Avengers European Premiere @ Westfield London, UK!
So, in my last post, I said that I might be going for the Avengers European/UK Premiere. And... I DID.
Ended up going alone again, but well. That didn't really matter that much in the end HAHA. Other than, maybe, having to make a decision between whether I wanted photographs or autographs more. I eventually settled on photographs. xD" Legs were dying by the end of it all, and my left knee is still giving me grief if I walk just a little too much (which to be honest, isn't much at all...) - and the premiere was on the 19th.
The things I do for fandom when I'm overseas...
So the premiere was said to start at 5.30pm, though the viewing areas were open from 8am that day. Since I had no school, I briefly contemplated going at 8am... but didn't in the end. For one, because I was going alone, it would've gotten boring quite quickly. For another, I hadn't been sleeping much the past few days, and so I wanted to catch up on my sleep too. I ended up leaving for Westfield at 1pm, arriving around 30mins later. Walking into the main building, I was pretty much greeted with this:
The crowd wasn't that big yet, but most of the "front-row" had already been taken up. I circled the area, including going up to the 2nd floor, for a bit first, partly to take top-down views of the Atrium, and also partly to scout out where I should stand. Then there was lunch, before I tried to make my decision on where to stand. What helped me "settle it" was, funnily enough, Loki and Thor. Well, two people cosplaying them at any rate. xD
Brothers hugging! Yay! :D
A quick explanation that there was a point to cosplaying. The official UK & Ireland Marvel Avengers Facebook page held a contest in which there were 15 pairs of tickets to the movie premiere to be won on that day, and to participate, you'd have to dress up as your favourite Marvel character.
It also means you get to watch the movie before anyone else in UK, watch it with the actors and actresses and get to walk the red carpet as well. But I'm pretty sure the main catch point was the first one, and the second one. xD
Regardless, the fact that people were cosplaying and letting other people take photos of them meant that I had something to do while waiting. So a few more shots of some more cosplayers:
Thor and Loki back to being enemies. You can't see it, but Loki is waving up and down a miniature figurine of the Destroyer - that metallic robot-like thing that Loki sent down to New Mexico in Thor the movie.
Thor, Captain America (really, just someone with a shield-thing), Loki, Hulk, Iron Man (just someone wearing the helmet) and Spider-Man. I kinda wonder how Spider-Man was actually breathing in that outfit...
Then they were joined by a Nick Fury (dreadlocks remix) who actually just very calmly walked into the photos and got everyone, photographers included, going "WHOAAAAAA..." before everyone else started properly posing haha
I didn't manage to take pictures of all the cosplayers there though. There was actually a very good Mystique. Painted her skin blue, and it looked very much like the blue you see in the X-Men movies, and also somehow dyed her hair in such a way that it was red fading into blonde, so it looked like she was mid-transformation.
Well eventually I just sat started taking some pictures of the venue. Like this very nice and big Avengers logo. In which you can also see that the second floor was also filling up with people:
So yeah, pretty long wait all in all. The main big screen was replaying one version of the trailer as well as some interview footage from the World Premiere. Too bad the volume wasn't really loud enough for me to make out everything that was said during the interviews. Then after some time, the host started to rehearse for the premiere. Unlike the World Premiere (and the Moscow one, I believe), instead of the stars walking down the red carpet towards the stage, this time, the stars would be coming in from behind the stage first and then going down to the red carpet.
So if you look back up to the first photo, and see the big banner of all the Avengers? That thing actually splits into two and slides open, and that's where the stars step out from and onto the stage.
It was quite interesting watching the host rehearse with someone standing in as the person he's announcing, watching the cameras also rehearse how they're going to move and seeing the big screen flash like the name of the character the person is playing in the movie. Also interesting was when they turned on the mic for the host, and you can hear him speak and then some people actually started cheering. Haha. I was like "It's just a rehearsal, people. Cool it."
