My kind of Super Bowl

If only I were Sandra Bullock...that was what I was really thinking to myself when I was waking from my dream this morning...

So I am really excited about the Academy Awards. Apparently so excited that I dream that I am dressed up in a gown and walking the red carpet as Sandra. It is just one of those things that I look forward to all year. For those of you that know me, I don't watch television, but once a year I will gather around the boob tube with beer and ballot in hand-ready to go. In fact, it is a day that I take off work because I don't want to miss out on this excitement. Now many haters wonder "why the Oscars?" and I simply respond "It's my kind of Super Bowl". Sometimes my favorite team is up and if not, I still can enjoy the game. Yes, the show is flawed and sometimes my favorite films of the year are far from represented, but it is a day to celebrate and award MOVIES. Mmm...I just like how that rolls off the tongue.

There are so many things to look forward to this year. "District 9" is nominated, which was one of my top 3 films of the year. Both favorites in the Best Supporting Actor category, Mo'Nique and Christopher Waltz, gave the best performances of the year. A 3D box office sensation with blue creatures might sweep the show and we now have 10 films given recognition for the best picture of the year. This will be an exciting thing to see and something that I am looking forward to. Like bets on the Superbowl, there will be money thrown down on the correct number of awards guessed and lots of beer to be had. The Super Bowl may be a gathering for a big game, but that's just a warm up for my favorite show which is a month away.

Instead of Abracadabra

One of my favorite short films of last year, has been nominated for an Academy Award under Best Live Action Short. When I read the nominations I let out a squeal of excitement for this director and producer. I met them both at Sundance last year and they are the sweetest gentlemen. The film, "Instead of Abracadabra" is from Sweden and is about a struggling magician that still lives at home with his parents but has a true passion for magic- it is such a charming movie. Let me know if you want to see it, it is only 18 minutes and you will love it.

Now, how do you say "Congrats" in Swedish?

Film Fest Munch: URFRENZ

Slamdance 2010

Social networking takes on a frightening personality in Jeff Phillips' new film "UrFrenz", which premiered Saturday January 23, 2010 at Slamdance. This dramatic narrative examines the connections that are made on popular and "friendly" social sites and what can happen when you don't really know who you are talking to.

The film follows two teenage girls, one popular and one an outcast, who used to be friends. Catherine (Lily Holleman) struggles with depression and cuts herself, her life is monitored by her mother being that she does not want Catherine to hurt herself again. Madison (Najarra Townsend) also suffers from depression, she is the popular girl at school struggling to be happy with her family and herself, being that she was dumped by her boyfriend. A rumor started by Catherine prompts Madison's mother to create a fake online profile, posing as a home-schooled teenage boy, to track Catherine and her interactions with her daughter. Things get complicated when Catherine falls for Brandon, the fake alias, and when Madison's mother cannot remove herself from the fake person she has created until it is too late.

The film takes an interesting look at social networking sites, making the real evil the parents and them overstepping their boundaries into their child's privacy."UrFrenz" refers to the social website that hosts your profile, much like a Facebook/Myspace account where one can chat and update their profile name. The internet is a scary place, but also is shown as a necessary outlet for young adults to be able to remove themselves from the pressures and hardships of high school. Of course it can be a dangerous place being that you are never really sure of who you are talking to.

Poignantly, the director deals with the touchy subject of teenage suicide. Delicately handling the pain and frustration that every teenager feels; exploring the fine line between being unhappy and then taking the step to ending that unhappiness.

"UrFrenz" tackles high school, depression, loneliness and identity issues with ease. Phillips wrote his characters with a true sense of the angst of being a teenager. Funny that he said during the Q & A that he was inspired to write this film because he has a teenage daughter himself and it is so difficult to monitor and protect her with the internet. Although the parents seem to be the ones to blame in this situation the film brings up timely issues of the internet and the evils of social networking.

