A no show
I was invited via email to a premiere party and screening for Across the Hall on Wednesday night. The email also said WHO and listed the following Adrian Grenier, Queen Latifah, Donnie Wahlberg, James Oliver, Ally Sheedy, Ralph Macchio, and Robin Givens and more...

HOWEVER I didn't see any of these stars there and it turns out they aren't actually in the film either except for Adrian Grenier (Entourage, Drive Me Crazy) who also wasn't present. To top it all off the "film" was a short film, yet wasn't packaged to me that way so it was a surprise for me. I was all set to review a new suspense film only to find it was less than 10 minutes long and is already available for viewing on the net via Samsung Short Films. Still the short was interesting enough though, I liked the creepy feel to it and the idea. It's about a guy trying to stop his friend who is cooped up in a hotel room across the hall from his fiancee and her lover from doing something rash, but there's a twist. You can go watch it online here under Director's Showcase. It was like another take on the movie Derailed.

The event itself held at the Samsung Theater in the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle was really impressive. But it was more of a vehicle for Samsung Telecommunications and featured new Samsung cell phones, screens, projectors and other offerings in a modern art setting with an open bar and dim sum being served. It was very posh as were the high tech products that were on display. I did get to ask a representative about one of their camera phones offered through Verizon, since my contract is finally up with them in May and I can upgrade my cell at last. A camera phone would have come in handy when my friend spotted Eddie Cahill who played Tag, Rachel's younger boyfriend on Friends. He looked pretty, yes, pretty, but he was a big disappointment considering I was hoping to see Queen Latifah at the party or even in the film.

A lot of the mobile phones shown are only available in Korea and Europe right now, but will eventually make it's way over here in some form. Apparently the slide to open phones will start to become more popular here eventually. A slide-up phone from Samsung was also featured in the short film of course, thus the partnership.

The coolest phone that I saw had a built in hand warmer so that when you are talking and walking with your cell in the winter, your hand will stay warm. How cool and weird is that? You can also adjust the warming temperature.

Link: Also check out my friend Jim's new blog, although I don't agree with his title, cats suck