Brandon’s Sundance Experience: Time Keeps on Slippin’
Previously, on Brandon’s Sundance Experience, I had not yet seen a single film at the fest. Now I’ve seen 22. And over the course of six days, I’ve slept maybe ten hours. Here in Park City, you see, sleep is a mirage. A myth. The stuff of legend. At this very moment, I’m forgoing sleep in order to write this. So, if you happen to find me face-down in a grey slush puddle somewhere in Park City, please do not wake me. I need the rest.
So what have I learned thus far at Sundance? Planning is necessary, but only two days in advance. Flexibility and patience are prerequisites for attending the fest. The volunteers are incredibly helpful. And even if the volunteers aren’t extremely helpful, say when they snap at you to do some arbitrary action and refuse to listen to your reasoning, it’s because they’re so goddamned stressed. Hell, I’d be too if I had to spend six hours a day answering the same inane questions from the likes of my cohorts and me. I’ve also learned that wearing boots is vital to survival here. My Converse All Stars just weren’t cuttin’ it in the six inches of snow and slush. Also, eating an actual, honest-to-goodness meal is a premium occurrence. I have managed to make it happen at least once per day. My other meals have consisted mainly of a palm-full of raw, unsalted almonds and a Granny Smith apple. Does the body good. Kind of.
Another very cool occurrence here in Park City is that the world-renowned street artist Banksy is in town. Of course, he’s incognito, but his work has been sprouting up around the city. His documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop was announced as the surprise screening — a film I’ll be seeing in a few days — so it looks like he’s made the trip stateside from across the pond for the occasion. In fact, he even drew some art on Main Street (photo courtesy of Erik Davis).
That brings me to some more film-related topics. Wait, there are films here? Oh yeah.
If you’ve been on the site, you’ll have surely seen my Sundance reviews along with Alex’s. The discerning reader will have noticed that I have not written a review for every film I’ve seen — or, at least, haven’t posted a review for every film I’ve seen. This reasoning is two-fold.
First, some of my reviews have been in the form of video reviews, usually with my housemates Peter Sciretta and David Chen of SlashFilm. The video review is a thing of beauty. Not only is it a joy for you to watch, I hope, even if it’s not it’s still something everyone is able to watch. Unlike this, which you’re reading. And everybody knows reading is for squares. Oh, and it’s also a lot quicker of a process than finding the time to sit down, consult my notes, and compose a written review. At Sundance, quicker is better. (Make your jokes here.) Time is never on your side. And it never sleeps. Which is fortunate, ’cause I at least have company when I’m not sleeping!
Second, there are some films that I just didn’t feel the desire to write about. For the most part, this is because I didn’t like them. Allow me to rephrase: For the most part, this is because I hated them with extreme prejudice. Erik Davis of Cinematical discussed his policy of reviewing films at Sundance with me over dinner tonight (buffalo burgers and fries, if you were wondering). He mentioned that if he really hates a film, instead of bashing it he’ll just abstain from mentioning it at all. Since a lot of these films will never see wide distribution, why spend time bashing a film that you, the readers, will never see and will only prove to smash a film that’s already so low on the totem pole. I’ve seen only one film thus far that I hated. I even wrote a review for it, but have decided, due to the above, not to post it. That film is Sympathy for Delicious, Mark Ruffalo’s directorial debut. Another film that I saw that I just didn’t like is Douchebag. It’s just… not great. Not good. If either of these films get picked up, you all will be the first to read my review. Until then, though, it’s in the vault.
So, that’s that for now. Time for three more hours of sleep and four more films. Of note, thus far my favorite film of the fest is Blue Valentine. Because I loved this film so much — and because there’s so much to be mined from within and between its frames — I’ll be writing a longer, more in depth review of it in the near future. Know this though — it’s phenomenal.
I feel like I’ve been in Park City for three months. And I still have six glorious days left. I’m starting to think this just might be a Rekall Inc. virtual vacation. I’ll let you know if I find Kuato.
Discover More: Editorials, Sundance 10
Alex’s Sundance 2010 Review: John Stalberg’s High School
Ah yes, the always brilliant, always hilarious stoner comedy. So if you actually took that sentence seriously, then you probably won’t like this film. Personally I’m a fan of good stoner comedies and appreciate their dumbed-down but always entertaining humor, even if everyone involves a person (or people) getting stoned and being idiots. That’s what happens in John Stalberg’s High School once again, but they up the ante by getting an entire high school stoned this time. And exactly as expected, it was hilarious. In fact, it’s probably one of my all-time favorite stoner comedies (alongside of Half Baked and Pineapple Express among others).
