My Glamorous Life On The Red Carpet

When people see red carpet coverage on TV, they think it’s utterly and superbly glamorous. But the reality is very different, as I experienced when I was assigned to report from the red carpet premiere of the last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.

The event was held outdoors at Lincoln Center in New York City, on a sweltering hot July afternoon. It was a mob scene! Thousands of fans swarmed the area around the red carpet, which was barricaded off for the movie’s stars, while hundreds of reporters lined the red carpet, pushing, shoving, and vying for the stars’ attention. 

I was the only kid on the red carpet, and I can tell you, it was anything but glamorous. Each media outlet — PBS, ABC, CNN, and scores of other print and video reporters — was assigned to stand in a space the size of a piece of printer paper. For three hours. Sweating. Thirsty. Bigger than their piece of paper. 

And so they started pushing.
 
To borrow a literary theme from Harry Potter, it was Good vs. Evil, and I was playing the role of Good. To my left, Evil’s cameraman, soundman, and producer elbowed me hard—right into Evil’s 7-foot tall Potter-blogger on the other side of me. I was shoved again, only to find Evil #1 occupying most of my paper marker. “Hey,” I thought. “I’m just a kid. Give me a break!”

I had covered a red carpet event before — the movie premiere of Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was also chaotic, but nowhere near as crazy as Harry Potter. Meryl Streep — who played the voice of Mrs. Fox — came right over to me and gave me a great quote for my article. She also let me take a picture with her. It was so easy. It was also 60 degrees cooler.

Back at the hot, sweaty Potter press-pack, I waved and yelled at Rupert Grint, and pleaded with his publicist to ask one question. And then he started walking toward me. Hooray! I asked him how he felt about the end of playing Harry’s best friend, Ron.

“It really is like saying goodbye to a friend,” Rupert told me. “Ron is kind of—I’ve been playing that same character for so long, a character I already felt quite close to. We’ve become this kind of same person, like this Ron-Pert kind of thing,” he said, coining a new name right there in front of me. “It’s gonna be weird not playing him, but he’ll always be a part of me, I think.”

Finally, I got a great quote! It took three hours of sweating and being squeezed to a pulp, but just like in Harry Potter, Good triumphed over Evil! Even in a red carpet line. 

—Kid Reporter Grace McManus

Photo: Grace McManus at the red-carpet premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 in New York. (Photo: Kristen Joerger)

Growing Up With Harry Potter

I can literally say that I’ve grown up with Harry Potter. I was born the year it was published in the U.S. by Scholastic, 1998. I’ve grown up a fan of the series, immersing myself into the brilliant and fantastical world J.K. Rowling has created.

When I was 4 years old, my mom started reading books 1-5 to me every night before I went to bed (books 6 and 7 had not yet been published). This got me hooked, as well helped me get into reading at a young age. Every night I would be excited to hear more of the thrilling adventures of Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione. I can also remember myself anxiously waiting through the opening sequence of the films so I could finally watch the movies on the living room TV.

Ever since, I’ve been a fan of both the books and the movies. I waited in a ridiculously long line to watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the day after it came out. (Even though my mom and I both bought our tickets in advance and got there two hours early, we still got bad seats.) I cried when Sirius Black died at the end of Order of the Phoenix. And the image of long lines of fans waiting to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007 remains vivid in my mind.

For a time, though, I had lost my Harry Potter obsession. It wasn’t that I stopped liking the series - I just found myself too busy to get very involved with its heavy fan-base. Yet that all changed upon seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at a screening on the Warner Brothers’ lot. 

The movie really hit a nerve to me for numerous reasons. I think the biggest would probably be Professor Dumbledore’s death at the very end. Not only did the moment come as a shock, since I had not yet read the book, but that scene connected to me on a more personal level. Only about a month before, my own 5th grade teacher had passed away of a heart-attack. Like Dumbledore was to Harry and to Hogwarts, Mr. Landaverde was like a second father to myself and to all of Melrose school, especially his last class of which I am proud to have been included in. There’s real magic in what the series was able to do in making Harry Potter feel so real and relatable. That whole scene was absolutely touching.

The moment I got home — and mom please forgive for this — I began to read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until I fell asleep at around midnight. It took me about 4 more days to finish it. Right after that, I read Deathly Hallows, the last book in the series. The book took me about a week to read. At the end of it, I found myself an obsessive Harry Potter fan once more.

