The Beach: Screening Squabble Redux: Saffir Strikes Back

Screening Squabble Redux: Saffir Strikes Back
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Earlier in the summer there was a tempest in a teapot when the Cinema Society's Andrew Saffir and incumbent screener Peggy Siegal scheduled movie screenings on the same night. They made nice-nice in print, but below the surface, it was obvious that there was tension. Since then, all has been calm and other than a few party pics floating around, the screenings by both seem to have been excuses to eat popcorn and not much more.

Then, two weeks ago, Siegal held a well-attended (read: big names came) screening of The Kingdom. This past weekend, Saffir raised the bar again and brought out the really big guns for a screening of The Good Night, Gwyneth Paltrow's brother's directorial debut. Breathy write ups in The Post and The News followed, along with ample silhouetted coverage in New York mag where the boldfacers are asked about their dreams. (Our favorite is James Lipton's response to the question: What's your favorite recurring dream? “When I was covering ballet, I dreamed I was flying. I would jump into the clouds, and then I would levitate.”) Among the others who made an appearance were Chris Martin, Paul McCartney and daughter Stella, Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley, Dina Merrill, David Geffen, Sandy Gallin, Ed Burns and Christy Turlington, Donna Karan, Kyle MacLachlan, Kate Capshaw and Blythe Danner.

Saffir took a commanding lead with this one, so all that remains to be seen is Siegal's rebuttal. And she's never lacking for a rebuttal.
· Sneak Peek of The Kingdom [Plum TV]
· Gwynnie Offers Sympathy [NYP]
· Side Dish [NYD]
· The Cinema Society's Screening of ‘The Good Night’ [NY Mag]
· And the Winner Is: Siegal vs. Saffir in the Saturday Night Screening Battle [The Beach]

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