High School tells the story of Henry Burke (Matt Bush), the soon-to-be valedictorian in his last days of high school. Henry reconnects with an old friend and ends up smoking his first joint, but the stuck-up principal (Michael Chiklis) decides to drug test every student and expel those who have abused any substance. Henry freaks out because he’ll lose his valedictorian status and MIT scholarship and eventually hatches a plan to get the entire high school stoned. But where do you find that much marijuana? Well, you steal it from the local crazy drug dealer Psycho Ed (played by Adrien Brody). That’s the setup and it snowballs from there.
While you shouldn’t expect anything brilliant (it is a stoner comedy after all), everything in High School was pretty much pitch perfect comedy. The soundtrack was awesome, the characters are all developed well, and the story takes some unexpected twists and turns. It’s not a spoiler to say that he does indeed get the entire school stoned, because the most entertaining part of this was watching the madness over that entire day (as every student, teacher, and everyone else in the area ends up high as a kite). And the plot isn’t a simple “get everyone stoned, get off scot-free” scheme, there’s some interesting (and amusing) problems that arise.
If you were looking forward to this based on the concept alone, then I’m certain you’ll enjoy it. I don’t know if you’ll love it as much as I did, but I guarantee you’ll have a good time, just because the execution is as good as (if not better) than the concept. All of the performances are great, from the tattooed, drug dealin’ Adrien Brody to the wig wearin’, mustache sportin’ Michael Chiklis. And there’s even appearances by Colin Hanks, Andrew Wilson, and Yeardley Smith (who voices Lisa Simpson). Overall I had a blast watching High School and will be looking forward to eventually adding it to my stoner comedy collection whenever I can.
Alex’s Sundance Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Discover More: Reviews, Sundance 10
New First Look Photos for Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps
“In my father’s world, making a million was a ton,” Oliver Stone tells USA Today in a new feature on the film. “I come back to Wall Street now, and it’s not a million dollars. It’s a billion dollars. And a billion is nothing. They don’t even consider that the beginning of a hedge fund. That is what is amazing about the ’90s and 2000s — how rich people got.” Stone, who originally passed on the script for Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, did eventually return for the sequel. “I guess the crash, which happened in the meantime, made it more interesting,” Stone says about its relevance to today. Check out five new official photos below.
We featured two Annie Leibovitz photos from Wall Street 2 earlier this month and we also expect to see a trailer very soon, considering 20th Century Fox is supposed to be releasing this on April 23rd. A caption for the first photo: It’s 2008, and hedge-fund trader Jacob Moore (Shia LeBeouf) is watching as the stock market and his future take a downward spiral on his computer screen. “He’s a very successful investment banker and his firm is being threatened with bankruptcy,” Stone explains. Josh Brolin plays the big bad villain in this sequel, a “new breed of ruthless investor” banking kingpin. Head to USA Today to see more.
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Gavin Hood in Talks to Direct Epic Alaskan Dog Sledding Film
If there are any plans to get Gavin Hood to return to direct a sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it’s unlikely that it’ll actually happen because he’s going to be quite the busy guy over the next couple years. In addition to directing an upcoming TV series for Fox, THR reports Hood is negotiating to sign on to direct an adaptation of Gay and Laney Salisbury’s book The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic, about the mind-blowing 674-mile journey undertaken by 20 men and 200 dogs who endured grueling forces of nature as they rushed a diphtheria antidote to Nome, Alaska, in 1952.
This epic mission captivated the rest of the United States in its day as the group encountered temperatures of -60 degrees, a phenomenon known as ice fog and other natural dangers. Apparently one of the lead dogs even has his own statue in New York’s Central Park. Sean O’Keefe and Will Staples (who are also working Bruckheimer’s Apaches) adapted the script, which is set to go into production sometime this summer. Tales like this of regular people overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the face of danger and death are awe-inspiring. I can’t stand when it snows a few inches let alone tolerating -60 degree temperatures, but I’ll definitely sit in a warm, cozy theater and see how these brave people survived the frigid environment.
