SBL First Reviews and Reactions

CloveGlee wrote:EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

It's JUNO! It's JUNO! I knew it! I knew it! Compared by Forbes Magazine, no less! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Forbes Compares Struck By Lightning to Juno

Direct Link from Forbes


EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

We loved him when, girls!

CloveGlee wrote:EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

It's JUNO! It's JUNO! I knew it! I knew it! Compared by Forbes Magazine, no less! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Forbes Compares Struck By Lightning to Juno

Direct Link from Forbes


EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

We loved him when, girls!

Chris Colfer Takes Tribeca Fest by Storm, Talks Bullying and His Character’s Sexuality

Meet Hollywood’s newest hyphenate. Except you’ve already met him!

Yep, it’s Glee star Chris Colfer, who wrote and starred in Struck by Lightning, the dark, irreverent coming-of-age comedy that premiered Saturday night at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“It was insane. It was really crazy,” he said. “It was easily one of the best nights of my life.”

He was also “shocked” and elated by the all-star cast that signed on to the project, including Allison Janney, Dermot Mulroney, Polly Bergen, Christina Hendricks, Angela Kinsey, Sarah Hyland and Bridesmaids‘ Rebel Wilson.

In Struck by Lightning, Colfer plays Carson, a high school senior fiercely determined to attend Northwestern University and become a famous writer. To set himself apart from the competition, he starts a literary magazine and blackmails his classmates into writing for it.

So is Colfer, 21, the real-life version of the ruthless character he plays on the silver screen?

“I wish I was like Carson in high school!” he told E! News with a laugh. “[Writing his character] was a way for me to vent to people I could not vent to.”

“Carson’s a version of me,” he said. “A version of the way I think of people.”

And like Kurt Hummel, Colfer’s character on Glee, Carson is a victim of bullying. “But I think Carson maybe handles it a little better,” Colfer said. “I would like kids who are bullied to handle it more like Carson. He just lets it roll off his back and gives as good as he gets.”

Colfer said that while Carson is “a little bit of a bully,” he’s “not a bully by nature.”

“He’s a bully by circumstance,” he explained. “He just doesn’t let people push him around.”

And because Colfer wanted to make Carson a relatable character to all different types of people, he said he “specifically did not address his sexuality in the movie.”

“I feel like whenever kids see a movie with a message, if they see the character’s gay, straight kids stop listening,” he said. “And if the gay kids see a character’s straight, they stop listening. It’s like, ‘Oh, that’s not me, I can’t relate to him.’ So I purposely make him a universal character to both sides.”

“I hope this movie inspires inspiration,” he said, adding that he “kind of wrote this movie” for his fans.

“In some respects, I kind of live for them,” he said. “In high school, I had so much anxiety. I needed approval! I think I kind of get that through my fans…I would lose credibility if they knew how much I like them.”

Nope. That just makes us like him even more.

arina wrote:

“I hope this movie inspires inspiration,” he said, adding that he “kind of wrote this movie” for his fans.

“In some respects, I kind of live for them,” he said. “In high school, I had so much anxiety. I needed approval! I think I kind of get that through my fans…I would lose credibility if they knew how much I like them.”

Nope. That just makes us like him even more.

“He’s a bully by circumstance,” he explained. “He just doesn’t let people push him around.”

And because Colfer wanted to make Carson a relatable character to all different types of people, he said he “specifically did not address his sexuality in the movie.”

“I feel like whenever kids see a movie with a message, if they see the character’s gay, straight kids stop listening,” he said. “And if the gay kids see a character’s straight, they stop listening. It’s like, ‘Oh, that’s not me, I can’t relate to him.’ So I purposely make him a universal character to both sides.”

“I hope this movie inspires inspiration,” he said, adding that he “kind of wrote this movie” for his fans.

