I had a great experience at the Sundance Film Festival. Not only did I see many interesting and unique films but I was also able to see the filmmakers and actors in person. I was able to ask questions during the Q and A section after the films in order to better understand what inspired the directors and or writers to create the film. I was also able to better understand the struggles they went through in order to make the film. for instance Antoine Fuqua filming in the projects of Brooklyn for Brooklyn’s Finest.

Brooklyn Project

 Or Jean-Stephane Sauvaire finding children soldiers to play the parts of children soldiers in Johnny Mad Dog. It gave me a very personal view on the filmmaking process that I could have gotten nowhere else.

Aside from the terrific films I saw there were other upsides to sundance. I was pleasantly surprised with most of the restaurants I ate at. Bandits was one of my favorite spots. A bar-b-q restaurant with an old western cowboy theme that had some of the best nachos I have ever laid my hands on. Another favorite of mine was Good Karma a Indian restaurant that had great lamb curry and holla bread. (more…)

The Egyptian at Sundance

While attending a variety of films at Sundance I couldn’t help but notice how different each theatre was from one another. The first theater I attended was Prospector theater, which was located in prospector square. This theater had a makeshift concession stand with over priced food and unorganized staff but it came in handy to get a bit of food while rushing around between films. The theatre was a decent size it would compare to a smaller screen at a mainstream movie theater. What I really enjoyed about prospector was the leg room between seats and overall comfort of the chairs. It was also the only theater that I can recall that allowed people to bring their food into the theater.

The second theater I attended was Eccles theater. (more…)

The Sundance film festival is an extraordinary festival. During the time  I have spent in the small ski town of Park City Utah I have seen a large variety of directors, writers, producers and actors. It is really surreal to go and see a film and then see the actors and directors in person while they have a Q and A with the audience. 

The first celebrity sighting for me was Robert Redford who was the mind behind Sundance. I was walking up mainstreet when a noticed a group of people frantically taking pictures of some one in a blue B.M.W. As I took a look I noticed that it was none other than Redford. (more…)

I really enjoyed this unique film, written and directed by Robert Siegel who wrote The Wrestler. This film is about a stereotypical loser Paul Aufiero played by the hilarious Patton Oswalt. Paul works at a dead end job as a parking garage attendant and lives with is Mom at the veteran age of 36. Kevin Corrigan adds to the comedic cast as he plays Paul’s best and only friend Sal. Having nothing in common other than being underachievers and diehard Giants fans they still remain close friends throughout the film. (more…)

From beginning to ending this film was intense, stylish, and disturbing. Jean-Stephane Sauvaire created a unique and truthful depiction of children soldiers in Africa. The film was shot in Liberia where there had been a civil from 1989 until 2003. Sauvaire went to Liberia and actually found 15 ex-children soldiers who had fought in the civil war in Liberia to act in the film as the children soldiers.

Now uneducated, impoverished and without family, these children struggle from day to day. Sauvaire gave them a chance to tell their story to the world. These children were forced into a life a death, rape, and drugs by the high ranking members of the countries rebels. The film does not forget to show the humanity of these children still cling on to even after they have had their lives corrupted by the rebel commanders. After all of the sacrifices the children made for the cause of the rebel cause they received no reward for their duty after the war was over, leaving them completely abandoned and helpless.

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One Bad Mother F***er

Gordon Parks was the director of Shaft, making one of the greatest most well known blaxploitation films of all time. Of course the wonderful music provided by Isaac Hayes was the icing on the cake in this crime drama. John Shaft is a slick, smooth, and bad ass private investigator. He is the definition of a ladies man and he doesn’t take lip from nobody no matter the circumstance. 

After Bumby a well known drug dealer and pimp in Harlem sends some men out for Shaft one of them ends up dead and the other in the hospital. After  taking some heat from detective Lebowitz Shaft slides out of the hands of the detective. He knows his rights and makes sure that no one suckers him into giving them up.

He ends up meeting up with Bumby to find out what is really going on. Bumby explains that his daughter has been kidnapped and he wants Shaft to find her. He can’t involve the police or he could end up in jail. So Shaft takes the job and he ends up discovering that the Italian mob was behind the kidnapping because Bumby was taking too much of their business.

Without the help of the law Shaft ends up needing the help of an old friend from the streets. With his help and the help of his men he is able to devise a plan to get the girl out of the hands of the mobsters safely. No one can stop Shaft!

 

 

Intriguing isn't it

Sex, Lies, and videotape was written and directed by Steven Soderbergh in 1989. The film was all shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he made the film with a low budget of 1 million dollars. Soderbergh screened this film at Sundance thinking that there would be very few people that would be able to relate to the film, yet it became a huge hit winning him the Palme d’Or at the age of 26.

The story of a cheating lawyer John, played by Peter Gallagher. A prude and puzzled housewife Ann, played by Andie MacDowell. A sinful sister Cynthia, played by Laura San Giacomo. And James Spader plays Graham a man that uses a video camera in a most unconventional way. Soderbergh created the perfect rectangle of drama between the four characters to entertain an audiences around the nation. The dynamic of the characters was what really helped make the movie such a success. All of the characters are unique and very different from one another. (more…)

  Hal Hartley has been a unique and important figure in independent filmmaking for many years. From Lindenhurst, Long Island, Hal Hartley struggled with his mothers death as a child. He also dealt with some financial problems making his way through college difficult. Yet his passion for filmmaking helped conquer the obstacles in his way. He has now directed over 20 films and has written over 15. Some of his more popular films include Simple Men (1992), Flirt (1995), Henry Fool (1997), No Such Thing (2001), and his most recent film Fay Grim (2006), which is a continuation of the plot from Henry Fool, which won the best screenplay at the Cannes film festival . He has won 5 additional major awards including the Waldo Salt Screenwriting award at Sundance.

Henry Fool is about a dysfunctional family consisting of middle aged brother Simon, his younger sister Fay and their mentally unstable mother. Simon is a garbage man and has nothing to aspire to in life until Henry Fool comes along into his life. Henry Fool is a very intelligent man that has had a troubled past and is now out on parole. The families relationship with Henry is very problematic yet Henry inspires Simon to write poetry. His poetry is very controversial but leads to much success and critical acclaim. It is a story of family and friendship and how the characters treat and respond to one another.

Another successful film by Hartley No Such Thing. This film was about a reporter named Beatrice who seems to stay cheerful and good spirited despite the dreary world she lives in. Her fiance was in iceland doing a story on a mythic monster when he and his crew go missing. She insists on investigating this unsolved story and ends up meeting the monster. The monster is a very intelligent creature who shows little to no remorse for human beings. He drinks as much as he can in order to tolerate his depressing life. Once he meets Beatrice he changes, he explains that he no longer wants to live yet only one person in the world is able to kill him. They make an agreement that Beatrice will find the Dr. to help the monster end his life he agrees not to kill anymore people. Shortly after the monster was introduced to society, the evil of mankind follows showing the sad truth of the wickedness of humanity.

 Hal Hartley has a unique way of expressing his vision in his films. This may be partly due to the fact that he writes and directs most of his films allowing him to express and follow up on his creative vision. He uses very unique and stylish music in his films that really help capture the feel of the film and the emotions of the characters. Most of his characters in his films have very dysfunctional families creating a somewhat dark atmosphere. Yet it creates a more realistic bond to the characters who remain strong heartfelt despite their problems. Another common theme in his films is displaying the immorality that is widespread throughout the majority of mankind.