- Rumor: Matthew McConaughey Possibly Captain America - Blasphemy!
- Twilight's First Official Photo and Why I'm Passing
- Sound Off: Iron Man - What Did You Think?
- Must Watch: Second Full Trailer for The Dark Knight!
- The Weinstein Company Officially Making a Fraggle Rock Movie (May 13, 2008)
- Guy Ritchie Finally Helming a Sgt. Rock Movie? (May 12, 2008)
- First Look: Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus in The Spirit (May 12, 2008)
- Spielberg Filming Lincoln Movie After Tintin (May 12, 2008)
| Speed Racer | 8/10 |
| The Fall | 8/10 |
| Then She Found Me | 7/10 |
| Speed Racer | 8/10 |
Sundance: Interview with The Wackness Writer/Director Jonathan Levine
When it comes to the next generation of filmmakers, Jonathan Levine is one of the few who is leading the way. His film from Sundance this year, The Wackness, was a huge hit that played well with audiences of all ages, eventually winning the coveted Audience Award. Thankfully we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with this up-and-coming filmmaker and talk about everything from memories of 1994 to Biggie to marijuana to Kubrick and even There Will Be Blood. I'm very glad I had this chance to talk with Levine, because not only is his film The Wackness one of the best this year, but he had a lot to say. If you're curious to know more about The Wackness or just want to hear what goes on in a filmmaker's mind, then this interview is a must read.
Sundance: Interview with Hell Ride's Writer/Director Larry Bishop
There is probably no one more badass both in person and on-screen than Larry Bishop. This guy has been riding motorcycles and making biker films for over 40 years. Although, most may know him as the "asshole on the elbow" club owner from Kill Bill Vol. 2. A couple years back, before even Kill Bill was being filmed, Quentin Tarantino discovered Bishop and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime. Now Larry Bishop is here as the writer, director, and lead actor, in Hell Ride, a awesomely fun exploitation grindhouse-like biker flick that's a throwback to Bishop's motorcycle films from the 60's. Luckily I had the opportunity to chat with Bishop while at Sundance about everything from Quentin Tarantino, to motorcycles, to Marlon Brando.
Second Annual Sundance Awards and Complete Review List
I tried to leave Park City today, but the powers that be wouldn't let me go! The snow was falling too hard and before long the only place I could go was my brother's condo in Salt Lake City. However, now I have the time I need to put together my comprehensive best of the fest awards and complete list of reviews from the Sundance Film Festival 2008. Although almost every straight drama was quite mediocre this year, there were some surprisingly impressive comedies. I know the five I've chosen below I will NOT forget and they'll all probably end up making it somewhere on my year end favorites list, too. Keep your eye on this list of films, they're guaranteed to be big hits sometime this year.
Sundance 2008 Day 10: We've Reached the End
Almost in the blink of an eye, the Sundance Film Festival is over and February has arrived. Every year I lament the last day of the festival, where I celebrate the last 10 days of movies, filmmakers, friends, and snow, by enjoying one last meal at Main Street Pizza & Noodle. My eyes fill with tears that instantly freeze as I walk through the cold and snow one last time to our condo to begin packing for the long trip home. I love everything about Sundance: the sights, the sounds, the smells, the snow, the people, my friends, the crowded buses, the movie theaters - every last detail. It's sad that it's over, but it's two weeks that I'll never forget.
Sundance 2008 Official Winners Announced
The end is near… or is the end here? Either way, the official award winners of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival have been announced. The big winners are Trouble the Water for Grand Jury Prize, Documentary and Frozen River for Grand Jury Prize, Drama, two movies I never saw or heard much buzz about at all. However, The Wackness took the Audience Award prize this year and I am more than happy that it got some awards mention. Another upset was Sleep Dealer, a movie I did not like at all, that won the screenwriting award and technology award. Read on for the complete list of Sundance winners!
Sundance: Baghead and Wackness Bought by Sony Pictures Classics
Two more Sundance acquisitions have been confirmed, and they're both two of my favorite films from the fest. The lil' low budget comedy horror movie from the Duplass Brothers titled Baghead was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for under $1 million. And one of the most highly praised films of the fest, The Wackness, was finally also picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for a reported sale in the low seven figures. What a glorious time at Sundance - two new purchases means two great films on their way to theaters for all of you to see!
Sundance 2008 Day 8: It's All About High School!
I just hit the 30 film mark at Sundance (in 8 days, mind you) and I'm getting quite exhausted. The funny thing is I just want to go home and relax… and watch more movies. I'm getting burned out on these bad indie movies, and I just want to watch some good shit when I get home. The last really good day was Wednesday, where I saw quite a few fantastic movies (see below). Although, American Teen last night and Hamlet 2 this morning were refreshingly fun films as well. Speaking of those two, I've discovered one of Sundance 2008's big trends - high school movies. Don't believe me? Let's explore this topic a bit further.
Sundance Review: Good Dick
Written, directed, and starring Marianna Palka, Good Dick is a bland romantic drama about video store clerk that is obsessed with one of his weird customers. I'm a fan of some very low budget indie filmmaking, including being involved in every aspects of the film, like Marianna was, but with Good Dick the result is a bland mess, with issues arising from the script and progressing into every other element of the film. Although, the more I think about it, the more the story's sweeter elements come to mind, but I can't forget that it was almost painful to watch.
Sundance Review: Smart People
Anything with Ellen Page is usually guaranteed to be great, except maybe X-Men 3. Smart People is a surprisingly impressive, remarkably fun, and completely entertaining ensemble comedy. Even though the film is about a professor from Carnegie Mellon University, the college I attended, and was shot on the campus, I wasn't ready for the kind of great dialogue and quirky humor that Smart People is full of. It truly is a smart film with plenty to offer, including Thomas Haden Church's funniest performance since Sideways.
