...must come to an end. My wonderful friend Annette was able to get an extra ticket to the best of fest showing of Alive Inside, so I was able to see that on Monday night with her, Melanie, Dave, and his Dad. It was literally the perfect end to my 2014 Sundance experience.
This year, I ended up seeing 22 full-length films, and 9 short films. Not too shabby. :) It definitely felt different this year. I think partially because Kate was in LA until the festival itself and Melanie was out here this time. Also, I actually saw famous people this time! Glenn Close actually came into our office (the. best), I saw Ethan Hawke (!!!), Mary Steenburgen (!!), Anne Hathaway (!!!), and David Cross (!!!!!) at Q&A's for films, and I saw Felicity Huffman, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and William H Macy at the awards ceremony. Also had seen William H Macy at the screening of Whiplash, just chilling in the audience. Totally normal. Very cool. :) I also feel like I saw a lot more comedies, and generally funny movies, and less really depressing films. Which was sort of nice for a change. Though there are many more serious films I wish I had seen. Hopefully I will get to see them at some point in the future. I'd like to see Return to Homs, Imperial Dreams, Camp X-Ray, and Lilting. Sure there are more too, but I can't think of them off the top of my head right now.
If you want to keep track of the Sundance 2014 films and see when they might be available to view near you (or online), check out this site: http://gowatchit.com/channels/sundance-film-festival-2014
Anyway, it was a good third year. With any luck, this will be my final time at Sundance (at least working it) and if that is the case, then I think it was a good way to go out. Thanks for another fantastic winter season Park City! I had a blast :)
Alive Inside
About the film
Part of the US Documentary competition. One of the films I really really really wanted to see, but was able to get a ticket to. I hoped it would win something, and it did. Audience award for US documentary category. But it was playing on Sunday right when I needed to bring my friends back to the airport. I was most sad. And then Annette came in and saved the day, by getting me one of the best of fest tickets! :) So incredibly grateful. Such a beautiful film. Really well done. Definitely a tear-jerker. But happy tears. Not a dry eye in the place, I'm pretty sure. Very moving. Amazing that it took us so long to realize that music could be helpful. In so many ways. Really helps to explain why I love music so very much, why I think it is so incredibly important, and why although it would pain me greatly, if I had to choose a world with bats or a world without music, I would choose a world without bats. There is just something fundamentally, universally important about music. Love. It. If you want to learn more about the music and memory project, or see how you can help, check out this site: http://musicandmemory.org/.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Last Weekend
Saturday (1/25) was a lot of fun. I worked for 4.5 hours in the morning and then had the rest of the day off. I managed to snag an internal ticket for Web Junkie, so I then had a delicious greek lunch and headed back to my condo to shower and get ready for the awards party. Then off to see Web Junkie. Afterwards, I met up with Kate, ate a small meal and then drove down to the awards ceremony. I had volunteered to help with clean up, so that means you get to be there early and actually see the awards ceremony! It was a lot of fun. Glad I got to experience it at least once. Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally were the hosts, which was entertaining, and it was neat seeing the speeches the winners gave. Cleaning up once the ceremony was over happened in a whirlwind. It is amazing how quickly we turned it from a place with chairs everywhere, to an open dance floor, clear of chairs and trash, etc. Then it was time for the party itself, which was a ton of fun. It is crazy how lucky I am. I had my best friend there, one of my great friends from a field job who I hadn't seen in 2 years (Melanie) who had come out to work Sundance for the first time, and my friend from OOTL(Cindy) and her brother, who came out again this year for the last few days of the festival. Most of my time was spent with Melanie and Cindy and her brother, just chatting and dancing. Also Cindy and her brother had seen three films that were award winners (that I hadn't seen - Fishing Without Nets, Imperial Dreams, and Return to Homs). The director and cast of Fishing Without Nets was at the party and they were a ton a fun. We met them, I took a picture of one of the cast with Cindy and her brother, and yeah, it was just a general fun time. Also met the director of A Girl Walks Home Alone, another film I didn't see but Cindy and her brother did. That woman was super entertaining. Glad I met her. Stayed at the party til they shut it down, a little after 12:30. Then headed home and got some sleep. Was able to snag tickets for a few of the award winners on Sunday, and between seeing them, drove Cindy and her brother to the airport. So as you can see, a very busy last weekend, but also a ton of fun. :)
Web Junkie
About the film
Part of the world documentary competition. One of two documentaries specifically focused on the negative impacts of internet addiction. I wanted to see both, but was only able to see this one. Definitely an interesting watch. Mostly focused on one specific treatment facility in China for internet addiction. In some regards I wanted to feel as though the Chinese government was overreacting, but I'm not entirely certain that they are. Some of these kids were spending days on end gaming online - staying out all night at internet cafes, going days, and sometimes weeks, without sleeping or eating. It is crazy. And, of course, this isn't a problem found only in China. It happens everywhere. The man running this particular treatment facility likened internet addiction to being addicted to heroin. Which is a really steep claim to make. But it is hard to deny that internet addiction is a thing when you hear the stories of some of these kids. All the symptoms of any other addiction - drugs, or alcohol, or what have you, are present and accounted for. Definitely food for thought.