Pretty sure that they didn't start on time though. By the time 5pm rolled around - which I only knew because some girls beside me were constantly checking their phones, the place I was standing had really started to fill up with people and it was getting a little squishy. By that time, I realised that I wasn't exactly in a very good spot in a way, even though I was around row 3 from the barrier. Which is already pretty damn close if you think about it. Problem was that people in Europe tend to be... bigger and taller than Asians. And one of the people in front of me was a tall guy, who was trying somewhat determinedly to squeeze me out of place -.-" I eventually decided to trust in the "L'Arc effect", i.e. that when the premiere finally started and the stars appeared, people behind would surge forward and push everyone forward.
It was very good to put faith in that, because that really did the job for getting me closer HAHA. Close enough for some of the following photos to actually occur when the premiere finally started.
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. I SWEAR I LOVE HIM SO MUCH MORE NOW.
*coughs* But yes, that was essentially how close I was, and there is a reason to why even if he hadn't already been my favourite out of the cast of The Avengers, he would've been after the premiere.
RDJ wasn't the first Avenger to be announced out onto the stage by the host, that went to Chris Hemsworth (who came out with his wife, and they're both expecting a baby "any time now"). Next were Tom Hiddleston and then Mark Ruffalo. So, by the time RDJ was announced, the other 3 were making their way around the red carpet.
So RDJ makes his appearance, the crowd screams/cheers like crazy - and I believe he got the loudest cheers out of everyone, including Scarlett Johansson - and I was all "okay, Tony Stark's at the premiere again xD" So short quick interview on stage before he's ushered down to the red carpet.
Now. Everyone else before him took the route that would lead them to the professional press cameramen first. I happened to be standing on the side directly opposite the press cameramen. RDJ, instead, WENT TO THE FANS FIRST AND TOOK THE LONG WAY AROUND TO THE PROFESSIONALS. That alone would've made him clinch top spot in my heart if he weren't already occupying said spot. *.*
So just as RDJ was at where I was from the left, some commotion or something alerted me to the fact that someone else was coming in from the right. AND IT WAS CHRIS HEMSWORTH! *cue fans going crazy*
Now, it was only after reviewing my photos on the computer when I got home that I realised that in this shot, I DO BELIEVE HE WAS LOOKING RIGHT INTO MY CAMERA AND SMILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *dies*
Chris was adorable, so so adorable. One of the girls in front of me asked him if he could have a photo with her and he agreed. GAH I JUST WASN'T CLOSE ENOUGH TO DO THAT. But that fact that I got the photo above already makes me very, very happy. 8D
And we have a shot of Chris and Tom being interviewed together on the big screen. Taken BECAUSE. Asgardian Brothers! 8D
I suppose I should mention now that I also happened to be standing near Loki fangirls HAHA. There was a group of them dressed in identical green shirts with gold lettering that I believe said something to the effect that they were in Loki's army. They also had a sign made out of green paper with golden lettering spelling out: LOKI'S ARMY LONDON HQ. Also, during the panning shots of the crowd they showed while waiting for the premiere to start, near the Loki Army crowd was someone with a sketchbook held up in the air, and on said page that was shown, THE PERSON HAD DRAWN STEVE AND TONY LOOKING VERY MUCH CHUMMY WITH EACH OTHER.
I SWEAR THAT PERSON MUST'VE BEEN A STEVE/TONY FANGIRL. It made me very, very happy. xD
Anyway, sometime afterwards, which was a decently long time I think even though my sense of time had been shot to hell even before the permiere started, I finally spotted RDJ again, this time on the side and facing the professional cameramen and posing for photos.
Now, remember how I was saying that everyone else before (and after him even) had gone straight to the professionals first? Even then, some people from my side were making noise and calling out their names to try and get their attention so that they'd turn around. Didn't work. Didn't deter them from trying again though for RDJ.
AND HE TURNED AROUND. AND HE BLEW KISSES AT US. AND THIS IS REASON NUMBER TWO OF WHY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH MORE NOW.
Seriously, nobody else turned around. Only Robert. Downey. Jr. GUH I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. *FLAILS* He knows the fans love him, and he gives it to them and they love him even more. I certainly did. *.*
Sometime after, Tom Hiddleston made his way back to my side of the fans (he went by once, saying "I'm sorry" for not stopping, probably cause he had some press interview scheduled). And seeing as I mentioned there were a good bunch of Loki fangirls on my side... they kinda went crazy, so it was hard work trying to get a photo of him with as little arms, and notebook and paper and whatever-else in the way.
