'Traffic' Premiere

It’s Monday morning and I have 15 mails. Hahaha.

Life’s cheap thrills.

My weekend report: It was fun as in capital F-U-N.

Friday night. World premiere of Traffic at the AMPAS Theater (Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences, the Oscar body) in Beverly Hills. I was invited by a friend of mine. Andun na kami by 6:00 pm. He stayed at the photographer’s line and I was whisked inside to stay at the print line.

It was everything that I imagined a Hollywood premiere is made of, and more. By 6:30, dumadating na yung mga tao. I was with 4 other print people, writing for W, In Style, US and Entertainment Weekly. Golly, nanliit ako.

We were given “tip sheets” (like who’s expected to attend). Then the stars started arriving, Since I am a couch potato, it was heaven for me. I didn’t exactly know their names but I knew their characters’ names. The stars of That 70’s Show came in first. They attended to show support to Topher Grace who is in the film. Then yung mga taga-Roswell. Then my jaw dropped, Antonio Sabato, Jr. came in with a pretty date. Tapos, si Winona Ryder. Gosh, she’s so cute. Reclusive siya, she wasn’t “friendly” at all sa press. She told her publicist that she didn’t want to do interviews, wala naman kasi daw siya sa movie. Fine. I remember her vividly with her “doily” outfit sa Reality Bites.

Minnie Driver. Andie McDowell. Highlander guy. Steven Sodebergh, the film’s director, who also directed Erin Brockovich, Out of Sight and sex, lies and videotape. Jerry O Connell. Salma Hayek. Tom Sizemore. Michael Rapaport. Colin Farrell.

Then the cast started coming in. Dennis Quaid, Benicio Del Toro, Don Cheadle. Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones. My golly, I was so amazed. Cheap thrill.


Tapos, screening na. Medyo mahaba yung film – 2 hrs 15 minutes – and after that, akala ko tapos na. Pagbaba naming from the theater, hayun may after-party sa lobby mismo ng AMPAS. Then yung friend ng friend ko approached me, and asked me if I wanted to interview the stars. I pinched myself, sabi ko sa sarili ko, “me? Interview the stars?” so I said yes. Akala ko sa supporting cast lang. Hinila ako. First interviewee of the night – Michael Douglas. Wow.

I wasn’t prepared. I was “allowed” to asked 2 to 3 questions lang, kasi ang dami dami ngang tao.

Momar: Mr. Douglas, Hi! Congratulations, that was a great performance. How was the role different from your role in Wonder Boys?

[Stupid question, but what can I do? Wala akong prepared question. I wasn’t prepared.]

Michael Douglas: Ahmmmm (as if looking for a nice way to tell me: Go away, I am not here to promote Wonder Boys.]

[Bawi ako bigla…]

Momar: I mean, how is this role special from the past roles you have portrayed?

Michael Douglas: Oh. Blah blah blah. Yada yada yada Di ko pa nata transcribe yung tape and I wasn’t giving attention to what he was saying. I was just maintaining eye contact with him.

Yun, natapos si Michael Douglas. Then hinila ako sa supporting cast – Benicio Del Toro (this guy is so good in the movie, he practically stole the film from Michael), Don Cheadle (he was the second most applauded after the screening), mga up and comers (the young members of the cast)…and ta-da! Catherine Zeta-Jones.

I was so transfixed. She looked so pretty. My golly. Her face is so cute. And she was wearing this red top na halos puro strings lang yung nasa likod. I was staying at first by her side and deadma siya if people can see (and ogle) at the side of her left boobie. She’s so pretty. Nakatatak sa utak ko yung scene niya sa Entrapment where she slithers like a snake. Ang sexy niya.

I got home around 12:30 in the morning. Di ako nakatulog agad. I couldn’t believe what just happened happened. My only regret was that I didn’t have my camera with me. Okay lang because my friend told me that “unauthorized” photographers could easily be taken out. Nakakahiya, di ba? I also controlled myself from asking for the stars’ autographs, and I succeeded.

Star-struck, that’s me.

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moving out

it’s thursday morning here and i am very sleepy. i just had a three-hour sleep last night. finally, naka move out na ako from my cousin’s place. freedom. ang sarap ng feeling because now I am finally on my own.

mixed emotions din because i have gorwn to love the kids. the younger one, barely five years old, asked me on the day i was packing. “why are you leaving us kuya mark?” she doesn’ call me tito, kuya na lang daw. and she can’t say momar, kaya mark na lang.

then she remembered her friends, neighbors namin dati. “are you coming back? are you going to visit us? because ernie and jenny (names ng friends niya) left and they promised to return but they have not returned yet.”

yun. medyo na sad lang ng konti.


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