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Will Ferrell Remaking ‘I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single’
Despite last summer’s flop of his big budget comedy Land of the Lost, funnyman Will Ferrell is by no means discouraged. Not only will 2010 see him re-teaming with Anchorman director Adam McKay for the action comedy The Other Guys, but he also lends his voice to DreamWorks’ superhero flick Megamind (formerly Oobermind). But now Ferrell is following the rest of the industry into remake territory as Pajiba says he will remake the French romantic comedy I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single. Ferrell’s only previous experience with romance that wasn’t overshadowed by comedy was Stranger Than Fiction.
The original French film follows a bachelor who is nagged by his mother and seven sisters to finally settle down and tie the knot. Instead of ruining his life by getting married, he concocts a plan to have a friend’s sister to pretend to be his fiancée only to dump him at the altar, thus turning him off of marriage for the rest of his life, and getting his family off his back at the same time. But of course, real romance blossoms within the pretend relationship they create, so what’s our man to do? Though it’s not the most appealing concept, it’ll be interesting to see Ferrell as a romantic lead. Development is still early, however, with no writer or director attached yet, Ferrell could just as easily become unattached from this film. Anyone interested?
Discover More: Casting News, Movie News, Opinions
Brandon’s Sundance 2010 Review: Adam Green’s Frozen
In the same vein as thrillers like Open Water and another film here, Buried, Adam Green’s Frozen is a — for the most part — a one-location horror-thriller. Here’s the jist: three annoying, unlikeable college kids (Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell) get trapped on a ski lift without the hope of rescue ’cause they were stupid enough to bribe their way onto the slopes after closing time on a Sunday when they know full well that the resort doesn’t reopen until the following Friday. From there, shit happens. It usually involves the cold and its effects on unprotected skin. Sometimes it involves wolves. And one time it involves urine.
If you’re really looking forward to this film, my first nugget of advice would be to not look forward to this film. My second piece of advice would be to not watch the trailer. It literally spoils everything. And what it doesn’t spoil, you can infer if you have even Abby Normal’s brain. So, why does Frozen fail so miserably? Allow me to get all critical on its icy ass. First, the dialog is painfully tedious. The introduction attempts to endear the audience to these character who we know will eventually endure great hardships. The introduction fails. Instead, they’re just vacant. The kind of characters that, instead of rooting for them to survive, I was rooting for them to die. The decisions these characters make are, for the most part, idiotic.
Even the violence isn’t shocking or anymore visceral than what I’ve seen before in other horror-thrillers. And it’s slow. By slow, I mean boring. If a film is set in one location for most of the story, keep me guessing. Well, that goes for every film, but seriously, when the only thing I’m thinking about is how these characters’ lips aren’t getting chapped when the rest of their face is peeling the fuck off, I think it’s time for a re-write.
Brandon’s Sundance Rating: 3 out of 10
Note: The three points are for the wolves in the film. The best acting captured on camera.
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Brandon’s Sundance 2010 Reviews: Documentary Edition Pt. 1
When I attend a film festival, I often gravitate towards the documentaries being screened rather than the narrative features. Of course, I see tons of narratives, but I do my best to keep a high ratio of docs on my schedule for the very reason that I already see tons of narrative stories during the year anyway. It’s very rare for any documentary to see a wide release. There aren’t a whole lot of Michael Moores or Al Gores out there. For some really spectacular docs, they never even get a limited release. At film festivals, though, there are always a good amount of docs to choose from. This is especially true for the Sundance Film Festival.
Thus far, I’ve seen three feature-length documentaries and one short form doc. What’s becoming evident — especially when related to the documentaries — is that this year’s fest’s theme is a clear force at the core of these films. That theme is: Rebel. All four docs capture their own form of rebellion in interesting, if not always successful, ways. So with that I’m presenting four reviews for four different documentaries I’ve seen.
The Fence
On Sundance’s opening night here in Park City, I caught Shorts Program I. Along with Spike Jonze’s short I’m Here (that reviewed here) and two international short narratives, Rory Kennedy’s The Fence premiered. This thirty-six minute documentary explores the sociological, environmental, political, economic, and personal effects of the United States’s decision to build a 700-mile long fence on the U.S.-Mexico border.
At the staggering cost of over $3.1 billion, Kennedy lampoons the decision, the decision makers, and the fence itself in turn. There are several great satiric moments and the information presented is dynamic and interesting, but The Fence suffers from a severe case of bloat. It’s overlong, which, for a short, is not a good thing. There are so many threads tackled within the film that it ends up feeling more like a cork board inside a bus station: tons of snippets all saying their own thing while slightly overlapping to form a cohesive whole. It’s tonally uneven, shifting from startlingly serious to lighthearted and off-the-cuff. Its presentation is slick, though. And it’s certainly worth the DVR space when HBO releases it.
