Here is a list of movies that I've seen in 2007. These movies have all been released in US theaters in 2007 (including some that were technically released at the end of 2006 (06), but which I saw in 2007). I have only included films that I saw at Sundance (S) which have been released into US theaters.
5 Stars:
1. The Nines (S)
4 1/2 Stars:
2. Waitress (S)
4 Stars:
3. No Country for Old Men
4. Juno
5. Knocked Up
6. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
7. Away From Her
8. Into the Wild
9. Hairspray
10. Enchanted
3 1/2 Stars:
11. Dan in Real Life
12. Sunshine
13. The Namesake
14. Ratatouille
15. Sweeney Todd
16. Lars and the Real Girl
17. The Host
18. Little Children (06)
19. 300
20. Angel-A (S)
21. The Last Mimzy
22. Grindhouse
23. Year of the Dog (S)
24. Across the Universe
25. Babel (06)
26. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
27. The Good Night (S)
28. Dreamgirls (06)
29. The Last King of Scotland (06)
30. Volver (06)
31. Zodiac
3 Stars:
32. Eagle vs. Shark (S)
33. Pan's Labyrinth (06)
34. The Simpsons Movie
35. Superbad
36. Notes on a Scandal (06)
37. Live Free or Die Hard
38. The Queen (06)
39. Peaceful Warrior
40. Meet the Robinsons 3-D
41. Blades of Glory
42. The Bourne Ultimatum
43. Grace is Gone (S)
44. Smiley Face (S)
45. Fay Grim (S)
2 1/2 Stars:
46. 1408
47. The Mist
48. Good Luck Chuck
49. License to Wed
50. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
51. Night at the Museum (06)
52. Letters from Iwo Gima (06)
53. Mr. Brooks
54. Transformers
55. Once
56. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
57. Bridge to Terabithia
58. 28 Weeks Later
2 Stars:
59. Right at Your Door (S)
1 1/2 Stars:
60. Joshua (S)
1 Star:
61. Spiderman 3
Anything here that you would like to question or comment on?
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Season 2 - The Epilogue
Hi all!
What a wild and crazy 10 days I spent in Park City - playing "John Henry," hanging out with Antonio Banderas, seeing some great movies, seeing some not-so-great movies, catching up with friends from last year, making new friends this year. There is definitely something unique about the Sundance Film Festival experience and I'm so glad that I've been able to be a part of it for the past two years. I hope you've been enjoying my daily musings as well.
As promised, here is the ranking of the movies that I saw during the festival. Sleep deprivation may have lowered the ratings of some of these movies (except for "Hounddog" - that was just bad).
5 stars:
1. The Nines
4 1/2 stars:
2. Waitress
3. Teeth (star Jess Weixler won a Special Jury Prize for Acting)
4 stars:
4. Angel-A
5. Year of the Dog
6. Delirious
7. Chasing Ghosts (incorrectly named "Catching Ghosts" in the first missive I sent out)
3 1/2 stars:
8. The Savages
9. The Good Night
10. Eagle vs. Shark
11. Dark Matter
12. Grace is Gone (winner of Audience Dramatic Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award)
13. Smiley Face
14. Weapons
3 stars:
15. The Go-Getter
16. The Good Life
17. Fay Grim
18. Banished
2 1/2 stars:
19. Joshua (winner of award for Excellence in Cinematography - Dramatic)
20. Fido
2 stars:
21. Hounddog
It was kind of nice that I wasn't turned away from any movies this year, which I think is due to better time management on my part. There are a couple of movies that were getting a lot of buzz, but that I didn't get to see, because it didn't work out with my schedule - "Rocket Science" and "Son of Rambow" - I hope to see them in the future if/when they get released.
Like last year, I did not see any of the short film programs, since most of them are available on the sundance website. Check some of them out if you get a chance... http://festival.sundance.org/2007/watch/index.aspx. (The following short films won jury prizes or honorable mentions: "Everything Will Be Ok," "The Tube with a Hat," "Death to the Tinman," "The Fighting Cholitas," "Men Understand Each Other Better," "Motodrom," "Spitfire 944," "t.o.m.," and "Freeheld.")
Thanks again for reading the missives and for your feedback. If anyone is interested in volunteering for next year's Sundance Film Festival, let me know if you have any questions and you can check out the application at http://festival.sundance.org/2007/festival/volunteers.aspx.
Finally, I have compiled a few more Sundance photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/ted.macgovern/Sundance2007Faves?authkey=xbOZQY1dECA
Your 2007 Sundance Correspondent,
Ted
What a wild and crazy 10 days I spent in Park City - playing "John Henry," hanging out with Antonio Banderas, seeing some great movies, seeing some not-so-great movies, catching up with friends from last year, making new friends this year. There is definitely something unique about the Sundance Film Festival experience and I'm so glad that I've been able to be a part of it for the past two years. I hope you've been enjoying my daily musings as well.
As promised, here is the ranking of the movies that I saw during the festival. Sleep deprivation may have lowered the ratings of some of these movies (except for "Hounddog" - that was just bad).
5 stars:
1. The Nines
4 1/2 stars:
2. Waitress
3. Teeth (star Jess Weixler won a Special Jury Prize for Acting)
4 stars:
4. Angel-A
5. Year of the Dog
6. Delirious
7. Chasing Ghosts (incorrectly named "Catching Ghosts" in the first missive I sent out)
3 1/2 stars:
8. The Savages
9. The Good Night
10. Eagle vs. Shark
11. Dark Matter
12. Grace is Gone (winner of Audience Dramatic Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award)
13. Smiley Face
14. Weapons
3 stars:
15. The Go-Getter
16. The Good Life
17. Fay Grim
18. Banished
2 1/2 stars:
19. Joshua (winner of award for Excellence in Cinematography - Dramatic)
20. Fido
2 stars:
21. Hounddog
It was kind of nice that I wasn't turned away from any movies this year, which I think is due to better time management on my part. There are a couple of movies that were getting a lot of buzz, but that I didn't get to see, because it didn't work out with my schedule - "Rocket Science" and "Son of Rambow" - I hope to see them in the future if/when they get released.
Like last year, I did not see any of the short film programs, since most of them are available on the sundance website. Check some of them out if you get a chance... http://festival.sundance.org/2007/watch/index.aspx. (The following short films won jury prizes or honorable mentions: "Everything Will Be Ok," "The Tube with a Hat," "Death to the Tinman," "The Fighting Cholitas," "Men Understand Each Other Better," "Motodrom," "Spitfire 944," "t.o.m.," and "Freeheld.")
Thanks again for reading the missives and for your feedback. If anyone is interested in volunteering for next year's Sundance Film Festival, let me know if you have any questions and you can check out the application at http://festival.sundance.org/2007/festival/volunteers.aspx.
