This month’s MK3D at the BFI Southbank (no. 72!) saw another incredible array of guests and some great conversations about film culture.
We are back to using roaming microphones for our audience Q&As, and our brilliant audience asked Mark about everything from lost media and TV (the website mentioned is here for any people interested: https://lostmediawiki.com/Home) to the furore around the premiere of DON’T WORRY DARLING.
The news in Here’s the Thing of course focused on the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. In tribute, Mark played a clip from THE QUEEN starring Helen Mirren.
Mark then moved on to Michael Flatley’s latest film BLACKBIRD for which he has – somehow – won Best Actor at Monaco Streaming Film Festival. He then, swiftly, moved on to a much better festival: the London Film Festival.
Our first guest on stage was director of the LFF Tricia Tuttle, who gave us an excellent rundown of what’s on at the festival. Her highlights included opening film ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL, big festival moments Guillermo del Toro’s PINOCCHIO and Sam Mendes’ EMPIRE OF LIGHT, and five British debut films: BLUE JEAN, PRETTY RED DRESS, ORIGIN, AFTERSUN and MEDUSA DELUXE. Finally she looked forward to Rian Johnson’s GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY.
Our second guest was director Toby Amies who spoke about his feature documentary about the band King Crimson, IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING. After some anecdotes about filming the band and its leader Robert Fripp, Toby told us his Guilty Pleasure: the wonderful LEGALLY BLONDE – which is absolutely nothing to be guilty about.
Next, Mark returned to a news item in Here’s The Thing, highlighting Tom Cruise’s most recent video promoting his latest film MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE. This clip truly has to be seen to be believed – so go and watch it.
After that, Mark welcomed director Babak Anvari to the stage to talk about his new Netflix film I CAME BY starring Hugh Bonneville and the brilliant George MacKay (a round of applause for him and for co-star Kelly Macdonald came from the audience). Babak then spoke about his Influential Film CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and his film influences which span everything from Hitchcock to NIGHTCRAWLERS.
Finally, MK3D friend Mike Leigh took to the stage to talk about his current event at The Garden Cinema in which every single one of his films is being screened in chronological order, each one followed by a Q&A with the man himself. Mike told us all about his wonderful directing style and how he elicits such natural performances from the actors.
We closed the show with a tribute to Robert Fripp who collaborated with David Bowie on Heroes, which was used to great effect in one of the intoxicating scenes in CHRISTIANE F.
Mark thanked all the guests for coming – including the legendary director of GRACE OF MY HEART and GAS, FOOD LODGING Allison Anders, who had turned up to watch the show!