Not the best photo really, but well, with the conditions I had to deal with, I will say that I'm pretty satisfied. xD Tom Hiddleston is also British and London-born. I also believe he got nominated this year for something in BAFTA, which I think is the British Academy Awards... or something like that. I know he won the Empire Awards for Best Newcomer this year. ^^
Later on, the actors and actresses were called back onstage for one-on-one interviews. Well, most of them at least. Regardless, I do not remember too much of the interviews lol. So I still need to go find a video of the London Premiere soon. xD"
So I said most people got called onstage alone right? The only two who didn't were Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner. And the explanation for the above picture was that once they got up on the stage, they linked hands and started running in circles/dancing. xD" D'awww you two, why so adorable? xD
I vaguely remember some of the interview questions, but not really the replies to them. Host asked Renner something about Hawkeye with inference to him seemingly being a solo agent/lone wolf kinda thing. Then there was something about Iron Man 3 to RDJ, which eventually led to him expressing his great interest in returning to Westfield for the Iron Man 3 premiere next May.
Dear Robert Downey Jr.,
I know it was probably never your intention (or maybe it was Tony Stark's, because.), but... this is making me reconsider going on exchange so I will be in London in May 2013, never mind that it's actually also nearing my exam period.
Love,
Yu Ling
It's because they're so conveniently going to BE WHERE I CAN POSSIBLY BE WHICH IS WHY I AM GOING CRAZY WITH FANDOM-NESS. GUH.
*coughs* Anyway, two more pictures to finish it off.
Guh, Chris H. looks so much like an adorable teddy bear when he smiles. Also, the last thing the host asked him to do before concluding his interview was to say something like Thor. And Chris went, "FOR ASGARD!!" I thought it was adorable, and the fans loved it and so we all cheered! xD
And last, but not least, our only female Avenger so far: Scarlett Johansson!
Followed by a group shot! Sorry it's blurry though... leg was dying by then, and I still had to tip toe to get as many heads out of the way as possible when taking photos of the big screen.
All in all, I had a wonderful, if tiring in the end, time at the premiere! Next time, if there is one, I suppose I will aim for autographs... especially of Robert Downey Jr. xD" Although... if Chris Evans manages to turn up... Idoneedaphotoofhimtocallmyown. xP
...and I just found this on Tumblr, AND HOW THE HELL DID I MISS IT WHEN I WAS THERE? But it's adorable. But why you two ignore Jeremy? He feels unloved. ^^"
Although, my next reaction was:
NO TONY. NOT LOKI. STEVE WILL BE SAD.
~.^ Because. Steve/Tony ALL THE WAY~
In other news but still related to Marvel and The Avengers... Civil War storyline potentially for The Avengers 3?!
I would honestly, very much love a Civil War movie. Much as the storyline was heartbreaking - and probably not as well executed as it could've been from most fan reactions (though it's still classified as a "fan favourite" lol, and I'm still trying to reserve judgment because I've yet to read all of the comics from it), I still love the idea of it very, very much. Not to mention it was what made me ship Steve/Tony - despite it being about them taking opposite sides.
Only thing I foresee might be hard to pull off is the tragedy coming from the strained and eventually broken friendship between Tony and Steve. There is a hell lot of backstory for comics version of Steve and Tony. They're best friends in the comics, and at least in the Avengers movie, they don't get off on the right note. So to translate it into Civil War and still make that tragedy - which I felt was really central for me - seem real and actually happen. Well. I don't know.
Actually, how they are planning to fit all the side storylines and the fact that Civil War contained a lot more other superheroes is going to be a bit of a problem. And some people mentioned that Spider-Man and the X-Men's rights are with Fox and not Disney? Which presents legal issues in using either in Civil War, and Spider-Man especially has quite the role in Civil War.
