JoBlo.com/Sundance #7
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Since Wednesday was my last full day here in Park City, and considering the fact that I'd spent several Sundance hours NOT watching movies, I made it my mission to see a whole bunch that day. Of course I found a little time to meet up with a new friend named Rob Hall (whom you might know from his debut flick, Lightning Bug, OR from his fantastic FX house "Almost Human"), have lunch at Quizno's and desert at Starbucks.
But today was all about the movies, and I started off with a trio of excellent documentaries.
TWIST OF FAITH
First up was TWIST OF FAITH, which focuses on a former Toledo priest accused (and quite guilty) of rampant sexual abuse. What makes this particular take on such an oft-reported story so damn compelling is that many of the former victims are on hand to recount their horrifying experiences, plus we get a sobering view of how readily the Catholic Church was willing to sweep these allegations under the carpet. But hey, don't take my word for it...the movie was just nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar!!
AFTER INNOCENCE
AFTER INNOCENCE is another truly engrossing documentary, one that presents a collection of stories that may just turn you into an anti-death penalty advocate! How many stories of former convicts set free thanks to DNA testing do you have to see before you realize that, hey, the American justice system is pretty screwed up? We're talking about completely innocent men incarcerated for 20-some years! Fortunately we now have the technology (and the truly kind-hearted attorneys) to set the wrongly-accused free! And what's most rewarding about these stories is that the now-free fellows are more relieved and grateful than they are drop-dead furious. (Me, I'd be kicking some serious ass!)
GRIZZLY MAN
GRIZZLY MAN comes from legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, and it focuses on a bear lover named Timothy Treadwell. Sadly, Timothy was found entirely devoured by the very creatures he loved so dearly, but Herzog brings the (admittedly goofy) guy's final days to life in touching fashion. True, Mr. Treadwell had a sincere affection for these massive beasts (and he DID give the world some amazing footage of said animals), but his borderline-insane persistence at "being one of the animals" is undoubtedly what caused his violent demise. ("Loving" a giant clawed beast, unfortunately, does NOT mean he won't eat you!)
MIRRORMASK
( www.sonypictures.com/movies/mirrormask/
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After three consecutive docos, I was more than ready for something make-believe, and boy oh boy did I get just that with MIRRORMASK. Of the numerous critics I've spoken to about the movie, it seems that I'm among the few who truly LOVED the thing...but it's getting positive notices across the board. Sort of a wild and witty amalgamation of Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum and Salvador Dali, this is a completely unique and borderline-hypnotic fantasy / adventure / coming-of-age tale, courtesy of the adorably warped minds of Dave McKean, Neil Gaiman and the mad geniuses at Jim Henson Studios. No word yet on U.S. distribution, but if this movie sounds even remotely cool to you, be sure to see it on the BIG SCREEN!
THE ARISTOCRATS
And then I saw THE ARISTOCRATS, thanks to the Sundance folks scheduling a second press screening. And lemme tell you guys...this is one of the funniest freakin' movies I've ever seen. It's got about 100 comedians, all telling a different variation on the same old joke. It's also one of the most joyously vulgar comedies I've ever seen, so expect this one to hit your neighborhood attached to an NC-17...or most likely courtesy of HBO. This stuff makes Eddie Murphy's DELIRIOUS look like Bill Cosby's HIMSELF.
LOVERBOY
The last flick I saw was this morning, and that was Kevin Bacon's LOVERBOY, which stars his lovely wife Kyra Sedgwick as the world's most overprotective and smothery mother. It's a consistently interesting and exceedingly well-acted film, but the lead character is so persistently off-putting that it forces the film to stay at arm's length. Absolutely worth seeing, though, particularly for a great supporting cast that features Blair Brown, Marisa Tomei, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon and Bacon himself.
And that's a wrap! My flight for Philly leaves in just a few hours, but I'll be back in a day or two to give a quick little wrap-up. Be sure to leave me some notes in the JoBlo forums...so I know somebody's been reading! Thanks.
Source: JoBlo.com
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