Finally, I have compiled a few more Sundance photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/ted.macgovern/Sundance2007Faves?authkey=xbOZQY1dECA
Your 2007 Sundance Correspondent,
Ted
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Season 2, Episode 10 (1/28/07)
Hi everyone!
Our final volunteer shift was full of fun and excitement. Our first screening was scheduled to be the Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner. Unfortunately, the award ceremony was going on while people were lining up to get into the movie. Everyone in line was wondering what movie they were about to see, but we couldn't tell them until we got official word from the ceremony. Definitely a silly scheduling mistake. Most people took it in stride, but some were getting quite upset that we wouldn't tell them. (If we knew, we would tell you. We're not just holding out on you!) Most of the people were in the theater by the time the winner was announced - "Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)" (I guess it was good, but I didn't see it.) Only one person came out for a refund, because he had already seen it.
The final movie of the night was called "Fido" and I was able to watch that one. This is one of those movies with a great premise, but poor execution. It is a zombie movie, but not in the traditional vein. The zombies in this one are all domesticated by a collar that they wear that suppresses their urge to eat living flesh. Many households in this 50s-set story have zombies as their servants and many of the menial jobs around town are held by zombies. There are many comic scenes of zombies not learning their jobs too easily, and even when some zombie suppression collars are deactivated and they start going on a killing spree, it is with comic overtones. However, the movie overstayed its welcome and became tedious near the end. This is the type of feature that would have worked much better as a short film. 2 1/2 stars.
And with that, my 2007 Sundance experience came to an end. In the next couple days, I'll send out a final missive to recap my experience and rank the movies that I have seen.
Until the epilogue...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS -- I've attached a couple pics from my last day - one with me and a bear statue in the middle of town and one with me and part of the crew from the Prospector Square Theater -- Jeromy and Vicki (my cohorts in the "John Henry" experience) and Jeromy's Mom, Karen (my box office partner).
Our final volunteer shift was full of fun and excitement. Our first screening was scheduled to be the Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner. Unfortunately, the award ceremony was going on while people were lining up to get into the movie. Everyone in line was wondering what movie they were about to see, but we couldn't tell them until we got official word from the ceremony. Definitely a silly scheduling mistake. Most people took it in stride, but some were getting quite upset that we wouldn't tell them. (If we knew, we would tell you. We're not just holding out on you!) Most of the people were in the theater by the time the winner was announced - "Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)" (I guess it was good, but I didn't see it.) Only one person came out for a refund, because he had already seen it.
The final movie of the night was called "Fido" and I was able to watch that one. This is one of those movies with a great premise, but poor execution. It is a zombie movie, but not in the traditional vein. The zombies in this one are all domesticated by a collar that they wear that suppresses their urge to eat living flesh. Many households in this 50s-set story have zombies as their servants and many of the menial jobs around town are held by zombies. There are many comic scenes of zombies not learning their jobs too easily, and even when some zombie suppression collars are deactivated and they start going on a killing spree, it is with comic overtones. However, the movie overstayed its welcome and became tedious near the end. This is the type of feature that would have worked much better as a short film. 2 1/2 stars.
And with that, my 2007 Sundance experience came to an end. In the next couple days, I'll send out a final missive to recap my experience and rank the movies that I have seen.
Until the epilogue...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS -- I've attached a couple pics from my last day - one with me and a bear statue in the middle of town and one with me and part of the crew from the Prospector Square Theater -- Jeromy and Vicki (my cohorts in the "John Henry" experience) and Jeromy's Mom, Karen (my box office partner).
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Season 2, Episode 9 (1/27/07)
Hi all!
Last night during our volunteer shift, John Henry returned to Park City to do a Q&A about his film (and his work on 7th Heaven). You can see the attached photos from his Q&A. (He still wouldn't take his sunglasses off!)
After all of the excitement of having John Henry in the house, I was able to catch the second movie during our shift which was called "The Good Night" (as opposed to "The Good Life" which I reviewed earlier in the festival). "The Good Night" starred Martin Freeman (from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the British version of "The Office," etc.) as a guy whose life is rather unremarkable, but whose dreams at night are quite lucid. He studies up on how he can escape more into his dreamworld where there is a fantasy woman played by Penelope Cruz. Danny Devito and Gwyneth Paltrow also star in the film. 3 1/2 stars (out of five).
This morning, I went to a screening of "Dark Matter," which is a fictional account of actual events about a Chinese student studying in the United States, whose ideas of dark matter and string theories in relation to the universe are contrary to his advisor's. It was a little slow at first, but it got better as it went along. Aiden Quinn played the advisor and Meryl Streep played a fellow faculty member who tries to ease the Chinese students' transition into American life. 3 1/2 stars.
This afternoon, I saw my last official Sundance movie (I may be able to see another one tonight on my volunteer shift). I decided that I needed a light, fun comedy to end the fest, so I chose to see "Smiley Face," a Gregg Araki-directed picture starring Anna Faris (from the "Scary Movie" franchise). The story is about a woman who unknowingly eats an entire batch of pot cupcakes and all of the adventures that happen to her throughout the day. Anna Faris was hilarious, but the movie seemed to run out of steam and just sort of ended with a dud. There were also some good cameos from Adam Brody, Marion Ross, and John Krasinski (from the US version of "The Office.") 3 1/2 stars.
One more shift to go and an early morning flight out of Salt Lake City...
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
John Henry Q&A:
Entertainment Weekly cover with John Henry:
Last night during our volunteer shift, John Henry returned to Park City to do a Q&A about his film (and his work on 7th Heaven). You can see the attached photos from his Q&A. (He still wouldn't take his sunglasses off!)
After all of the excitement of having John Henry in the house, I was able to catch the second movie during our shift which was called "The Good Night" (as opposed to "The Good Life" which I reviewed earlier in the festival). "The Good Night" starred Martin Freeman (from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the British version of "The Office," etc.) as a guy whose life is rather unremarkable, but whose dreams at night are quite lucid. He studies up on how he can escape more into his dreamworld where there is a fantasy woman played by Penelope Cruz. Danny Devito and Gwyneth Paltrow also star in the film. 3 1/2 stars (out of five).
This morning, I went to a screening of "Dark Matter," which is a fictional account of actual events about a Chinese student studying in the United States, whose ideas of dark matter and string theories in relation to the universe are contrary to his advisor's. It was a little slow at first, but it got better as it went along. Aiden Quinn played the advisor and Meryl Streep played a fellow faculty member who tries to ease the Chinese students' transition into American life. 3 1/2 stars.
