Unlike 2008, there was no teary-eyed Oprah Winfrey at President Obama’s acceptance speech on election night this year. However Winfrey celebrated another historic milestone on screen, attending the world premiere of “Lincoln” on Thursday night.
Left: Sasha Spielberg, Destry Allyn Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis and his wife, filmmaker Rebecca Miller, arrive on Hollywood Boulevard.
Perhaps sensing that the film would play long — and at more than two hours and 15 minutes, it did “Lincoln” director Steven Spielberg kept his pre-screening remarks short. He clocked in at just under three minutes, not including the standing ovation that greeted the AFI Trustee on the closing night of AFI Fest 2012 presented by Audi.
“Even though his head is on the penny, and we pick it up and we always rub it for luck, or the five dollar bill, or that grand statue at the memorial in Washington D.C., he’s a symbol — Lincoln — of equality and freedom for people all over the world,” Spielberg said.
“I’ve seen (the film) 12 times, and I loved it every time,” DreamWorks’ Chip Sullivan told TheWrap as guests made their way into the dry Grauman’s Theatre from the intermittently rainy arrivals outside. “I’m ready for the sequel.”
The reaction at the post-party, especially in the VIP Audi Skylounge and the Marilyn Monroe suite overlooking the Roosevelt pool was more restrained, even cautious.
“Not entertaining,” “great music,” assorted Daniel Day-Lewis compliments and heavy praise for new James Bond film “Skyfall” were some of the initial talking points emerging from the film-savvy crowd.
Besides Winfrey, Disney CEO Bob Iger, Jon Favreau, and author/historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the film’s Hal Holbrook, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones (above right), and much-needed comic relief from James Spader (left) upped the wattage.
This represented a big uptick in star power from Wednesday night’s six-pack of shorts, branded with Levi’s as “Show Us the Way.”
Festival director Jacqueline Lyanga strolled the after party at the soon-to-be reopened Teddy’s at the Roosevelt that night, but on Thursday after the final film of the fest she only had two things on her mind: “Food and sleep,” she told TheWrap.
Right: Participant Media’s Jim Berk, Lyanga (who watched 600 films to program the festival) and Participant principal /entrepreneur Jeff Skoll.
At the after-party Carly Steel talked up her gig hosting the “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part II” premiere for Yahoo’s livestream Monday, Audi’s man in Hollywood Michael Patrick (center) voted “Life of Pi” as his favorite film of the fest, and LA Times’ Matt Donnelly verbally downloaded his view of Oprah's prime seating with Tommy Lee Jones.
Scott Keogh (left), an AFI Board member and president of the sponsor that keeps AFI free, put the eight days of film in perspective: “Compared to studying ‘lease penetration’ on Audi’s financial services board, (during) these eight days I’m going to watch movies and meet celebrities all day.”
The Voice Celebrates Being No. 1 Choice
Over in West Hollywood, the day after topping “The X Factor” in ratings and minutes after the live broadcast reveal of the “Top 12,” it was party time for “The Voice.”
Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton (who channeled Toby Keith by drinking out of a red solo cup at sound check) rocked the House of Blues.
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Right: On their way to being household names, finalists Terry McDermott and Melanie Martinez on their first red carpet.
All four of “The Voice” judges and the finalists performed, a broadcast that went out live over Clear Channel stations and apps.