Fishing Without Nets
About the film
This was part of the US dramatic competition. It had been a short film at Sundance a few years ago. It had not even really been on my radar at all this year. That is what I love about Sundance. You may see a film that you had no desire to see, and it turns out to be one of your favorites. Thankfully, my friends saw this one and loved it. So I had that to go on. And then it won the US dramatic directing award, and I met some of the cast and crew at the awards night party, and I knew that I would like to try to see it if possible. So incredibly glad I was able to get a ticket. As I said, it turned out to be one of my favorite films of the festival. I thought it was a great script, I thought the acting was great, directing was great, and that it was just overall a really good film. Highly recommend it.
The Green Prince
About the film
In the world cinema documentary competition. One of the documentaries that I most wanted to see, but the only time I could see it, was also when another film I wanted to see (God Help the Girl) was playing. I ended up getting a ticket for God Help the Girl, and was honestly just hoping and praying that this would win an award and I would be able to see it on Sunday. And that is what happened! Yay! It wont the audience award for world cinema documentary, and so it played on Sunday afternoon, and thanks to the joys of internal ticketing, I was able to snag a ticket. So glad I got to see it. Just a really interesting, compelling story. Highly recommend this, if you find yourself able to watch it.
Low Down
About the film
This is part of the US dramatic competition. It won the cinematography award for US dramatic section. Again, not even remotely on my radar. When I went to get tickets on Sunday, I got Green Prince and Fishing Without Nets, and then they asked me if I wanted anything else. So I asked if anything was playing after Green Prince and they said Low Down. Did not even recognize the title. But I said sure! Why not! :P Turned out it had a great cast, including Glenn Close, Elle Fanning, and Peter Dinklage. It was good, but definitely not my favorite. Very sad story. Some really great jazz music. But it was pretty much two hours of the same, depressing things. Still, glad I saw it.
Web Junkie
About the film
Part of the world documentary competition. One of two documentaries specifically focused on the negative impacts of internet addiction. I wanted to see both, but was only able to see this one. Definitely an interesting watch. Mostly focused on one specific treatment facility in China for internet addiction. In some regards I wanted to feel as though the Chinese government was overreacting, but I'm not entirely certain that they are. Some of these kids were spending days on end gaming online - staying out all night at internet cafes, going days, and sometimes weeks, without sleeping or eating. It is crazy. And, of course, this isn't a problem found only in China. It happens everywhere. The man running this particular treatment facility likened internet addiction to being addicted to heroin. Which is a really steep claim to make. But it is hard to deny that internet addiction is a thing when you hear the stories of some of these kids. All the symptoms of any other addiction - drugs, or alcohol, or what have you, are present and accounted for. Definitely food for thought.
Fishing Without Nets
About the film
This was part of the US dramatic competition. It had been a short film at Sundance a few years ago. It had not even really been on my radar at all this year. That is what I love about Sundance. You may see a film that you had no desire to see, and it turns out to be one of your favorites. Thankfully, my friends saw this one and loved it. So I had that to go on. And then it won the US dramatic directing award, and I met some of the cast and crew at the awards night party, and I knew that I would like to try to see it if possible. So incredibly glad I was able to get a ticket. As I said, it turned out to be one of my favorite films of the festival. I thought it was a great script, I thought the acting was great, directing was great, and that it was just overall a really good film. Highly recommend it.
The Green Prince
About the film
In the world cinema documentary competition. One of the documentaries that I most wanted to see, but the only time I could see it, was also when another film I wanted to see (God Help the Girl) was playing. I ended up getting a ticket for God Help the Girl, and was honestly just hoping and praying that this would win an award and I would be able to see it on Sunday. And that is what happened! Yay! It wont the audience award for world cinema documentary, and so it played on Sunday afternoon, and thanks to the joys of internal ticketing, I was able to snag a ticket. So glad I got to see it. Just a really interesting, compelling story. Highly recommend this, if you find yourself able to watch it.
Low Down
About the film
This is part of the US dramatic competition. It won the cinematography award for US dramatic section. Again, not even remotely on my radar. When I went to get tickets on Sunday, I got Green Prince and Fishing Without Nets, and then they asked me if I wanted anything else. So I asked if anything was playing after Green Prince and they said Low Down. Did not even recognize the title. But I said sure! Why not! :P Turned out it had a great cast, including Glenn Close, Elle Fanning, and Peter Dinklage. It was good, but definitely not my favorite. Very sad story. Some really great jazz music. But it was pretty much two hours of the same, depressing things. Still, glad I saw it.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Final Push
Well, the end of the festival I went a bit crazy with my film watching, so between that and work and hanging out with friends, I ran out of time to keep up with blog. I shall attempt to remedy this now. On Wednesday night (1/22) I saw Fed Up, one of the documentaries I had really wanted to see. Then Thursday I worked a long 11 hour day, had dinner with Melanie, and then went to get staff/volunteer tickets for Whiplash (just barely made the cut-off, even getting there almost 3 hours before the film was starting). Friday (1/24) was my other full day off, and I took full advantage. I had three hard tickets - one for 52 Tuesdays, one for Concerning Violence, and one for God Help the Girl. I also managed to get a staff/volunteer ticket for Dinosaur 13. :)
Fed Up
About this film
Part of the US Documentary Competition. This was one I had really wanted to see, so I got a hard ticket for it back in December. Definitely glad I saw it. Although I knew most of the information already, I did learn a few things I did not know. I definitely feel like it is something everyone should see; especially those who do not know just how bad sugar (and processed foods because of the amount of sugar they contain) is for you. What shocked me the most (because I didn't know it) was when they mentioned that on all food labels, you know how they put percent daily value next to everything? Well, not everything! They don't put a percent daily value for sugar. Check it out next time you look at a label... on anything. It is pretty crazy. And the reason they don't? If they did, many times you would see things like "200% of your daily value". Insane. So the main punch line is, the best thing you can do for youself is to eat real food. Not processed stuff. Even many things that are labelled "organic" or worse, "reduced fat" or "fat free" may have a crazy amount of sugar. You want real foods, or as they say, things with 5 or less ingredients.