This afternoon, I saw my last official Sundance movie (I may be able to see another one tonight on my volunteer shift). I decided that I needed a light, fun comedy to end the fest, so I chose to see "Smiley Face," a Gregg Araki-directed picture starring Anna Faris (from the "Scary Movie" franchise). The story is about a woman who unknowingly eats an entire batch of pot cupcakes and all of the adventures that happen to her throughout the day. Anna Faris was hilarious, but the movie seemed to run out of steam and just sort of ended with a dud. There were also some good cameos from Adam Brody, Marion Ross, and John Krasinski (from the US version of "The Office.") 3 1/2 stars.
One more shift to go and an early morning flight out of Salt Lake City...
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
John Henry Q&A:
Entertainment Weekly cover with John Henry:
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Season 2, Episode 8 (1/26/07)
Hi all!
After all of the celebrity excitement from yesterday, today was somewhat of a low-key day. It seems like most of the stars took a cue from "John Henry" and got out of Park City. I didn't see any around town and I didn't see any at the theaters either.
The first movie I went to today was called "The Go-Getter" and it starred Lou Taylor Pucci, Zooey Deschanel, and Jena Malone. It was a coming of age story about a high school student who steals a car from a car wash in order to drive down the western coast of North America in order to track down his long-distant half-brother to let him know about a death in the family. The owner of the car calls her own cell phone to talk with the young thief, and (somewhat improbably) asks him to talk about his trip that he's taking. The thief and the car owner eventually meet up. Kind of a weird story, but Pucci was a great lead who portrayed many poignent scenes. 3 stars (out of five).
Afterwards, there wasn't a fictional film playing that I was interested in seeing, so I decided to see a random documentary. I hadn't really read up on any of the documentaries that are playing in the festival, so I knew nothing about "Banished" when I went into it. Turns out that it was about how many towns and counties in the South had their entire African-American populations run out of town between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The filmmaker interviewed many of their descendants as well as people living in those towns today, many of which are virtually 100% white. It was a bit shocking to hear some of these people talking to the director (who is African-American) about how they do not want African-Americans in their town. The production values makes it seem like it will be shown on television, rather than in the theaters. 3 stars.
Just one more day of movies, and two more volunteer shifts to go.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
After all of the celebrity excitement from yesterday, today was somewhat of a low-key day. It seems like most of the stars took a cue from "John Henry" and got out of Park City. I didn't see any around town and I didn't see any at the theaters either.
The first movie I went to today was called "The Go-Getter" and it starred Lou Taylor Pucci, Zooey Deschanel, and Jena Malone. It was a coming of age story about a high school student who steals a car from a car wash in order to drive down the western coast of North America in order to track down his long-distant half-brother to let him know about a death in the family. The owner of the car calls her own cell phone to talk with the young thief, and (somewhat improbably) asks him to talk about his trip that he's taking. The thief and the car owner eventually meet up. Kind of a weird story, but Pucci was a great lead who portrayed many poignent scenes. 3 stars (out of five).
Afterwards, there wasn't a fictional film playing that I was interested in seeing, so I decided to see a random documentary. I hadn't really read up on any of the documentaries that are playing in the festival, so I knew nothing about "Banished" when I went into it. Turns out that it was about how many towns and counties in the South had their entire African-American populations run out of town between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The filmmaker interviewed many of their descendants as well as people living in those towns today, many of which are virtually 100% white. It was a bit shocking to hear some of these people talking to the director (who is African-American) about how they do not want African-Americans in their town. The production values makes it seem like it will be shown on television, rather than in the theaters. 3 stars.
Just one more day of movies, and two more volunteer shifts to go.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
Season 2, Episode 7 (1/25/07)
Hello everyone!
During last night's volunteer shift, I was able to see the last half of "Fay Grim" (the Parker Posey film from Episode 5 that I dozed in and out of). It was a more enjoyable movie when I was fully alert. And the ending made much more sense once I saw how they got there. I'll increase the rating from 2 1/2 stars to 3 stars (out of five).
This morning, I got up for an early screening of "Eagle vs. Shark," a New Zealand film about a quirky man and a quirky woman who fall in and out and back in love again. It seemed like there were a couple of Napoleon Dynamites on the screen in the way that they were acting (but that's not quite true, because I can't stand Napoleon Dynamite, but I liked these characters). There were many funny scenes in this flick. 3 1/2 stars.
Before the movie, I went to grab a hot chocolate and Bobby Cannavale (from "Will & Grace," etc.) got in line behind me. I wasn't exactly sure that it was him, but then he gave his name as Bobby when he ordered his coffee. After the movie, I hit the gym again, but my buddy Sam wasn't there today.
After the gym, I met up with my friends and co-workers, Jeromy and Vicki, to prowl Main Street for free stuff. Our first stop was at the Paul Mitchell Salon where they were giving free haircuts. Vicki and I both partook in that, while Jeromy (who works in film production) used his video camera to film us. He explained to the salon workers that we were filming "The Plush Life of a Sundance Volunteer," so they gave me a bunch of Paul Mitchell products as well.
After the salon experience, we decided that the most effective way to get some swag would be to pretend that one of us was a celebrity. We thought that perhaps some of the vendors would give us more things than they give the general public if there was a celebrity involved. We really didn't get anything special throughout the afternoon, but we did have some adventures.
We tried to come up with some backstory about who this celebrity was. I was playing the part of the celebrity with my long black coat and sunglasses (that I never took off). Jeromy decided that I should have a four-part name and we ended up with John Henry Smith-Bourbon (I'm not sure where that came from). We thought John Henry might be part of the show "7th Heaven" - a show that many people may have heard of, but not many may have watched. (We never had to use that part of the ruse.) Jeromy would be following as the camera crew and Vicki was my handler (holding my bags, talking to store personnel, etc.)
When we would go into a store, Vicki or Jeromy would explain that they were following "John Henry" around for the day and ask for permission to film in their store. People were very friendly to "John Henry" but he didn't get any special treatment or free things. Volkswagen has a tent on the street where they give out a variety of Volkswagen branded products (mints, pens, etc.) When "John Henry" went in there with the camera crew, there was a photographer there who wanted to take my picture. I posed with Vicki and then the photographer asked my name, so I told her - "John Henry Smith-Bourbon (like the drink)." It would be hilarious if I make the papers tomorrow.
We went into one lounge and Vicki asked if we could be admitted in. They took one look at "John Henry" and the camera crew and they said "you guys are all set. Come on in." So we did and got some free samples of some mango anti-oxidant drinks, but there wasn't much else going on. We got to another lounge and we were told we could "go right upstairs," so we did and we ended up in a media lounge where they do interviews with celebrities. "John Henry" was introduced to some interviewer named Tony who was very interested to talk to me about the film that I have at Sundance. I'm not sure where he got that idea, but we told him that we had a lunch date, so I didn't have time to sit down for an interview. Tony really wanted an interview with "John Henry" and practically begged for us to come back after lunch. I don't think I could have kept a straight face through an entire fake interview, so we decided just to get out of there. Everytime we left a store, we were cracking up about how people responded to "John Henry." We were even allowed into a private lounge that Vicki and Jeromy had been trying to get into all week. With "John Henry" with them, we got right in. Basically if you walk around with an entourage and an air of celebrity, people will pay attention. Nobody was willing to challenge my "celebrity" for fear of looking like an idiot for not knowing why "John Henry" was famous. We had so much fun with this crazy social experiment.
