The Great Fantastic Four Premiere Debacle

By • 07/07/05 9:03am

Last night’s Fantastic Four premiere, ambitiously slated for Liberty Island (perhaps inside the Statue of Liberty’s head?), could have used some superhero help as it went up in flames (or down in the rain).

Members of the press were herded in Battery Park, then boated to Liberty Island. A red carpet parade happened. (For the record, Seventeen editor Atoosa Rubenstein’s name appeared on the tip sheet of celebs. It’s not that Ms. Rubenstein isn’t famous, but… well, it’s a bit like listing Mr. Pibb alongside Coke and Pepsi, if you follow. Still, to the organizer’s credit, snacks were even provided for the reporters, which is something The Transom has never, ever heard of.)

Most of the press, of course, were not allowed to actually attend the film, so they were put back on a boat to Manhattan. But ten minutes into the screening, which was delayed until shortly after 10 p.m., apparently the projector broke. A note from our reporter Adriane Quinlan:

The reporters on the boat were treated to the sight of screening attendees scrambling below to board the press boat, so as to not be stranded on Liberty Island for an unknown amount of time. “Forget them, pull the plank!” said a publicist. Meanwhile, celebs themselves crushed unhappily onto the press boat, which took off promptly, leaving flurrying celebs below like so many Titanic victims. Jessica Alba stood bravely in the prow of The Transom’s boat, unwilling to speak to the hordes of media types who surrounded her.

Much, much, much more on this endlessly enjoyable story in a bit.
—Choire Sicha