Whiplash
About the film
About the director
Part of the US Dramatic competition. Last year, this film was one of the shorts. And I really liked it. So I knew I wanted to see it now that the director had turned it into a full-length film - especially since he cast Miles Teller in the lead (the guy from Spectacular Now - he was amazing in that film last year). Was able to snag a ticket, and I am very glad I did. It was really great. The performances by the two main leads were nothing short of incredible. The music in it was stunning. And the storyline itself is intense. Makes you feel many different emotions. My friend Annette phrased it well; she said she found it disturbing. Before I watched it, I couldn't fathom what she meant, but once I was seeing it, I completely understood. Parts of it were definitely very disturbing. I had mixed emotions. It certainly wasn't a flawless film, but I do think it was extremely well done, and I am very very glad I saw it. Unsurprisingly, it won the audience award for US dramatic. A bit more surprising, it also won the grand jury prize for US Dramatic. So, hopefully y'all will have the chance to see it. :)
52 Tuesdays
About the film
Yes. This film. Part of the World Cinema dramatic competition. From Australia. One I really wanted to see, and I am definitely glad I did. I thought the structure of the film was great. The performances were great. It was a good film. One I am very glad I got to see. Only wish I could have stayed for the Q&A because I think it would have been really interesting - the lead actor is transgender in real life, and was going through the process in the same time frame that the character was. But sadly I had to cut out before the Q&A in order to make it to Concerning Violence.
Concerning Violence
About the film
Part of the World Cinema documentary competition and one of the films I really wanted to see. Unfortunately, I found this one to be disappointing. It was okay, but not what I was expecting and not really what I wanted it to be. One of my least favorites of the festival (which I was even more sad about because I had missed that other Q&A in order to see it). I came out of it thinking that I would really like to read the book that the documentary was based on. I think the book has a chance of being more interesting and informative to me than the film was. Though to be fair, I was also feeling really crappy (I was quite sick by this point) and tired, so I also wasn't in the greatest mindset. After this movie I was planning to go to Music Cafe because I hadn't made it there yet, but instead I went home, ate soup and napped.
God Help the Girl
About the film
Part of the World Cinema dramatic competition. When I was choosing tickets, this was a big dilemma for me. I really wanted to see this movie, but I also really wanted to see the documentary The Green Prince, and both films were playing only one time that I could possibly see them, and both were same day around the same time, so I could only see one. After much internal (and external) debating, I went with this one. Was definitely glad I got to see it. It was really fun watching a musical. I loved the music, I thought the acting was great. Overall an enjoyable, sweet film.
Dinosaur 13
About the film
Part of the US Documentary competition. I thought of my seester when I first saw this film in the line-up for the 2014 festival, because she always loved dinosaurs growing up. It was definitely a good film. Unfortunately, as was the case with many films I saw this year, I was very tired, and not feeling super great, so at times I had trouble staying awake, but that isn't necessarily the fault of the film. It's an interesting, albeit crazy story. Glad I saw it. :)
Fed Up
About this film
Part of the US Documentary Competition. This was one I had really wanted to see, so I got a hard ticket for it back in December. Definitely glad I saw it. Although I knew most of the information already, I did learn a few things I did not know. I definitely feel like it is something everyone should see; especially those who do not know just how bad sugar (and processed foods because of the amount of sugar they contain) is for you. What shocked me the most (because I didn't know it) was when they mentioned that on all food labels, you know how they put percent daily value next to everything? Well, not everything! They don't put a percent daily value for sugar. Check it out next time you look at a label... on anything. It is pretty crazy. And the reason they don't? If they did, many times you would see things like "200% of your daily value". Insane. So the main punch line is, the best thing you can do for youself is to eat real food. Not processed stuff. Even many things that are labelled "organic" or worse, "reduced fat" or "fat free" may have a crazy amount of sugar. You want real foods, or as they say, things with 5 or less ingredients.