Now, on July 15, the last movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2, will be released. For fans, this will be an exciting yet sad time. The journey we have so lovingly ventured is coming to an end. Waiting for the release of the film is nerve-racking. I’m assuming many of us will shed some tears at the end of it. The actors themselves even admitted that they all cried a bit on the last day of shooting.

Harry Potter fans are among the most dedicated of any franchise. We’re a bit stubborn and a bit weird, but we’re proud of it. Hopefully, this last film will be everything the fans wish them to be.

Did you grow up with Harry Potter? What are your memories of the books and movies? Let us know in the comments!

—Kid Reporter Miranda Rector

Photo: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2, a Warner Bros. Picturesrelease. (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

A cool time at the Mr. Popper's Penguins premiere

Don't get me wrong, growing up in Hollywood, California, has its perks. Like, for one, the best year-round weather, and two, the many celebrity sightings, and three, the home of movie making and premieres. But sometimes, out of the clear blue skies, you could be walking down Hollywood Boulevard and find yourself walking right into a blizzard!

It was Sunday, June 12, and I was heading toward Grauman's Chinese Theater for the premiere of Jim Carrey's new movie, Mr. Popper's Penguins. The streets were closed off and lined with fans awaiting the arrival of the stars for the movie. Expecting to see a red carpet, I was surprised to find that the whole theater was covered in frost and snow and a white carpet. Above, there were big machines blowing snow and from the speakers came howling wind sounds.

The crowd suddenly came alive with cheers and at first I thought it was Mr. Carrey himself, but I couldn't see because my spot was at the end of the "white carpet." I was so surprised when, before my eyes, I saw the stars of the movie waddling down the press line. It was the penguins themselves: Captain, Nimrod, Lovey, Bitey, Stinky, and Loudy! They waddled to an icy spot where they posed for pictures with people.

I met the director, Mark Waters, who told me they learned a lot working with the penguins and that they each had a personality of their own, which kept it very entertaining and interesting. I also met Maxwell Perry Cotton, (who plays Billy, son of Mr. Popper). He told me that they were constantly drinking something hot like hot cocoa or coffee to stay warm on the set. The set had to be kept at 30 degrees!

Then, just as the snowfall began to clear, I heard another roar from the crowds. It was much louder than before. It was Jim Carrey, walking down the snowy white carpet. He had that funny squint in his eyes and his humorous smile greeted everyone. When he got down to the end of the carpet, I introduced myself to him. He remembered me from the phone interview I did with him back in April. We both shared some laughs about the funny things penguins do. Who would have thought I'd meet my most favorite actor, Jim Carrey, who stars in a movie about my favorite animal of all time, penguins! Mr. Carrey was so busy with people all around him and he still made time to shake my hand and talk penguin talk with me.

The movie starts out getting to know Mr. Popper and, like the book it was inspired by, Mr. Popper is a serious business man who put his love of work before family. It wasn't until he inherited six penguins that his life was turned upside down. The penguins' loving and playful ways brought so much fun back to Mr. Popper's life that it made his family much closer and mostly made Mr. Popper himself see that he didn't want to keep missing out on spending time with his family just to work more.

The movie is full of the kind of funny mischief and stunts that you always get with Jim Carrey. It's a movie the whole family can enjoy, from oldest to youngest. The theater was laughing out loud and cheering a lot because there were some things in the movie you didn't expect.

You may be wondering is it the type of movie you want to see again? YEABSOLUTELY!! I will be going again, but this time with my Gramps!

Be sure to check out my interview with Jim Carrey on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

 

—Kid Reporter Damien Murphy

Photo: Damien Murphy on the white carpet for the premiere of Mr. Popper's Penguins. (Courtesy Damien Murphy)

At the premiere of On Stranger Tides

Johnny Depp is back in action once again as Jack Sparrow (sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow) in this new addition to the franchise – Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D. Unlike the past Pirates world premieres, the carpet was black instead of red.

There were plenty of pirates on May 7 at the Happiest Place on Earth. Crowds of fans camped out on Friday night until 7 a.m. when Disneyland opened its gates, finding themselves rushing in, filling up the best spots on the bleachers. Nearly 22,000 fans had waited, and some of them for up to 18 hours, to see their favorite stars when the premiere began at 5:30 p.m. Oh, and don’t forget the 187 press outlets from all over the world that filled up Mainstreet. Did I mention that the black carpet ran 2,700 feet (spanning more than 26,000 square feet) down Disneyland’s Mainstreet to Rivers of America?

