Citrus Juicer
The opening day of the Venice Film Festival was dominated by Tim Burton's film Beetle Juice Beetle Juice. Lots of glamour on the red carpet with a host of movie stars from Monica Bellucci to Catherine O'Hara. Michael Keaton had fun all day pointing his iPhone at fans and filming them. Beetle Juice-Themed cosplayers spread out across the red carpet area and into the press room. Winona Ryder wore a dress in keeping with the film. But the very young crowd went wild for Jenna Ortega, aka Wednesday Addams, who arrived in a gorgeous red. Lido-mania has arrived.
Angry Journalists
The Venetian press is furious about the lack of junkets: they complain that there are few, if any, authorized interviews. Mariam Schaghaghi, a German journalist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, asks Alberto Barbera directly about this during the press conference. Barbera, however, said he was not aware of the situation, explaining that decisions about the availability of talent are up to distributors, and they prefer to focus media coverage on when films are released later in the year.
Disclaimer Is he being insulted?
Alfonso Cuaron's Apple+ Preview Room Disclaimer series with Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline and Sacha Baron Coen (unrecognizable and fantastic in a very serious role) runs out of steam immediately after the second episode of three. Three episodes in a row, 180 minutes non-stop, seems to be too much for the audience. Or maybe they didn't like it?
Red Carpet Flip Flops
We conclude our roundup of curiosities with the white plastic flip-flops worn by Jim Simpson, husband of Sigourney Weaver, who received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. If until now we had become accustomed to sneakers paired with tuxedos, flip-flops with socks on the red carpet were an absolute novelty. Had the director and actor perhaps forgotten his shoes? Did his feet hurt? Or did he want to launch a new trend? The mystery remains unsolved.