DVD Munch: The Boys Are Back

Maybe it’s because it’s based on a true story and life is inevitably complicated, but when translated to the screen “The Boys Are Back” tries to tackle too many intense issues leaving the viewer unsure of what to think or really feel.

This Australian production is not without wonderful elements as director Scott Hicks and the entire cast, including lead actor Clive Owen, do a remarkable job at bringing these real-life characters to the silver screen. It is just that there is one message and too many elements that don’t get properly addressed that make this film feel unfinished.

Joe Warr (Owen) is a popular sports journalist that must deal with being a single parent and managing both of his sons after the sudden death of his wife, Katy. To make things more complicated, his oldest son Harry, from his first wife, comes to visit right after the death of Katy.

The first part of the film sets up Katy’s character and the intense impact on the family when she passes away. Joe ends up taking his youngest son, Artie, on a road trip to escape the emotional pressure that he is feeling from the family and himself. Often times he speaks to Katy and she is there. It never feels unbelievable, but intensifies the loneliness and fear that Joe is experiencing. When Harry arrives, the family unit struggles to find a way to coexist.

Both sons are the most interesting and complicated part of the film. Artie, has a hard time adjusting to his mother dying, asking if she will be gone forever and saying that he wants to die to be close to her. He is tyrannical and often selfish but frequently collapses in moments of despair when he thinks of his mom. He is played perfectly as you care about how he is developing and how he is handling this grief, because at 6 years old death is not something that can be fully comprehended. Harry is a teenager and not only is struggling with puberty, but he is trying to understand why his father left him for another woman and another family. Unfortunately, his story is never fully developed and although it is very touching, any kind of resolution is weak.

Being a story about a broken family, Joe struggles to find ways to keep things together. He develops a “Yes” plan, which allows any question to be answered with yes and finds that parenting is not easy. What seems to be an easy solution somehow seems to work for the boys. They do not function like they used to, but things are different now and that’s exactly where it remains for the rest of the film.

Some of the scenes in the movie are absolutely beautiful. Hicks skillfully and purposely shoot the Australian landscape with a true love of the land, giving a sense of wonderment and hope to a rather sad situation.

The title “The Boys are Back” refers to these boys, young and old, regaining their trust and hope in one another. Not only do they need each other, but also they are learning to be a family however unconventional it may be. As for them really getting “back” to something, it is unsure what that really is, but for the moment things are okay—nothing resolved, maybe something learned, just okay.

There are two extras that are worth watching on the DVD. "The Boys Are Back: A Photographic Journey is an interesting look at production stills and stories narrated by the director, Scott Hicks. It is a nice perspective on the film. "A Father and Two Sons" is footage from when the real-life boys met their fictional counterparts on set- it is quite touching to see.

Slamdance 101

Now when you mention the word "Sundance" not many people know about or even think about the other film festival that is going on at the top of the hill in Park City, Slamdance. I don't know if I can call it a sister fest, but there is something amazing going on at this festival, a real testament to the indie filmmaker. Something that everyone should participate in.

Slamdance is in its 16th year. The story goes that it was started by three filmmakers that were rejected from Sundance in 1994. In 1995 "Slamdance '95: Anarchy in Utah -- The First Annual Guerrilla Intl. Film Festival" was created and the projection booths were run by the filmmakers. This is a festival that have dedicated filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh supporting it and participating (his first documentary "Everything is Going Fine" premiered here last Friday), where Christopher Nolan played "Following" and where two years ago "Paranormal Activity" was picked up.

It now takes place at The Treasure Mountain Inn, which is located at the very top of Main Street. There are two screening rooms...which are really like large dining rooms that now have a classroom projector set-up with a max capacity of 130 people on bleacher-raised chairs. The air conditioning never works and you are always viewing a movie with a neck ache because you are struggling to see around the heads in front of you. But it's always a great way to meet people, because you might be sitting on them.