Pirates on stilts and jugglers roamed the carpet, starting “Yo-ho” chants among the fans and directing the off-tune choruses of “It’s a Pirate’s Life for Me.” (What do you expect? Pirates don’t sing in key!) The scallywags managed to pass the time until the stars started arriving at 6 p.m. 

I had a great time talking to some of the guest stars, such as Jake T. Austin (Wizards of Waverly Place), Adam Irigoyan and Caroline Sunshine (Shake It Up!), Boo Boo Stewart (Eclipse), and Fivel Stewart. Some of the stars were already in pirate mode. Zachary Gordon from Diary of a Wimpy Kid had a pirate tattoo and a swashbuckling belt. Mickey was also dressed like a pirate, posing with the stars at the front of the carpet. Fans started chanting “Mickey! Mickey! Mickey!” and Mickey turned around, blowing kisses to the crowd.

The stars were really rocking the black carpet! Penelope Cruz, who plays the first female pirate (Angelica) in the franchise, arrived wearing a black low-cut feathered Marchesa gown. Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa did not arrive with Chiquida (the adorable little monkey who appeared in all four movies) on his shoulder. But Chiquida did make an appearance, carried by her trainer who constantly fed her seedless black grapes. I had a great time talking to Robbie Kay (Cabin-boy), Kevin R. McNally (Joshamee Gibbs), Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Syrena, the mermaid), Sam Claflin (Phillip Swift, a young missionary), and Ian McShane (Blackbeard). 

There were lots of Jack Sparrow look-alikes imitating the swagger and the gestures. But only one managed to convince the press. He was dressed up like Johnny, not Jack Sparrow – old-fashioned suit, shades, hat, and hair. But the press caught on quick. This Johnny arrived way too early!

Finally, at about 8:15 p.m., the man of the hour arrived, signing autographs for his fans. The real Johnny Depp talked to a few major outlets, and devoted the rest of his time on the black carpet to his fans.  

Soon, Depp took a shortcut to the Rivers of America where Disney hoisted up a screen (six stories high and nine stories wide) on Tom Sawyer’s Island to show the 3D adventure of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Each ticket cost $1,000, and all of the money went to support the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. 

As fans began to leave the bleachers, we left the black carpet with our Disney escort and exited Disneyland. What a (black) night to remember!

Check out my video report from the black carpet and my review of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides!

—Kid Reporter Cassandra Hsiao

Photo: A general view of Micky Mouse at the world premiere of Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at Disneyland on May 7, 2011 in Anaheim, United States. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage, courtesy Disney)

Prom (the movie) at Home in My School

Teen flick filmed in L.A. school treats students to screening

There's a reason the sets for the movie Prom looked so realistic. That’s because it was filmed at a real life school and not on a set. It was filmed at my school, John Burroughs Middle School, in Los Angeles, California.

Director Joe Nussbuam told me there are two reasons for filming at an actual school rather than building a set. The first was to intentionally give the film a realistic feel. Also, it’s cheaper!

Prom was filmed in Los Angeles, but is set on the East Coast. John Burroughs Middle School, unlike most other L.A. schools, has an old-fashioned brick layout and earthy color scheme that fits with East Coast style.

“John Burroughs is a beautiful school,” Nussbaum said. “It just makes the movie feel more real.”

John Burroughs students reaped some benefit from having the movie film there over the summer months. The school was paid and the money was used to directly help students at the school.

That wasn’t the only perk, either. John Burroughs students who take drama class and/or have exceptional grades were able to attend a special early screening of the movie. Disney even gave out Rolos and candy necklaces as seen in the film.

I also attended the screening. As the producer predicted in his introduction, there were claps and cheers at every familiar hallway, staircase, and exterior shot.

There was also a funny moment of revelation for some students: a particular locker (clue word: Kranton) design was left in the school. Our lockers aren’t used, so it was a mystery what this one strange locker was doing in our hallways.

Someone finally figured out how to open it. Every single photo and fake binder from the movie was left in there. When the scene came along, people who remembered the mystery locker were caught between laughing and thinking aloud “OH! That’s what that was!”

Prom was shot over summer break, so no class schedules were interrupted. However, the film has definitely made a lasting mark on our student body. We’re all still talking about it!

—Miranda Rector

PHOTO: Nolan Sotilo and Cameron Monaghan on the set of Prom in the hallway of John Burroughs Middle School, in Los Angeles, California. (PHOTO: Richard Forman Jr., SMPSP © Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved)

Blast Off to Mars

What it’s like to cover a Hollywood movie press junket.

After beating early morning rush hour traffic, I finally arrived at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California. I had my questions ready for the cast and crew of the movie, Mars Needs Moms.

