Sundance/Slamdance '08 Thus Far
Posted by: Ryan Rotten
Broken down buses and gay zombie porn. Industry talk from the bathroom stall and the best swag ever. Chilly nights. Nachos. Celebrity sightings. Old friends. Rock band tour bus interviews. Photos! It's all inside after the jump...
When people from back home ask me how I'm feeling about the Sundance experience, my reaction is the same: I'm having a blast. Seriously. For a first-timer here, it's not stressful but a weekend-and-a-half of discovery. You've got friends here - all with different agendas; but every so often, you're able to slow down, catch up, tip back a brew or two and see people you haven't seen, like in my case, maybe four or five years. Not to mention, it's f**k'in' beautiful out here, and I'm happy to admit that in spite of my loathing of snow.
The films I've seen are a mixed bag. Time Crimes, Funny Games and Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer are the cream of the crop so far. I'm not hearing great things about Hell Ride. Red, the Jack Ketchum adaptation, breaks into fits of poor direction/editing and hokey overdramatics but is, over-all, a decent Western-inspired tale of revenge. It's actor Brian Cox's show.
Then there's Otto: or, Up With Dead People. I should have taken it as a forewarning when the co-producer on this film told me to let her know if I'd still like to talk to director Bruce LaBruce, "if I make it all the way through the movie." What the hell is that about, right? So, I dubiously enter the theater, hunker down, note of the sold-out crowd on a Sunday afternoon...and take in what is essentially GAY ZOMBIE PORN. Is it a film about a zombie? Sorta. The eponymous character is at conflict with himself - and the people he surrounds himself with doubt he's undead at all. Even though he insists he is. Throughout the drama, however, I fell witness to a man screwing another fella's stomach (full penetration shots) and an undead homosexual orgy.
Sorry. Not my bag. I counted roughly 20 - 25 people walk out. The row I sat in cleared out. Two girls behind me passed out, snoring away and likely catching up on missed sleep due to the partying the night before.
The interviews are going great. I caught up, again, with Romero and we talked about the current trend of first-person camera storytelling. Time Crimes' Nacho Vigalando rocked and we're due to get drinks when I return to L.A. And then there was The Horrors - my first rock band interview which was conducted on the Gibson Guitar bus. I think it went okay. Only two of the members actually spoke through the whole discussion.
On the distressing side - I had a bus ride that ended with a breakdown, but not before I heard a hilarious discussion take place between driver and someone at his headquarters:
Driver (into radio handset): Yes, this is bus (enter i.d. number here) - my oil pressure has gone out.
Woman at headquarters: Can you still drive?
Our bus lurches forward a few feet.
Driver: Yep!
Then came on another gruff and urgent voice, I'll call him...
Voice of reason: Don't drive it - we don't need the engine to blow up!
At that, all six passengers on board, including myself, made a bee-line for the doors. And let me ask you this: Is there anything in the world so important it needs to be discussed while on the toilet? While seeing Red yesterday, I stopped by the bathroom. There, I heard the familiar grunts of relief coming from the stall behind me, then, a phone rings and Mr. Stall answers. The conversation that ensued had to do with some meeting, a film...the usual stuff you hear at Sundance. Mr. Stall's chat continued until I left. Drop the phone and drop a deuce, I say.
As for the parties, they're cool enough. Carbon copies really. A bash for The Horrors blacked out when power on Main Street failed for a good fifteen minutes or so. My friend Kristina taxi cab-rescued me from that one like a woman determined to flee a bank heist and took me up into the hills where we wound up at Marc Ecko's posh pad. I didn't know who he was - but I guess he's known in the fashion world ("Sort've a big deal," as they say). I'll give him this - he's got some great twisted Alice in Wonderland-inspired paintings all over his place.
The other night Ray-Ban gave the visionary award to Quentin Tarantino - I was there for that (pics below), and so was Dennis Hopper and Harvey Weinstein. The Bravery played for an hour after the ceremony, then security cleared everyone out for another party (which I didn't attend) featuring Velvet Revolver.
Speaking of musicians, Dave Matthews dropped in on the Red screening. Maybe he was Mr. Stall...?
Celeb sightings are everywhere. Paris Hilton. Michael Madsen. Dennis Quaid. The new "Stepfather" Dylan Walsh. A bus nearly ran over Stanley Tucci. And I sorta body-checked Ian Ziering trying to get by him on an icy patch of pavement. U2 was around somewhere. They played a top secret show I wasn't too cool for school to get into.
Alright, gotta jam and catch up on reviews. Let me leave you with some pics!
Atmosphere shots...
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The Cloverfield monster?
This is the dude from the band Train. It was taken in one of the many "lounges" the elite can hang out in, get free food, free stuff and listen to music. I was only allowed in because of an interview opportunity. So, yeah...the guy from Train - he did Led Zeppelin covers.
The Ray-Ban bash...
Slamdance Q&A with the Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer team...
The best swag I've been given so far. Scored these puppies while on the bus ('cause that's where everything happens, it seems). I started chatting with this cute British gal who said she was the sales rep for a horror flick at the fest called Donkey Punch. When I told her I was planning on covering the film she said, "I've got a gift for you then!" and pulled out these highly useful gloves! They're a great conversation starter, I should add. Some elderly woman on the Sundance PR staff felt the need to take a picture of me wearing them. Then I donkey punched her. I kid, of course.
Or do I?
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