The Premiere of Wake - October 5, 2002

Although Gale was not in attendance at the screening of Wake, John Philbrick was and has been kind enough to share with us a few of his thoughts on the evening. Enjoy!

  

For the majority of us, access to movie screenings and all their glamour consist of entertainment shows and magazines. To be a part of one, a 'first' one -- with all the lights, red carpets, and hoopla was a once in a lifetime experience. Joy and excitement were evident on all the participants faces, and left no doubt in anyone's mind that they were all absolutely thrilled to be there. Hooray for Hollywood!
The Red Carpet

The movie that was screened was much different than the movie made 17 months ago, but at the same time, the finished product remained true to the spirit of the original script. WAKE was a leaner and grittier movie than the one we shot thanks in large part to the spectacular editing that went on for nearly 15 months. I was VERY pleased by the results, as were Blake and Dihlon.

John Winthrop Philbrick, Blake Gibbons, Dihlon McManne

The premier was fantastic. We sold out (412 seats) on Thursday afternoon, 2 days before the screening. WAKE was the first, and, as far as I know, the only film to sell out. The theater was plush and ridiculously comfortable, with seats that belonged in my grandfather's Buick! [We settled in, welcomed by both Roy Finch, and Susan Landau-Finch. Thanks and acknowledgements were given to many who were involved, including apologies-in-advance to Blake's parents for the 'language', which were well received! A virtual reality based short film called The Lady Lovelace Deception System preceded the feature presentation. When WAKE began immediately after, applause broke out as each of the cast member's names appeared for the first time on screen, which added to the excitement. Finally, the moment we all had come for...WAKE!] It was wonderful to listen to the audience's reactions to the film, the laughter (at the right times thank god!) and the gasps. It was the first time that I had seen the finished film, so I was allowed the special privilege of being the only audience member who knew what was coming in a general sense, but was still as surprised and engrossed by the story as anyone in the theater. (Side note: I didn't realize Gale was such a great puker, LOL!) My cast mates had attended a private screening a few weeks earlier, so they were seeing the film for the second time. The support that the film has enjoyed, particularly from fans of Gale's and Blake's, is tremendous. Both groups were out in force that day, and listening to their reactions during AND after the screening was very interesting.


I am hoping that WAKE will be accepted by the Sundance Film Festival, although the prospect of Utah in January to a guy who loathes the cold is somewhat daunting. (pssst...John, just bring a toque and have a hot toddy or two - you'll be fine!)

Thank you so much, John, for sharing your experiences with us. I'm sure this film will skyrocket you to fame and fortune! Happily for me, I will get to say "I knew him when...."! Cheers, Heather.

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