Whiplash
About the film
About the director
Part of the US Dramatic competition. Last year, this film was one of the shorts. And I really liked it. So I knew I wanted to see it now that the director had turned it into a full-length film - especially since he cast Miles Teller in the lead (the guy from Spectacular Now - he was amazing in that film last year). Was able to snag a ticket, and I am very glad I did. It was really great. The performances by the two main leads were nothing short of incredible. The music in it was stunning. And the storyline itself is intense. Makes you feel many different emotions. My friend Annette phrased it well; she said she found it disturbing. Before I watched it, I couldn't fathom what she meant, but once I was seeing it, I completely understood. Parts of it were definitely very disturbing. I had mixed emotions. It certainly wasn't a flawless film, but I do think it was extremely well done, and I am very very glad I saw it. Unsurprisingly, it won the audience award for US dramatic. A bit more surprising, it also won the grand jury prize for US Dramatic. So, hopefully y'all will have the chance to see it. :)
52 Tuesdays
About the film
Yes. This film. Part of the World Cinema dramatic competition. From Australia. One I really wanted to see, and I am definitely glad I did. I thought the structure of the film was great. The performances were great. It was a good film. One I am very glad I got to see. Only wish I could have stayed for the Q&A because I think it would have been really interesting - the lead actor is transgender in real life, and was going through the process in the same time frame that the character was. But sadly I had to cut out before the Q&A in order to make it to Concerning Violence.
Concerning Violence
About the film
Part of the World Cinema documentary competition and one of the films I really wanted to see. Unfortunately, I found this one to be disappointing. It was okay, but not what I was expecting and not really what I wanted it to be. One of my least favorites of the festival (which I was even more sad about because I had missed that other Q&A in order to see it). I came out of it thinking that I would really like to read the book that the documentary was based on. I think the book has a chance of being more interesting and informative to me than the film was. Though to be fair, I was also feeling really crappy (I was quite sick by this point) and tired, so I also wasn't in the greatest mindset. After this movie I was planning to go to Music Cafe because I hadn't made it there yet, but instead I went home, ate soup and napped.
God Help the Girl
About the film
Part of the World Cinema dramatic competition. When I was choosing tickets, this was a big dilemma for me. I really wanted to see this movie, but I also really wanted to see the documentary The Green Prince, and both films were playing only one time that I could possibly see them, and both were same day around the same time, so I could only see one. After much internal (and external) debating, I went with this one. Was definitely glad I got to see it. It was really fun watching a musical. I loved the music, I thought the acting was great. Overall an enjoyable, sweet film.
Dinosaur 13
About the film
Part of the US Documentary competition. I thought of my seester when I first saw this film in the line-up for the 2014 festival, because she always loved dinosaurs growing up. It was definitely a good film. Unfortunately, as was the case with many films I saw this year, I was very tired, and not feeling super great, so at times I had trouble staying awake, but that isn't necessarily the fault of the film. It's an interesting, albeit crazy story. Glad I saw it. :)
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Tired, but forging on
Last night after work I was completely exhausted so I went home, napped for an hour, and then ate dinner and headed to a movie a had a ticket for, called Watchers of the Sky. I had briefly considered trying to go to a film at midnight, or hanging out with my friend Melanie, but it became clear once the movie was over that I just needed to go home and go to sleep. So that is what I did.
After getting more sleep than I had most of the festival (about 7.5hours) I got up and was about to head to Hits, which I had a ticket for, when I got a call and long story short, I had to go into work. So I rushed over there, helped a bunch of customers, and then resigned myself to missing the movie. My emotions were all over the place cause I think I am still needing to catch up from sleep deprivation, so I had my festival cry. And then due to the kindness of my coworker, a miracle happened. She insisted I get to go to my movie. So she drove me (and two patrons whose credentials I had just printed out) over to the theater and even though I was late they let me in. So I made it! Yaaaay!
Watchers of the Sky
About the film
This was part of the US Documentary competition. It was not really at all what I was expecting, and my extreme tiredness made it difficult at times, but I am glad I saw it. I think it covers an important issue. And I learned a lot. Also, she used a lot of animation as well as putting words of Richard Lemkin up on screen, which was an interesting approach to telling the story. I certainly think it is worth seeing, if only to educate yourself about genocide and those involved with trying to prosecute it in an international court of law.
Hits
About the film
So this one I was desperate to see (which is why I was so upset when I thought I wasn't going to get to see it). It is David Cross's directoral debut. Staring a bunch of great people. It is in the premiers section (which normally I stay away from because I can see those films any time) but I had to see it anyway because I love David Cross so much and I was interested to see what it would be like. So very glad I got to see it. Definitely one of my favorites of the festival. Really really funny, but also sad and tragic at times, and some very poignant social commentary. For his directoral debut I thought it was really good. Extremely well cast, and just all-around great film. One of my favorites for sure :) Also, David Cross was there for the Q&A after and that kinda made my life. He is hilarious and I love him.
After getting more sleep than I had most of the festival (about 7.5hours) I got up and was about to head to Hits, which I had a ticket for, when I got a call and long story short, I had to go into work. So I rushed over there, helped a bunch of customers, and then resigned myself to missing the movie. My emotions were all over the place cause I think I am still needing to catch up from sleep deprivation, so I had my festival cry. And then due to the kindness of my coworker, a miracle happened. She insisted I get to go to my movie. So she drove me (and two patrons whose credentials I had just printed out) over to the theater and even though I was late they let me in. So I made it! Yaaaay!