I was covering a press junket for the movie, which “invades” theatres on Friday, March 11. I couldn’t wait to meet the actors in the movie I had just seen the night before at the Universal CityWalk Cinema in IMAX 3D®!

Members of the press were provided with a delicious “only-served-on-Mars” breakfast right before we were called to the conference room. The delicious "UFO" scrambled eggs, the scrumptious sausages covered with Mars' red dust (peppers) and the red bacon really satisfied my appetite!

Seth Green (Milo), Simon Wells (director and co-writer), and Robert Zemeckis (producer) walked up to the stage and took their seats in front of a banner showing the surface of Mars. I marveled at how performance capture allowed 36-year-old Green to portray 9-year-old Milo!

I raised my hand to ask a question, and when the woman holding the microphone finally gave me the hint that I would be next, they called “time’s up.” I was a little disappointed, but my questions were answered during the roundtables.

I had thought at a round table, the tables would be round, but the cast and crew actually sat behind a rectangular table to answer questions from the press. Roundtable is a term used for when several reporters are conducting interviews together. It has nothing to do with the shape of the table.

The biggest treat of all was getting one-on-one interviews with the cast and crew! Every actor had his or her own suite. Disney publicists brought press members to each room. I spent about 10 minutes with each member of the cast and crew talking and laughing. I felt that I could really connect to the heart of the movie as we discussed about their characters.

“I think you ask very good questions,” Joan Cusack (Milo’s Mom) replied when I asked her if she looked up to Milo’s Mom’s example of love. “It sounds like you have a very good mom, and you’re really smart, and that’s a really interesting question.”

I was ecstatic because I had spent a lot of time coming up with the questions. My mom was also on cloud nine when I told her Cusack praised her for being such a good mother.

Covering the press junket was a great experience for me. I had a blast, blasting off to Mars! Check out my movie review.

—Cassandra Hsiao

PHOTO: Actors (from left) Joan Cusak (the Mom/Good) and Mindy Sterling (the Supervisor/Evil) with Kid Reporter Cassandra Hsiao at a press event for the new movie Mars Needs Moms. (Photo Courtesy Cassandra Hsiao)

At Justin Bieber's Movie Premiere

Canadian singing phenom takes over Los Angeles. Next stop: The World!

Has anyone ever told you to stop dreaming, it’ll never happen? Well, here’s what Justin Bieber has to say about that: Never Say Never!

My dream certainly came true when my Scholastic editor sent me an email asking if I was interested in covering the red carpet premiere of the Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Never. I immediately screamed out loud and jumped with joy, turning the whole house upside down. I was on top of the world!

Finally, after much anticipation and preparation, the day of the premiere was here. My heart was pounding as I took my place behind the rope line on Tuesday afternoon. In one hour, Justin Bieber, along with other stars coming to see the movie, would be walking down the red carpet, or in this case, the purple carpet! (Purple is Justin’s favorite color.)

Posters were everywhere and fans were screaming at the cameras. The sound was deafening. I knew I was in the middle of Bieber Fever just by the sheer volume of the shreeks.

Teenage girls wore shirts that read, “I LUV JB,” and “Marry me, Justin!” Suddenly, the loud speakers played Justin Bieber’s hit song, “Baby,” and fans began singing along to the lyrics. They cried, screamed, and laughed as they shook with the Fever!

Before I knew it, the stars had arrived. The publicists were very friendly and brought actors and actresses to my spot on the rope line to talk to me. I interviewed the boy band Allstar Weekend, Debby Ryan from Suite Life on Deck, Bradley Steven Perry from Good Luck Charlie, and Madeline Carroll from The Spy Next Door and Flipped.

“Keep reading,” said Zachary Gordon from Diary of a Wimpy Kid when I asked him what he would like to tell Scholastic News readers. “You always learn a life lesson from every book you read.”

I also caught a glimpse of Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus. After each interview, I’d say to myself, “Did I really just interview that person?!” I had a blast hanging out with the stars!

Finally, Justin Bieber was heading my direction. The reporters around me told me I might only get to ask him one question, so I chose my favorite one. Justin gave me his full attention, and I hurriedly asked my question before they moved him away.

Reporters were squeezed all around me, trying to get a good shot of Justin. I tried to take in everything at once. It all happened in a flash, but I got two questions in. I found out we have one thing in common—we both do household chores!

The cast and crew also came my way. Scooter Braun, Justin's manager, was just like Justin described in his book First Step 2 Forever—excited, funny, and super friendly. I asked him what he saw as the greatest growth in Justin.

