SXSW Day 4 Recap

     Day 4 was a Monday and since 1. Andy wasn't going downtown early and 2. Nicole's grandfather, Pedro, was leaving, we decided to have lunch at Phil's Burger place and I opted to see movies at the Alamo Village satellite venue.  Boy was I spoiled!  It is was so easy to see three movies all in a row because a. lines were a LOT shorter than downtown and b. you stand in line inside the theater so the badges really do seem to make a difference.

Movie Reviews
Beauty is Embarrassing
Director: Neil Berkeley
Screenwriter: Neil Berkeley, Chris Bradley, Kevin Klauber
Description-
Raised in the Tennessee mountains, Wayne White started his career as a cartoonist in NYC. He quickly found success as one of the creators of the Pee-wee's Playhouse TV show which soon led to more work design some of the most arresting and iconic images in pop culture. Recently his word paintings featuring pithy and and often sarcastic text statements finely crafted onto vintage landscape paintings have made him a darling of the fine art world. The movie chronicles the vaulted highs and crushing lows of an artist struggling to find peace and balance between his professional work and his personal art. This is especially complicated for a man who struggles with the virtues he most often mocks in his art...Vanity, ego and fame. 
My Review-
I truly loved this documentary.  I came away from this film feeling so happy and hopeful and uplifted.  I actually saw it twice and enjoyed the Q & A with Wayne himself.  I think what struck me the most about it is that Wayne just keeps on going as an artist, even when things get him down, he just keeps on trucking along.  It also appears that he has a good life with his family and that they support one another in their endeavors.  Check out the trailer below because it really sum up the documentary, but only gives a preview of the films greatness.  Make note of how Matt Groening and Todd Oldham describe Wayne...really spot on in my opinion.

The Hunter
Director: Daniel Nettheim
Screenwriter(s): Julia Leigh - Novel, Alice Addison- Screenplay, Wain Fimeri - Original adaptation
Description-
THE HUNTER is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger’s genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family; however, as his attachment to the family grows, Martin is led down a path of unforeseen dangers, complicating his deadly mission.
My Review-
This movie was a sweet surprise!  I wasn't sure if I was going to like it based on the description but the movie ended up being a good mix of thrill, suspense, personal connections. loss and intrigue.  I have always liked Willem Dafoe, at lease in most movies and I was super excited when I knew Sam Neill would be in it.  The scenery is amazing just to take in too so I would say many senses or tweaked during the 101 minutes of the film.  Trailer from the movie below:

Decoding Deepak
Director: Gotham Chopra
Screenwriter: Gotham Chopra
Description-
Film-maker and journalist Gotham Chopra spends a year following his father and spiritual icon Deepak Chopra, separating the man from the myth with a raw honesty only a son can have. What starts as decoding of Deepak becomes an examination of himself, and possibly an allegory of a world trying to make sense of itself.
My Review-
I really enjoyed this documentary because of the intimate portrait of a father and son.  That the father and son are Deepak and Gotham Chopra was sort of secondary to me.  In my opinion, Gotham explored and age old question of and son or daughter trying to come to grips with who their parents are and how they may see themselves in their parents and vice versa.  The trailer below gives a good intro to the documentary and I highly recommend seeing it to anyone even if you are not a Deepak Chopra fan.

SXSW Recap, half down, half to go.  Boy it was a busy week!!!

Theater Bum

My favorite SXSW bumper is online now! 

I felt like a total theater bum during the SXSW Film week, but this guy is even more of a bum.  Watch how his outfits change over time...hilarious!

Enjoy!

More SXSW movie recaps again tomorrow!

SXSW Recap - Day 3

Kid-Thing and Bumpers
    
     Day 3 for SXSW was on Sunday.  Many of my friends know that on Sundays, I like to relax in the morning and usually I watch CBS Sunday morning.  Since I didn't get home until 2:30am, which automatically became 3:30am due to the time change, I told Andy when he was dropping me off not to count on seeing me that day and that I was going to catch a couple of movies at the SXSW satellite venue AKA the Alamo Village.  I REALLY wanted to see the documentary, Chasing Ice, about global warming.
Chasing Ice Description below:
     In the spring of 2005, National Geographic photographer James Balog headed to the Arctic on a tricky assignment: to capture images to help tell the story of the Earth's changing climate. Even with a scientific upbringing, Balog had been a skeptic about climate change and a cynic about the nature of academic research. But that first trip north opened his eyes to the biggest story in human history and sparked a challenge within him that would put his career and his very well-being at risk.that started at 5pm, but had to show a couple of houses and wouldn't make the start time. 