Watchers of the Sky
About the film
This was part of the US Documentary competition. It was not really at all what I was expecting, and my extreme tiredness made it difficult at times, but I am glad I saw it. I think it covers an important issue. And I learned a lot. Also, she used a lot of animation as well as putting words of Richard Lemkin up on screen, which was an interesting approach to telling the story. I certainly think it is worth seeing, if only to educate yourself about genocide and those involved with trying to prosecute it in an international court of law.
Hits
About the film
So this one I was desperate to see (which is why I was so upset when I thought I wasn't going to get to see it). It is David Cross's directoral debut. Staring a bunch of great people. It is in the premiers section (which normally I stay away from because I can see those films any time) but I had to see it anyway because I love David Cross so much and I was interested to see what it would be like. So very glad I got to see it. Definitely one of my favorites of the festival. Really really funny, but also sad and tragic at times, and some very poignant social commentary. For his directoral debut I thought it was really good. Extremely well cast, and just all-around great film. One of my favorites for sure :) Also, David Cross was there for the Q&A after and that kinda made my life. He is hilarious and I love him.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Film Marathon take 1
Every year, I have at least one marathon film day. This year, Monday, the 20th, was that day. It was my day off, and I had one hard ticket, but there were a bunch of other things I wanted to try to see.
Despite having stayed up until 2:30am Sunday night due to my giddyness from seeing Boyhood (please refer to previous post), I got myself up at 7:30 Monday morning and went over to try my luck at getting into the Press and Industry screening of Happy Christmas. I was successful - yay! After that I went to my ticketed screening of What We Do in the Shadows (my first ever film in the Midnight category!). Then headed over to Eccles, where I waited in line to get a staff/volunteer ticket to Song One. Was successful with that (yay!), saw that movie and then walked over to HQ, where I was able to get tickets through internal ticketing for The Case Against 8 and The Signal. Visited with some folks, then headed home. Had hoped to nap and eat dinner but there wasn't time for both, so I ate food and then headed out for my final two films of the day. Which I somehow stayed awake for. Still not quite sure how I managed it. But glad I did.
Happy Christmas
About the film
So this one is part of the US Dramatic competition. I had wanted to see it because it looked cute, and I like Anna Kendrick. There was another P&I screening a half hour earlier of a film I wanted to see as well, but I decided to go for this one so I could get a tiny bit more sleep. While I did like it (it was a decent movie), I kinda wish I had gone to the other film. Ah well. Live and learn. :) One part of the film I really enjoyed was the baby. Cutest. Kid. Ever. Adorable. And hilarious. Apparently it was the director's son. Too cute.
What We Do in the Shadows
About the film
This film is part of the Midnight section at Sundance. Normally, I avoid this section like the plague, because they are typically the scary movies. So, this was my first time ever seeing a Midnight film (which, ironically, was shown at 11:45am. so figure). I was really excited to see it, because it was supposed to be really funny. And it was. It did not disappoint. Really enjoyable, hilarious film. And, for the Q&A after, they stayed in character (the whole time the directors acted like it was a real documentary, and the cast acted as their characters - as though they were really vampires and werewolves). It was highly entertaining.
Song One
About the film
Video about the director
This was part of the U.S. dramatic competition as well. I really wanted to see it, so I was really happy when I was able to get a ticket - and to the opening night of it no less! Really glad I saw it. Y'all know how much a love music, and this is a very music-centered film. The music was beautiful, and the performances were great. I really enjoyed it a lot. And, after, the Q&A was great and Anne Hathaway was there (woo!!) so my number of famous people (who I know) sightings is now up to 3! :D
The Case Against 8
About the film
Video about the directors
This was only the second documentary I have seen so far (I'm failing at seeing docs this year, and it saddens me). It was also part of the US Documentary competition section. So glad I got to see it. It was extremely well-done, and it was really interesting getting to see the inner-workings of the story. Also, the two couples who were the plaintiffs in the case were there for the Q&A after, along with the directors and a few other folks. Very very cool. Very uplifting. Cried many tears of joy throughout.
The Signal
About the film
After not seeing any Midnight films ever, I ended up seeing two in one day! Woo! This one I had wanted to see because I was intrigued by it. The programmers wouldn't say much about it - just that it is a sci-fi film and that they did a lot with a small budget. I managed to get a ticket and even though I was completely exhausted and it didn't start until 11:45pm, I somehow was able to stay awake through it. I think because I was super confused about what was going on. It was crazy, and confusing, and everything didn't really come together until the very end. I could do with seeing it again now that I know what is going on. Perhaps it will be seeable after the fest somehow. But yeah, interesting plot and considering their apparently small budget, it is really well produced - well put together.
So that was my first marathon film day of the fest. Probably will have another on Friday. Yaaay! The count now stands at 9 full-length films and 9 short films. :)
Despite having stayed up until 2:30am Sunday night due to my giddyness from seeing Boyhood (please refer to previous post), I got myself up at 7:30 Monday morning and went over to try my luck at getting into the Press and Industry screening of Happy Christmas. I was successful - yay! After that I went to my ticketed screening of What We Do in the Shadows (my first ever film in the Midnight category!). Then headed over to Eccles, where I waited in line to get a staff/volunteer ticket to Song One. Was successful with that (yay!), saw that movie and then walked over to HQ, where I was able to get tickets through internal ticketing for The Case Against 8 and The Signal. Visited with some folks, then headed home. Had hoped to nap and eat dinner but there wasn't time for both, so I ate food and then headed out for my final two films of the day. Which I somehow stayed awake for. Still not quite sure how I managed it. But glad I did.
Happy Christmas
About the film
So this one is part of the US Dramatic competition. I had wanted to see it because it looked cute, and I like Anna Kendrick. There was another P&I screening a half hour earlier of a film I wanted to see as well, but I decided to go for this one so I could get a tiny bit more sleep. While I did like it (it was a decent movie), I kinda wish I had gone to the other film. Ah well. Live and learn. :) One part of the film I really enjoyed was the baby. Cutest. Kid. Ever. Adorable. And hilarious. Apparently it was the director's son. Too cute.
What We Do in the Shadows
About the film
This film is part of the Midnight section at Sundance. Normally, I avoid this section like the plague, because they are typically the scary movies. So, this was my first time ever seeing a Midnight film (which, ironically, was shown at 11:45am. so figure). I was really excited to see it, because it was supposed to be really funny. And it was. It did not disappoint. Really enjoyable, hilarious film. And, for the Q&A after, they stayed in character (the whole time the directors acted like it was a real documentary, and the cast acted as their characters - as though they were really vampires and werewolves). It was highly entertaining.
Song One
About the film
Video about the director
This was part of the U.S. dramatic competition as well. I really wanted to see it, so I was really happy when I was able to get a ticket - and to the opening night of it no less! Really glad I saw it. Y'all know how much a love music, and this is a very music-centered film. The music was beautiful, and the performances were great. I really enjoyed it a lot. And, after, the Q&A was great and Anne Hathaway was there (woo!!) so my number of famous people (who I know) sightings is now up to 3! :D
The Case Against 8
About the film
Video about the directors
This was only the second documentary I have seen so far (I'm failing at seeing docs this year, and it saddens me). It was also part of the US Documentary competition section. So glad I got to see it. It was extremely well-done, and it was really interesting getting to see the inner-workings of the story. Also, the two couples who were the plaintiffs in the case were there for the Q&A after, along with the directors and a few other folks. Very very cool. Very uplifting. Cried many tears of joy throughout.
The Signal
About the film
After not seeing any Midnight films ever, I ended up seeing two in one day! Woo! This one I had wanted to see because I was intrigued by it. The programmers wouldn't say much about it - just that it is a sci-fi film and that they did a lot with a small budget. I managed to get a ticket and even though I was completely exhausted and it didn't start until 11:45pm, I somehow was able to stay awake through it. I think because I was super confused about what was going on. It was crazy, and confusing, and everything didn't really come together until the very end. I could do with seeing it again now that I know what is going on. Perhaps it will be seeable after the fest somehow. But yeah, interesting plot and considering their apparently small budget, it is really well produced - well put together.
So that was my first marathon film day of the fest. Probably will have another on Friday. Yaaay! The count now stands at 9 full-length films and 9 short films. :)
Monday, January 20, 2014
Brilliance
It's really all too much. This. This is why I love films, and this is why I keep coming back to work at Sundance. Everything happens for a reason. It was meant to be that I come to this festival (one I hadn't thought I would be attending), I think purely so I could see the premiere of this film and experience it to the fullest extent.
I suppose maybe I should back-track a bit. I worked a full 11 hours today. During which time I was bored out of my mind and had next to no work to do all day. It was rough. But I was able to read and able to catch up with a good friend, so those were good things. Once finally done work at 7pm, I rushed home, did a few quick things and then headed out to get to the Eccles theater crazy early. There was a showing of Boyhood at 9:45pm that I didn't have a ticket to, but I absolutely was desperate to see it, so I was going to try to snag one of the 100 tickets saved for volunteers and staff.
But wait, maybe I should back-track just a smidgeon more. About just over a week ago, when I was traveling to and from Indiana during my whirl-wind trip, I got a work email letting me know that Richard Linklater's newest film, Boyhood, was going to premiere at the festival. For those of you who may not know, or may not remember, Linklater wrote and director some of my favorite films of all time (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight - which I got to see last year). I immediately flipped out. I knew I wanted to see it before I even knew a single thing about it. But I also knew it would sell out quickly, and it did. After reading the description of the film, I knew I wanted to see it even more. They shot the film over a 12 year period, shooting for just a few days, once a year. It stars Ethan Hawke (and Linklater's daughter, and an absolutely incredible young man by the name of Ellar Coltrane).
Ok, jumping ahead again. While I was on the bus on my way to the theater, I met a very nice woman and I mentioned heading to Eccles to try to snag a ticket, and she goes "you want to see the movie at eccles? Do you want my ticket?" This is why riding the bus can be great ladies and gentleman. She had another movie she was going to see at a different theater, and wasn't going to be able to see both, and she didn't want the ticket to go to waste. So, bam, instant free ticket for me! Sometimes people are awesome. My friend Melanie was also going to try to see it, so I waited with her while she waited in line to get her staff/vol ticket (turned out I could have easily gotten one of those as well - not many people showed up to claim those tickets, surprisingly). After a brief stint in the cold, we made it into the theater.