“In some respects, I kind of live for them,” he said. “In high school, I had so much anxiety. I needed approval! I think I kind of get that through my fans…I would lose credibility if they knew how much I like them.”

fantastica wrote:Ok I finally came back to civilization after a spiritually exhilarating saturday at Tribeca (and being few feet away from this gorgeous boy who IS more beautiful in person than in pictures) and physiclaly suffering from a massive pollen attack from standing outside for hours. I was so miserable I took 2 allergy pills (thanks to Jelly for the extra medication!) plus going through 5 packs of pocket tissue plus ichy gritty eyes and my whole face feeling inflamed and stuffy and it was only the good experience of seeing the movie and the seeing chris that kept me going. Unfortunately I left home in a hurry and forgot my camera, so I dont have any good pics to share. I did stand close enough to the red carpet interviews and saw chris giving his last such interview. Unlike the red carpet photos we usually see which was shot from above so everybody has giant heads and short legs, Chris looked stunning in person w/o the distorted camera perspective. He's very well proportioned, not small/short at all. When standing next to the director, he appears no more than a couple of inches shorter. While he's thinner he's not overwelmingly smaller like some past photos give the impression of.

now the movie - I like it, even though I was totally the wrong target audience for this movie. the movie is surprisingly well written and well acted - chris was so good in it I completely forgot about his "other role" as kurt hummel. He really embodies his character so well it made the story feel genuine and touching. you see this is a story about a bunch of characters and their interaction so there are no special effects (other than lightening related stuff) and no intense action sequences nor monsters and ghosts. it's the storytelling, characterization and acting that made up the film, so if either of these aspects is not solid enough the movie will fall apart. This movie is overall very entertaining and engaging, even for me who who cannot sit through a teen movie for even 20 minutes - and no it's not just chris that kept me glued (like w/ glee), but the whole movie - its story telling and interesting characters. the pace is just right. the timing is not long but feels just right. I did read a few reviews by others but all reviews are very subjective - however you feel about it and how much you like it will depend a lot about your personal experience and perspective. Some of the reviews I honestly don't understand much, because they invoke such deeply cryptic terms that perhaps only a trained film critic or literary master can understand. I watch the movie based on my own intepretation and my own taste. It's not highly sophisticated but it's my own. I do feel something I can related from the movie - not so much from Carson's experience, but his mothers. It's amazing how well this young man wrote regarding familial relationships. YOu would think chris came from a divorced family himself but he didn't. Granted it's not the best movie I have ever seen, but it's definitely a well-done job a young budding film maker, especially as a first project.

I will write a bit more later in the spoiler thread. if you have any explicit questions please feel free to ask.

p.s. Chris looked radiant in person. i love this kid!

p.s. the screening room is full of fans so the response maybe more positive than a regular theater audience would give, but I imagine even a regular audience would find the movie funny and charming. unlike what some reviewers said, I do not feel the movie depressing. a bit sad in places the way they handled hte sad parts there's still plenty of humor in it to keep it light. again how you look at it will depending on your own perspective. also I agree w/ Jelly that I feel underwelmed by Rebel Wilson. She is fine, but not phenominal.

I need more piping hot snacks to keep my brain alive...

happydays wrote:I do have a question though: was the death scene believable? I mean, it's hard for me to imagine one dying from a bolt of lightning (maybe I just have no imagination) and how it would look, especially with having a low budget.

"In some respects, I kind of live for them," he said. "In high school, I had so much anxiety. I needed approval! I think I kind of get that through my fans…I would lose credibility if they knew how much I like them."

“I think he has a crush on Rachel Maddow and it confuses him,” laughed Chris Colfer Sunday afternoon, describing the main character of his film Struck By Lightning, which had its world premiere Saturday night at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows Carson Phillips, an extremely ambitious high school senior who, uniquely for most stories with a high school setting, is devoid of a romantic plotline, or even an overt sexual orientation.

