Sony went all out for the family-friendly premiere of its new (fully) animated film Smurfs: The Lost Village. I was honestly thrilled to join the block party and experience some of my childhood Saturday morning cartoons again. It also happened to be the 100th anniversary for Culver City itself, where Sony is headquartered. I believe this also marked the very first film premiere to take place in Culver City!
The downtown area in front of the ArcLight was shut down for the affair and Smurf hats were available to all ticketed guests. The square was transformed into a magical village, complete with a Blue Step & Repeat Carpet. Balloon arrangements adorned otherwise blasé lampposts and picnic tables, adding to the whimsy.
For the kids as well as the young at heart, there was no shortage of entertainment. There was a raffle, corn 
hole, mask decorating, a bounce house all in addition to the food. And THE FOOD. I have never seen so much blue food in one place! There were blue bagel sandwiches from Yeastie Boys Bagels, Hot Dog On A Stick provided dogs and cheese sheathed in blue batter along with blue raspberry lemonade, blue cotton candy and soft serve were available for dessert. But my favorite was the Sea Salt Coffee from 35*C Bakery Cafe. While not blue, it sported the classic Smurf white “hat” of whipped cream. When mixed in, this was quite possibly the best cup of coffee I have ever had. Salty, sweet, creamy and caffeinated. I may have to make a special trip downtown to satisfy my craving!
Stars from the film turned out for the event and it great to see them having such a good time. Meghan Trainor was adorable and I’m such a fan of her music. Joe Manganiello was as handsome (and tall) as ever. I swear I saw Dustin Hoffman sneak in, but why would he be there? I even snagged a photo-op with Papa Smurf!
The movie was cute and perfect for kids. Adults may be a bit disappointed that it’s not quite the Smurfs they grew up with, although I think it was a great decision to leave the film fully animated! Basically, Smurfette has an existential crisis and adventure ensues with a super Smurf song. #girlpower
It’s a shame we were only able to listen to the voice of Joe Manganiello. Just sayin’.
Smurfs: The Lost Village opens April 7th nationwide.