“He’s becoming a man,” Scooter told me. “It’s not just about how he handles his success, but he also handles his failures very well.”

Dan Cutforth, one of the producers of Never Say Never, described Biebermania.

“If you hold your microphone in the air, and say Justin’s coming, you’ll see it first hand,” he explained. “It’s just some sort of strange power that overtakes crowds of teenage girls. It’s simply a phenomenon.”

It was a fantastic, amazing night that I’ll never forget. Check out my video interview with the stars on the purple carpet! But be careful. You could catch the fever, too!

—Cassandra Hsiao

PHOTO: Justin Bieber, 16, talks to Scholastic News Kid Reporter Cassandra Hsiao at the premiere of his 3D documentary movie Never Say Never. (Photo Courtesy Cassandra Hsiao)

Secretariat — Straight from the jockey's mouth

In less than a week, Secretariat was going to be released on DVD. I was really excited! This was my first time interviewing a celebrity. I couldn’t wait to log on to the virtual roundtable to interview Otto Thorwarth, the actor who played Secretariat’s jockey in the Disney movie, and Ronnie Turcotte, Secretariat’s actual jockey. 

This assignment was on a topic I know about: horses. I ride horses every week and have been riding for five months. During my lessons, I’ve learned to saddle up my horse; walk, trot, and lope; I brush and wash my horse to help her cool off after a ride in the hot sun. 

I was amazed by the story of Secretariat! In Secretariat’s first season, 1972, he claimed eight consecutive victories. In 1973, Secretariat won the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The three races are the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Winning all three races is considered the greatest accomplishment for a thoroughbred horse. Secretariat still holds the record for winning the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths! Secretariat was also the first of only two two-year-olds to win “Horse of the Year.”

During the interview, Mr. Turcotte, Secretariat’s real-life jockey, stated that the portrayal of him by Mr. Thorwarth was “very good. Otto played me very well. It was very close to real life.” He also said that Diane Lane “did a really good job playing Penny,” Secretariat’s owner. Mr. Thorwarth, a real-life jockey, had virtually no time to prepare for the role of Ronnie Turcotte. “I found out on a Monday that I got the role, and then we started filming on Thursday. Luckily I’ve been doing this for 15 years, so it wasn’t too difficult to prepare for this role.”

About Secretariat, Mr. Turcotte said, “He was the greatest horse I rode and the fastest horse I ever saw run. He was just beyond great.” According to Mr. Thorwarth, Secretariat will be remembered “as THE greatest horse of all time. I don’t think we’ll ever see another one like him.”

To learn more about the story of Secretariat, check out Disney’s new release of Secretariat on DVD or Blu Ray.

—Kid Reporter Chloe McWilliams

Photo: Otto Thorwarth from the movie Secretariat. (Photo: John Bramsley, Disney Enterprises, Inc., All Rights Reserved)

Special Effects "Bake Off"

Oscar VFX (visual effects) nominated Tuesday (could Harry Potter finally win?)

My family has only a few traditions, and the newest one is attending the Oscar Visual Effects Bake-off.

Last year was my first time attending and with films like Avatar and District 9 in the running, it was quite a night. While not as amazing as last year (how could it be?), the 2011 bake-off was also a night filled with visual wonder that blew me away.

The Visual Effects Bake-off is a way for the Visual Effects Branch of the Academy to decide which films will be nominated for an Oscar. Seven films are put on a short-list (or list of possible contenders). A 15-minute highlight reel of the visual effects from each film is shown, with introductions and Q & A’s book ending each one. Then, the Visual Effects branch votes for the final nominees before it goes to the entire Academy of Oscar voters.

The short list this year was: Inception, Alice in Wonderland, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Iron Man 2, Tron: Legacy, Hereafter, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. There was one big change this year. Every year before this one, three films out of seven are chosen by the Visual Effects branch of the Academy to be nominated. This year, the Visual Effects branch voted for five films to be nominated.

This change served very well for Harry Potter. Every film in the franchise has been short-listed, but has never gotten a nomination. While they consistently displayed strong highlight reels, Potter has never managed to grab a nomination.

Sorry kids, but it isn’t the type of film that Oscar voters usually vote for. Harry Potter just isn’t considered a “serious” movie. Yet with five spots, Deathly Hallows Part 1 brought delight to Potter fans and was able to get nominated. Does it have a chance of winning? Maybe not this year, but visual effects experts all agree that the final film has a big shot.