But really, as long as they include Civil War: The Confession at the end of that potential movie... I think I will love it already. BECAUSE I NEED TO SEE RDJ DO TONY'S DIALOGUE. I NEED TO HEAR HIM SAY "IT WASN'T WORTH IT." NEED IT. BADLY. Also, I am highly interested in seeing how Chris Evans will do Steve's half of The Confession. ^^
Ended up going alone again, but well. That didn't really matter that much in the end HAHA. Other than, maybe, having to make a decision between whether I wanted photographs or autographs more. I eventually settled on photographs. xD" Legs were dying by the end of it all, and my left knee is still giving me grief if I walk just a little too much (which to be honest, isn't much at all...) - and the premiere was on the 19th.
The things I do for fandom when I'm overseas...
So the premiere was said to start at 5.30pm, though the viewing areas were open from 8am that day. Since I had no school, I briefly contemplated going at 8am... but didn't in the end. For one, because I was going alone, it would've gotten boring quite quickly. For another, I hadn't been sleeping much the past few days, and so I wanted to catch up on my sleep too. I ended up leaving for Westfield at 1pm, arriving around 30mins later. Walking into the main building, I was pretty much greeted with this:
The crowd wasn't that big yet, but most of the "front-row" had already been taken up. I circled the area, including going up to the 2nd floor, for a bit first, partly to take top-down views of the Atrium, and also partly to scout out where I should stand. Then there was lunch, before I tried to make my decision on where to stand. What helped me "settle it" was, funnily enough, Loki and Thor. Well, two people cosplaying them at any rate. xD
Brothers hugging! Yay! :D
A quick explanation that there was a point to cosplaying. The official UK & Ireland Marvel Avengers Facebook page held a contest in which there were 15 pairs of tickets to the movie premiere to be won on that day, and to participate, you'd have to dress up as your favourite Marvel character.
It also means you get to watch the movie before anyone else in UK, watch it with the actors and actresses and get to walk the red carpet as well. But I'm pretty sure the main catch point was the first one, and the second one. xD
Regardless, the fact that people were cosplaying and letting other people take photos of them meant that I had something to do while waiting. So a few more shots of some more cosplayers:
Thor and Loki back to being enemies. You can't see it, but Loki is waving up and down a miniature figurine of the Destroyer - that metallic robot-like thing that Loki sent down to New Mexico in Thor the movie.
Thor, Captain America (really, just someone with a shield-thing), Loki, Hulk, Iron Man (just someone wearing the helmet) and Spider-Man. I kinda wonder how Spider-Man was actually breathing in that outfit...
Then they were joined by a Nick Fury (dreadlocks remix) who actually just very calmly walked into the photos and got everyone, photographers included, going "WHOAAAAAA..." before everyone else started properly posing haha
I didn't manage to take pictures of all the cosplayers there though. There was actually a very good Mystique. Painted her skin blue, and it looked very much like the blue you see in the X-Men movies, and also somehow dyed her hair in such a way that it was red fading into blonde, so it looked like she was mid-transformation.
Well eventually I just sat started taking some pictures of the venue. Like this very nice and big Avengers logo. In which you can also see that the second floor was also filling up with people:
So yeah, pretty long wait all in all. The main big screen was replaying one version of the trailer as well as some interview footage from the World Premiere. Too bad the volume wasn't really loud enough for me to make out everything that was said during the interviews. Then after some time, the host started to rehearse for the premiere. Unlike the World Premiere (and the Moscow one, I believe), instead of the stars walking down the red carpet towards the stage, this time, the stars would be coming in from behind the stage first and then going down to the red carpet.
So if you look back up to the first photo, and see the big banner of all the Avengers? That thing actually splits into two and slides open, and that's where the stars step out from and onto the stage.
It was quite interesting watching the host rehearse with someone standing in as the person he's announcing, watching the cameras also rehearse how they're going to move and seeing the big screen flash like the name of the character the person is playing in the movie. Also interesting was when they turned on the mic for the host, and you can hear him speak and then some people actually started cheering. Haha. I was like "It's just a rehearsal, people. Cool it."
Pretty sure that they didn't start on time though. By the time 5pm rolled around - which I only knew because some girls beside me were constantly checking their phones, the place I was standing had really started to fill up with people and it was getting a little squishy. By that time, I realised that I wasn't exactly in a very good spot in a way, even though I was around row 3 from the barrier. Which is already pretty damn close if you think about it. Problem was that people in Europe tend to be... bigger and taller than Asians. And one of the people in front of me was a tall guy, who was trying somewhat determinedly to squeeze me out of place -.-" I eventually decided to trust in the "L'Arc effect", i.e. that when the premiere finally started and the stars appeared, people behind would surge forward and push everyone forward.
