My job is pretty cool. Sure, it is colder than I have ever been in my life- but only for 4 hours, and really it's just the toes. I talk to people and am friendly and helpful- yes me- i figured it out with no trouble at all. People are all really happy and nice. I never got a heater delivered to me but...eh...who cares? They bring around hot chocolate and hand warmers so I'm good. All the folks I work with are cool too- or seem to be.
I have decided that my goal is to get some 'What is This?' pictures from folks at the festival. If you don't know what those are- you will. Saw Tom Hall and Holly Herrick from the Sarasota Film Festival. Love those guys.
okay. Time to watch movies. Mermaid and ANVIL! The True Story of Anvil tonight. I will blog about them later.
I will also score myself a poster from GOLIATH- the Zellner bros feature. Great poster- can't wait to see that flick.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
First big deal of Sundance
More to come on the big deal after I ramble
Yesterday was volunteer training day for me- Transportation Liason. After hearing 5 hours of information I could never retain (there was a lot to learn and there are lots of maps) I have learned that my job is to stand at a shuttle stop and answer any and all transportation questions for 4.5 hours each day. With 50,000 people in from all over, and me not really knowing jack - this should be interesting. I'm glad I have this job though because I can see movies and I basically work by myself. I will also kow everything about getting around this town really quickly- which is awesome. I now understand the complex treasure map that is the park city bus map. a really nice mug was given to me too- see:
I like mugs.
During the training I found out I randomly work in the same dept as Traveler John-
I met him in NOLA on the Glory at Sea shoot i helped out on. He has traveled around the world without getting on a plane- that's pretty fucking cool. I'll get some stories out of him an blog them. In NOLA we drank and had a good time and worked on the movie. Odd that I even ran into John. 1,400 volunteers at Sundance, maybe 150 at my training thing today and there he was.
Oh oh THE FIRST BIG DEAL AT SUNDANCE....
Blood Car secured (is about to secure, just gotta sign for it) German distribution
through our foreign sales rep. I was at Sundance when I got the call and ok'd it so that qualifies as the first deal at Sundance '08. Sorry to get your hopes up on hearing something big about Donkey Punch- which I will see because of title alone.
Sorry, today I am writing this in hindsight- I forgot my pad- tonight at the Sundance Volunteer party- Beginning in 2.5 hrs- there will/should be free booze and I will
blog later....
NEXT MORNING.
Apparently, this altitude and alcohol and me - don't mix. Katie and I went over to where Traveler John is staying and had a few beers and I was fine. We went to the party an I had 1 drink and a glass of wine and it was lights out. I tried to record the events as they happened but my notepad is just full of garbled nonsense and a sketch of what looks like an interpretation of a DJ or a forest fire- I can't tell. I was the guy in the corner- partied out unable to hold my head up scribbling on a pad like an idiot. I think the bartender slipped me a mickey because I was looking so fine and dancing so nice nice. We laughed about it at breakfast. Madison (fellow volunteer/filmmaker/hostel resident) is also a racist I learned. I'll say I'm kidding about that....but am I? Here is pic of her- it is blurry because she was about to hit me with a stick.
Here is a pic of the party that represents my vision at the volunteer party.
I think I will not do my normal film festival partying here and just concentrate on seeing as many movies as possible because that was not fun...at...all.
I will hold off on blogging about any more movies until they have their first public screening. I didn't know and no one mentioned any protocol on that sort of thing. I apologize to anyone that I need to. I just write about my thoughts on movies for my friends. If anyone wants to email me and tell me I'm an ass- that's cool. alex@fakewoodwallpaper.com -
Yesterday was volunteer training day for me- Transportation Liason. After hearing 5 hours of information I could never retain (there was a lot to learn and there are lots of maps) I have learned that my job is to stand at a shuttle stop and answer any and all transportation questions for 4.5 hours each day. With 50,000 people in from all over, and me not really knowing jack - this should be interesting. I'm glad I have this job though because I can see movies and I basically work by myself. I will also kow everything about getting around this town really quickly- which is awesome. I now understand the complex treasure map that is the park city bus map. a really nice mug was given to me too- see:
I like mugs.
