Last week my friend invited me to go to a screening of a new movie called Imperium. Following the movie there would be a q&a with a few members of the cast and crew. I didn’t know anything about the movie but I love attending these types of events. The screening was held at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, California.
I had never been to this theatre before. It was easy to find street parking nearby. Don’t feel like you ned to pay for parking. My friend really wanted to meet actor Sam Trammell at the screening. We decided to arrive early so that we could get a seat towards the front. After going to several of events like this we’ve learned that you have a great chance of getting photos when you are in the front.
Imperium is an interesting movie. It is based on true events. Daniel Radcliffe plays an FBI agent who goes undercover to find out what local white supremacists are planning. The movie made me feel uncomfortable because of the nature of the material. It is a sad reminder that there are people in the world who believe that their skin color makes them superior.
My friend pointed out that a good movie is supposed to make you feel something. Imperium accomplished that. It was also really nice to see Daniel in a non Harry Potter related film. This isn’t a movie that I would watch again. That doesn’t make it a bad movie though. I thought that 12 Years a Slave was well done with a good story and great acting. Yet again it is not a movie that I would watch over and over again.
Following the movie actor Sam Trammell, actor Chris Sullivan, writer/director Daniel Ragussis, and Will Bates, who did the music. Daniel shared that he got the idea for the movie from his thesis in film school. He was studying World War One and World War Two. As he was studying World War Two he started exploring white supremacists. He felt that the story was relevant to the current political climate.
I always feel grateful when I have the chance to hear members of the cast and crew discuss the movie. It is nice to hear about their experience. Sam talked about the challenge of playing someone whose beliefs are so opposite of yours. Chris shared that because he is a large white man he has been asked to play a white supremacist four times.
Following the q&a my friend and I were able to get a picture with Sam. My friend knows Sam from the show True Blood. I recognized him as the dad in The Fault in Our Stars. We both really liked meeting him. Sam is very nice and seems really easy going. Everyone who attended the screening was invited to an after party nearby to hang out. We passed on the after party but it was nice to have the option.
Have you heard of Imperium? Do you plan on seeing it?
