Hold the 'Fone

Hey folks, this is Capulet kicking off my first 'Fone post with the mega-premiere party for 'Open Season.' I'm not exaggerating when I say that Sony Animation literally pulled out all the stops to give their first feature a larger-than-life debut. For starters, they threw their shindig at the Greek Theatre in Griffith Park, LA. It was my first time there (yes, I'm a loser) but I could tell right away that this wasn't a shoestring affair. Some fun premiere facts:

So who did I talk to? Basically everyone except Mr. Ashton Kutcher, who arrived like five minutes before the screening started and cruised down the (green) carpet with Demi Moore and her daughter Tallulah Belle Willis. After talking to a few people he was whisked away, much to our chagrin. The rest of the cast was more punctual, and everyone came with kids in tow. Martin Lawrence even brought his mom and dad, so you know he had to be on good behavior. When asked if he likes to spend time in the great outdoors, the voice of Boog laughed and said, "If you gave me two sticks to make a fire, I couldn't do anything with it." About 'Open Season' he said, "It's got a lot of heart. You can't mess with that, and kids can watch it ten times over."

Debra Messing arrived with her hubby and three little nieces, each holding every stuffed 'Open Season' character they could carry. When she started her voice work three years ago, she said that about her character she knew "Nothing. Just that she's a mother and they wanted her to be the heart of the movie." When it comes to camping, she said she's "afraid of bears and scary things in the dark." So the world will be shocked to hear that Messing is no nature girl.

Funny guys Billy Connolly and Jon Favreau provided a one-two comic punch. Connolly cussed me out -- at least I'm pretty sure he did -- in his improvised Scots-squirrel McSquizzy voice. Favreau retraced his tracks to the beginning of his role as the busy beaver Reilly. "When I first heard about this movie I looked at the script and I said is that the only part left -- Reilly the beaver? And they said yes. So I played Reilly. But I'm a good actor, I did my research. I think I did a good job and I don't want to jinx it ... but there's Oscar buzz." Favreau's been a busy beaver himself, with 'Iron Man' and a new CGI-animated comedy 'Neanderthals' in the works. (Please don't kill me for the beaver pun.)

But the highlight of my evening had to be hanging out with rock legend (and some would say the father of indie music) Paul Westerberg. Yes, the lead singer of The Replacements wrote the original songs and score for 'Open Season.' He told me he traded the tour bus for the family film because he was tired of touring, and he wanted a project that his eight-year-old son Johnny would dig. But writing music for a "major motion picture" is nothing like cutting an album. Said Paul, "I'd write something that everyone loved and a few weeks later they'd change the character completely, make him less menacing and more buffoon-ish. So I'd have to start over, but I knew what I was getting into." I requested that he play 'Unsatisfied,' which of course didn't happen. But talking to one of my music idols made me even more excited to check out 'Open Season' fer sure.

POST: What's your take on 'Open Season'?

See photos from the 'Open Season' premiere

Check out our Ashton Kutcher/Martin Lawrence Unscripted interview

Watch a behind-the-scenes video for 'Open Season'

Check out our character gallery

More 'Open Season' goodies

Tags: Open Season, movie premiere, Ashton Kutcher, Martin Lawrence, Debra Messing

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• #2 Comment from covhocko4 
  10/1/06 11:17 PM | Permalink

  Many parts were cute and original in the movie. The sheriff refreshingly was portrayed as a normal person. Tjhe Scottish accent with the chipmunks or squirrels  was a nice touch. Unfortunately, bathroom humor seems to be on the rise for children in Hollywood for some reason. Can any animation resist the bandwagon these days?
  
  One also cannot help to notice a few subtle politically correct themes laced through it- -another monotonous development. You get the sense that an animal rights advocate had their ideological hand in the script. Hunters are demeaned as stupid, ignorant or cruel, an updated extension of Bambi. I suppose one needs adversaries like that in such a film where animals rule. The mean hunter we meet early in the film (i.e., Fox and the Hound?) is an over-played caracature of someone who sees the animal kingdom as subordinate to, and in service to, mankind. Too bad. Most normal and decent people hold to that view (rightly so) and ought not to be not pilloried in the script. I had to clarify that element with my 10 year old.
  
  All-in-all, the film gives a Pixar a run for its money, but not quite at the level of Finding Nemo.
  
  Evan at Covhocko4
• #1 Comment from bookbearbookie 
  9/29/06 1:36 AM | Permalink

  Hey!  I am just wondering if anyone could help me find the cool plush bear that everyone seemed to have at the premiere of Open Season!  Any help would be appreciated.