Once we got tired of being famous, we went to check out the Music Cafe and listened to the song stylings of the 60s singer, Donovan ("Mello Yello," "Season of the Witch," etc.) Then it was time to get back to the real world of being a Sundance volunteer. We had two very full films in our theater tonight - "Interview" (again) and "Black Snake Moan" (the new Samuel L. Jackson/Christina Ricci movie). Both were completely sold out and we turned hundreds of people away from each screening. There were a lot of unhappy people, but there was literally not an empty seat in the house. Them's the breaks.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
John Henry :)
During last night's volunteer shift, I was able to see the last half of "Fay Grim" (the Parker Posey film from Episode 5 that I dozed in and out of). It was a more enjoyable movie when I was fully alert. And the ending made much more sense once I saw how they got there. I'll increase the rating from 2 1/2 stars to 3 stars (out of five).
This morning, I got up for an early screening of "Eagle vs. Shark," a New Zealand film about a quirky man and a quirky woman who fall in and out and back in love again. It seemed like there were a couple of Napoleon Dynamites on the screen in the way that they were acting (but that's not quite true, because I can't stand Napoleon Dynamite, but I liked these characters). There were many funny scenes in this flick. 3 1/2 stars.
Before the movie, I went to grab a hot chocolate and Bobby Cannavale (from "Will & Grace," etc.) got in line behind me. I wasn't exactly sure that it was him, but then he gave his name as Bobby when he ordered his coffee. After the movie, I hit the gym again, but my buddy Sam wasn't there today.
After the gym, I met up with my friends and co-workers, Jeromy and Vicki, to prowl Main Street for free stuff. Our first stop was at the Paul Mitchell Salon where they were giving free haircuts. Vicki and I both partook in that, while Jeromy (who works in film production) used his video camera to film us. He explained to the salon workers that we were filming "The Plush Life of a Sundance Volunteer," so they gave me a bunch of Paul Mitchell products as well.
After the salon experience, we decided that the most effective way to get some swag would be to pretend that one of us was a celebrity. We thought that perhaps some of the vendors would give us more things than they give the general public if there was a celebrity involved. We really didn't get anything special throughout the afternoon, but we did have some adventures.
We tried to come up with some backstory about who this celebrity was. I was playing the part of the celebrity with my long black coat and sunglasses (that I never took off). Jeromy decided that I should have a four-part name and we ended up with John Henry Smith-Bourbon (I'm not sure where that came from). We thought John Henry might be part of the show "7th Heaven" - a show that many people may have heard of, but not many may have watched. (We never had to use that part of the ruse.) Jeromy would be following as the camera crew and Vicki was my handler (holding my bags, talking to store personnel, etc.)
When we would go into a store, Vicki or Jeromy would explain that they were following "John Henry" around for the day and ask for permission to film in their store. People were very friendly to "John Henry" but he didn't get any special treatment or free things. Volkswagen has a tent on the street where they give out a variety of Volkswagen branded products (mints, pens, etc.) When "John Henry" went in there with the camera crew, there was a photographer there who wanted to take my picture. I posed with Vicki and then the photographer asked my name, so I told her - "John Henry Smith-Bourbon (like the drink)." It would be hilarious if I make the papers tomorrow.
We went into one lounge and Vicki asked if we could be admitted in. They took one look at "John Henry" and the camera crew and they said "you guys are all set. Come on in." So we did and got some free samples of some mango anti-oxidant drinks, but there wasn't much else going on. We got to another lounge and we were told we could "go right upstairs," so we did and we ended up in a media lounge where they do interviews with celebrities. "John Henry" was introduced to some interviewer named Tony who was very interested to talk to me about the film that I have at Sundance. I'm not sure where he got that idea, but we told him that we had a lunch date, so I didn't have time to sit down for an interview. Tony really wanted an interview with "John Henry" and practically begged for us to come back after lunch. I don't think I could have kept a straight face through an entire fake interview, so we decided just to get out of there. Everytime we left a store, we were cracking up about how people responded to "John Henry." We were even allowed into a private lounge that Vicki and Jeromy had been trying to get into all week. With "John Henry" with them, we got right in. Basically if you walk around with an entourage and an air of celebrity, people will pay attention. Nobody was willing to challenge my "celebrity" for fear of looking like an idiot for not knowing why "John Henry" was famous. We had so much fun with this crazy social experiment.
Once we got tired of being famous, we went to check out the Music Cafe and listened to the song stylings of the 60s singer, Donovan ("Mello Yello," "Season of the Witch," etc.) Then it was time to get back to the real world of being a Sundance volunteer. We had two very full films in our theater tonight - "Interview" (again) and "Black Snake Moan" (the new Samuel L. Jackson/Christina Ricci movie). Both were completely sold out and we turned hundreds of people away from each screening. There were a lot of unhappy people, but there was literally not an empty seat in the house. Them's the breaks.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
John Henry :)
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Season 2, Episode 6 (1/24/07)
Hello everyone!
Last night was a crazy and interesting volunteer shift. Our 8:30pm screening was the premiere of "Dark Matter" which starred Meryl Streep and Aiden Quinn (Aiden was present, Meryl was not). Our lobby was packed with people trying to get in to see it. Everything would have worked out smoothly except that the previous screening was running way behind schedule. We had to the load the theater as quickly as possible and we ended up having every seat taken and we still had to turn away 100 people. That has never happened on any of the shifts that I've worked before, so it was kind of exciting.
The second film that we were showing last night was called "Summer Rain" and it is the directorial debut for Antonio Banderas. We knew that Antonio would be coming in to introduce the film, so I asked Jeromy, our theater manager, if he could bring Antonio to the box office when he showed up. Jeromy asked if I would like to be Antonio's handler as he waited in the green room before the movie began. I told him that I really did not want to do that.
I'm kidding!! Of course I said that I could do that! So when Antonio arrived, Jeromy introduced me to him and I escorted him and his small entourage to the green room. We hung out there for about fifteen minutes until it was time for his introduction. We talked about the weather and about how much he's enjoying Sundance, especially compared to other film festivals that he has attended. He likes how everyone at Sundance can be in jeans, whereas at other film festivals, he has to "wear a tuxedo and wave like a monkey on the red carpet." He also told some stories about the filming of his movie, including some footage that he shot in Trafalgar Square in London which was very rushed because they had no permits to film there. Before he was introduced to the audience, he had just one request - "Please don't introduce me as Zorro. Please just introduce me as Antonio Banderas." He was very personable and funny and it was a great thrill just to be able to chat with him.