Since I had to show a couple of houses, I discovered I wouldn't make the 5pm showing of Chasing Ice and instead, coordinated with my friend, Missy, to meet her and her husband for the show, Kid Thing, just afterwards.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, we both got the start time wrong.  I texted her that I would be late and walked into the theater about 10 minutes after the movie started and couldn't see them in the dark theater.  I quickly found a seat to catch as much as the movie as I could.  After about 5 minutes, I could tell I probably wasn't going to like the movie and 10 minutes in I started to feel really bad that I talked them into coming to the movie and paying for it.  Just as I considered walking out, I received a text from Missy that she had the time wrong too and wasn't even in the theater.  Relieved, I quickly walked out and met them for a drink nearby.

Initially I was going to return to see the last movie, Waiting for Lightening, then realized it was slated for our viewing schedule on Tuesday night.  I decided I didn't want to mess up our elaborate schedule and that I might as well make it an early evening and try to recover from the late night before.

Movie Review
Kid-Thing
Director: David and Nathan Zellner
Screenwriter: David Zellner
Description-
Annie is a rebellious ten-year-old girl. She lives on the outskirts of town with her father Marvin, who, when not herding goats, mostly sleeps the day away. Virtually devoid of parental guidance, Annie is left to fend for herself and do as she pleases. With no moral compass, she roams the neighboring lands, shoplifting and engaging in general destructive behavior. Her routine is broken one day while playing in the woods; she hears an old woman calling from deep within an abandoned well, asking for help. Scared and untrusting of the unseen stranger, Annie deliberates on her course of action.
My Review-
I know I really can't do justice in a review of a movie that I didn't see in its entirety, however, I should have known that the subject matter would not appeal to me because I have a really tough time when kids are neglected or mistreated in fiction or reality.  

Bumpers
   Before the SXSW films, in lieu of previews of others movies, they show short videos called bumpers, to whet our movie appetites.  The SXSW website describes them as "Here at the SXSW Film Conference we love film so much we make films for our films! Every year we invite a group of great filmmakers to make 30-second shorts or "bumpers" to be played before each of our screenings. It's like a tasty appetizer before your film meal. They can build excitement, mood, and become talking points in their own right." 
   I had some favorite "How Not to be Lame at SXSW" bumpers of the festival and as soon as they post them online, I will be sure to link them here.  Below are a few bumpers from last year.

The Line - 

The Chase -

Constellations -

Up Next:  Day 4 Recap

SXSW Day 2 Recap

     First of all, I need to make a correction to my Day 1 recap, I actually saw 16 movies in all.  I forgot to count Iron Sky and I am counting Beauty is Embarrassing twice because I saw it all the way through, once alone and once with Andy.  I am not sure I can count Kid Thing since I was late arriving and ended up leaving after about 15 minutes since I didn't like it.  I will go ahead and count it since I will write a brief synopsis about it for Day 3.

Second, Saturday I saw 4 movies total...unless you don't count the movie, Iron Sky, that I didn't care for and ended up sleeping through most of it (it was a midnight movie, so give me a little slack, I was tired on top of not really liking the movie but more on that later. . . could have also been the warm cookies and milk that I enjoyed as the movie began.)  Andy and I almost went to see Killer Joe, starring Matthew McConaughey, which would have brought the total to 5 on Saturday, but we opted to get a bite to eat before the midnight movie.   Other than the porno showing on the bar TV at Jackalope, I am glad we took a break from the movies to get something decent to eat instead of more popcorn and protein bars.