Now for the film. In case you hadn't gathered already, I was a fan. A big fan. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it will, baring some crazy insane amazing film that comes out of nowhere, be my favorite movie of the festival. It. Was. Amazing. Such a unique and ambitious concept. Flawlessly edited together. And, like the Before series, just so incredibly naturalistic. Everything flowed so easily and seemed to believable. It was like literally watching a boy (and his sister, and the whole family really) grow up before your very eyes. It may have been nearly three hours long, but it didn't feel like it at all. And the sountrack was phenomenal. And he put things in there that brought on such a strong sense of nostalgia for me. Loved. It. Ethan Hawke was amazing as always. But really, the boy, who started the film at age 7 and ended at age 19, was fantastic! It really felt like getting to watch him grow up before your very eyes. Like I really got to know him during those 3 short hours.
Overall, a brilliant piece of art in my opinion. I feel like hopefully it will get fairly widely distributed, so most of you guys have a chance to see it. I myself cannot wait to watch it again. I seriously considered trying to go see it at its only other screening during the festival, which is tomorrow morning (or this morning I suppose, if you want to get technical about it :P) at 8:30am. But I am trying to reign in the impulse. I will say I certainly plan on owning it as soon as I am able.
Oh, also, added bonus, Richard, and the four main cast members there for all 12 years of the shoot, were all present. So my number of celebrity sightings has gone up! :D The Q&A's were great. I filmed a decent portion of it, which hopefully came out ok. :)
With that note, I guess I should try to sleep. Since I want to try to go to a film at 9am tomorrow (or today?). Ha. If only I can calm myself down and stop my heart from racing.
GREAT MOVIES ARE THE BEST.
Ok, g'night all. Til the next time.
I suppose maybe I should back-track a bit. I worked a full 11 hours today. During which time I was bored out of my mind and had next to no work to do all day. It was rough. But I was able to read and able to catch up with a good friend, so those were good things. Once finally done work at 7pm, I rushed home, did a few quick things and then headed out to get to the Eccles theater crazy early. There was a showing of Boyhood at 9:45pm that I didn't have a ticket to, but I absolutely was desperate to see it, so I was going to try to snag one of the 100 tickets saved for volunteers and staff.
But wait, maybe I should back-track just a smidgeon more. About just over a week ago, when I was traveling to and from Indiana during my whirl-wind trip, I got a work email letting me know that Richard Linklater's newest film, Boyhood, was going to premiere at the festival. For those of you who may not know, or may not remember, Linklater wrote and director some of my favorite films of all time (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight - which I got to see last year). I immediately flipped out. I knew I wanted to see it before I even knew a single thing about it. But I also knew it would sell out quickly, and it did. After reading the description of the film, I knew I wanted to see it even more. They shot the film over a 12 year period, shooting for just a few days, once a year. It stars Ethan Hawke (and Linklater's daughter, and an absolutely incredible young man by the name of Ellar Coltrane).
Ok, jumping ahead again. While I was on the bus on my way to the theater, I met a very nice woman and I mentioned heading to Eccles to try to snag a ticket, and she goes "you want to see the movie at eccles? Do you want my ticket?" This is why riding the bus can be great ladies and gentleman. She had another movie she was going to see at a different theater, and wasn't going to be able to see both, and she didn't want the ticket to go to waste. So, bam, instant free ticket for me! Sometimes people are awesome. My friend Melanie was also going to try to see it, so I waited with her while she waited in line to get her staff/vol ticket (turned out I could have easily gotten one of those as well - not many people showed up to claim those tickets, surprisingly). After a brief stint in the cold, we made it into the theater.
Now for the film. In case you hadn't gathered already, I was a fan. A big fan. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it will, baring some crazy insane amazing film that comes out of nowhere, be my favorite movie of the festival. It. Was. Amazing. Such a unique and ambitious concept. Flawlessly edited together. And, like the Before series, just so incredibly naturalistic. Everything flowed so easily and seemed to believable. It was like literally watching a boy (and his sister, and the whole family really) grow up before your very eyes. It may have been nearly three hours long, but it didn't feel like it at all. And the sountrack was phenomenal. And he put things in there that brought on such a strong sense of nostalgia for me. Loved. It. Ethan Hawke was amazing as always. But really, the boy, who started the film at age 7 and ended at age 19, was fantastic! It really felt like getting to watch him grow up before your very eyes. Like I really got to know him during those 3 short hours.
Overall, a brilliant piece of art in my opinion. I feel like hopefully it will get fairly widely distributed, so most of you guys have a chance to see it. I myself cannot wait to watch it again. I seriously considered trying to go see it at its only other screening during the festival, which is tomorrow morning (or this morning I suppose, if you want to get technical about it :P) at 8:30am. But I am trying to reign in the impulse. I will say I certainly plan on owning it as soon as I am able.
