I was pretty pumped walking into the theater for The Killing Room. The title automatically caught my attention, then when I scanned the description I knew I had to see it.  A psychological thriller about a sick confidential government experiment… my kind of flick. But, in the back of my mind, I knew there was the chance that this horror kind of movie could leave me feeling like most in the genre do: disappointed.

I was lucky enough to be there for the world premiere and the director and most of the cast was there. Director Jonathan Liebesman made a brief statement before the film where he thanked those that worked on the film. He immediately mentioned Nick Cannon and thanked him for taking care of his mother on the set when he forgot about her. A loud voice responded from the back of the theater “Gotchu Baby!” At this point I became extremely skeptical. The simple fact that this former Nickelodeon child star, turned crappy MTV show host was starring in one of my most highly anticipated films of Sundance made me a little bit sad before the film had even begun. (more…)

I was lucky enough to attend yet another world premier this afternoon, and I think its safe to say that having made its debut, The Yes Men Fix the World is going to be a huge hit. Written and directed by “Yes Men” Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, this ballsy documentary not only received a standing ovation at the end, but had the audience breaking into applause and cheers of approval just about every ten minutes. 

Yes Men follows vigilante con men Mike and Andy as they repeatedly fool the media, business people, and even government officials into believing they are representatives of massive money hungry corporations such as Halliburton and Dow which value capital over human lives. Simply by establishing fake yet convincing websites, allegedly belonging to these companies and listing themselves as high ranking officials, the Yes Men gain access to conferences and even grant interviews to major news outlets in which which they expose the skewed values of corporate America. Unlike the arrogant bitching, moaning and lying done by film makers such as, lets say Michael Moore, the Yes Men don’t just call for action–they act and they act radically. (more…)

Kanizsa Hill

Like short stories in literature, short films take on a life of their own in comparison to feature length films. When you’re limited to telling a story within the span of 5-15 minutes, every frame, every piece of dialogue, and every moment becomes painstakingly important and laced with meaning. After getting a chance to see the Short Film Program V at Sundance, and the Animation Shorts at Slamdance, I have to say how impressive it is to see talent cropping up all over the globe in these small projects. The two programs combined yielded a total of over 20 films so I’m going to break it up and just mention some of the personal highlights.

Short Program V

Surrounded by a festival often filled with dark subject matter and people taking themselves too seriously Captain Coulier shines through as a perfectly funny spoof on cult 50’s sci-fi classics such as Lost in Space. While this as a concept is funny in its own right, this film would be nothing without the brilliant writing, and well timed comedic performances by the entire cast. (more…)

martin strel

Big River Man was the first film I saw at Sundance, only because during a box office visit, members of the crew practically pleaded with us: “Go see Big River Man! It’s Wonderful! Great! Do it!” So we did. And it was AMAZING! It follows 52 year old Martin Strel of Slovenia, the only man to ever swim the Mississippi, Yangtze, and Amazon rivers. Not your typical athlete by any means, he is overweight, old, and drunk most of the time. He regularly drives at high speeds while intoxicated, multitasking by learning English on tape and expanding his lungs with some weird breathing contraption. But you know, if he was a Michael Phelps-type swimmer, this story would be nowhere near as mind-blowing. He’s just a regular guy with a big dream.

I can’t explain how many times my jaw dropped and eyes grew wide during this movie. It’s truly incredible… This guy is hilarious and down to earth, but at the same time it’s like he’s from a whole different world. After watching one of the most inspirational stories I’ve ever heard, I couldn’t believe I got to walk down and shake his hand! (Not to mention his son’s hand as well as the navigator’s)… I almost cried I felt so lucky, meeting the greatest swimmer in the world.

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The world premier of The Carter, Adam Bhala Lough’s intimate documentary about rapper Lil’ Wayne, was possibly one of the most highly anticipated Sundance debut’s, documentary or otherwise. It was hyped up to be shockingly intimate and revealing, promising to show audiences a side of the artist they had never seen on MTV or read in any article. For this reason, I think many of the filmgoers who left the midnight premier at Eccles Theatre were disappointed. “I didn’t really learn anything new” I heard several people moan, as though expected him to explain the story behind every tear drop tattooed on his face and do cocaine on camera. 

I, on the other hand, never expected a tell-all from such a high profile artist with a history of drug dealing and gang related activity– such revelations would pose a very serious threat to his safety! I also didn’t anticipate any tabloid worthy confessions about his love life, and actually respected the fact that he stayed mum about it. Instead, I was hoping to for more insight on Lil’ Wayne as a musician, which as far as I’m concerned is the most fascinating and complicated aspect of his persona. 

Keeping my expectations realistic, I left the theatre very content, and enjoyed every dynamic, musically charged  moment of The Carter. 

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This isn’t your typical romantic comedy. Skipping around in time, from when their eyes first met, to the breakup and after, 500 days puts a new spin on how a romantic comedy should be. Zooey Deschanel (All the Real Girls, Elf, The Happening) and Joseph Gordon Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun, The Lookout, Stop-Loss) star as Summer and Tom, two employees at a Greeting Card Company that fall into a happy but awkward relationship. Tom, the optimist of love, who believes in the one immediately falls in in love with Summer but the feelings aren’t returned as she tells him early on (Day 22) that she didn’t want “anything serious.” (more…)

When going into a documentary about Lil’ Wayne, one of America’s most popular rappers today, it wasn’t at all surprising to see that most of the people at the premiere, even though it was at Sundance, were mostly in the age range of about 15-25. And it was probably a good thing too, because if you’re not a fan of rap or hip-hop, and you’re not really sure who Lil’ Wayne is, then this movie is definitely not for you. If you don’t like Lil’ Wayne then this movie certainly won’t change your mind. In fact, it will probably only make you hate him more. But if you do like him, then this is definitely a movie worth seeing.

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Going into this documentary I had no idea what to expect. This movie directed by John Maringouin was about Martin Strel, who holds the record for longest distance swam. His past accomplishments were the Yangtze, the Mississippi, and the Danube. The fact that he is in his 50’s, overweight, and a heavy drinker makes these accomplishments even more incredible. Throughout the documentary he takes on a new task, swimming the length of the Amazon, his greatest swim yet. I was settled in for an exciting ride with Strel, his son (also the hilarious narrator), and his insightful guide.

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Author Colin Beavan was tired of writing about the problems that face our world and merely talking about environmental change.  He decided the time had come to try out change on himself, and convinced his wife and 2-year old daughter to go along.  The idea was to see whether they could be happy without being consumers and without contributing to the many pressures that modern lifestyles place upon the earth.  He dubbed himself, “No Impact Man” and created a blog and a couple friends decided to document the process. When it was all over, he thought, he could write a book.  Simple enough, it seems, but nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems. (more…)

My first experience with the Sundance Film Festival has allowed me to interact with many different people who have varied views on the festival and independent cinema. One such encounter happened when I was waiting in line, at the Racquet Club Theater, to get into the Shorts IV program. I was at the very front of the line and struck up a conversation with Aurora, a Sundance visitor and volunteer, and we spoke for a long time. Given the opportunity, I decided to record the ‘interview’ and asked Aurora a few questions about her Sundance experience and how it had been for her. I was surprised and amazed at some of the experiences that she had to share, which displayed her enthusiasm for independent cinema and her choice for volunteering at the festival. I hope to meet more individuals who are able to expand my understanding of independent cinema, and the festival, through their knowledge. I have uploaded the interview below and I hope you enjoy watching it!