the wait is over

Some of my friends made this thing that they worked so hard on and we waited so long for and now it's finally here and ready for you to see.

(I sort of consulted on the music for the trailer. Apparently I'm into darker things, but that's as close as I'll ever get to my dream job of doing music for movies. Unless.)

I am dying just watching the promo videos. Like when Jeru tries to style Mike White like a fundy, or when Sam Rockwell gives her a hard time for eating a lot (as if).

Broncos is out now in several major cities and more next week, check for times and get yourself there asap.

bloom

you all need to see the brothers bloom. it's a quite perfect movie. rinko kikuchi, prague, exploding barbie dolls, and so many little things. not to mention adrian brody.

samandali

I just found out that my friend Sam sculpted the original Yo Gabba Gabba characters for the pilot episode of the kids' show. They eventually got replaced but if you have the dvd you'll see them. This is a topic of conversation because 1) I'm obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba especially since Chromeo's appearance last week. And 2) Sam is a really good artist. He's the one who along with his wife/my dear friend Alison, did the paintings for the upcoming film Gentlemen Broncos. The first time I met Sam, I walked into the house and a bicycle made of bones was hanging from the living room ceiling. Just one of his art projects. Sam and Ali now have an etsy shop where prints of some of their paintings are available. Man, I have talented friends.

Sundance: Day 4

1.24.09

Rosie and Scotty join me for the final movie of Sundance, Dead Snow: Norwegian Nazi zombie thriller. Which actually turns out to be just as much of a comedy as a horror movie. Frankly they could have done more with the Nazi thing to make it scarier. Best part: the hero hangs from a cliff by Nazi zombie intestines which are still connected to the Nazi zombie on the other end. Worst part: love scene in the outhouse.

Now it's time to catch up on all the regular movies. Maybe I should not spend hours watching SAG Awards fashion recaps.

Sundance: Day 3

1.23.09

Leave before dawn. I actually have a ticket for "The September Issue" but don't get in thanks to all those special pass holders who show up. 100 angry fashion junkies and Park City retirees are turned away.

Barely stay awake for "The Reckoning," a documentary about the International Criminal Court. Learn about crimes about humanity and war crimes in places like Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, and Columbia. Think the U.S. looks pretty shady in refusing to join the ICC. Best part: the sweet old man (what is his name??) who's first trial as an attorney was as a prosecutor at Nuremberg at age 27. Unbelievable. Worst part: the camo-wearing fan gushing at the Q&A. See ijcentral.org for more on the international justice movement.

"Adam" turns the audience into big babies, including that camo-clad doucher again. It's a romance about two neighbors, one of which has Asberger's Syndrome. Best part: Hugh Dancy. Worst part: the tinge of Lifetime Movie Networkishness. "Adam" will come out later this year via Fox Searchlight.

I giggle and grin all the way through "Paper Heart," the project of that stoner girlfriend from Knocked Up, Christine Yi, who is on a search to make sense of her disbelief in love. It's part documentary footage and part narrative about a budding romance between her and Michael Cera. Completely hilarious and touching. Best part: Charylyne and the kids at the playground in Atlanta questioning each other, and pretty much every other second of the film. Worst part: that Michael Cera is actually dating Charlyne Yi in real life instead of me. "Paper Heart" has distribution; please do see it when it comes out.

It is a slow year at Sundance. Only sighting today: Greg of Misshapes. He stands next to me in line forever, and I still don't talk to him. Meanwhile, a friend sits next to David Bowie in a screening.

Sundance: Day 2

As in, my second day at Sundance, not the second day of the festival.

1.19.09

Randi and Matt join me for The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, a totally bizarro movie about janitors who eat prototype cookies and get impregnated with little blue fish. Well, just the guys get pregnant. Love everyone in it including Vince Vieluf and Marshall Allman. It is a treat to see Tania Raymonde in it, the actress who plays Alex on Lost, and whom I have had a girl crush on since she her first episode.

Become obsessed with that Pendleton blanket-turned-sweater.

Jump out of the car at Holiday Cinemas just in time to meet Dirk and Kathryn going inside for Short Program III. Worst short: the one by former BYU film students. Sorry. Best shorts: Pencil Face, which luckily for you, can be watched here. The opening images are amazing. 2 Birds, from Iceland, horrifying but totally beautiful. And Instead of Abracadabra, from Sweden. Of course my favorite is Swedish. About a 25 year old mustachioed magic freak living with his parents. Completely charming and hilarious. You can download if from iTunes for free until 1/25, along with a handful of other shorts, but I can't vouch for any of the others yet.

Late night shuttle ride to the lot.

Will we survive Friday?

Sundance: Day 1

1.18.09

Crying baby and apathetic mother on the shuttle. Who brings a baby to Sundance?

French film Louise-Michel about a lady who can't read who used to be a guy who works in a factory that gets shut down and hires a guy who used to be a lady to kill the boss. Best part: he dresses up his bald, dying cancer patient cousin in his old dance costume and sends her to kill the target. Worst part: a reenactment of 9/11 in a trailer park, which is later explained and is more benign that assumed.

