Laurie Sandell » Film

Two pinheads go to see Avatar

Laurie — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:56:39 +0000

As one of the last people on earth to finally see Avatar, I went into the film with a few expectations. I knew it would be an astonishing visual experience but didn’t think the story would hold up all that well. I was wrong–I really loved it! I was entertained throughout and never bored; if I closed my eyes for five minutes it’s only because I didn’t get much sleep the night before. The theater itself was cool, too; we saw it in 3-D at the Dome at the Arc Light Cinema in Hollywood. The only real downside was that the glasses were huge and I have a pinhead, so they kept sliding down my nose. Julie and I were actually discussing the fact that we are both pinheads when we were ordering at the popcorn stand, and the guy behind the counter said, “How can you call two gorgeous girls like yourself pinheads?” I said, “It’s a fact, Jack–it’s not something we’re upset about, we just happen to have small heads. Hats and sunglasses don’t work. We’re just as God made us.” If plastic surgery for pinheads does, indeed, exist, I’m sure I’ll find it here in LA. But for now, I’m just going to have to live with it, and make extra cash performing in a traveling freak show.

An old friend and a new film

Laurie — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:34:21 +0000

Ben Cartel is my new spiritual advisor. (Like the word “impostor,” I choose to spell “advisor” with an “o.” Deal with it.) I haven’t spent one-on-one time with him in 20 years, since we were in high school, and I am so impressed with the person he has become. Last night we met up for dinner and a movie; I made the mistake of driving into the city, so our dinner was cut short while I drove around in circles, looking for a parking spot. We saw the new Pedro Almodóvar film, Broken Embraces, in which Penelope Cruz plays a wealthy businessman’s unhappy girlfriend. I loved the film and was devastated by it. But, as with Woody Allen, I tend to like anything Almodóvar does. Then Ben and I drove back to Crooklyn, where we both live, and talked in the car until 2:00 AM. Here’s the thing about Ben: He grew up in a loving home with wonderful parents and his worldview is basically optimistic. When he shares his philosophies about life and love, he says the exact opposite thing I’d expect him to say, because, you see, we grew up (cough) differently. And that’s why, from now on, I’m not making a move without consulting Ben. He also happens to be one half of my new favorite band. I’m not just saying this because I’ve pledged my life savings to him and have agreed to stop wearing pants and cutting my hair in deference to his wishes; I’m saying this because I’ve been listening to his CDs nonstop. Check out this video of “Favorite Song,” which was featured on HBO’s Bored to Death. Are you sold yet?

A movie premiere and a snazzy after-party

Laurie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:15:12 +0000

If it weren’t for my friend Carole, who invites me to all kinds of fun parties, all I would do for fun is go to the movies. By myself. (I really do love going to the movies by myself.) Last night she invited me to the premiere of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, a stop-motion animated film directed by Wes Anderson, produced by her close friend Karen Duffy, and starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. Not too shabby. The animation was astonishing–like nothing I’ve ever seen. Here’s my view from the balcony–that’s chef Mario Batali all the way on the right, who also had a cameo in the film. After the screening we headed to the after-party and mingled with the likes of Bill Murray, Woody Harrelson, Meryl Streep and Willem Dafoe. Then Carole and I headed downtown to The Boom Boom Room, atop The Standard Hotel, for yet another party.

Have you ever heard of The Boom Boom Room? The place is insane: a giant penthouse with 360 degree floor-to-ceiling windows, including glass walls in the bathroom. My iPhone doesn’t have a flash so the pictures aren’t very clear, but here’s a shot from my spot at the bar, an official Boom Boom Room photo, and one that Carole took of me in the bathroom. Yes, that is the view from the toilet–and the windows go all the way to the floor. It’s funny to be the kind of person who struggles with debt and has to pinch pennies when I am constantly finding myself in places like this. Thank God I’ve learned to appreciate a “visit” to the lifestyle instead of trying to emulate it, which is what I used to do, and what landed me in Debtor’s Anonymous. And thank God I still have all the Siegerson Morrison shoes I bought during one of those spending sprees: I wore a pair last night. And they were hot.

Finally, a great fall film: Coco Before Chanel

Laurie — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:36:52 +0000

Saw the movie last night with (a very cranky) Amanda and her boyfriend, Dave. We drove into the city, and Amanda was annoyed because she felt sure I wasn’t going to be able to find a parking spot. Well, I proved her wrong. We found a spot on 19th St., in front of a restaurant called Socarrat Paella Bar. I’d gone there with my cousin Jaimie a few weeks before, and the avuncular, verging-on-obese owner fell in love her at first sight. He seated us at a special table for friends and family in the garden, accessible through the kitchen, a la Goodfellas. The food was spectacularly delicious but I’m not sure I can ever go back, since this guy has been stalking my cousin ever since. (She had to give him her cellphone number so he could call us when the table was ready.) There he was, sweating and writing names down on a clipboard–I ran past him with my hair in my face.

On to the movie: Coco Before Chanel is about the early life of the designer, long before she became the head of the most important and influential house in the history of fashion. (Can I say that? I’m clueless about fashion.) I knew nothing about this woman before seeing the movie, but I came away smitten: She wore men’s clothes back in the 1800s, when women were draped in frilly finery; was a staunch feminist; refused to depend on a man to create a life for herself. The woman was a rock star in every sense of the word. Plus, the movie itself was so well-done: gorgeously filmed, a riveting story and stellar acting, A+ all around. You must go see this film. I recommend wearing something simple and striped to the theater, so you can feel as cool as Coco when the lights come up.

Have you seen the movie The Cove?