The movies that I saw today were a little lackluster. The first one was called "Joshua" and it was billed as a creepy thriller about a bad son that starts wreaking havoc on a Manhattan couple when his new sister is born. There were very few thrills and it just seemed like an emotionless kid who was crying out for attention. Kind of boring. It starred Sam Rockwell, but apparently he was still at the gym, because he wasn't there with the director afterwards. 2 1/2 stars (out of five).
The next movie was called "Hounddog" and there has been a lot of controversy surrounding this film because it is the "Dakota Fanning rape movie." It didn't help that I'm not a fan of young Dakota. And it REALLY didn't help that she was screaming like there were aliens attacking (a la "War of the Worlds") -- Ooh, I just saw Elvis. I should do an eardrum-piercing scream here. Ooh, my daddy is being really embarrassing. I should do another eardrum-piercing scream here. Enough already! As for the storyline, it involved a 12-year-old Southern girl in the 1950s who likes to sing and shake like Elvis and who has many serious issues with her family (including David Morse, Robin Wright Penn, and Piper Laurie) as well as some of the boys from the town. In addition, she also has some issues with her Southern accent slipping in and out. The rape scene was disturbing (but very short and tastefully done). The whole plot seemed a bit jumbled though with some characters just popping up out of the blue without much explanation or necessity. Overall, I thought it was a mess of a movie (although the audience seemed to like it). 2 stars.
Heading off to the theater now...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
Last night was a crazy and interesting volunteer shift. Our 8:30pm screening was the premiere of "Dark Matter" which starred Meryl Streep and Aiden Quinn (Aiden was present, Meryl was not). Our lobby was packed with people trying to get in to see it. Everything would have worked out smoothly except that the previous screening was running way behind schedule. We had to the load the theater as quickly as possible and we ended up having every seat taken and we still had to turn away 100 people. That has never happened on any of the shifts that I've worked before, so it was kind of exciting.
The second film that we were showing last night was called "Summer Rain" and it is the directorial debut for Antonio Banderas. We knew that Antonio would be coming in to introduce the film, so I asked Jeromy, our theater manager, if he could bring Antonio to the box office when he showed up. Jeromy asked if I would like to be Antonio's handler as he waited in the green room before the movie began. I told him that I really did not want to do that.
I'm kidding!! Of course I said that I could do that! So when Antonio arrived, Jeromy introduced me to him and I escorted him and his small entourage to the green room. We hung out there for about fifteen minutes until it was time for his introduction. We talked about the weather and about how much he's enjoying Sundance, especially compared to other film festivals that he has attended. He likes how everyone at Sundance can be in jeans, whereas at other film festivals, he has to "wear a tuxedo and wave like a monkey on the red carpet." He also told some stories about the filming of his movie, including some footage that he shot in Trafalgar Square in London which was very rushed because they had no permits to film there. Before he was introduced to the audience, he had just one request - "Please don't introduce me as Zorro. Please just introduce me as Antonio Banderas." He was very personable and funny and it was a great thrill just to be able to chat with him.
The movies that I saw today were a little lackluster. The first one was called "Joshua" and it was billed as a creepy thriller about a bad son that starts wreaking havoc on a Manhattan couple when his new sister is born. There were very few thrills and it just seemed like an emotionless kid who was crying out for attention. Kind of boring. It starred Sam Rockwell, but apparently he was still at the gym, because he wasn't there with the director afterwards. 2 1/2 stars (out of five).
The next movie was called "Hounddog" and there has been a lot of controversy surrounding this film because it is the "Dakota Fanning rape movie." It didn't help that I'm not a fan of young Dakota. And it REALLY didn't help that she was screaming like there were aliens attacking (a la "War of the Worlds") -- Ooh, I just saw Elvis. I should do an eardrum-piercing scream here. Ooh, my daddy is being really embarrassing. I should do another eardrum-piercing scream here. Enough already! As for the storyline, it involved a 12-year-old Southern girl in the 1950s who likes to sing and shake like Elvis and who has many serious issues with her family (including David Morse, Robin Wright Penn, and Piper Laurie) as well as some of the boys from the town. In addition, she also has some issues with her Southern accent slipping in and out. The rape scene was disturbing (but very short and tastefully done). The whole plot seemed a bit jumbled though with some characters just popping up out of the blue without much explanation or necessity. Overall, I thought it was a mess of a movie (although the audience seemed to like it). 2 stars.
Heading off to the theater now...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Season 2, Episode 5 (1/23/07)
Hi everyone!
Well, how's this for irony? The day when I don't get up early and when I get the most sleep is the day that I feel the most tired. What's up with that? I decided to skip the 8:30am movie and to see my first flick at 11:30am. That movie was called "Grace is Gone." It was a touching film starring John Cusack as a widower whose wife is killed in the Iraq War. His character has a tough time dealing with his pride in his wife and the sadness about her death. He can't bring himself to tell his two young daughters, so instead he takes them on a long road trip until he finally tells them at the end of the film. It's a great story, but I just didn't find John Cusack's character to be all that believable. Overall, I'd give the film 3 1/2 stars (out of five).
I was a little tired during that screening, but decided to see another movie after that. This one was called "Fay Grim" and it starred Parker Posey as a rather complicated woman who gets pulled into some international espionage based on information from her believed-dead husband. Parker had some very fun scenes in it, but I was fading in and out about halfway through. It's not really fair to rate this one, so I'll give it 2 1/2 with an asterisk. It's going to be playing again during one of my volunteer shifts, so maybe I'll try to catch the last half of it again to see if I like it any better.
Ok, I'm going to try to take a catnap before my shift. Yawn... Until the next episode...
Your (sleepy) Sundance correspondent,
Ted
"Grace is Gone" James Strouse (Director) and John Cusack:
"Fay Grim" Hal Hartley (Director) and Parker Posey:
Well, how's this for irony? The day when I don't get up early and when I get the most sleep is the day that I feel the most tired. What's up with that? I decided to skip the 8:30am movie and to see my first flick at 11:30am. That movie was called "Grace is Gone." It was a touching film starring John Cusack as a widower whose wife is killed in the Iraq War. His character has a tough time dealing with his pride in his wife and the sadness about her death. He can't bring himself to tell his two young daughters, so instead he takes them on a long road trip until he finally tells them at the end of the film. It's a great story, but I just didn't find John Cusack's character to be all that believable. Overall, I'd give the film 3 1/2 stars (out of five).