“For one, me of all people, I didn’t want to do another sexual identification story,” Colfer, who both wrote and starred in the movie, explained. “In my opinion, if you address a character’s orientation and they have a really strong message to tell, kids who don’t identify with that orientation won’t identify with the message. So I feel like if he was gay in the movie, straight kids wouldn’t listen as much, and if he was straight the gay kids wouldn’t identify as much. And I think, selfishly, being part of Glee, I didn’t want to do another couple! (Laughs.) I just wanted the point of the movie to be the message, not who he was sleeping with or what he jacked off to.”

The film has bigger fish to fry than sexual identity, as Carson fights against a variety of forces holding him back — inept teachers and administrators, a student body satisfied with the simple status quo, and a mother who thinks it’s better to sabotage his dreams then let him suffer the same fate of hope and rejection that’s befallen her. The trick of the film, however, is from the first moments you know Carson is doomed to never achieve his most lofty goals, as he’s struck by a bolt of lightning, with the film told in flashback through his senior year. Colfer says the real tragedy of the story is that Carson doesn’t realize he’s happy until just before his death.

“I think the point was that he focused so much on escaping that he forgot that he was actually doing what he wanted to do,” Colfer said. “He wanted to be this journalist, he wanted to change lives. He realized that, he found his bliss, and unfortunately he found it right before he died. He’s also such a driven person that it took a bolt of lightning to stop him.”

Colfer himself is equally driven, and luckily hasn’t met any stray lightning bolts in his 21 years. The script began as a way to vent his frustration while in high school in a similar town to fictional Clover. “I internalized everything in high school, I never said anything that I felt out loud,” Colfer explained. “So I created this character who did as a way to do that at home on my computer were no one could beat me up for saying it. I had never seen a character like this before with a passion for writing, except for Harriet the Spy.” As for other young people with similar aspirations, Colfer said the best inspiration he could give them was “pictures from last night.”

“I can’t believe, when I would sit in my small bedroom in the house where I grew up looking at my view of my side yard and gardening tools, and now I’m sitting here with a view of a Chrysler Building.” (When someone tries to claim it’s the Empire State Building, Colfer schools them — “I’ve seen Ninja Turtles, I know that’s the Chrysler Building!”)

Colfer, who is strongly identified with his breakout role of Kurt Hummel on Glee, pointed out many stark differences between Carson and Kurt and how they handle situations, nothing that they come from very different backgrounds.

“When Kurt walks into a room he thinks he’s the most fabulous but he doesn’t let people know. He lets people discover that for themselves. I think Kurt comes from a long line of very harsh bullying and has unfortunately learned to keep quiet. Like, you’re in a conservative town, you do not make yourself really known in this environment. Kurt’s more subdued and internal, where Carson doesn’t give a crap about anything. He’s very much more outward, he’ll never die of a heart attack. He has no filter.”

He also cited Glee as a training ground for being able to play Carson, noting “If this had been my first acting thing I would have been so stiff and terrified.” Colfer was admittedly nervous on Saturday night before the premiere, likening it to his wedding. “It kind of feels like my wedding, to be quite honest. Everyone I know is here, they’re all here supporting me.” The star took time to sign for fans on his way in, and he even described that as nervewracking. “I was shaking, I felt bad,” he said. “They probably have me on this pedestal and now they’re like ‘oh he’s a wimp.’”

He was calmer by Sunday, post a warm reception that included a standing ovation from a packed house of both people associated with the film and diehard fans, and celebrity supporters including two of his Glee co-stars, Ashley Fink and Amber Riley. Harry Potter star Emma Watson also attended, and managed to ask a question during the film’s Q&A session to which Colfer jokingly replied, “You look so familiar!”

Struck By Lightning isn’t the only project on the Golden Globe winner’s plate. His children’s novel “The Land of Stories” comes out July 17th, and he doesn’t yet have adaptation aspirations for that piece of work. “I really would like it just to be a book first. People jump the gun way too fast. Let’s let it be a book first, people!” He will, however, go into production for his next movie during the Glee hiatus this summer. “It’s a genre change for me, it takes place in a 1930s asylum, which is similar to high school but it’s a very different film. I wrote it as well, I play a supporting character. I’m a crazy ass patient, crazy crazy patient.”

Spare any freak lightning storms, there’s nothing stopping Chris Colfer right now.

newnownext

fantastica wrote:Ok I finally came back to civilization after a spiritually exhilarating saturday at Tribeca (and being few feet away from this gorgeous boy who IS more beautiful in person than in pictures) and physiclaly suffering from a massive pollen attack from standing outside for hours. I was so miserable I took 2 allergy pills (thanks to Jelly for the extra medication!) plus going through 5 packs of pocket tissue plus ichy gritty eyes and my whole face feeling inflamed and stuffy and it was only the good experience of seeing the movie and the seeing chris that kept me going. Unfortunately I left home in a hurry and forgot my camera, so I dont have any good pics to share. I did stand close enough to the red carpet interviews and saw chris giving his last such interview. Unlike the red carpet photos we usually see which was shot from above so everybody has giant heads and short legs, Chris looked stunning in person w/o the distorted camera perspective. He's very well proportioned, not small/short at all. When standing next to the director, he appears no more than a couple of inches shorter. While he's thinner he's not overwelmingly smaller like some past photos give the impression of.

now the movie - I like it, even though I was totally the wrong target audience for this movie. the movie is surprisingly well written and well acted - chris was so good in it I completely forgot about his "other role" as kurt hummel. He really embodies his character so well it made the story feel genuine and touching. you see this is a story about a bunch of characters and their interaction so there are no special effects (other than lightening related stuff) and no intense action sequences nor monsters and ghosts. it's the storytelling, characterization and acting that made up the film, so if either of these aspects is not solid enough the movie will fall apart. This movie is overall very entertaining and engaging, even for me who who cannot sit through a teen movie for even 20 minutes - and no it's not just chris that kept me glued (like w/ glee), but the whole movie - its story telling and interesting characters. the pace is just right. the timing is not long but feels just right. I did read a few reviews by others but all reviews are very subjective - however you feel about it and how much you like it will depend a lot about your personal experience and perspective. Some of the reviews I honestly don't understand much, because they invoke such deeply cryptic terms that perhaps only a trained film critic or literary master can understand. I watch the movie based on my own intepretation and my own taste. It's not highly sophisticated but it's my own. I do feel something I can related from the movie - not so much from Carson's experience, but his mothers. It's amazing how well this young man wrote regarding familial relationships. YOu would think chris came from a divorced family himself but he didn't. Granted it's not the best movie I have ever seen, but it's definitely a well-done job a young budding film maker, especially as a first project.

I will write a bit more later in the spoiler thread. if you have any explicit questions please feel free to ask.

p.s. Chris looked radiant in person. i love this kid!

p.s. the screening room is full of fans so the response maybe more positive than a regular theater audience would give, but I imagine even a regular audience would find the movie funny and charming. unlike what some reviewers said, I do not feel the movie depressing. a bit sad in places the way they handled hte sad parts there's still plenty of humor in it to keep it light. again how you look at it will depending on your own perspective. also I agree w/ Jelly that I feel underwelmed by Rebel Wilson. She is fine, but not phenominal.

I need more piping hot snacks to keep my brain alive...

Chris Colfer Charms and Disarms at the Tribeca Premiere of "Struck By Lightning"

On Saturday night I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of the new film Struck By Lightning at the Tribeca Film Festival. I was excited to see the movie for a few reasons: first, it was written by and stars Glee's Chris Colfer, a young talent who has continually impressed me and from whom I am interested in seeing more. Second, the film was directed by Brian Dannelly, the genius behind Saved!, one of the greatest (and gayest) high school comedies ever made. And third, I like to support film festivals and independent movies whenever I can, because I know how hard it can be for them to find an audience.

Though finding an audience was not even remotely a problem, in this case. The sold-out show was a complete madhouse - red carpet arrivals, throngs of screaming fans clamoring to get a glimpse of Kurt Hummel in the flesh, and enough festival workers to staff a small army. We made our way to our seats - waaaaaaay up in the nosebleeds - and settled down to wait for the film to start. So imagine our surprise when, just before the lights dimmed, a festival programmer come out on stage to introduce the film and its writer and director, Chris Colfer and Brian Dannelly.

Needless to say, the crowd went nuts. Colfer and Dannely both said a few words and the programmer added that there would be a brief Q&A after the film. Neat!

I'll save my thoughts on the film itself for my full review, but suffice to say that the dark high school-set comedy (which boasts an insanely impressive ensemble cast including Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, Modern Family's Sarah Hyland, Allison Janney, Polly Bergen, Suburgatory's Allie Grant, Bridesmaids' Rebel Wilson, The Office's Angela Kinsey and Awkward's Ashley Rickards) was enthusiastically received by the crowd. When the lights came back up, Colfer - decked out in a very dapper, shiny blue suit - and Dannell - working every color of the rainbow - invited other members of the cast and crew (including Grant and Bergen) to join them onstage.

The Q&A was brief, and Colfer - who has really become a wonderfully warm and engaging speaker in his relatively brief time in the spotlight - found nearly all of the questions lobbed in his direction. He spoke about the fact that his character's costumes are all blue (Colfer pointed out that Dannelly had the idea that each character have their own hue, and besides - "Because that's my favorite color...") and compared the experience of playing this character (which he created and wrote himself) to playing other characters he's done - or as he himself corrected, "the other character I've done," Glee's Kurt. He clearly enjoyed having the creative freedom to build a character from the ground up, and said that he plans on spending as much time as he can focusing on writing more screenplays and books (he added that writing novels can be much more challenging, as there's nobody there to help you communicate your vision to the reader).

About the inspiration to write: "Creativity is the best gift ever and the worst curse ever, also - because it just smacks you upside the head ... it's something you have to do, and you can't ignore it."

About what dirt his Lightning character, Carson (who blackmails his classmates in the film), might have on him: "I was perfect, what are you talking about?"

About the difference in seeing the film take shape on set vs. seeing the finished product with an audience: "It's trippy - a lot of stuff is exactly as I had it in my mind, or better - thanks to this guy (Dannelly)."

There was also a cute moment when Colfer noticed that legendary actress Polly Bergen (who plays his grandmother in the film) had joined the group onstage - mid-answer, he yelled, "Oh my God, Polly!" and gave her a big hug before continuing. He also took a moment to give shout-outs to the costume and production designers, who were in the audience, for their amazing work in bringing his vision to life. He also had very kind words to say to Dannelly, who echoed his sentiments, saying that he had a blast making the movie and loved working with Chris. I know I also spotted Allie Grant and Carter Jenkins up there on the stage, and possibly Robbie Amell. Like I said, our seats were basically in Staten Island, so it could have been the cast of Hot in Cleveland on stage, for all I know.

I did notice that all of the questions came from women - and, in fact, that the majority of the audience was women, many of whom were in couples. Have I totally missed that Colfer has a massive lesbian fandom? Either way, it was great to see such a show of support from the community.

But the best question came last - it was asked by a young-sounding British woman, who directed the question at one of the film's young producers and uncredited costars, Robert Aguire. She asked what it was about Chris's script that attracted him to the project, and he replied that it was Chris himself - his voice as a writer - that sold him on it. It was a bit of an odd moment, actually - until Chris said, very loudly, "You look so familiar!" Turns out it was Emma Watson from the Harry Potter movies. Watson added, "I'm a huge fan of your movie," and Aguire yelled, "We love you, Emma!"

It's hard not to get swept up in the energy of a cast, crew, and their fans as they launch a new project that clearly was made with buckets of love and hard work. Best of luck to all of them in the hopes that Struck By Lightning takes the world by storm.

http://www.afterelton.com/movies/2012/04/chris-colfer-tribeca-premiere-struck-lightning-emma-watson