It was very good to put faith in that, because that really did the job for getting me closer HAHA. Close enough for some of the following photos to actually occur when the premiere finally started.
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. I SWEAR I LOVE HIM SO MUCH MORE NOW.
*coughs* But yes, that was essentially how close I was, and there is a reason to why even if he hadn't already been my favourite out of the cast of The Avengers, he would've been after the premiere.
RDJ wasn't the first Avenger to be announced out onto the stage by the host, that went to Chris Hemsworth (who came out with his wife, and they're both expecting a baby "any time now"). Next were Tom Hiddleston and then Mark Ruffalo. So, by the time RDJ was announced, the other 3 were making their way around the red carpet.
So RDJ makes his appearance, the crowd screams/cheers like crazy - and I believe he got the loudest cheers out of everyone, including Scarlett Johansson - and I was all "okay, Tony Stark's at the premiere again xD" So short quick interview on stage before he's ushered down to the red carpet.
Now. Everyone else before him took the route that would lead them to the professional press cameramen first. I happened to be standing on the side directly opposite the press cameramen. RDJ, instead, WENT TO THE FANS FIRST AND TOOK THE LONG WAY AROUND TO THE PROFESSIONALS. That alone would've made him clinch top spot in my heart if he weren't already occupying said spot. *.*
So just as RDJ was at where I was from the left, some commotion or something alerted me to the fact that someone else was coming in from the right. AND IT WAS CHRIS HEMSWORTH! *cue fans going crazy*
Now, it was only after reviewing my photos on the computer when I got home that I realised that in this shot, I DO BELIEVE HE WAS LOOKING RIGHT INTO MY CAMERA AND SMILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *dies*
Chris was adorable, so so adorable. One of the girls in front of me asked him if he could have a photo with her and he agreed. GAH I JUST WASN'T CLOSE ENOUGH TO DO THAT. But that fact that I got the photo above already makes me very, very happy. 8D
And we have a shot of Chris and Tom being interviewed together on the big screen. Taken BECAUSE. Asgardian Brothers! 8D
I suppose I should mention now that I also happened to be standing near Loki fangirls HAHA. There was a group of them dressed in identical green shirts with gold lettering that I believe said something to the effect that they were in Loki's army. They also had a sign made out of green paper with golden lettering spelling out: LOKI'S ARMY LONDON HQ. Also, during the panning shots of the crowd they showed while waiting for the premiere to start, near the Loki Army crowd was someone with a sketchbook held up in the air, and on said page that was shown, THE PERSON HAD DRAWN STEVE AND TONY LOOKING VERY MUCH CHUMMY WITH EACH OTHER.
I SWEAR THAT PERSON MUST'VE BEEN A STEVE/TONY FANGIRL. It made me very, very happy. xD
Anyway, sometime afterwards, which was a decently long time I think even though my sense of time had been shot to hell even before the permiere started, I finally spotted RDJ again, this time on the side and facing the professional cameramen and posing for photos.
Now, remember how I was saying that everyone else before (and after him even) had gone straight to the professionals first? Even then, some people from my side were making noise and calling out their names to try and get their attention so that they'd turn around. Didn't work. Didn't deter them from trying again though for RDJ.
AND HE TURNED AROUND. AND HE BLEW KISSES AT US. AND THIS IS REASON NUMBER TWO OF WHY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH MORE NOW.
Seriously, nobody else turned around. Only Robert. Downey. Jr. GUH I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. *FLAILS* He knows the fans love him, and he gives it to them and they love him even more. I certainly did. *.*
Sometime after, Tom Hiddleston made his way back to my side of the fans (he went by once, saying "I'm sorry" for not stopping, probably cause he had some press interview scheduled). And seeing as I mentioned there were a good bunch of Loki fangirls on my side... they kinda went crazy, so it was hard work trying to get a photo of him with as little arms, and notebook and paper and whatever-else in the way.
