NEWSInside the ‘Be Kind Rewind’ Premiere, Afterparty
Feb. 22 2008, Published 1:00 p.m. ET
Jack Black and Mos Def are absent from the Tribeca Cinema Series Be Kind Rewind premiere held in NYC, but they send along their famous friends and costars to give props to the hilarious video-store comedy.
Mia Farrow is so cold tears keep streaking down her face, so she asks me to speak with her inside the party instead of outside on the tented red carpet. “I’m just going to follow my kid,” she tells me. “I’m going to hang onto you. We could get to a warmer spot maybe.”
She plays the kooky older woman that gets Jack and Mos started on their “sweding” kick. (Sweded: Making ones own version of popular movies.) What if they sweded her 1968 horror flick Rosemary’s Baby? “I think it would be great,” she laughs. “I’d rent a copy. Definitely. I’d probably rent it at least once a year at Thanksgiving.”
Mia tells me her favorite scene is when the whole town of Passaic, N.J., comes together at the end. “Everybody cried when it was over,” she says. “The town really did come together in a meaningful way.”
I slide by Michael Stipe to get to Sigourney Weaver, who plays an evil lawyer. “I still have a thing for VHS,” she laughs. “I don’t know. It’s going to be like records. Now who wants to buy records?”
Whoa, it’s Elijah Wood! “I’d like to see them remake Flipper,” the petite actor says. Does he hit up video stores? “Not too much anymore. I just get recommendations from all the people I know.”
Time for the screening. and Rachel Dratch are sitting in the second row directly behind us. Wild! Parker is excited about going to the Independent Spirit Awards later in the week. She seems casually cool, and Rachel is very ooh-ahh-oh-Oscar party. They laugh along throughout the flick.
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After the screening, two directors chairs and mics are set up. A few minutes pass with no action, so Parker says to Rachel “Want to do a Q&A? We have a captive audience.” When Rachel makes a face, Parker whines, “Rach, I’m old, I can do whatever I want!”
Now we follow the herd over a few blocks to the afterparty at Deitch Projects. A man with a video camera goes after Parker. “Are you from TMZ?” she asks.
Once inside, Parker and Rachel tuck into a booth in the swank Be Kind Rewind-styled art space as tunes including Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' and Prince’s Erotic City play. Baby burgers, spoonfuls of Spaghettios, baby hot dogs and barbeque chicken skewers sail around. Debbie Harry and a gal pal boogie down to a ‘70s classic as they check out the artsy Volkswagen prop. Elijah chomps on a burger, and a reliable source tells me Josh Hartnett showed up later in the evening sporting a mustache and catching up with Parker.
Jack can be proud of this premiere party.
Be Kind Rewind is in theaters now.
