In Montreal, journalist Louis-Philippe Messier often travels on the run, in his desk bag, looking for fascinating subjects and people. He talks to everyone and is interested in all walks of life in this urban chronicle.
“Participation Screening” of the Classic Christmas Film There are balls in the tree, With Chevy Chase in a Parisianoid rendition, the club is full of soda, and its producer wants to make the event an annual tradition… you'd better book early next year if you want seats.
TVA aired the immortal Christmas comedy There are balls in the tree (French version of the filmNational Lampoon's Christmas Vacation) Last Thursday, behind the scenes of Club Soda in downtown Montreal, a different kind of cinematography-drama was brewing.
The cast all try on fifty or more costumes, voluntarily, just for fun.
For two days, directed by producer Jared Mann (also a volunteer), they rehearsed.
Producer Jared Mann has volunteered for this Christmas project, as have other crafters.
Photo by Louis-Philippe Messier
These 17 actors will play their characters from the 1989 film on stage under the curtain simultaneously and of course lip-syncing to the images.
The public who watch them often memorize the lines of the film. Some audiences sing them formally.
“All tickets for an event, over 500, have never sold out so quickly!” Mr. Mcflyevt.ca organizes such events every year. Deer cheers.
There are so many people everywhere, it takes a few minutes before he finds a place for me on a narrow balcony upstairs.
Ticket holders are curiously shown early. An hour before the screening, the room is packed, rum egg!
“I want to create this participatory project There are balls in the tree An annual tradition,” said Mr. Deer declares.
Club soda refills.
Photo by Louis-Philippe Messier
Happy ragus
“My passion for this film goes back to my childhood, I listen to it twice every year in French and once in English, and my own children have started to love it too,” says Yoann-Karl Whissell, director of genre films (especially Turbo Kit) who wears the clothes and white hair of Clark Sr., the main character's father.
Johann-Carl Wissel does his makeup and hair as Clark Griswold's aging father.
Photo by Louis-Philippe Messier
“It's real brainwashing: I feel like Clark Griswold, and I've been thinking about his lines and his facial expressions for a while, day and night,” the man told me, laughing.
Silence for indoor cinema is completely unaffected here!
Every time a character breaks down in the film, everyone goes Oioi!
When the characters kiss, the audience kisses!
As soon as Arrogant Neighbors appears on screen, it screams snob!
Seeing the disgusted face of the character's boss, we scream at him: Pooh!
Every time the family's antihero father tries to light his thousands of Christmas decorations, everyone bangs on tables or benches to imitate the drum roll.
When the damn lights that never work finally come on, about twenty projectors blind the room.
This heck often prevents us from hearing what is being said in the film, but that's okay because we already know it.
During the film's incredible finale, all the actors take the stage at the same time and when there is a big explosion, the whole room shouts: Merry Christmas!
Everyone gets up and wishes it even to their unknown neighbors. Also, I'll end this column with: Merry Christmas to you!
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