I was a little tired during that screening, but decided to see another movie after that. This one was called "Fay Grim" and it starred Parker Posey as a rather complicated woman who gets pulled into some international espionage based on information from her believed-dead husband. Parker had some very fun scenes in it, but I was fading in and out about halfway through. It's not really fair to rate this one, so I'll give it 2 1/2 with an asterisk. It's going to be playing again during one of my volunteer shifts, so maybe I'll try to catch the last half of it again to see if I like it any better.
Ok, I'm going to try to take a catnap before my shift. Yawn... Until the next episode...
Your (sleepy) Sundance correspondent,
Ted
"Grace is Gone" James Strouse (Director) and John Cusack:
"Fay Grim" Hal Hartley (Director) and Parker Posey:
Monday, January 22, 2007
Season 2, Episode 4 (1/22/07)
Hi everyone!
It was a beautiful, sunny day here in Park City. Still not above freezing, but it's warmer than it has been.
We finally had a smooth volunteer shift last night with the computer cooperating for once. Our 11:30pm screening was much busier than normal, because a popular film called "Interview" was screening. There was a packed house to see this film that Steve Buscemi directed and starred in.
This morning, I continued my trend of getting up for an early morning movie, despite a lack of sleep. Once again, I wasn't disappointed. I saw "The Nines" which is the feature directorial debut of John August who wrote "Go," "Big Fish," "Charlie's Angels," among others. It starred Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy (Sookie from "Gilmore Girls"), and Hope Davis. I loved this movie. Each of the principal actors played three different roles in three sections of the film. The storylines twisted and turned on themselves and I may have to wait to see it again to figure it all out. It was very "Donnie Darko"-esqe with many spiritual and religious overtones. I'd have to say that this is my first Sundance movie that I will rate 5 stars (out of five).
That was the only movie I saw today. Afterwards, I went to the gym and worked out next to Sam Rockwell ("Charlie's Angels," "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," etc.) He has a couple movies playing in the festival and I hope to catch one of them in the next couple days.
Then it was time for a much-needed nap. When I woke up from that, I ventured down to Main Street to see who I could see and to pick up the swag that everyone is giving away. I think I may have seen Yul (the latest Survivor winner), but it was getting dark and he was across the street, so it could have been a look-alike.
Now it's time to head back to the theater.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS - You may notice in the picture of me and "Sookie" that I'm starting to sport my annual goatee. I only grow one when Dan won't get scratched by it. :)
"Interview" - Jeromy leaving Steve Buscemi hanging:
"The Nines" - Melissa McCarthy, some member of the crew, and Ryan Reynolds:
"The Nines" - Ryan Reynolds:
"The Nines" - Melissa McCarthy and Ted:
It was a beautiful, sunny day here in Park City. Still not above freezing, but it's warmer than it has been.
We finally had a smooth volunteer shift last night with the computer cooperating for once. Our 11:30pm screening was much busier than normal, because a popular film called "Interview" was screening. There was a packed house to see this film that Steve Buscemi directed and starred in.
This morning, I continued my trend of getting up for an early morning movie, despite a lack of sleep. Once again, I wasn't disappointed. I saw "The Nines" which is the feature directorial debut of John August who wrote "Go," "Big Fish," "Charlie's Angels," among others. It starred Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy (Sookie from "Gilmore Girls"), and Hope Davis. I loved this movie. Each of the principal actors played three different roles in three sections of the film. The storylines twisted and turned on themselves and I may have to wait to see it again to figure it all out. It was very "Donnie Darko"-esqe with many spiritual and religious overtones. I'd have to say that this is my first Sundance movie that I will rate 5 stars (out of five).
That was the only movie I saw today. Afterwards, I went to the gym and worked out next to Sam Rockwell ("Charlie's Angels," "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," etc.) He has a couple movies playing in the festival and I hope to catch one of them in the next couple days.
Then it was time for a much-needed nap. When I woke up from that, I ventured down to Main Street to see who I could see and to pick up the swag that everyone is giving away. I think I may have seen Yul (the latest Survivor winner), but it was getting dark and he was across the street, so it could have been a look-alike.
Now it's time to head back to the theater.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS - You may notice in the picture of me and "Sookie" that I'm starting to sport my annual goatee. I only grow one when Dan won't get scratched by it. :)
"Interview" - Jeromy leaving Steve Buscemi hanging:
"The Nines" - Melissa McCarthy, some member of the crew, and Ryan Reynolds:
"The Nines" - Ryan Reynolds:
"The Nines" - Melissa McCarthy and Ted:
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Season 2, Episode 3 (1/21/07)
Hi all!
Last night was another night of computer glitches, but again we made it through. Today was another ambitious day of movie-watching, but it was well worth it because I saw three excellent films -- all on about four hours of sleep, but they were all interesting enough to keep me awake.
First up, early this morning, was "Year of the Dog" which was written and directed by Mike White ("The Good Girl" and "Chuck and Buck"). It starred Molly Shannon as an office worker who becomes an aggressive animal rights activist and vegan after her dog dies. It doesn't sound like a humorous premise, but it was really quite funny. John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard were also in the cast and there for the Q&A. (And at the early morning screening at that! - Ok, I'll stop holding the grudge against Philip and Laura now.) 4 stars (out of five)
After that, I went to see a film called "Teeth." Hmmm, how to describe this movie. Well, I really liked it. It was funny, scary, and a little bit nauseating. Ok, here it goes. The story involves a girl who discovers that she has teeth in a place other than her mouth and the consequences of that for guys she has intercourse with (as well as her OB/GYN). That's right, she has teeth in her vagina. (Can you imagine the brainstorming pitch meeting for this movie? "How about this for a title? Teeth in the Vagina!" "No, next...how about Snakes on a Plane?")* As wacky as this sounds, I did really like it. 4 1/2 stars.
I still wasn't tired after that, so I decided to stay and see the World Premiere of "Waitress." Michelle, who got me involved with Sundance in the first place, but who isn't volunteering this year, but who was in Park City to visit, came with me to see this film. (It was good seeing you Michelle!) "Waitress" was a funny and touching film about a waitress in a small town who becomes pregnant by her unloving husband and then begins an affair with her doctor. There were great performances by Keri Russell (from Felicity), Nathan Fillion (from Firefly), Cheryl Hines (from Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Jeremy Sisto (from Six Feet Under). It was a touching screening as well because the director/co-star of the film, Adrienne Shelley, has passed away since the filming. Many of the actors were visibly upset after the film was over. 4 1/2 stars.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS -- *Thanks Dan for the pitch meeting bit.