Sundance Review: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is the second of two movies from Sundance that were set and filmed in Pittsburgh, a city I spent most of my college years living in (the other movie was Smart People). That alone got me interested in this and I went in looking forward to something funny and cheesy, particularly because of Rawson Marshall Thurber's previous film, Dodgeball. What I discovered was not particularly funny, but rather a very endearing drama with a wonderful score and great characters. It's not anything close to a masterpiece, but Mysteries of Pittsburgh is still a great film.
Sundance Review: American Teen
When it comes to documentaries, it takes a lot to impress and even more to entertain me. Thankfully American Teen did both - it was often hilarious, even at parts I'm sure I wasn't support to laugh; it brought out intense emotions, including frustration and sadness; and got me thinking about our society implications more than any other movie in the last few years. This is a brilliant documentary that explores the American high school system in an unforgettable way.
Sundance 2008 Day 7: Let It Snow - Park City Style!
I'm sure you're thinking, a guy from Colorado wouldn't be mesmerized by snow, and I wasn't. It was just a great day because right smack in the middle of it, some thick, heavy snow started falling. It didn't last too long (damn!), but it did give me enough time to ride over to Main Street downtown and go on a quick photo shoot before catching my 5:30PM movie. And beyond that, it was a glorious and good day in Park City. Not only did I catch three more movies, one being incredible, but I interviewed three great filmmakers. And when that happens, I go to bed with a big smile on my face.
Sundance Review: Funny Games
Let's just get right into this. Funny Games is a remake of a 1997 film of the same name that's directed by the same filmmaker, Michael Haneke. The only change is that it's in English, not in German. I'm not going to be shy on my thoughts. People are going to HATE this movie, absolutely hate it (in fact, I think I even know one). There are more than a few reasons why, most of which I'm not going to mention for spoilers sake, but be warned. Funny Games twists your heart and screws with your emotions, and that's not even all that it does either.
Sundance Review: Assassination of a High School President
I love high school movies, don't you? With the Sundance 2005 film Brick, high school movies finally could be smart, interesting, and entertaining. With Assassination of a High School President at Sundance this year, I've discovered yet another great high school movie that combines the strength of both Brick and last year's Rocket Science to create one awesome unforgettable film. I went into this not even looking forward to seeing it and was delightfully surprised.
Sundance 2008 Day 6: The Critics Battle and Larry Bishop
Thursday, when I'm actually writing this recap, is the official 7th day of the fest. That means it's been a full week since we started screening movies in Park City, Utah, and I'll admit - it's starting to blur together. At least, some of the bad movies are… With 24 movies already behind me in only 7 days time, things are starting to fade away in my memory. Most people don't even see 24 movies in a year, and I've seen that many in one week's time! But this is Sundance, that film festival that I love with all my heart. And when it ends in three more days, January will be over - imagine that, and entire month over before I even knew it began!
Sundance Review: The Escapist
When it comes to movies about escaping from prison, Escape from Alcatraz from 1979 with Clint Eastwood takes the cake and nothing else comes close. That movie has been my absolute favorite prison escape flick for all my life, but the time has come for something else to take its place. The Escapist is what I would call a modernized, updated reinterpretation of Escape from Alcatraz with a much better soundtrack, more intense storyline, more vivid characters, and more stunning visuals - and it's set not even remotely close to Alcatraz. I was completely blown away by The Escapist, in all aspects, and I'm still recovering from how amazing it was.
Sundance: Paramount Vantage Buys American Teen Doc
One of the most buzzed about films that's being called the best of Sundance is Nanette Burstein's documentary American Teen. The film is a documentary that follows four high school seniors for a year, and I've overheard someone refer to it as somewhat similar to MTV's "The Hills". While I haven't seen it yet, I've heard nothing but great things. Peter from SlashFilm urges that "you must see this movie" and Neil from Film School Rejects calls it "one of the best films of the Sundance Film Festival, hands down". Good news - Paramount Vantage closed on a deal for the film for $1 million earlier today.
Sundance Review: Duplass Brothers' Baghead
You'd never imagine that a guy with a bag on his head could be scary as hell, but I assure you, it is! Throw out all the typical movie conventions, Baghead is a refreshing new comedy thriller directed by up-and-coming indie filmmakers the Duplass Brothers. It's a documentary-like film that follows four quirky friends on an spur of the moment outing to a cabin. I hadn't heard of the Duplass Brothers beforehand, but now I'm hooked - these guys are the new generation of filmmakers and this is their must-see film.
Sundance Review: Quentin Tarantino Presents Hell Ride
If you loved Grindhouse, then you're in for a treat. Hell Ride is a biker flick produced by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Larry Bishop that pays homage to the old school biker movies of the 60s and 70s. It's one 83-minute non-stop biker party that exploits the three Bs: bikes, beer, and booty. If you've been anxious for another edge-of-your-seat grindhouse fix until Tarantino and Rodriguez team up again for the sequel (if it ever happens), then this is it! I'll say it plain and simple: Hell Ride was a fuckin' blast!
Sundance Review: Choke
The latest Chuck Palahniuk novel to be adapted is Choke, a film about a sex-addicted colonial theme park employee who chokes himself at restaurants to gain the life-long friendship of random strangers. This is no Fight Club, but the subject matter is not even remotely the same to begin with. However, it is a great film in its own right that entertains and delivers punches non-stop thanks to insanely brilliant Sam Rockwell. While I won't call Choke the best film of Sundance, and it doesn't play without some theme and tone issue, it is one of the better films this year.