LOL). Glad someone else gets to chime in. NICOLE gave the best performance?! HMMMM, I DUNNO....she was good but I guess I just expected ZAC to be forgettable and he wasn't. I think he held his own. Here, Macy Gray seemed to impress folks though her role was small. I think they just liked her character
From hloveszac on FF:
Ok, not really sure how I can really talk about the film, because it's so strange! Also a VERY rough cut. I mean it was barely strung together. But I can tell it will be incredible, and likely have Oscar buzz. It will be hard-R rated for sure.
1. The film is fantastic, great story.
2. It's very very weird, sexual, and disturbing.
3. Jack is in love with Charlotte, they get it on, but they didn't show it. Maybe in the final cut? But he is obsessed with her. But she loves the prisoner.
4. Jack does not wear pants in like 80% of the movie haha. Just chillin in his undies.
5. Charlotte pees on him...
6. The acting was incredible by everyone.
7. Lots of swearing, several lewd sex acts (Ward is gay and gets beat up and I think raped, he's in to some bad stuff)
8. Jack was particularly great in the end scene.
9. The maid was the narrator. I somewhat wish it was Jack, but Macy was great.
Honestly, not much I can say because it won't make sense, out of context it's kinda silly. It's a really weird film. But it's great! The audience was silent when it ended.
I started to read the book, but I couldn't get through it. It's so odd...
Not sure that scene is necessary.
Maybe awards? Honestly all 4 of the main actors were great. I would guess Nicole would be more buzz worthy. Zac will get buzz because this role is so different.
Macy worked as the narrator, till the end when they said this was Jack's story it was almost like why didn't he tell it then?
one of the questions on the sheet was something about do you think it would do better in an art house or major theaters or both. I said both. To me it's not fair to bury such a good film in an art house. I mean it has an allstar cast too...
It is somewhat centered around all of them. It's Jack's story they are telling... but the adventures were because of Ward... he's trying to find information about Hillary, because he's not convinced he really killed the sheriff. Charlotte has been writing Hillary in jail, she has a fetish for prisoners. They kinda all end up teaming together and It kinda ends up being a little bit about all of them. I'd like to say Ward, Jack and Charlotte are all somewhat equal characters.
The movie however isn't from Jack's perspective like the book (i didn't finish the book though). It ends up being an outsider view (the main narrates).. but, they say that it's Jack's story and he won a pulitzer prize for telling it.
There is cougar action haha. He has a massive crush / borderline obsession with Charlotte. They do sleep together, but they don't show anything (Or at least didn't in the version I saw.), she pretty much ends up sleeping with him out of pitty. There are some strange scenes of them dancing together in their underwear, and she pees on him when he gets stung by a jellyfish.. it's SO WEIRD haha.
Again the version I saw was SO rough and cut together, some of it was even hard to understand, I'm guessing a lot will change, but what I saw was great, I can't imagine the final cut won't be great!
A couple twitterers: