I finally showed Claustrophobia to about 180 friends and acquaintances last Wednesday, June 18, 2003. June was an appropriate month for the premiere, as the event was something of a wedding, graduation ceremony, and father's day (me being the father) combined. For all the trouble involved in preparations, things went so smoothly and quickly that it's mostly a blur for me. I regret not having an official photographer there to capture the evening, but oh well. I have a handful of snapshots to prove that it did, at least, happen. The good news is that the response from the audience was very positive. They jumped, gasped, and laughed at the right moments and I have yet to hear any serious criticism. Of course these are my friends; they're going to be encouraging. But it's one thing to say "Great film, congratulations!" as you rush out the door, and another to take the time to send an email during the next few days to say "I really liked the film." Luckily I received enough of the latter to feel reassured.
Of course this is LA, where everybody is busy busy busy, and a lot of people couldn't squeeze the screening into their schedules (including Melanie Lynskey, who deemed a Nick Cave concert as being more important to go to; fortunately, the rest of the cast showed up), so I'm being asked by all the no-shows to have another screening. Maybe in early August.
In the midst of all this, it's strange to have any news about my first film, Foreign Correspondents, but I'm happy to report that it's now available for rental on Netflix. Just in case you wanted to see it but didn't want to shell out the $20+ to buy the DVD on Amazon, which is understandable. Getting it on Netflix took over a year and a half - they have some pretty flaky characters working there - but all's well that ends well.