Oh, also, added bonus, Richard, and the four main cast members there for all 12 years of the shoot, were all present. So my number of celebrity sightings has gone up! :D The Q&A's were great. I filmed a decent portion of it, which hopefully came out ok. :)
With that note, I guess I should try to sleep. Since I want to try to go to a film at 9am tomorrow (or today?). Ha. If only I can calm myself down and stop my heart from racing.
GREAT MOVIES ARE THE BEST.
Ok, g'night all. Til the next time.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Spur of the Moment
Sometimes, things just work out. And that is what I count on for the vast majority of screenings I go to. Already as you saw from my previous post. luck played a huge role in what I was able to see. Well, on Saturday I had the morning off, but was supposed to work at 1pm. There were two films I wanted to see that would not get out until 1:30ish. So I worked it out with my coworker to work for an hour in the morning so that I could try to see a film.
The first film I was going to attempt was Wish I Was Here. It is Zach Braff's new film, and I really want to see it. But I knew it would be extremely difficult to get into. There weren't any internal tickets available and the waitlist numbers went immediately, so I gave up on that fairly quickly. But, thankfully, another film I had desperately wanted to see, called Obvious Child, I was able to get an internal ticket for. Hurray! I then visited with friends who were working and then headed over to the theater, and managed to snag a staff/volunteer ticket for my friend Annette! So we were able to see it together!
I then spent the afternoon at work, starting to feel quite sleepy (the 4 hours of sleep from the night before was finally catching up to me). When I got off at 7pm, I walked up main street to the Egyptian theater and got in the staff/vol waitlist line for Difret. I met a very nice volunteer standing next to me who I talked with for a while. We got our tickets, walked over and got free Morningstar veggie burgers for dinner, then headed back for the movie!
Life is a Bitch
This was a short film they are showing in conjunction with Obvious Child, so we got to see it before Obvious Child started. It was quite fantastic, I really enjoyed it. Just a little 5 minute film, that was really funny and sad simultaneously. Great depiction of life and relationships. :)
Obvious Child
About the film
So this film was in the NEXT category. I probably would have wanted to see it anyways, but during the programmer meeting, they spoke very highly of it, said it was funny and sweet and described it as, odd as this may sound "an abortion comedy". It. Was. Hilarious. I loved it. The timing was superb, the characters were great, I laughed aloud so much. But it was also very touching and incredibly sweet. Extremely enjoyable. The lead was played by Jenny Slate and she was there for the Q&A after along with another of the actors, and the director. Jenny is a comedian in real life as well, so I'm sure that helped to enhance her performance. It was a lot of fun, and I'm so very glad I got to see it. :)
Difret
About the film
This film is part of the World Dramatic competition. It is based on a true-story. It was one I had really wanted to see so I'm very glad I got in. However, I have to say, I think I learned a tough but important lesson. When I'm really tired, even if it is only 9pm, I probably should not go to see a subtitled film. I liked the movie - it told an important story, and the actors were quite good in it, but I was just so tired that I kept nodding off briefly and missing snippets here and there :( Still glad I saw (most of) it.
The first film I was going to attempt was Wish I Was Here. It is Zach Braff's new film, and I really want to see it. But I knew it would be extremely difficult to get into. There weren't any internal tickets available and the waitlist numbers went immediately, so I gave up on that fairly quickly. But, thankfully, another film I had desperately wanted to see, called Obvious Child, I was able to get an internal ticket for. Hurray! I then visited with friends who were working and then headed over to the theater, and managed to snag a staff/volunteer ticket for my friend Annette! So we were able to see it together!
I then spent the afternoon at work, starting to feel quite sleepy (the 4 hours of sleep from the night before was finally catching up to me). When I got off at 7pm, I walked up main street to the Egyptian theater and got in the staff/vol waitlist line for Difret. I met a very nice volunteer standing next to me who I talked with for a while. We got our tickets, walked over and got free Morningstar veggie burgers for dinner, then headed back for the movie!
Life is a Bitch
This was a short film they are showing in conjunction with Obvious Child, so we got to see it before Obvious Child started. It was quite fantastic, I really enjoyed it. Just a little 5 minute film, that was really funny and sad simultaneously. Great depiction of life and relationships. :)
Obvious Child
About the film
So this film was in the NEXT category. I probably would have wanted to see it anyways, but during the programmer meeting, they spoke very highly of it, said it was funny and sweet and described it as, odd as this may sound "an abortion comedy". It. Was. Hilarious. I loved it. The timing was superb, the characters were great, I laughed aloud so much. But it was also very touching and incredibly sweet. Extremely enjoyable. The lead was played by Jenny Slate and she was there for the Q&A after along with another of the actors, and the director. Jenny is a comedian in real life as well, so I'm sure that helped to enhance her performance. It was a lot of fun, and I'm so very glad I got to see it. :)
Difret
About the film
This film is part of the World Dramatic competition. It is based on a true-story. It was one I had really wanted to see so I'm very glad I got in. However, I have to say, I think I learned a tough but important lesson. When I'm really tired, even if it is only 9pm, I probably should not go to see a subtitled film. I liked the movie - it told an important story, and the actors were quite good in it, but I was just so tired that I kept nodding off briefly and missing snippets here and there :( Still glad I saw (most of) it.
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