I went to a special “Dos Amigos” screening of Children of Men last night on the Universal lot, hosted by Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. (Men director Alfonso Cuaron is in Mexico, I was told.) Two screening rooms on the eighth-floor of a Universal office building (i.e., where publicity and marketing works from) were used.

Cuaron, del Toro, Inarritu

Del Toro and Innaritu spoke to the crowd before it started, with the former talking about the importance of “viral” word of mouth about Children of Men getting around as much as possible before Saturday’s Oscar nomination balloting deadline.
The projection and sound levels in the screening room I sat in were full, rich and needle sharp. (I took Jett and Dylan to see Men at the Lincoln Square just after Xmas, and the projection and sound levels sucked. Clearly, people who pay to see movies often see diminished versions — and it’s a real shame.) I especially loved that the entire frame of the film was shown — there was no masking at all. (You could see the slight rounded corners at the four points.)
There was a generously catered after-party at the Universal Grill following the screening. Director Michael Mann, producers Mark Johnson (Chronicles of Narnia, The Rookie) and Caldecott Chubb (Tonight at Noon), producer-screenwriter L.M. Kit Carson and Oscarwatch.com‘s Sasha Stone also attended.