Not the best photo really, but well, with the conditions I had to deal with, I will say that I'm pretty satisfied. xD Tom Hiddleston is also British and London-born. I also believe he got nominated this year for something in BAFTA, which I think is the British Academy Awards... or something like that. I know he won the Empire Awards for Best Newcomer this year. ^^
Later on, the actors and actresses were called back onstage for one-on-one interviews. Well, most of them at least. Regardless, I do not remember too much of the interviews lol. So I still need to go find a video of the London Premiere soon. xD"
So I said most people got called onstage alone right? The only two who didn't were Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner. And the explanation for the above picture was that once they got up on the stage, they linked hands and started running in circles/dancing. xD" D'awww you two, why so adorable? xD
I vaguely remember some of the interview questions, but not really the replies to them. Host asked Renner something about Hawkeye with inference to him seemingly being a solo agent/lone wolf kinda thing. Then there was something about Iron Man 3 to RDJ, which eventually led to him expressing his great interest in returning to Westfield for the Iron Man 3 premiere next May.
Dear Robert Downey Jr.,
I know it was probably never your intention (or maybe it was Tony Stark's, because.), but... this is making me reconsider going on exchange so I will be in London in May 2013, never mind that it's actually also nearing my exam period.
Love,
Yu Ling
It's because they're so conveniently going to BE WHERE I CAN POSSIBLY BE WHICH IS WHY I AM GOING CRAZY WITH FANDOM-NESS. GUH.
*coughs* Anyway, two more pictures to finish it off.
Guh, Chris H. looks so much like an adorable teddy bear when he smiles. Also, the last thing the host asked him to do before concluding his interview was to say something like Thor. And Chris went, "FOR ASGARD!!" I thought it was adorable, and the fans loved it and so we all cheered! xD
And last, but not least, our only female Avenger so far: Scarlett Johansson!
Followed by a group shot! Sorry it's blurry though... leg was dying by then, and I still had to tip toe to get as many heads out of the way as possible when taking photos of the big screen.
All in all, I had a wonderful, if tiring in the end, time at the premiere! Next time, if there is one, I suppose I will aim for autographs... especially of Robert Downey Jr. xD" Although... if Chris Evans manages to turn up... Idoneedaphotoofhimtocallmyown. xP
...and I just found this on Tumblr, AND HOW THE HELL DID I MISS IT WHEN I WAS THERE? But it's adorable. But why you two ignore Jeremy? He feels unloved. ^^"
Although, my next reaction was:
NO TONY. NOT LOKI. STEVE WILL BE SAD.
~.^ Because. Steve/Tony ALL THE WAY~
In other news but still related to Marvel and The Avengers... Civil War storyline potentially for The Avengers 3?!
I would honestly, very much love a Civil War movie. Much as the storyline was heartbreaking - and probably not as well executed as it could've been from most fan reactions (though it's still classified as a "fan favourite" lol, and I'm still trying to reserve judgment because I've yet to read all of the comics from it), I still love the idea of it very, very much. Not to mention it was what made me ship Steve/Tony - despite it being about them taking opposite sides.
Only thing I foresee might be hard to pull off is the tragedy coming from the strained and eventually broken friendship between Tony and Steve. There is a hell lot of backstory for comics version of Steve and Tony. They're best friends in the comics, and at least in the Avengers movie, they don't get off on the right note. So to translate it into Civil War and still make that tragedy - which I felt was really central for me - seem real and actually happen. Well. I don't know.
Actually, how they are planning to fit all the side storylines and the fact that Civil War contained a lot more other superheroes is going to be a bit of a problem. And some people mentioned that Spider-Man and the X-Men's rights are with Fox and not Disney? Which presents legal issues in using either in Civil War, and Spider-Man especially has quite the role in Civil War.
But really, as long as they include Civil War: The Confession at the end of that potential movie... I think I will love it already. BECAUSE I NEED TO SEE RDJ DO TONY'S DIALOGUE. I NEED TO HEAR HIM SAY "IT WASN'T WORTH IT." NEED IT. BADLY. Also, I am highly interested in seeing how Chris Evans will do Steve's half of The Confession. ^^