Here is where the true independent film making is seen. Here are where the low-budget, well written, projects of passion are being shown. This really is a festival that embraces the filmmaker and creates a community of friends and family in the week that it goes on. All of the films are attended by cast/crew of other films in the festival, you begin to see familiar faces. Audiences sit on the ground to catch a screening and you have to watch yourself if you leave to go to the restroom because you might block the projector.

Is this exciting yet?

The films really speak for themselves at Slamdance. They are the more offbeat. Check out one of the shorts programs, as they all tend to stray from Hollywood story arch, but are visually beautiful. That is not to say that all films are quirky. This year some of my personal favorites include "Drones", about aliens and humans that interact in an office space and "The Four-Faced Liar" about young couples in New York that are figuring out what they want out of their relationships and themselves. More in-depth reviews to come.

Soderbergh did his Q & A from Skype in his hotel room in Berlin at 4am to an audience no bigger than 150 people. You try seeing something like that at Sundance.

*Please note that I am not discrediting Sundance, but when your film is up against Phillip Seymour Hoffman's directorial debut film, you could be overlooked. It is just something completely different.

There is life after Slamdance. A story that I enjoy telling is about the filmmaker Drake Doremus, who directed "Spooner" that premiered at Slamdance last year. It went on to play the festival circuit, picking up audience and festival awards wherever it went. It was a great success and this year he premiered his latest project "Douchebag" as part of the Narrative Competition at Sundance. Great things with great films do happen here.

I enjoy both festivals for different reasons. I just wanted to give you a taste of what it is like at the top of the hill. Along with filmmaker sled-races and hot-tub filmmaker chats, it has kept an independent feel and a love of cinema that leaks from the doors of the Treasure Mountain Inn.

Sundance.

As many of you know, I am hiking the the hill (Main Street, that is) of Park City and covering both Sundance and Slamdance film festival. This is my second year and I can't wait to make this a yearly excursion.

This has been a dream of mine since I had first realized that I loved films. This little dream of mine has become more complicated with time and revisions had been made to the original idea. Not only did I want to get to participate in Sundance/Slamdance, but I wanted to be paid to go. I wanted these trips to be because of my job and this year I did it again. Not only am I covering both festivals for press, but I get to scout for films to bring to Newport. It's pretty awesome.

With that being said, already coming back for my second year I feel that I have removed the "I can't believe I'm at Sundance" glaze and been able to really hit the streets with confidence. It is an exciting festival this year, with a theme of "rebel" and the idea that they are really returning to the independent cinema. Whether or not they are actually doing that (the films I have seen thus far make it true) it already seems to have a different feel to it.

To prove it, the reviews coming out of Sundance are all praising the smaller budget, non talent heavy films. Look up reviews from "Waiting for Superman", a documentary backed by Bill Gates that has been all the rage here. Phillip Seymour Hoffman's directorial debut "Jack Goes Boating" is the major star-studded film that people are liking. That is besides "Howl" and "Get Low"- both films that will surely see the light of distribution.

As for Slamdance, I just love it up there. When I say "up there" I am referring to the two tiny screening rooms that are erected in an Inn, located on the very top of the Main Street hill. It is a trek to get up there, but worth it. The filmmakers and films at this festival (now in its 16th year) are the independents of the "indie film" category. Here Christopher Nolan got his start and films like "Paranormal Activity" were picked up. And this year, I have not yet been let down-the production value of all of the films are phenomenal and the writing is spot-on. I will have reviews up of these films soon.

I know that this is not much of an update, but there is not a lot of time between screenings and social events to write. The photo above is of Banksy artwork on the streets of Park City...there is a documentary on Banksy premiering here, "Exit Through the Gift Shop", and my ticket is for Wednesday. I'll let you know how it is.

Good friends. Great artists.

My amazing friend in Greece decided that she wanted to give me a new look. What do you think? If it were not for people like you, Helena, I would not be doing this. Thank you so much!