Montclair film: fun, funny, fundraising on Red Nose Day
By GWEN OREL
orel@montclairlocal.news
Abbot and Costello.
Laurel and Hardy.
The Blues Brothers.
French and Saunders.
Parker Bowles and Hall.
Who?
Luke Parker Bowles, board officer of Montclair Film, and Tom Hall, executive director of Montclair Film, banter and bounce jokes off one another without letting up.
They are joining together in comedy to raise money for Red Nose Day USA, a charity that provides protection for children throughout the world, including America.
Inspired by the U.K’s Comic Relief and Red Nose Day, Red Nose Day debuted in America in 2015. NBC will hold Red Nose Day programming, and people across the U.S. will wear red noses and raise money to honor it. For more information on the organization, visit rednoseday.org.
Fundraising activities by the duo in Montclair include a bake sale, to be held today, May 25, from 10 a.m. to noon, outside of Local Coffee, 107 Watchung Plaza, and then a 24-hour movie marathon. Each man will watch 12 movies, with money raised per movie, similar to the way people raise funds for each mile in a marathon.
Red-nose-themed baked goods will be provided by the Little Daisy Bake Shop, the Pie Store, and Local Coffee, and sold by Parker Bowles and Hall at the stand. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to their Facebook campaign, because all Facebook donations are eligible for matching contributions from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The movie marathon is not for a Montclair audience, though: Parker-Bowles and Hall are raising money by watching 24 hours’ worth of films and live-streaming their reactions.
And they can’t stop trying to top one another.
“To be frank, the reason for a second year, is that I won big time last year and Tom’s never got over it. He’s a bitter man,” said Parker Bowles.
Parker Bowles, who heads BAFTA New York (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), said that Hall accused him of raising more money because he knows more celebrities.
“Renée Zellweger and Emma Thompson both donated to my campaign,” Parker Bowles said.
Hall said that while he didn’t have famous people he had more people in total “than those fancy pants movie stars.”
Last year, the duo chose films for one another. This year, they chose their own: Hall focused on films about children, and Parker Bowles chose comedies, “because I’m hilarious,” he said. “It made sense that I should learn more funny over 24 hours.”
Hall, who will screen his 24 hours’ worth of films at Cinema505, has raised $5,672 so far. Parker Bowles, who will screen movies “in my poky little office above the hardware store on Park Street,” has raised $4,387. They will both live-stream their experience, answering questions and topping each other’s jokes.
Their film-watching is described as a “battle” in Montclair Film materials.
One man will get the glory, but the children will take the prize.
Hall’s page is bit.ly/DonateToTeamTom, Parker Bowles’ page is bit.ly/DonateToTeamLuke, and their battle is waged here: bit.ly/LukeVsTom .