While waitlisting Stay The Same Never Change, Dirk shows me the envelope for "Anna Wintour + 1" he found in the trash at The September Issue screening that he didn't get into. I get jealous that I wasn't there to catch a glimpse of her.

I like Stay the Same more than most. It stars teen girls the director found on myspace, in their own homes, with characters they collaborated on. Despite amateur acting, I kind of love the girls and really wish they'd been at the screening for the Q&A. Best parts: putting on a child's Hulk costume and pounding the floor, sewing a life-size man doll. Worst part: confusing kidnapper and mother characters.

The only celebrity sighting of the day is the guy from Amelie who produced Louise-Michel. But I get good parking spots.

finally!

Rejoice ye, for Mac users can now watch Netflix movies and tv shows on their computers without having to use Windows! What took so long, Netflix? Maybe I'll go watch some Family Ties now. Shalalala.

{previously on the Netflix vs. Mac saga}

Which one of these is Rachel Bilson's trailer?

It's a crap picture, I know. I was trying to be stealth. Summer Roberts is right here in Sugarhouse! I wasn't stalking. I passed the trailers going to the Gentleman Broncos set. Then I passed her set (for Waiting for Forever?) going to the post office. Maybe I'll take some cupcakes to her trailer.

not too tired for you

Have you seen ronaldchevalier.com yet? It's the site of Jemaine Clement's character in the Hess' new movie Gentleman Broncos and it is full of ridiculous awesomeness to be expected from all involved. Those yellow eyes following your curser around are creep creep. The other day I got to see my homies Ali and Sam in action creating some big amazing harpie paintings for the gallery on the site. You can see a couple of them there already but there are more to come. Can't wait for the movie! (It premieres at Sundance and releases in Feb.)

Today's Obsession is

Anton Yelchin. Have you seen Charlie Bartlett? Kid was born to be a performer. It figures I love him, he's Jewish.

mp3: Spiral Beach - Voodoo (from the Charlie Bartlett Soundtrack)

I'm hot and you're not

When I get something heavy on the brain, giving it to you is my attempt at purging it. Recently this scene from the movie Teen Witch, an old Disney Channel staple, keeps creeping into consciousness. Everything reminds me of it, and I find myself bringing it up in conversation all the time but it doesn't always go over well because usually nobody knows what I'm talking about, so I have to reenact it, and that is just not the same. This is one of the most memorable scenes from a movie ever. It defines sadcore. I love it. Please watch it and then we can all have an unspoken understanding of it's power and I'll never have to try to put it into words again.



What's more, Teen Witch is now a musical. Oh dear.
mp3: Teen Witch The Musical - Top That

a hurricane in all kinds of weather

One of my most favoritest movies ever is Beetlejuice. So, when getting my hair cut yesterday, Mel wanted to give me bangs a la Winona Ryder as Lydia, I couldn't say no.

Don't worry, we didn't go gothic. They look more like this:

A few surprising facts about Beeteljuice I just learned:
Tim Burton originally wanted Sammy Davis, Jr. to play Beetlejuice. He also had plans for a sequel, Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. If only.

mp3: Danny Elfman - Beetlejuice Main Titles Ah, the genius.
mp3: Harry Belafonte - Jump In The Line

[Edit] Ok fine, in response to the comments, here you go.

Are you happy, man? Good, man.

Here's the first of a little catchup on some of the media that has been rolling around here. Niall told me I had to watch American Movie and I finally got around to it. It's a documentary about a geeky dirty midwestern guy Mark trying to make independent films. I think he thought I would think it was hilarious, but I was all choked up at the end. Ok there are definitely hilarious moments like when Uncle Bill recites love poetry, "I'll visit your grave every day. Well not every day but I'll visit it sometimes if I ever find it." I was all prepared to be laughing at people taking themselves too seriously, but Mark is kinda my hero. Here's why.

1 - He works in a cemetery.
2 - His movie-making skills aren't actually horrible. I dig the old school look.
3 - Sadcore glasses.
4 - He goes against the stereotype his appearance elicits--he's gentle and is so good to his uncle, children, and friends.
5 - He is excited about life. He's not afraid to fail. I wish I had more of that. I think about my friends with great talent and potential who could do or create amazing things but for whatever reason don't take the leap. I wish we would all just go for it like Mark does.

This is why Idaho is so easy to make fun of

I'm totally stealing this from my sister, but when you snooze on your own blog, you loose. This morning she sent a text that said, "google 'hcr029' and click on the first link." Now you go ahead and do it in a new tab. And read the whole thing. Then come back.