Movie Reviews

The Imposter
Director: Bart Layton
Screenwriter(s): Documentary
Description-
In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappeared from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later he is found alive thousands of miles away in Spain with a shocking story of kidnap and torture. His family are overjoyed to bring him home. But all is not what it seems. He bears many of the same marks but why does he have a strange accent? Why does he look so different? And why doesn't the family notice these glaring inconsistencies? It's only when an investigator starts asking questions that this astonishing true story takes an even stranger turn...
My Review-
WOW!  This is such an amazing story that I was blown away.  I also really liked the way that the filmmakers shot the movie with voice overs from the real people involved playing over dramatizations of various significant scenes in the story line.  From the Sundance guide: "Like his canny subject, gifted filmmaker Bart Layton (who we interviewed here) pulls off an astonishing coup. Buoyed by eye-catching dramatizations and an enthralling structure that crisscrosses time and place, The Imposter unfolds as a gripping thriller that leaves us dizzy, yet certain that truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction." The Imposter is one of my standouts from Sundance this year.
I tried to get a video clip from the film, but couldn't find one.  The website to read about it yourself is at http://protagonistpictures.com/films.php?film=theimposter 

Nature Calls
Director: Todd Rohal
Screenwriter(s): Todd Rohal
Description-
Determined to honor his father’s scouting legacy and mount one last comeback for his dwindling troop, Assistant Scoutmaster Randy Stevens (Patton Oswalt) pays a visit to his business-minded brother Kirk (Johnny Knoxville), who is throwing a television-themed slumber party for his newly adopted 10-year-old son at his McMansion. Randy pressures the boys to secretly ditch the party and join him on a weekend scout trip. Pursued by Kirk and his security guard (Rob Riggle), the adventure lands the boys in trouble at every turn, pits them against angry parents and park rangers, yet ultimately turns the group of sheltered kids into a troop to be reckoned with.
My Review-
I think the movie could have been better.  It felt a bit choppy and like the actors were acting in separate movies and there were scenes that felt over-acted to me.  I did laugh pretty well in several parts of the movie especially some scenes with the late Patrice O'Neal.  The Q & A afterwards was really funny especially two of the kid actors from the movie.  When they were asked if they peeked during the filming of a nude scene from the film, one of the kids said his mom made him read the bible when he got home and the other denied looking at first, then admitted to maybe peeking a little.  I would recommend this movie on Netflix, but not really make the effort to see it in the theater. 


Safety Not Guaranteed
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Screenwriter(s): Derek Connolly
Description-
“WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. "Safety Not Guaranteed". I have only done this once before.”
When an unusual classified ad inspires three cynical Seattle magazine employees to look for the story behind it, they discover a mysterious eccentric named Kenneth, a likable but paranoid supermarket clerk, who believes he’s solved the riddle of time travel and intends to depart again soon. Together, they embark on a hilarious, smart, and unexpectedly heartfelt journey that reveals how far believing can take you.
My Review-
I LOVED this movie!!! It was probably my favorite of SXSW Film.  If you liked Lars and the Real Girl, Juno, or quirky movies like them, you would probably really enjoy this film.  You can hear the director from the movie discuss the movie in the clip below:

Iron Sky
Director:  Timo Vuorensola
Screenwriter(s): Michael Kalesniko, Timo Vuorensola
Description-
World War II did not end with complete defeat for the Nazis – some of them managed to utilize their secret technologies to flee to the dark side of the Moon.
There, deep within their swastika fortress, Schwarze Sonne, they have plotted the reconquest of the Earth for over 70 years. In 2018, the flagship of their space armada, the gigantic Götterdämmerung, is nearing completion, but when the next American crewed moon mission lands too close to the Nazi base for comfort, the plans are rushed forward.
My Review-
Well, since I fell asleep after about 30 minutes into this movie, I am not sure I am completely qualified to review it...What I do remember is that I had the expectation that it would be like Independence Day and it wasn't.  There was some really good special effects and such, but the actors and story line seemed lame in practice.   I am going to have to defer to Andy on this one since he was able to stay awake for the entire film.  You can see the trailer here:

That wraps up Day 2 of SXSW film for me. 

Day 3 and 4 reviews to come tomorrow!

SXSW Part 2 - Day 1

Recap of the end of the week:

Day 6:
Bernie

Day 7:
Music - Diego's Umbrella at Waterloo
Movie - Girl Walk//All Day

Day 8:
Do-Deca Pentathlon

Summary:
15 movies in 8 days...SXSW film is actually going on for a 9th day but I do not think I will be going today for two reasons...I need some sleep and I need some Nicole time.