Brandon’s Sundance Rating: 6 out of 10
The Shock Doctrine
This documentary hailing from the United Kingdom is based on Naomi Klein’s book of the same name. The Shock Doctrine attempts to explain the rise of disaster capitalism: the exploitation of moments of crisis in vulnerable countries by larger, more powerful governments and corporate big business. The topic as well as the film is a heady experience. There’s a lot to take in and even more so to analyze afterward. The film traces the doctrine’s origins to the radical theories of Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago and goes about delving into the effects of said theories across the world over the past forty years. From Pinochet’s Chile to Yeltsin’s Russia to Margaret Thatcher’s Great Britain to the more recent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the film explains Friedman’s not-so-invisible hand in them all. Such crises as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 are also explored and re-appropriated through the lens of The Shock Doctrine.
Directors Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross make heavy use of archival footage, slick info-graphics, and a recorded lecture given by Naomi Klein about her theory. It’s extremely well made and well presented. Viewing these historical events through this fresh lens is akin to re-watching a film after knowing the end’s twist. The doc is fearless when tackling controversial viewpoints on generally one-sided topics. It’s harrowing as well, displaying governments (mostly the US’s) taking such advantage of war-torn, shock-laden, paralyzed nations that have undergone one disaster or another in order to implement the government most suited to the American corporate structure. Disaster capitalism provides the opportunity for very large profits for very large governments while decimating the country it’s occurring in all but completely. It’s presented as the concept of mass torture, of mass shock. It’s compelling information.
The film packs quite a punch in its 86 minute run time. When it concludes, though, the audience is left without much indication of what we, the now informed, can do to fight against this wide-spread shock treatment. This is a theme I’m noticing throughout the documentaries that I’ve seen in recent days: a lack of certainty on how to move forward that’s indicative of our contemporary and future uncertain times. Ironically, though, what the film presents as most detestable is used within the film itself. This doc is shocking and tended toward some of the same patterns it admonishes in the film. Overall, it’s a fascinating documentary that will hopefully find more eager eyes and open minds.
Brandon’s Sundance Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Enemies of the People
After finishing Enemies of the People, I was conflicted. Within this doc is such an interesting, incredible story, but the documentary itself, its presentation and the filmmaking, is so amateurish that it stands in opposition to its great story. Over the course of ten years, Thet Sambath unearthed the untold tale of the Khmer Rouge and the brutal Killing Fields of Cambodia during the late 1970s. Sambath gains the trust of the Khmer Rouge’s second in command, now in his eighties, and succeeds in documenting this lost piece of his culture and his family’s history. Sambath’s own mother and father fell victim to the very man he’s now interviewing, though his lack of vengeance is saintlike. Again, the story is so very interesting, but it becomes very repetitive as it begins to fold over and over on to itself. It’s incredible, no matter what the result, to see one man’s ten-year struggle finally make it on screen, though.
Brandon’s Sundance Rating: 5 out of 10
The Tillman Story
Enter my most-anticipated film of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Amir Bar-Lev (of My Kid Could Paint That fame), this documentary lays out the story of Patrick Tillman, professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals turned enlisted Army Ranger whose tragic, untimely death has been shrouded in conspiracy. If you watched the news at all last decade, you’ll know the name Pat Tillman. Though, in the news, you probably know the propagandistic version of Pat Tillman. The one whose death was turned into a political, patriotic symbol by the United States government. Within the film, Bar-Lev features candid interviews of Tillman’s family, friends, and fellow Rangers attempting to elucidate some kind of truth mixed amid the deceit.
The documentary is very good. It’s able to make a comment without becoming preachy, and as Bar-Lev did with My Kid Could Paint That, the film is most powerful when its subjects are simply speaking for themselves. Overall, however, this story, and by association, this film is maddening. It plays like a political thriller complete with seedy dealings and lies and grand subterfuge. But it’s very real. Watching Donald Rumsfeld lie on camera is blood-boiling. Watching Dannie Tillman, Pat Tillman’s mother, attempt with overwhelming futility to combat the U.S. government to uncover the truth about her son’s death while trying to reclaim his identity is heartbreaking.
