A test screening for Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” will be occurring this evening in Los Angeles. Last I heard, the film wasn’t remotely ready, so a rough cut is probably being shown tonight.
If anyone is going, you know how to contact me.
Of course, with Mendes you just never know what you’re going to get. The British filmmaker does tend to hit the mark with critics more so than not (“American Beauty,” “Skyfall,” “Road to Perdition,” “1917”). He’s also had his fair share of duds (“Spectre,” “Jarhead,” “Away We Go”).
Something tells me “Empire of Light” will belong in the former category. Starring Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, the film is said to be a love story set in an English coastal cinema during the 1980s.
A BFI premiere looks likely with that November release date.