Laurie — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:25:09 +0000

I guess I’ve been sticking pretty close to Brooklyn; this is the first time I’ve seen the new and improved Washington Sq. Park (that’s me, standing at the entrance). Paul and I met there today; then had brunch at an adorable restaurant on Greenwich St. called Gottino. (The type of place where oranges are spilling out of baskets and the garden is surrounded by ivy-covered walls.) But I couldn’t enjoy my typical meat-eater’s meal of bacon, or sausage, or anything with a face, because last night I saw the most disturbing documentary about dolphin slaughter, called The Cove. The filmmakers are bringing attention to a horrific practice that takes place in the South of Japan, where tens of thousands of dolphins are killed each year for their meat–which contains toxic levels of mercury, by the way, and is marketed as whale meat to unsuspecting consumers. The rest are shipped off to Sea World and other “swim with dolphins” organizations who pay up to $150,000 per animal. Despite the dolphins’ seemingly happy demeanor as they burst out of the water to do tricks, they are incredibly stressed in captivity. Dolphins are used to traveling up to 40 miles a day, and are so sensitive to sound, they can’t handle the roar of the crowds. The filmmakers called the dolphin’s natural smile “Nature’s greatest deception”–behind the scenes, many of them are treated for ulcers. The movie didn’t just bring attention to an important and heartbreaking issue, it played like a tense action thriller. See it, but brace yourself; it’s hard to watch. As God is my witness, I will never eat another dolphin burger again.

Have people stopped going to the movies, too?

Laurie — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:05:09 +0000

Friday night, Paul and I went to see My One and Only (which I loved) at the Cobble Hill Cinema, and we were the only people in the theater. Here’s Paul, motioning to me frantically as if it might be difficult for me to spot him in the crowd. Last night, I went to the opening of The Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel, courtesy of my friend Carole. Let’s see if I can do this place justice. The room is enormous; as one patron put it, “It feels like the grand ballroom on The Titanic.” There’s a gorgeous forties-style bar in the center of the room, with a center column that reaches to the ceiling and flowers out into a stunning design. The space is made up of gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows, with magnificent skylines in every direction. Behind the DJ booth there’s a skywalk suspended over an 18-story drop, where people go to smoke. Meaning, the floor is made of glass and you can see all the way down. But my favorite touch by far was the bathroom, where you perch on a toilet and face a huge wall of glass overlooking The Highline. That’s right–while you do your business, you have a stunning view of New York from floor to ceiling, and technically, everyone can see you, too. But since The Boom Boom Room is only open at night, and 18 stories off the ground, no one can really see in. Thanks to my job at Glamour, I’ve been in some grand spaces, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Wow.

The first rule of Fight Club

Laurie — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:04:34 +0000

…is that I can’t tell you the first rule of Fight Club, for reasons you well know. I just saw the film for the first time last night, and am somewhat changed. To counteract the effect of having seen Fight Club, tonight I’m going to the theater with my cousin, Jaimie, to see The Time Traveler’s Wife. I can’t abide chick lit, but for some reason I’m able to enjoy sappy films. They can’t be terrible–I have no problem walking out of a film that’s torturing me–but I’m able to enjoy films that your average person would slink into wearing a large, post-plastic-surgery scarf and dark sunglasses. While we’re on the subject, can we discuss the fact that the only thing I ever want to do these days is go to the movies? Is this a function of getting older? Every time the weekend rolls around, and it’s time to make plans, I either corral a friend into seeing a movie with me, or see one by myself. What happened to the booze-fueled nights, the late-night phone sex, the rave parties around the world? Oh, right–I’m sober. Hello, world…

District 9 blew my mind

Laurie — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:29:36 +0000

photo: Sony Pictures

Yesterday I met with my Hollywood book-to-movie agent and he mentioned a movie I hadn’t yet heard of: District 9. So I went to see it last night with my friend Karen Ramos. We arrived at the theater to find a line of fanboys wrapped around the block (Karen’s comment: “Bit of a sausage party here.” Yeah. To put things in perspective, we were deciding between this and Julie & Julia.) The film was absolutely stomach-churning at times, and rattled our eardrums with near-constant gunfire and explosions, but I still hold that this was one of the most interesting films I’ve seen in a long, long time. A fascinating look at racism and ethnic cleansing, with brilliant special effects and a cast of entirely unknown actors–all on a budget of $30 million dollars. SEE IT NOW. By the way, Karen absolutely hated it and said it was “torture” to sit through, so I can’t be responsible for those of you who can’t man up enough to enjoy this. Sorry, Karen!

The plight of Schapelle Corby

Laurie — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:54:53 +0000

I swear, I’ll get back to celebrities in a minute, but I had to post about a powerful documentary I watched on HBO last night called Ganja Queen. It’s about a (now) 31-year-old Australian woman caught smuggling a 10-pound bag of cannabis into Bali, in 2004. She was visiting her older sister, who is married to a Balinese man, and had planned to spend two weeks at the beach with them. Instead, she is serving 20 years in horrific conditions in a Balinese prison. The documentary makes a convincing case for her innocence: Witnesses saw her throw her flippers into the bag before she checked her luggage in Sydney–unlocked, mind you–then she took two flights to Bali. Only when the bag arrived in Bali did it have a 10-pound bag of pot inside. A customs officer asked Schapelle to open it, and when she did, she was so shocked at what she saw, she quickly zipped it up again (an admission of guilt to some on the Balinese jury.) Dozens of Balinese officers handled the evidence, and no one fingerprinted it. The airport security cameras were broken in both Sydney and Bali. At the very least, the woman didn’t get a fair trial–and as we speak, she is rotting away in prison. Visit her website for more information about this heartbreaking story.