Bar-Lev made The Tillman Story with the uninitiated in mind. Because I’ve followed the story since 2004, much of the information presented wasn’t new to me. That, however, did not make it any less impacting. The interviews are splendid windows into the very definition of confusion and despair and resilience. When the video of Tillman’s brother’s speech at Tillman’s funeral is played and he says into the mic “He’s fucking dead!” it’s haunting. Though I can’t help but wish the film had one additional section. A section that would have pushed the issue further, challenged the subject, stuck it to the man in a Michael Moore-like style.
As the doc stands, it ends on a note of hopelessness and dissipated anger. Though the Tillman family is still resilient, the U.S. government is just too big. With this doc, though, Pat Tillman can be remembered how his family wishes him to be, not how the propaganda dictates he should be. It’s a film that needs to be seen by as many people as possible. A maddening experience, but a necessary one.
Brandon’s Sundance Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Discover More: Reviews, Sundance 10
Sundance Video Review: Taika Waititi’s New Film ‘Boy’
Another new Sundance video review. It’s just vastly easier to record video reviews of some films, which is why we have so many of them. This time Alex talked with Peter from SlashFilm about New Zealand director Taika Waititi’s new film Boy. Both Peter and I were big fans of Taika’s Eagle vs Shark a few years back and had high hopes for Boy. It’s a good film but I don’t think it’s as great as Eagle vs Shark and it runs a little long. It’s got some good performances but I didn’t love it. Watch the trailer for it here. If you’re interested in hearing our quick thoughts on the film, watch our 4-minute video review below. And sorry it was so dark!
When his father returns after many years away, 11-year-old Boy (James Rolleston) and his little brother Rocky (Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu) must reconcile reality with a fantasy dad they created in their minds.
Boy is written and directed by New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi, aka as Taika Cohen, who made his feature debut in 2007 with the Sundance gem Eagle vs Shark and also directed some episodes of “The Flight of the Conchords” as well as the short film Two Cars, One Night. This doesn’t have a US distributor yet, but it is looking for one here at Sundance. We’ll let you know if this film ever ends up being released in the US.
Discover More: Sundance 10, Worth Watching
Check This Out: First Concept Art Image from Pixar’s Cars 2
“The world’s a racetrack as superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action to take on the globe’s fastest in Cars 2, a high-octane 3D comedy.” It may seem a bit early to be looking at some concept art for Pixar’s Cars 2, especially because it’s not due out in theaters until June 24th, 2011, but then again, this is Pixar, and it’s always great to see this kind of stuff. Plus they’re already hard at work on the sequel anyway. Found in Disney’s Annual Shareholders Report (via Upcoming Pixar) is the first bit of concept art from the color script for Cars 2 that we’ve seen. Check out the new shot of Lightning racing in front of Mt. Fuji below.
It was revealed last year that Cars 2 will see Lightning McQueen, his pit team and pit boss Mater, heading around the world for the Race of Champions taking place in five different countries with champions from different disciplines like Formula One and rally driving. Apparently “Mater gets involved in a ‘Hitchcockian’ case of mistaken identity, saves the life of a British secret agent called Finn McMissile (who looks a lot like an Aston Martin) and becomes embroiled in a huge spy thriller. Only no-one believes him. That too comes to a head at Buckingham Palace.” Former Pixar producer Brad Lewis is making his directorial debut on Cars 2.
Discover More: First Look, Hype, Photos
Warner Brothers Interested in a New Mortal Kombat Remake
Hollywood has been going back to the well again and again with adaptations/remakes galore, however their focus has mostly been in film and books/graphic novels. But don’t think for one second that the industry has forgotten about video games passed as Bloody-Disgusting is reporting that Warner Bros is apparently keen on the idea of remaking Mortal Kombat, the fighting/action film based on the popular 1992 video game. Writer Oren Uziel (whose script Shimmer Lake appeared on the lower portion of the 2009 Black List) is in talks to write. And if we have to endure it again, then there better be some damn bloody fatalities this time.
The video game franchise focused on a global event bringing together an international selection of the best fighters to compete in the tournament known as Mortal Kombat. Unlike any other tournament though, magical powers and sorcery faced off against brute strength in a fight to save the world from the evil villains of Outworld. I remember as a kid being ridiculously excited for a Mortal Kombat movie, but oh how terrible both installments of that series were. Nowadays, with Mortal Kombat somewhat faded out of the limelight, I’m not sure if there’s a big enough audience to sustain a remake. We’ll let you know if we hear more news.
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