‘Eyes Wide Shut’ Live Read Set from Film Independent, Capes and Masks Encouraged
IndieWire exclusively shares the news that Film Independent and IFC Films will host a live read of Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1999 erotic mystery “Eyes Wide Shut” on Wednesday, October 27 in Los Angeles. The reading of the script will be directed by Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe, the directors of the upcoming IFC release “The Beta Test.” The directors encourage audience members to come dressed in full “Eyes Wide Shut” regalia — that means masks and capes, a la the infamous scene where Tom Cruise finds himself at a sex party for the one percent inside a mansion, are requested. Besides, you’ll be wearing a face mask anyway.
The event will take place at the DGA Theater on Sunset Blvd. in LA at 7: 30 p.m. PST. Tickets are $20 for Film Independent members, with a limit of two tickets per membership. Proof of Covid vaccination is required to attend the event. Casting for the live read has yet to be announced, though Film Independent events such as these often have a star-studded cast to perform lines from classic films. Past independent live reads have included “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “My Dinner with Andre,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Stand by Me,” “Singles,” and even one of Kubrick’s other classics, “Dr. Strangelove.”
“Eyes Wide Shut” was Stanley Kubrick’s final film before his death in March 1999, just a few short months before the movie, starring Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a husband and wife in psychosexual crisis, was released in the summer of that year. At the time of its release, it puzzled audiences and some critics, but the moody marital epic has gone on to become one of Kubrick’s most adored films.
“The Beta Test,” meanwhile, opens in theaters and on VOD platforms November 5. Here’s the synopsis: “This dark satire thriller is about Hollywood power dynamics and the vast interconnectivity of digital culture today. This winding thriller displays the problematic nature of the entertainment industry and humanity’s willingness to jeopardize our happiness in small and constant decisions. It asks the question: In the age of internet consumerism and digital tracking, does anyone truly have privacy? And can we ever truly rest without having all the answers?”
