Managed to catch up with AW, a colleague I worked with for over 15 years this afternoon.
We caught up in a cute little cafe with wonky wooden tables on the pavement, and chatted about 'the biz' over coffee.
He works with the Australians In Film organisation, and although my 'biz' is TV, not film, he kindly invited me to one of their screenings at Raleigh Studios for the much anticipated premium series "The Handsmaid's Tale", starring Elisabeth Moss & up and coming Aussie actor Yvonne Strahovski.
It was kind of early so we went to the AIF office at Raleigh. To my surprise they were actually holed up in Charlie Chaplin's bungalow!! So cool, walking around The Little Hobo's office, probably the source of much misalignment and inspiration. I just couldn't help but imagine him practising his famous hobble from one end of the bungalow to the other.
I would've taken a picture inside but didn't want to seem like some crazed selfie obsessed teenager. Even if that would be a fair judgment from an outsider. One soft drink later (I couldn't resist using Chaplin's restroom) we moseyed on down to the screening room. I loved the advance screening, such a dark concept from acclaimed Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood, so beautifully shot. The casting and acting were above superlatives. It was just the first episode so I'm definitely taking a mental note to see the rest.
They had Aussie style meat pies ... so GREAT! I did my weird little thing where I tear the top off the pie, mix the meat with tomato sauce and put the lid back on. I mean, what's the point of putting the sauce on top of the pastry and have it go all soggy, and not even mix with the meat?? Also, this is the only food I will ever put tomato sauce on (or ketchup for my American friends). Well, except for hamburgers I guess...
Raleigh Studios is one of Hollywood's oldest studios. It dates back to 1915, and for some strange reason never became a household name, unlike the Paramount studios across the road, built some ten years later.
Interestingly this was the studio that would produce "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", the tinseltown classic addressing the issues of what happens to Hollywood's female stars once the greasepaint just won't cover up those wrinkles anymore, and the main impetus in the recent hit for FX networks' Feud: Bette & Joan.
#california #losangeles #thewarneidentity #raleighstudios #charliechaplin #thehandmaidstale #noketchup #whateverhappenedtobabyjane #feudbetteandjoan #meatpies #aussiecuisine #australiansinfilm #yvonnestrahovski #paramountstudios
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