Potter’s nomination was not much of a surprise. Nor did nominations for Inception and Alice in Wonderland surprise anyone. Even before the bake-off, the talk was that they were set to be in the five.

In Inception, worlds are built and bended in a dream-like fantasy setting. In Alice in Wonderland, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen has a head that appears to be 20 times larger than her body.

What was the real surprise? Tron: Legacy not getting nominated. The film, laden with cool effects such as light-cycles and battles with Frisbee-like weapons or a younger version of actor Jeff Bridges, seemed to have everything going for it. (I, personally, wasn’t impressed, and the Academy seemed to agree with me for once.)

Now with three of the nominations going to Inception, Potter, and Alice, and Tron out of the running, there are three films and only two spots left. Those three films are Iron Man 2, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Hereafter. Who rose victorious? Iron Man 2 and Hereafter.

To my disappointment, the Academy wasn’t impressed with Scott Pilgrim’s artsy and highly stylized look. But Iron Man 2 and Hereafter both had impressive Visual Effects, and there is no doubt in my mind that they deserved their nominations.

I ended up staying up past my bedtime, but it was all worth it. I got to watch some of the highlights from my favorite (and sadly some least favorite) films of the year. ‘Cool’ is probably the best word I can use to describe the Visual Effects Bake-off.

—Miranda Rector

PHOTO: A scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. (Photo Courtesy WARNER BROTHERS)

The Green Hornet on Wheels!

These superheros have some super sweet rides!

The coolest things about the new superhero movie The Green Hornet, which opens in theaters Friday, January 14, are the super vehicles.

The Green Hornet car “Black Beauty” and Kato’s motorcycle were the first things I saw at a press junket promoting the movie at Sony Studios last weekend. I wanted a closer look, so I went up to guys dressed in black and green who were guarding the vehicles and showed my press pass. They not only let me look, they let me sit in the driver’s seat!

I opened the ‘suicide’ doors, which open up rather than out like a regular car. Gun barrels are built inside the doors. The car also has detailed machine guns on the hood with barrels for firing bullets, flames, and missiles.

Seth Rogen, who plays The Green Hornet, explained at the junket that several car manufacturers had offered their vehicles (and money!) to be featured in the movie. Rogan and others working on the movie decided to use the original car model from the 1960s version of The Green Hornet—a 1964 Chrysler Impala.

When I sat in the driver’s seat, it felt larger than life. I couldn’t believe I was holding the same steering wheel as Kato. The inside had so many buttons and gadgets. I even honked the horn!

I also was able to sit on Kato’s motorcycle. It seemed pretty compact and lightweight after the armed car.

Members of the press were served a great breakfast before being called in to Stage 12 for the interviews with actors and the director.

Stage 12 is a plain three-story building with giant, heavy metal doors that slide open—with a lot of muscle power! The press conference area was in the middle. There was a Green Hornet banner behind the table where the guest speakers would be sitting. I sat in the second of six rows of chairs set up for the press.

As the press conference began, the banner began to glow green. Suddenly the studio lights also glowed green as we all watched Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), Jay Chou (Kato), Cameron Diaz (Lenore Page), Christoph Waltz (Benjamin Chudnofsky), Michel Gondry (director), and Neal Moritz (producer) walk up to the stage and take their seats.

A sound man holding a microphone saw that I had my hand up for a question. He had his assistant hand me the mic for the first question.

I really wanted to know how Christoph Waltz got into his villain character Chudnofsky. His answer was a little weird.

“I get to work on time, I know my lines, I get ready for the day, eat healthy, and do what the director says,” he said. “I do what I’m told.”

It sounded to me like he wanted to set a good example for the only kid in the room. He sounded like my mother!

I asked Jay Chou, who plays Kato, a more typical question.

“What was your favorite scene in the movie?” I asked.

“When Britt (Seth/Green Hornet) and I were fighting each other, because I always wanted a brother,” he said. “Seth is like a brother.”

He also said how much he loved being able to drive The Black Beauty because it made him “feel manly” and “cool.”

Cameron Diaz, who played the part of Lenore Case, the secretary to Britt Reid (Seth/Green Hornet), said that she was glad that she was the brains and not just the beauty in the movie. The Green Hornet does not have a romantic story line between the superhero and girl.

“That was refreshing,” Diaz said.

For more on the movie, you can check out my review, and my story about the press junket.

—Damien Murphy

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Damien Murphy behind the wheel of the Black Beauty, Green Hornet’s superhero car. (Photo Courtesy Damien Murphy)