I head to the Sundance Film Festival
on Thursday. I embark upon this journey with no small amount of
trepidation as I'm world famous for not having the best time at the
festival. Oh, I've had a few laughs and seen some great movies too ...
but it can be an isolating experience if you don't know anyone there.
However, I'm going to do better this year, promise. I'm also going to
do my best to see a ton of films (aided by Eric D. Snider of EricDSnider.com) and interview some interesting folks. Here's the schedule, and my reasoning behind the choices:
Probably Seeing
Mary and Max -- It's the first screening I can go to on Thursday. Enough said. Passing Strange -- A Spike Lee joint. Good enough for me. Moon -- Sam Rockwell in a Sci-Fi thriller. Get some. Brooklyn's Finest -- Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) has Ellen Barkin, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke in a crime drama. The Glass House -- Sundance always has superior documentaries; this one deals with the hidden lives of Iranian women. Spring Breakdown -- An Amy Poehler project that might go straight to DVD? I'm intrigued. The September Issue -- A documentary about Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue. I always like to learn myself up on topics I have no idea on. Shrink -- Kevin Spacey as a Hollywood psychologist. Reminds me a bit of a really good short from a few years ago called Our Time is Up (shown below: language, adult themes, drug usage).
I Love You Phillip Morris -- Jim Carrey making out with Ewan McGregor? I can't make this stuff up. The Informers -- No, it's not a breakdown of the hit song by DJ Snow. It's the adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis book (American Psycho).
Plus, look at this cast: Mickey Rourke, Billy Bob Thornton, Kim
Basinger, Winona Ryder. Of all the movies I'm the most excited about
this one.. Arlen Faber -- Jeff Daniels as a reclusive spirituality author. It's been awhile since Wonder Boys; I could use another solid scribe film. When You're Strange -- The Doors documentary on a Sunday night in Park City? Oh, It's fully on. Big Fan -- Patton Oswalt as an obsessed NY (football) Giants fan. Crude -- Documentary on a trial pitting the indigenous Ecuadoran tribes against Chevron. Like Rocky, but with oil. And in real life.
Now then, there are films that I'd like to see (and cover) but currently can't, due to scheduling. Those include:
Might Be Missing
In The Loop
-- It stars James Gandolfini, and the synopsis reads, "Wickedly
sardonic and filled with secrets, lies, leaks, plugs, and faulty
intelligence." Spread -- It's got The Kutch in it. Nothing says "Sundance" like The Kutch. The Winning Season -- Another Sam Rockwell
special, as an alcoholic coach of a girl's varsity team. Hmmm, maybe
they should rename this festival the Sam Rockwell Invitational. He owns
it. Adventureland -- It's got my girl Kristen Stewart and a couple of SNL alums. Plus it's evidently invite only on the press side. Exclusive! Brief Interviews with Hideous Men -- John Krasinski's directorial debut. I'm told this is important by my TV sources. 500 Days of Summer -- Zooey Deschanel in a postmodern love story. That practically writes itself. Endgame -- The story of the armed struggle to end apartheid doesn't look to be a feel-good movie; but it looks to be a needed one. The Vicious Kind -- I think I ran into Brittany Snow
at a party last year, back when I was cool. But this one is all about a
bitter construction worker whose life is turned upside down one
Thanksgiving weekend. If I had a dime for every time I've been through
that scenario ... The Missing Person -- It's got Michael Shannon, who was Oscar-level good in Revolutionary Road.
And the synopsis starts, "John Rosow is a private detective prone to
sardonic wit, gin, and the endless repercussions of what happens when
you mix the two." Sold! Black Dynamite -- Like blaxploitation, but the exact opposite. Tyson -- A documentary on Mike Tyson. Gotta be fascinating, right? We Live in Public -- A documentary on a filmmaker torn apart for voyeurism. Sort of. It's too complicated to get into here. It Might Get Loud -- Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White swap stories and share riffs. Very diggable. The Yes Men Fix the World
-- I saw the first effort by these fellows when it was at the last
Sundance, so I would have signed up for a second go-round if I'd had
the chance.
Potential Issues at Sundance: First and foremost,
I seem to be excluded from all the "parties" where the "cool kids are"
because I'm "lame." I accept this. I think it's partly because Sundance
has one of my alternate email addresses, the one that doesn't seem very
impressive at all. (It's through gmail and makes it look a bit like I
don't work for Film.com. This error happened about three years ago and
I've been powerless ever since.) I'd like to think that if all these PR
folk knew my real email address, and just how big this Film.com thing
is becoming ... well, I'd be invited to where all the pretty people
were, if only to make fun of them. People love when I do that.
The other reason could be because Entertainment Weekly
has Park City on lockdown. They are a big-time sponsor of the festival,
so evidently all the dopest parties and sleepovers happen at their
command. As I don't know anyone at EW (though I think I had a
subscription once in the '90s if that helps), I don't stand much chance
of seeing an open bar this side of Salt Lake City. See? Mommas, don't
let your children grow up to be movie critics.
If you'd like to follow the action on Twitter starting on Thursday you can do that right about here. We'll be running daily diaries on all the happenings and quite a few film reviews
too. Heck, we might even get a photo gallery (or two) together. The sky
is the limit. Fate has us highly skilled and loaded with talent. Check
back early and often. The Sundance '09 train is leaving. Get on board.
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The other reason could be because Entertainment Weekly
has Park City on lockdown. They are a big-time sponsor of the festival,
so evidently all the dopest parties and sleepovers happen at their
command. As I don't know anyone at EW (though I think I had a
subscription once in the '90s if that helps), I don't stand much chance
of seeing an open bar this side of Salt Lake City. See? Mommas, don't
let your children grow up to be movie critics.