"Year of the Dog" cast - Regina King, Josh Pais, Peter Sarsgaard, Tom McCarthy, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon:
"Year of the Dog" - John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Mike White (Director):
"Year of the Dog" - Regina King, Josh Pais, Peter Sarsgaard:
"Year of the Dog" - John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon (Check out my gums!):
"Teeth" - Jess Weixler:
"Waitress" - Nathan Fillion, Keri Russell:
"Waitress" - Nathan Fillion:
"Waitress" - Jeremy Sisto:
Last night was another night of computer glitches, but again we made it through. Today was another ambitious day of movie-watching, but it was well worth it because I saw three excellent films -- all on about four hours of sleep, but they were all interesting enough to keep me awake.
First up, early this morning, was "Year of the Dog" which was written and directed by Mike White ("The Good Girl" and "Chuck and Buck"). It starred Molly Shannon as an office worker who becomes an aggressive animal rights activist and vegan after her dog dies. It doesn't sound like a humorous premise, but it was really quite funny. John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard were also in the cast and there for the Q&A. (And at the early morning screening at that! - Ok, I'll stop holding the grudge against Philip and Laura now.) 4 stars (out of five)
After that, I went to see a film called "Teeth." Hmmm, how to describe this movie. Well, I really liked it. It was funny, scary, and a little bit nauseating. Ok, here it goes. The story involves a girl who discovers that she has teeth in a place other than her mouth and the consequences of that for guys she has intercourse with (as well as her OB/GYN). That's right, she has teeth in her vagina. (Can you imagine the brainstorming pitch meeting for this movie? "How about this for a title? Teeth in the Vagina!" "No, next...how about Snakes on a Plane?")* As wacky as this sounds, I did really like it. 4 1/2 stars.
I still wasn't tired after that, so I decided to stay and see the World Premiere of "Waitress." Michelle, who got me involved with Sundance in the first place, but who isn't volunteering this year, but who was in Park City to visit, came with me to see this film. (It was good seeing you Michelle!) "Waitress" was a funny and touching film about a waitress in a small town who becomes pregnant by her unloving husband and then begins an affair with her doctor. There were great performances by Keri Russell (from Felicity), Nathan Fillion (from Firefly), Cheryl Hines (from Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Jeremy Sisto (from Six Feet Under). It was a touching screening as well because the director/co-star of the film, Adrienne Shelley, has passed away since the filming. Many of the actors were visibly upset after the film was over. 4 1/2 stars.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS -- *Thanks Dan for the pitch meeting bit.
"Year of the Dog" cast - Regina King, Josh Pais, Peter Sarsgaard, Tom McCarthy, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon:
"Year of the Dog" - John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Mike White (Director):
"Year of the Dog" - Regina King, Josh Pais, Peter Sarsgaard:
"Year of the Dog" - John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon (Check out my gums!):
"Teeth" - Jess Weixler:
"Waitress" - Nathan Fillion, Keri Russell:
"Waitress" - Nathan Fillion:
"Waitress" - Jeremy Sisto:
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Season 2, Episode 2 (1/20/07)
Hi everyone!
We survived our first night of box office work at the Prospector Square Theater. Just like last year, the first night was plagued with computer problems. However, since my box office mate, Karen, and I are old pros, it didn't freak us out like it did last year. Let's just hope the computers are up and running tonight.
Since we are working until 2am, it can be rather ambitious to get up for an 8:30am screening. Unfortunately, that may be the only to time for me to see some of the movies I want to. Today was one of those days when I went to an early screening of "The Savages." It is a funny and heartwrenching story of two siblings (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) who must come together to care for their distant father who is starting to suffer from dementia. The acting was superb and it kept me interested even on very little sleep. 3 1/2 stars (out of five). The cast and director were supposedly at the premiere last night, but they couldn't be bothered to wake up for this early screening. Boo! Hiss! Must have been some party!
I was still feeling ambitious, so I then went to see "The Good Life," about a young guy who lives in a small Nebraska town and has to take care of many people in his life, including his recently widowed mother and an old friend who runs an old movie theater and is suffering from dementia. (It's Dementia Day at Sundance!) Again, the acting was great in this one, but it really could have used some editing down. It starred Mark Webber (who I hadn't heard of before, but he was also in "Weapons" that I saw yesterday), Zooey Deschanel, Patrick Fujit, Chris Klein (he was made to look very ugly in this movie, but he is very pretty in real life - see attached photos), Bill Paxton, Drea de Matteo, Donal Logue, and Harry Dean Stanton. Mark, Zooey, Patrick, and Chris were all there for a Q&A after the film. Way to support your film! (I'm still upset with you, Laura and Philip!) 3 stars for "The Good Life."
After that, it was time for a necessary nap. Now, I'm refreshed and ready to head into work again. Maybe I'll sleep in tomorrow.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS - In the attached photos, I'm not sure why Zooey looks so frightened in the picture with me. She was really very pleasant and smily when I talked to her.
"The Good Life" cast, Steve Berra (Director), Patrick Fujit, Zooey Deschenal, Mark Webber, and Chris Klein:
"The Good Life" Chris Klein:
"The Good Life" Patrick Fujit:
"The Good Life" Zooey Deschanel:
"The Good Life" a frightened Zooey and Ted:
We survived our first night of box office work at the Prospector Square Theater. Just like last year, the first night was plagued with computer problems. However, since my box office mate, Karen, and I are old pros, it didn't freak us out like it did last year. Let's just hope the computers are up and running tonight.
Since we are working until 2am, it can be rather ambitious to get up for an 8:30am screening. Unfortunately, that may be the only to time for me to see some of the movies I want to. Today was one of those days when I went to an early screening of "The Savages." It is a funny and heartwrenching story of two siblings (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) who must come together to care for their distant father who is starting to suffer from dementia. The acting was superb and it kept me interested even on very little sleep. 3 1/2 stars (out of five). The cast and director were supposedly at the premiere last night, but they couldn't be bothered to wake up for this early screening. Boo! Hiss! Must have been some party!
I was still feeling ambitious, so I then went to see "The Good Life," about a young guy who lives in a small Nebraska town and has to take care of many people in his life, including his recently widowed mother and an old friend who runs an old movie theater and is suffering from dementia. (It's Dementia Day at Sundance!) Again, the acting was great in this one, but it really could have used some editing down. It starred Mark Webber (who I hadn't heard of before, but he was also in "Weapons" that I saw yesterday), Zooey Deschanel, Patrick Fujit, Chris Klein (he was made to look very ugly in this movie, but he is very pretty in real life - see attached photos), Bill Paxton, Drea de Matteo, Donal Logue, and Harry Dean Stanton. Mark, Zooey, Patrick, and Chris were all there for a Q&A after the film. Way to support your film! (I'm still upset with you, Laura and Philip!) 3 stars for "The Good Life."
After that, it was time for a necessary nap. Now, I'm refreshed and ready to head into work again. Maybe I'll sleep in tomorrow.
