十三人の刺客 - 13 Assassins - 67th Venice Film Festival
Last week I went to Venice for the Film Festival to watch 十三人の刺客 - 13 Assassins, because I love Takashi Miike and most of all because I was hoping to see Goro chan!!
I'll try to write a little report of that day without spoiling but be aware that I'm not good in reporting :lol: .
I went to Venice the day before the movie in the afternoon because I wanted to find out news about the cast and of course Goro chan. I met up with monstakarotte and zombiezahn and we went to check the red carpet for a good spot and there were a lot of people and photographers waiting for Ben Affleck and the rest of the cast. Well since we were there we thought to get an autograph and/or a picture but Mr. Affleck after signing just a couple of autographs went straight away without considering all the people waiting for him so after almost yelling at him, btw I didn't care that much about him it's just that he was rude to the real fans waiting there, we ran to check for the press screening of 13 Assassins but it was a little late and we couldn't find a way to get near the press area. Before meeting with the girls I stalked a couple of Japanese journalist but they were pretty busy and I didn't get any info. Later on while I was in train back to home monstakarotte and zombiezahn talked with a Japanese journalist who said that Goro chan wasn't participating to the Festival, only Yamada and Yakusho and of course Miike. I felt really sad and somehow angry but knowing now that Goro chan wasn't invited I feel even worse I want to go ask explanation to the Festival's director.
The day of the screening we met up with nekotakuya02 who brought me a couple of goods from the concert and of course the Magazine that i had hope to make Goro signs, but it was just a dream. We ran to the red carpet but there weren't a lot of people because it was 10 pm so we found a good spot, first row, but then later came quite a few people. This was my first Festival and I wasn't prepared for the emotions. I had a camera and a video camera but really crappy that's why a brought both eventually I would have take a good pic with one of them lol. They had a delay of 15 minutes and I was still hoping for Goro to come, maybe a miracle. Anyway I recognized Yakusho san from the distance because he is tall and than Miike sensei but than there was this little tiny man with a beard and I didn't realize in the beginning but then he turned his head and I was kyaaa.
We were struggling to take pictures because they were in font of the photographers pretty far from us and they stayed a lot there and I had the security guy blocking my view so I didn't take nice pictures :furious: . At some point we decided to shout Yamada's name because he was still far and on 3 we shouted like kids and he immediately turned in our direction and it was really embarrassing and exciting at the same time and after finishing with the photographers he came in my direction and signed my paper and others too, he was so sweet and I think they were pleased by the welcome.
Yamada signing my paper, those are my hair, hand and boob lol!!
Yamada signing autographs to monstakarotte and zombiezahn
This was the first time I felt that way, my hands were shaking I didn't know how to turn off the camera and sometimes I forgot to take picture especially when I asked Yakusho san for the autograph. Now I can't even imagine my reaction if Goro was there. One of the best thing of Venice film festival, and Tarantino said it too, is that the whole atmosphere is pretty casual and you are really close to your favorite actor/tress or director. Actually I asked Yamada twice for autograph because the first wasn't that good because of the crappy pen and he signed my paper again!!
Yamada's autograph
Yakusho's autograph
After shouting another couple of times Miike's name we ran to the theater.
We had the seats near the cast because I chose them, and after a couple of minutes here it comes the president of jury Q. Tarantino waving and greetings, he passed near us and went in the middle of the theater and took a seat, after that a lot of applause for the director and the cast and then the movie started, big applause!!
First of all since is a Miike's movie maybe if you're too much sensitive this movie isn't for you but yet I think is much lighter then "I come with the rain" for the bloody scenes, and there are maybe only 2 scenes that can be counted as disturbing or hard to watch but really Miike's has done his best to keep it soft!!
The first 20 minutes talks about the background story and here you can see all the wonderful Goro chan's interpretation, with his facial expressions and eyes and the body language which is just awesome and totally not so Goro and you can understand that fan who said she hated Goro in those minutes. After that, there's the assassins recruitment and all the strategy part and sometimes a couple of Goro's scenes. Maybe this part is a little bit slow but it can't be helped. I think in the first 90 minutes there have been 2-3 applause for the ironic quotes 1 from Goro's character and the other from one of the old assassins.
The last hour is just pure entertainment, some media said that it was one of the best battle scene since maybe "Kill Bill".
And here you can see again how good Goro is that you can sympathize for him at some point of the story, and there were here too at least 3 applause because some scenes were really awesome.
Some of the applause during the screen started from Tarantino someone said.
After the movie there was a standing ovation, some media said 7 minutes, I don't remember because I was applauding :rofl:
BTW there's no Eagles song on the movie or at least in this version, the Japan release will have 20 additional minutes in a brothel before the battle.
While talking about the movie outside the theater a guy approached us asking for a couple of questions. I was like no way, I don't know what to say or I can answer but without being filmed. He said to not worry because the interviews was going to be shown in Japan after a couple of seconds I accepted and without remembering the questions I started talking about I don't know what I just remember saying 4-5 times Goro's name, than I asked the others girls to speak and they were more nervous than me. We we were totally unprepared for that!! While trying to figured it out what to do next I saw the guy from Tv asahi still filming in our way so I casually took my Smap magazine from the bag and started looking at it trying to show in their direction. It doesn't mean they filmed me with the magazine but I tried what I could in that short time!!
The F4 lol !!
Here is a video from that night, at some point you can hear our excited voices but I lowed the volume because it was embarrassing!!
Click to viewA much better video of the red carpet
That's it!! I said I'm not good in reporting stuff but the emotions was behind my expectations and I hope to have another wonderful experience next year !!