From Ryan Gilbey’s Guardian 1.29.17 review of Woody Harrelson‘s Lost in London: “Even at its liveliest, cinema can only ever be a refrigerated medium, relaying images to us that were shot months, years even decades earlier. But this week there was an exception to that rule. Woody Harrelson’s directorial debut, Lost in London, was broadcast live to more than 500 cinemas in the US, and one in the UK, as it was being filmed on the streets of the capital at 2 am on Friday.
“As if that were not impressive enough, the picture was shot in a single unbroken 100-minute take with a cast of 30 (plus hundreds of extras) in 14 locations, two black cabs, one police vehicle and a VW camper van festooned with fairy lights.
“Actors who try their hand as a director typically start off with something small-scale — a sensitive coming-of-age story, say, such as Jodie Foster’s Little Man Tate or Robert De Niro’s A Bronx Tale. With Lost in London, Harrelson went as far in the opposite direction as one can imagine. This was edge-of-the-seat, seat-of-the-pants film-making. He didn’t just jump in at the deep end: he did so into shark-filled waters.”
From Wiki page: “The idea for Lost in London came from Harrelson’s actual experience in 2002, when he visited a Soho club called Chinawhite. He broke an ashtray in a London taxicab, which led to him being chased by police in a different taxicab, and then spending a night in jail. The film was shot and screened live in select theaters on 1.19.17, or just before Harrelson’s appearance in Sundance with Wilson. It was the first time a film was broadcast live into theaters.
“Harrelson, Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson play themselves. Following the above-described events Harrelson struggles to get home while running into friends and members of the British royal family.
Again: “Harrelson announced the film in September 2016. According to Harrelson, the film contains 30 cast members and 24 shooting locations. The film also includes car and foot chase scenes. It is the first film that Harrelson has directed. The film is being produced by Harrelson and Ken Kao of Waypoint Entertainment, while Fathom Events assisted in the live production. Nigel Willoughby is the cinematographer.
“They began shooting the film at 2:00 a.m. on 20 January, and it was broadcast in over 550 theaters in the United States starting at 9:00 p.m. eastern and 6:00 p.m. Pacific on 19 January. (I never heard boo about this, but then again I was in Park City.) The film was shot in a single take with one camera. The running time is approximately 100 minutes. After the live showing, Harrelson participated in a question and answer session. The film officially premiered in London on 27 January 2017.”