Until the next episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS - In the attached photos, I'm not sure why Zooey looks so frightened in the picture with me. She was really very pleasant and smily when I talked to her.
"The Good Life" cast, Steve Berra (Director), Patrick Fujit, Zooey Deschenal, Mark Webber, and Chris Klein:
"The Good Life" Chris Klein:
"The Good Life" Patrick Fujit:
"The Good Life" Zooey Deschanel:
"The Good Life" a frightened Zooey and Ted:
Friday, January 19, 2007
Season 2, Episode 1 (1/19/07)
Hi all!
Well, I had a fun-filled day of training yesterday. It was good to get a refresher about everything that we need to do. Now if we can just remember how to put it into action during our first shift tonight.
I saw a couple movies last night. Last night was the opening night film of the festival. Since only one film is showing, they try to keep the volunteers from over-running the place by giving us our own screenings of two other films from the festival. They showed two films that I would not have picked out of the guide to see on my own, but I'm glad I saw them because they were both really good.
The first movie was called "Chasing Ghosts" and it is a documentary about people who were very serious about arcade gaming in the early 80s. The title refers to the object of Pac-Man. It showed parts of the lives of people who were ultra-competitive and lived to get the highest scores on a wide variety of arcade games. It also focussed on where they are in they're lives at the present time. It was a very fun and funny documentary. 4 stars (out of five).
The second movie was a French film entitled "Angel-A." It's about a desperate guy living in Paris who is about to throw himself into the Seine when he encounters an angel who helps him to see the beauty of his life. Ok, that description made it sound very trite, but it really wasn't an episode of Touched By An Angel. Even though it was filmed in black and white and had elements of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Splash," it had a very modern feel to it. The film was directed by Luc Besson and it certainly was unlike any of his other movies that I've seen. Again it wasn't something that I was planning to see, but I'm glad I did. 4 stars.
Today, I saw a couple of interesting films. I saw "Weapons" which starred Paul Dano (from "Little Miss Sunshine") and Nick Cannon. It was very violent and intense and the story was told a rather non-linear fashion. The camerawork was very shaky which was a little annoying (and could probably give some people motion sickness). The director and many of the actors were there for a Q&A session afterwards. I'll give it 3 1/2 stars.
Then I went to see the North American premiere of "Delirious," starring Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, and Alison Lohman. This movie was a little bit of everything - comedy, drama, suspense. The story involved a young homeless guy (Pitt) who befriends a papparazzi photographer (Buscemi) and falls in love with a Britney Spears-type character (Lohman). Well-acted and a good story. 4 stars. Steve Buscemi was there, along with some other cast members (David Wain, Gina Gershon).
My first shift starts in about an hour. Wish me luck!
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS - I've attached a few photos from today's films.
Cast of "Weapons" Adam Bhala Lough (Director), Paul Dano, Nick Cannon, Mark Webber:
"Weapons" star Nick Cannon:
"Delirious" stars Steve Buscemi and Gina Gershon:
Well, I had a fun-filled day of training yesterday. It was good to get a refresher about everything that we need to do. Now if we can just remember how to put it into action during our first shift tonight.
I saw a couple movies last night. Last night was the opening night film of the festival. Since only one film is showing, they try to keep the volunteers from over-running the place by giving us our own screenings of two other films from the festival. They showed two films that I would not have picked out of the guide to see on my own, but I'm glad I saw them because they were both really good.
The first movie was called "Chasing Ghosts" and it is a documentary about people who were very serious about arcade gaming in the early 80s. The title refers to the object of Pac-Man. It showed parts of the lives of people who were ultra-competitive and lived to get the highest scores on a wide variety of arcade games. It also focussed on where they are in they're lives at the present time. It was a very fun and funny documentary. 4 stars (out of five).
The second movie was a French film entitled "Angel-A." It's about a desperate guy living in Paris who is about to throw himself into the Seine when he encounters an angel who helps him to see the beauty of his life. Ok, that description made it sound very trite, but it really wasn't an episode of Touched By An Angel. Even though it was filmed in black and white and had elements of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Splash," it had a very modern feel to it. The film was directed by Luc Besson and it certainly was unlike any of his other movies that I've seen. Again it wasn't something that I was planning to see, but I'm glad I did. 4 stars.
Today, I saw a couple of interesting films. I saw "Weapons" which starred Paul Dano (from "Little Miss Sunshine") and Nick Cannon. It was very violent and intense and the story was told a rather non-linear fashion. The camerawork was very shaky which was a little annoying (and could probably give some people motion sickness). The director and many of the actors were there for a Q&A session afterwards. I'll give it 3 1/2 stars.
Then I went to see the North American premiere of "Delirious," starring Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, and Alison Lohman. This movie was a little bit of everything - comedy, drama, suspense. The story involved a young homeless guy (Pitt) who befriends a papparazzi photographer (Buscemi) and falls in love with a Britney Spears-type character (Lohman). Well-acted and a good story. 4 stars. Steve Buscemi was there, along with some other cast members (David Wain, Gina Gershon).
My first shift starts in about an hour. Wish me luck!
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
PS - I've attached a few photos from today's films.
Cast of "Weapons" Adam Bhala Lough (Director), Paul Dano, Nick Cannon, Mark Webber:
"Weapons" star Nick Cannon:
"Delirious" stars Steve Buscemi and Gina Gershon:
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Season 2 - The Prologue (1/18/07)
Hey everyone!
Here we go again! Some of you may remember my daily updates from last year's Sundance Film Festival (www.sundance.org). Others are new to the list this year (Welcome!) If you want to reminisce about last year's experiences, those missives can be found in the 2006 Archives to the right.
I arrived back in Park City yesterday for my second year of volunteering. I'll be working the same job that I did last year - running the box office during the night shift at the Prospector Square Theater. I'll be working with some of the same people from last year, which is cool, but some others did not return and some have been assigned to other theaters. We'll see how things go.
Today is a day of training to get back up to speed. Then tonight the movies begin! Like last year, I will be writing up mini-reviews of the films that I see. And of course, I will report on the celebrity sightings from around town.
Until the first episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
Here we go again! Some of you may remember my daily updates from last year's Sundance Film Festival (www.sundance.org). Others are new to the list this year (Welcome!) If you want to reminisce about last year's experiences, those missives can be found in the 2006 Archives to the right.
I arrived back in Park City yesterday for my second year of volunteering. I'll be working the same job that I did last year - running the box office during the night shift at the Prospector Square Theater. I'll be working with some of the same people from last year, which is cool, but some others did not return and some have been assigned to other theaters. We'll see how things go.
Today is a day of training to get back up to speed. Then tonight the movies begin! Like last year, I will be writing up mini-reviews of the films that I see. And of course, I will report on the celebrity sightings from around town.
Until the first episode...
Your Sundance correspondent,
Ted
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