Movie Reviews:
Day 1

The Cabin in the Woods
Director: Drew Goddard
Screenwriters: Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard

Description -
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods.  Bad things happen.
If you think you know this story, think again.  From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin in the Woods, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out.
My Review -
I am not a big fan of horror/slasher movies, but this one is so different and creative that I was actually laughing so much before any of the scary stuff came on screen that when it did get to some of the unsavory segments, I didn't mind it so much.  There are several unexpected twists in the movie that I won't reveal (although other people already have).  I highly recommend seeing it even if you don't like scary movies because this one is quite different and the dialogue that produces some one-liners is great.

The Babymakers
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Screenwriters: Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow

Description -
After trying everything to get his wife Audrey (Olivia Munn) pregnant, Tommy Macklin (Paul Schneider) realizes to his horror that he may be "shooting blanks."  Terrified that his marriage may fall apart, Tommy recruits his friends (and and Indian ex-mobster) to rob a sperm bank where he made a deposit years ago.  As with any half-baked scheme, everything can and does go wrong, testing the limits of Tommy and Audrey's relationship.  The Babymakers is a hilarious twist on the heist film genre, a laugh-out loud comedy showing how far one couple will go in hopes of creating a new life.
My Review -
I really enjoyed this movie, too.  There was a good bit of creative and funny dialogue between the characters and even some slapstick physical humor.  All is of course resolved in the end, but getting to the ending takes you on a fun ride.

The festival started out with a bang with these first two movies.  More reviews to come...

SXSW Part 1

SXSW has been a blast so far!

I took a break Sunday and I am only seeing one movie tonight due to work, but the breaks have been needed.  Even standing in the rain was fine by me because of all the fun I have been having.  I wanted to give a brief update of the events so far. 

Below is the list of movies I have seen so far and I will give a longer description of each and what I thought about them in the next couple of days when I have more time.

Day 1:
Cabin In The Woods
The Babymakers

Day 2:
The Imposter
Nature Calls
Safety Not Guaranteed
Iron City (not sure if I can count this one since I slept through most of it, but will explain later)

Day 3:
Break for work and rest

Day 4:
Beauty is Embarrassing
The Hunter
Decoding Deepak

Day 5:
Wonder Women!
Trash Dance
Waiting for Lightening
Beauty is Embarrassing (Andy wanted to see it and I did not mind at all seeing it again)

Day 6:
My plan is to see Bernie tonight with Jack Black as one of the stars....

More to come in the next couple of days!

Pure Adrenaline

We are going to start this post off with a bang!  Here is a video of me ziplining today at Lake Travis Zipline Adventure :

Hahahahaha!  Okay, not really, but here is a picture of me and my peeps Missy, Alison and Amy just before we started on our adventure.

You will notice that Missy is wearing a pink florescent helmet that has a fake mohawk velcroed to it.  What you can't see is that it says 'Happy Birthday' in glitter paint on the side.  Missy got a special helmet instead of the standard orange like the rest of us because zipline scheduling put our adventure just a couple of days before her birthday.  We started off the morning with a birthday brunch at Manuel's then headed out to the Lake Travis to begin our adventure.  It seems we picked an almost perfect day weather-wise to go because it was warm enough for shorts, but not so hot that we were sweltering in the Texas heat.  You will also see the pinwheels.  Apparently we are the first people to even think to bring along pinwheels for our adventure and we suggested they should sell them in their shop.

As I mentioned, the weather was perfect timing wise for visit to Lake Travis Zipline, however my exercise routine wasn't...I mistakeningly (don't think that is a word) took a 24 Hour bootcamp class on Thursday so I am still sore from all the lunges, squats and scissor hops that our instructor tortured us with in the early morning.  I have been trying to stretch and actually tried swimming on Saturday to loosen up my leg muscles.  I was definitely moving better today than I have in a few days, but word to the wise, don't take a class like that before you have to hike up steep hills around the lake.  I digress.  We did 5 different ziplines zigzagging across Lake Travis.  Even with the lake levels drastically below normal levels, the scenery was beautiful to gaze at as you are rocketing between one platform to the other.  The final zip was the steepest and was about half a mile long. 

I highly recommend this adventure to people who might be interested....as the piggy says, "Pure. Adrenaline."

PS.  Another gentleman on the trip was taking lots of photos, mostly for his family and friends, but also took some of us at the end of each line.  If he remembers to email them to me, I will post some more animated photos.

Next up:
SXSW Film in one week