Ok, if you were too lazy for that, here's what it is. The Idaho legislature passed a resolution honoring Jared & Jerusha Hess for making Napoleon Dynamite. This is not a joke. Here are some excerpts from the document:

WHEREAS, tater tots figure prominently in this
film thus promoting Idaho's most famous export;
and
WHEREAS,  the  friendship between Napoleon and
Pedro has furthered multiethnic relationships;
and
WHEREAS,  Uncle Rico's football skills are a
testament to Idaho athletics;...

...WHEREAS, any members of the House of
Representatives or the Senate of  the
Legislature  of the State of Idaho who choose
to vote "Nay" on this concurrent resolution
are "FREAKIN' IDIOTS!" and run the risk of
having the "Worst Day of Their Lives!"

And the bill pased 69 to 0. Now you do want to read the whole thing. This is it. How did I not know about this? Rosie only came across it because she was searching the name of one of the state representatives. I haven't asked Jerusha about it yet, but I'll see if there's more to this story and update.

i ferretted you

Best movie since the last best movie I saw: Rocket Science. It hits an ideal balance of heartbreak and awkward humor for a movie that takes place in high school but is not a high school movie. Plus stuttering? Who can resist a puny but fetching stutterer? Reece Thompson is perrrfect. A new favorite. He also happens to make iffy comedy videos with his friends, like this one about a metal band with a baby for a lead singer, or this one where Mischa Barton tries to get in their breakfast cereal production.

from the Rocket Science soundtrack
mp3: Clem Snide - I Love the Unknown

You can't break my heart--it's liquid

The reason I scavenged the kangaroo pelts out of storage the other day was for the Australian themed birthday party we threw for Jerusha. We draped those pelts over the backs of the couches where everyone was tempted to nuzzle them.

One thing about filmmakers is the sorts of guests that might be at their birthday parties are not the sorts of guests that would be at, say, mine. This party was pretty small, but one of the stars of the Hess' new movie, which starts filming this week here in Utah, was in attendance: Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement. He was lovely, although monopolized most of the night by his new boss. And I neglected to offer to show him around Salt Lake. Maybe next time. At least we got photos.

Does it look I was playing it cool? He had no idea how much I was actually freaking out.

This baby belongs to my friend Emily. How cute is that? I had to immediately send these photos to Mitch, who just recently taped my eyes open in front of the Flight of the Conchords dvd, and was the one who introduced me to them back when with this video. If you haven't seen the show, or the movie Eagle vs. Shark, check em out. More photos of the party, including the kangaroo cake, at my flickr.

mp3: Flight of the Conchords - Hiphopapotamus vs Rhymenocerous

yes yes yes, and thrice yes

I've finished the 8th and last (so far) book in the Georgia Nicolson series I mentioned the other day, which means I have to read actual grown up literature until the next one comes out. Or at least until July 25th when the first movie comes out! Katie clued me in to angusthongsmovie.com today--joy of joys. Below's the trailer, keep in mind this is based on a book for teens. But who doesn't love a good high schooly movie? 10 Things I Hate About You? Clueless? Classics, I tell you. Not to mention the 80s. Add the British and you've got a winner. Now, in the first book we're being introduced to her world, and as the books progress and you get to know the characters and their history better so things get much more entertaining. By book 8 I was laughing out loud with every page. Perhaps the movies will follow a similar pattern, so my disclaimer is, if this one doesn't turn out to be as great as we thought, the rest are bound to get better and better. And if you're a little tempted to read these, know that you can get through one in a few hours, so what have you got to lose?

Sundance: Take 3.5

I have never been more memserized by a moving picture than I was by Paradise, a short film that screened before Strangers at Sundance. This is why it was so important to be able to watch Neftlix online, and why I had to wait to post about it after I could watch it again (and again and again...)

Chinese artist Yi Zhou made this 3 minute animated film which Sundance describes thusly:

Based on Dante's The Divine Comedy, this lyrical look at an imaginary paradise is based on black-and-white nature, insects, and no human souls in the landscape.

It depicts a nature's paradise, but with shapes and movements more extranatural or fantastical. The music editing adds to the suspension of time and reality, but I also couldn't help but imagine if darker possibilities lie just outside what was depicted on film.

This is an absolute must see for everyone! Watch it and other Sundance shorts here on Netflix. Supposedly it's available on iTunes, but I can't find it with the the other Sundance shorts. Check iTunes for yourself.

cheating on leopard

I've been scheming for a week to get Windows on my Macbook Pro so I can watch stuff online on Netflix, which idiotically doesn't support use of their online viewing on Mac OSX. I figure if I had actually paid for Windows and Parallels which I'm using to run it, Netflix would owe me $300 as that's the only reason I would ever dream of having to use Windows at home. At the very least, they should be offering discounts to their subscribers who are Mac users who can't access this feature that they're paying for. I've sent them some emails about this without even the standard customer service practive of a response that the email has been received. Maybe they need to hear from more of you. Contact Netflix here if you are both a Mac and Netflix user, because although otherwise Netflix is super, they are cheating you.

The good news is, until Netflix fixes this oversight, I now have Windows on my Mac!