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After the debut of HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra” this past Sunday, the producers have released an extended 14 minute behind the scenes/”making of” video that explores the discussions and process of making the movie.
I, along with millions this weekend, caught the film and enjoyed it. I thought the acting, especially by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, was very strong. At one point in the film I realized I had completely bought into the idea that I was watching “Liberace” and “Scott Thorson” and not these two actors.
It’s almost hard to say I “enjoyed” the film, though, as the story that unfolds before us is almost creepy and unsettling at each turn. This is not a happy love story. There’s something tragic about the entire encounter from the very beginning.
If you are an HBO subscriber, I highly recommend the film. And if you aren’t, check out the video above. I’d say it’s good enough to get you to try a subscription. The original programming on HBO is some of the very best TV there is.
The Making of Behind The Candelabra showcases Michael Douglas and Matt Damon’s fierce commitment of bringing truth to the love story between famed entertainer Liberace and Scott Thorson, played by Douglas and Damon respectively.
I’ve been surprised by not only the public’s but my own fascination with the Liberace story being told. To be honest, the video teasers and this featurette really intrigue me about this singular, original artist. I honestly can’t wait to see it on HBO.
Don’t miss it on May 26th at 9pm.
Wait – Liberace was gay?
“Behind The Candelabra” premieres on Sunday, May 26th.
For more on HBO Films, go to http://itsh.bo/I83VP6.
HBO’s big Liberace movie with Matt Damon and Michael Douglas debuts Sunday, May 26th, but Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look in this week’s issue.
Behind the Candelabra is based on Thorson’s 1988 memoir about Liberace’s over-the-top world of palatial houses, extravagant clothes, and secret affairs. (Liberace never publicly came out as gay before dying of AIDS in 1987.) It’s a world that Douglas actually witnessed first-hand, since his father, actor Kirk Douglas, was once Liberace’s neighbor in Palm Springs. “I remember meeting him just in passing, in his convertible with the top down — his hair not moving,” says the actor, who also got advice from one of Liberace’s close friends, Debbie Reynolds, who plays his mother in the film. “She just told me, ‘[Your voice] can never be too nasal.’”
The movie is also Douglas’ first role since his cancer diagnosis in 2010, and the actor tells EW that beating the disease and returning to acting has been therapeutic for him. “It was great to get back,” he says. “It gave me a new appreciation for what I do, taking advantage of it.”