During the training I found out I randomly work in the same dept as Traveler John-
I met him in NOLA on the Glory at Sea shoot i helped out on. He has traveled around the world without getting on a plane- that's pretty fucking cool. I'll get some stories out of him an blog them. In NOLA we drank and had a good time and worked on the movie. Odd that I even ran into John. 1,400 volunteers at Sundance, maybe 150 at my training thing today and there he was.
Oh oh THE FIRST BIG DEAL AT SUNDANCE....
Blood Car secured (is about to secure, just gotta sign for it) German distribution
through our foreign sales rep. I was at Sundance when I got the call and ok'd it so that qualifies as the first deal at Sundance '08. Sorry to get your hopes up on hearing something big about Donkey Punch- which I will see because of title alone.
Sorry, today I am writing this in hindsight- I forgot my pad- tonight at the Sundance Volunteer party- Beginning in 2.5 hrs- there will/should be free booze and I will
blog later....
NEXT MORNING.
Apparently, this altitude and alcohol and me - don't mix. Katie and I went over to where Traveler John is staying and had a few beers and I was fine. We went to the party an I had 1 drink and a glass of wine and it was lights out. I tried to record the events as they happened but my notepad is just full of garbled nonsense and a sketch of what looks like an interpretation of a DJ or a forest fire- I can't tell. I was the guy in the corner- partied out unable to hold my head up scribbling on a pad like an idiot. I think the bartender slipped me a mickey because I was looking so fine and dancing so nice nice. We laughed about it at breakfast. Madison (fellow volunteer/filmmaker/hostel resident) is also a racist I learned. I'll say I'm kidding about that....but am I? Here is pic of her- it is blurry because she was about to hit me with a stick.
Here is a pic of the party that represents my vision at the volunteer party.
I think I will not do my normal film festival partying here and just concentrate on seeing as many movies as possible because that was not fun...at...all.
I will hold off on blogging about any more movies until they have their first public screening. I didn't know and no one mentioned any protocol on that sort of thing. I apologize to anyone that I need to. I just write about my thoughts on movies for my friends. If anyone wants to email me and tell me I'm an ass- that's cool. alex@fakewoodwallpaper.com -
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
2 movies seen! at Sundance! eat your heart out AICN
Tonight I saw the volunteer screenings. 2 movies- Adventures of Power and I Always Wanted To Be a Gangster. I am debating the level of review I want to blog before others have seen these movies. I will start writing an see what happens.
First I saw Adventures of Power, but I will come back to it.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A GANGSTER
This is why I love film festivals. Is this movie perfect...no. It is awesome despite it's flaws. It invokes many films- because it is about film. It revolves around a diner and some wannabe criminals whose paths cross only because of the diner an thematically because of their criminal elements. I hate the intersecting story as much as anyone else, but it doesn't really matter with this film. or not till the end. It got off to a shaky start. A bad site gag, some keys locked into a car, a gangster without a gun. The black an white photography though, was wonderful, so i thought i would be in capable hands. And the French diner waitress was pretty and in B&W-that always works for me. I shrugged off the first act, but got the nod that the movie is definitely about movies. There are tons of clues, it is blatant. There's a Brad Pitt hamburger on the menu and pictures of "real" gangsters on the walls. In the second, two goofy, good hearted criminals kidnap a rich girl and it is great. Not Savannah Smiles great, but really really funny dialogue and even a bit touching at one point. The next section is very well done and simple- about two old friends in the music business- but in the third story, the movie really came together. It is about 5 really old guys who used to be gangsters. In this section i realized that the film is about how there is no longer room in the world for the old cool gangsters, or how they can only exist in cinema, or how the cinema has changed because the world has changed. It is debatable and I really like that- that whole thinking at the movies thing. The movie should have ended there but there was an epilogue that wasn't needed. I really liked the film but I would like to see a shorter edit- I think that would elevate the film to something amazing; lose some plot and end on a note to make people ponder. If you get a chance, see the movie. Great editing, wonderful style and lighting, French women, great acting and a movie about movies-subtly, not in an agent's office or any of that.
Another thing I will do to review movies is kind of a star system, but we will use Katie's expression. Here is her reaction to said movie:
ADVENTURES OF POWER
The movie is about a geek who air drums. When you hear this, do you think it is a feature? I thought it could be, I was wrong. Think a movie that makes you say Napoleon Dynamite, crossed with a classic 80's style and storyline and a karate kid type, conquer the odds thing with air drumming. oh is there air drumming.
A guy Air Drums (i like capitalizing that) and no one understands him, not even his father, who is played by Michael McKean and is leader of the Copper Miner's union. The copper plant is run by an evil guy who has a son that is a really lame country music star (who has a hilarious video in the film). So our Air Drummer, Power (played by writer/director Ari Gold) goes off to Air Drum after he can't take part in the strike because he was fired for....Air Drumming. He randomly (and actually something I liked about the movie was that plot points just happened in a ridiculous way to try and keep it moving) finds a flyer and goes to an underground Air Drumming/gambling joint in Mexico. Really great cut-away of a chihuahua.
Adventure begins and involves more cliche' stereotype characters than a Mel Brooks movie (but Mr. Gold should take a page from Mr. Brooks and make fun of his own background, not just his main character, before doing everyone else)
This movie might be for some people- I am not those people, although I did like some things. Let me list a few things, good and bad,
-Lead actor wears a fanny pack, and other "funny" clothing gags-uhh
-approx. 14 montages mostly of air drumming- some haha mostly uhhh
-A funny scene about the history of a deaf girl (female love interest) an her 'praise jesus' mom.
-Another good gag with Deaf Girl/Air Drumming and a light cue
-Bad bad prat falls.
-a hilarious (to me) parrallel between strikers and strike breakers and the air drumming that goes into a great phone gag. Good job there.
-Random, silly (silly or just bad) performances that belong in a SNL movie. I mean that as an insult because almost every SNL movie is shit-turd terrible.
All in all. Not a good film. Maybe to a 13 year old, or a 60 year old- to me, it reinforces that a lot of broad bullshit passes for comedy to most people. Good use of Rush's Tom Sawyer...i guess... if you want a whole hell of a lot of Rush.
Katie Review:
more movies tomorrow!!!! and FYI- my 'd' key is not working well, so please excuse and/or insert any missing d's to nonsensical words.
First I saw Adventures of Power, but I will come back to it.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A GANGSTER
This is why I love film festivals. Is this movie perfect...no. It is awesome despite it's flaws. It invokes many films- because it is about film. It revolves around a diner and some wannabe criminals whose paths cross only because of the diner an thematically because of their criminal elements. I hate the intersecting story as much as anyone else, but it doesn't really matter with this film. or not till the end. It got off to a shaky start. A bad site gag, some keys locked into a car, a gangster without a gun. The black an white photography though, was wonderful, so i thought i would be in capable hands. And the French diner waitress was pretty and in B&W-that always works for me. I shrugged off the first act, but got the nod that the movie is definitely about movies. There are tons of clues, it is blatant. There's a Brad Pitt hamburger on the menu and pictures of "real" gangsters on the walls. In the second, two goofy, good hearted criminals kidnap a rich girl and it is great. Not Savannah Smiles great, but really really funny dialogue and even a bit touching at one point. The next section is very well done and simple- about two old friends in the music business- but in the third story, the movie really came together. It is about 5 really old guys who used to be gangsters. In this section i realized that the film is about how there is no longer room in the world for the old cool gangsters, or how they can only exist in cinema, or how the cinema has changed because the world has changed. It is debatable and I really like that- that whole thinking at the movies thing. The movie should have ended there but there was an epilogue that wasn't needed. I really liked the film but I would like to see a shorter edit- I think that would elevate the film to something amazing; lose some plot and end on a note to make people ponder. If you get a chance, see the movie. Great editing, wonderful style and lighting, French women, great acting and a movie about movies-subtly, not in an agent's office or any of that.
Another thing I will do to review movies is kind of a star system, but we will use Katie's expression. Here is her reaction to said movie:
ADVENTURES OF POWER
The movie is about a geek who air drums. When you hear this, do you think it is a feature? I thought it could be, I was wrong. Think a movie that makes you say Napoleon Dynamite, crossed with a classic 80's style and storyline and a karate kid type, conquer the odds thing with air drumming. oh is there air drumming.
A guy Air Drums (i like capitalizing that) and no one understands him, not even his father, who is played by Michael McKean and is leader of the Copper Miner's union. The copper plant is run by an evil guy who has a son that is a really lame country music star (who has a hilarious video in the film). So our Air Drummer, Power (played by writer/director Ari Gold) goes off to Air Drum after he can't take part in the strike because he was fired for....Air Drumming. He randomly (and actually something I liked about the movie was that plot points just happened in a ridiculous way to try and keep it moving) finds a flyer and goes to an underground Air Drumming/gambling joint in Mexico. Really great cut-away of a chihuahua.
Adventure begins and involves more cliche' stereotype characters than a Mel Brooks movie (but Mr. Gold should take a page from Mr. Brooks and make fun of his own background, not just his main character, before doing everyone else)
This movie might be for some people- I am not those people, although I did like some things. Let me list a few things, good and bad,
-Lead actor wears a fanny pack, and other "funny" clothing gags-uhh
-approx. 14 montages mostly of air drumming- some haha mostly uhhh
-A funny scene about the history of a deaf girl (female love interest) an her 'praise jesus' mom.
-Another good gag with Deaf Girl/Air Drumming and a light cue
-Bad bad prat falls.
-a hilarious (to me) parrallel between strikers and strike breakers and the air drumming that goes into a great phone gag. Good job there.
-Random, silly (silly or just bad) performances that belong in a SNL movie. I mean that as an insult because almost every SNL movie is shit-turd terrible.
All in all. Not a good film. Maybe to a 13 year old, or a 60 year old- to me, it reinforces that a lot of broad bullshit passes for comedy to most people. Good use of Rush's Tom Sawyer...i guess... if you want a whole hell of a lot of Rush.
Katie Review:
more movies tomorrow!!!! and FYI- my 'd' key is not working well, so please excuse and/or insert any missing d's to nonsensical words.
Nothing to do with Sundance
I bowled a 203 (1 point shy of my 204 record) the day before I left for Park City, or the day before that- here is a juvenile slidshow of those events
Sundance '08 2 days before festival
9:00am 1-15-08
I am having the free breakfast right now. Coffee, juice, cereal, oatmeal, toast. Just great by me and I don;t have to pay extra for it. I am realizing now before katie has come to breakfast that we really have nothing to do until 7:30pm when we can see a movie. I'll ask her what she thinks.
9:22am
after chatting with Wade (a very nice Aussie on a round the world trip) katie and I are going to hit the slopes, only a fool would not ski in this town....right? So we will buy a ski lift ticket ($67) get our gear (20% discount for haggling- totaling $57) and walk to the kiddie slopes to see if I can do this. I have skied once before, I was 12. After Katie, Wade and I have a chat about dating pregnant women and dealing with their estranged lovers, Wade takes off for NYC and we to the mountain(s).
11:48am
I have gone down the kiddie slope twice with minor embarrassments. I will now ascend the mountain on the lift and try something harder. I see children young enough to breast feed doing goddam back-flips down the mountain. The snowboarders and people who are from abroad (Spain, Brazil?) are really cool too, I'm an idiot out here. An instructor told me so when I got in his way. It through me off and all I could say back was, "what's his problem?" He got me. On the slopes- I'm sure I can handle the blue square level.
11:58am
writing in notebook on ski lift impossible. Snow is somehow coming from all sides, not above.
Here's what I look like on top of the mountain- view is bad due to harsh wind conditions
12:38pm
I am halfway down the mountain, after yet another crash- Katie has abandoned me. I rounded a corner, wiped out and lost a ski over the edge of a snowbank (i dunno the terms) basically there is all this packed snow you ski on and on either side the shit is 6 feet deep, but looks harmless. I tried, half-assed, to get my ski with my pole. Failure. Another toddler just passed me at 40 mph. I hope he pulls a Sonny Bono.
1:something- i dunno, this is horseshit.
I got the ski. Christ. I can't figure out how to get them back on. Energy fading. Maybe there's a lever, the wind is amazing and terrifying. My fancy long underwear are immaculate. My $6 skipants have ripped (only one strap, still fixable)
post ski wrap up in hostel. 4:30pm
I got down the mountain, had a pitcher of beer and we went at it a few more times. The wind let up and we took this picture:
I progressed from green circle level to (almost) conquering the blue square. After the square is black diamond- those runs have names like Widowmaker and Devil's Crotch and You Will Die You Jeff, I need more practice for that. this is great fun too, I pick this over beach any day- once you get the hang of it, skiing rules. and snow is soft. When Katie abandoned me she saw this view:
Fuck the beach.
we go see some movie later, I will report. OH! an I got this sundance jacket yesterday. Very warm, good pockets.
Katie is holding a cup of warm cider, in front of the fire in the hostel. She's wearing said jacket.
I am having the free breakfast right now. Coffee, juice, cereal, oatmeal, toast. Just great by me and I don;t have to pay extra for it. I am realizing now before katie has come to breakfast that we really have nothing to do until 7:30pm when we can see a movie. I'll ask her what she thinks.
9:22am
after chatting with Wade (a very nice Aussie on a round the world trip) katie and I are going to hit the slopes, only a fool would not ski in this town....right? So we will buy a ski lift ticket ($67) get our gear (20% discount for haggling- totaling $57) and walk to the kiddie slopes to see if I can do this. I have skied once before, I was 12. After Katie, Wade and I have a chat about dating pregnant women and dealing with their estranged lovers, Wade takes off for NYC and we to the mountain(s).
11:48am
I have gone down the kiddie slope twice with minor embarrassments. I will now ascend the mountain on the lift and try something harder. I see children young enough to breast feed doing goddam back-flips down the mountain. The snowboarders and people who are from abroad (Spain, Brazil?) are really cool too, I'm an idiot out here. An instructor told me so when I got in his way. It through me off and all I could say back was, "what's his problem?" He got me. On the slopes- I'm sure I can handle the blue square level.
11:58am
writing in notebook on ski lift impossible. Snow is somehow coming from all sides, not above.
Here's what I look like on top of the mountain- view is bad due to harsh wind conditions
12:38pm
I am halfway down the mountain, after yet another crash- Katie has abandoned me. I rounded a corner, wiped out and lost a ski over the edge of a snowbank (i dunno the terms) basically there is all this packed snow you ski on and on either side the shit is 6 feet deep, but looks harmless. I tried, half-assed, to get my ski with my pole. Failure. Another toddler just passed me at 40 mph. I hope he pulls a Sonny Bono.
1:something- i dunno, this is horseshit.
I got the ski. Christ. I can't figure out how to get them back on. Energy fading. Maybe there's a lever, the wind is amazing and terrifying. My fancy long underwear are immaculate. My $6 skipants have ripped (only one strap, still fixable)
post ski wrap up in hostel. 4:30pm
I got down the mountain, had a pitcher of beer and we went at it a few more times. The wind let up and we took this picture:
I progressed from green circle level to (almost) conquering the blue square. After the square is black diamond- those runs have names like Widowmaker and Devil's Crotch and You Will Die You Jeff, I need more practice for that. this is great fun too, I pick this over beach any day- once you get the hang of it, skiing rules. and snow is soft. When Katie abandoned me she saw this view:
Fuck the beach.
we go see some movie later, I will report. OH! an I got this sundance jacket yesterday. Very warm, good pockets.
Katie is holding a cup of warm cider, in front of the fire in the hostel. She's wearing said jacket.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sundance '08
I have decided (partly in honor of a Hunter S Thompson doc playing the festival) to do a bit of Gonzo journalism and try to joy down this thing as it happens and translate it here to my blog. There may be 5 entries a day or only one a week- I just don;t know at this point. But we will see.
As I type away this first blog I am enjoying a cup of hot apple cider that was handed to me from a fellow traveler from- Australia or maybe the UK- I can't tell, he was a mumbler. I'm by a fire in my hostel- that's right dammit, I said hostel- in park city. Katie is with me and although we have to stay in men's an women's dorms, we are both in very good spirits.
and now begins the random scribblings of my volunteer stint at the Sundance Film Festival.
6:00am 1-14-08
katie an I fly to SLC through Phoenix this morning. Had b'fast with Brune at 5:30am at The Majestic- I love their goddam sausage. Brune leaves to Rotterdam Film Fest a week from today. his film The Adventure is one of twenty something films in competition (400+ shorts screen) His luck with the US festivals has been mind boggling. (as in not too good) After he is lauded in Europe though, the US festival programmers will pull their heads out of their asses. Like everything Americans do artistically, we need the Europeans to stamp it before we realize what we have and embrace it.
I'm excited to be here. Can't wait to see all the films and stay in a hostel full of film people.
10:05pm
I am in my jammies. It is a cold town, sure- but it is very pretty and I have never really seen this part of the world. beautiful. They had a ski lift lit up for night skiing. that's nuts. Katie and I walked around for a little while an then ate at a pizza joint. I once saw a little sign in a pizza place that read "Pizza is like sex, even when it's bad- it's still pretty good." Well, let me say that the man who wrote that has never eaten what they pass for pizza in park city and he probably never got properly fucked either. no such thing as bad pizza or bad sex....gimme a break.
tomorrow I get to see a movie, maybe 2. I will write about them.
Katie just asked the front desk clerk about how many people are killed by icicles. they said they didn't know but I saw those fuckers today and they could kill an elephant
As I type away this first blog I am enjoying a cup of hot apple cider that was handed to me from a fellow traveler from- Australia or maybe the UK- I can't tell, he was a mumbler. I'm by a fire in my hostel- that's right dammit, I said hostel- in park city. Katie is with me and although we have to stay in men's an women's dorms, we are both in very good spirits.
and now begins the random scribblings of my volunteer stint at the Sundance Film Festival.
6:00am 1-14-08
katie an I fly to SLC through Phoenix this morning. Had b'fast with Brune at 5:30am at The Majestic- I love their goddam sausage. Brune leaves to Rotterdam Film Fest a week from today. his film The Adventure is one of twenty something films in competition (400+ shorts screen) His luck with the US festivals has been mind boggling. (as in not too good) After he is lauded in Europe though, the US festival programmers will pull their heads out of their asses. Like everything Americans do artistically, we need the Europeans to stamp it before we realize what we have and embrace it.
I'm excited to be here. Can't wait to see all the films and stay in a hostel full of film people.
10:05pm
I am in my jammies. It is a cold town, sure- but it is very pretty and I have never really seen this part of the world. beautiful. They had a ski lift lit up for night skiing. that's nuts. Katie and I walked around for a little while an then ate at a pizza joint. I once saw a little sign in a pizza place that read "Pizza is like sex, even when it's bad- it's still pretty good." Well, let me say that the man who wrote that has never eaten what they pass for pizza in park city and he probably never got properly fucked either. no such thing as bad pizza or bad sex....gimme a break.
tomorrow I get to see a movie, maybe 2. I will write about them.
Katie just asked the front desk clerk about how many people are killed by icicles. they said they didn't know but I saw those fuckers today and they could kill an elephant
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
