Sundance Film Festival 2008

northerncrane4 said:Look, I'm hoping you actually have a point to make here, otherwise, maybe just leave me alone.

You can't write about anything substantial until you actually film something substantial.
Yellowjacket is just your typical, run-of-the-mill student flop that has no business being at any major Festival.

It’s honestly no surprise that the American film scene is struggling when people like you and the others I know are working in the "industry." You've got kids who just started studying at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declaring Russian Ark to be some cinematic masterpiece, claiming they're going to make "films about real people." It immediately makes me think of that ridiculous Kreljin rant about people at the train station...

Can we please just get people to make something good? Something that isn't just misery, gloom, or rage... Give us something with happy people, an actual engaging plot, or even just some humor. We don't need constant tragedy and depression. Enough is enough, seriously.

I think I might actually head out to catch Zift and Klass 😍 😛

redowl90 said:Look, can we please just get some decent movies made? Something that isn't just pure misery, rage, or suffering... Give us happy people, fun plots, actual jokes... Not just constant tragedy and depression. I've had enough of it, seriously!

And here I go again. Ana Hušman - "Lunch".

It played at tons of festivals, won a DHF, got all the press coverage, and still—absolutely nobody watched it. 🤷

Arthur Garcia59 said:And me again. Ana Hušman - "Lunch."

It played at tons of festivals, won a DHF, everyone was talking about it, and still, nobody actually watched it. 🤷

I saw it, and now that I've thought about it: I wonder what her third film will be. Just more exploitation of the same core idea? Maybe she had to break the ice with "Crying" just to build "Lunch" on those exact same foundations to snag an award. Honestly, the fact that they released an English dub for "Lunch" pretty much explains why it isn't hitting the festival circuit quite like her previous work...

As for Sundance: just another festival where they bombard you with everything under the sun until you're completely burnt out by the end of the week, having maybe seen three good new films. Slowly but surely, I'm getting sick of festivals. It's an overdose.

I finally sat down to watch Wave, and I have to say, it was quite decent; while the ending felt somewhat predictable, the experience as a whole was certainly worthwhile.
When I reflect on the absolute garbage that usually ends up playing at AMC Theatres, it makes me wish every single film were of this caliber...

Here's my lineup:

- Choke - Moscow-Belgium
- A documentary about EKV
- Maybe "Desert of Souls" too

- Should I catch "Snow" or "Love and Other Crimes"? Or both? Or just skip 'em?

Might toss in some shorts if I'm feeling it...

Tonight I'm diving into Kaufmann's debut—Synecdoche (actually caught it this morning too). Anyone else seen it?

Keith Jones19 said:by the end of the week you're totally wiped out—just exhausted—but maybe you managed to catch three decent new movies.

You're expecting way too much 🙏

Drummer is actually a solid movie, you should check it out if you haven't yet...

redowl90 said:You have to actually shoot something substantial before you can write about anything substantial.
Yellowjacket is just your run-of-the-mill student anti-product—it has no business being at any serious festivals.

It’s hardly a surprise that American films are a mess when people like you and everyone else I know are working in this "industry." Then you've got kids who just started at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declaring Russian Vodka to be a masterpiece and claiming they'll make "films about people." It immediately brings to mind that ridiculous rant by Kreljin about people at train stations...

For God's sake, people, just make something good—something that isn't pure misery, patheticism, or rage. Give us happy people, a happy plot, some actual fun... instead of nothing but tragedy and depression. We've had enough of that, damn it!

Oh, look at you, the "Chihuahua from Beverly Hills." Clearly, a serious short film about a woman torn between her present life and her past (or desired) life isn't exactly your cup of tea.

shadowgardener12 said:Look, The Drummer is actually a decent flick—you should probably check it out if you haven't yet.

🤣 I mean, I honestly thought you'd be all over this thing just because some guy climbs a mountain and has a little spiritual awakening or whatever.🙏

Basically, The Drummer is a total masterpiece of low-budget, straight-to-streaming garbage. Honestly, one line from the synopsis actually triggered my masochism enough that I felt forced to watch it: "This stunning new film marks a significant return to the genre, offering a feast for both the mind and the senses." 🤮

Synecdoche 🤷—honestly, I think I’m against it. What do you guys reckon? 🤷

whatever

northerncrane4 said:A serious short film

Bald's take is basically the biggest issue facing American cinema right now.
But let's drop it... We're starting to get exhausting, both for others and for ourselves.

Ralph - Out of everything I've seen so far, this might actually be the best short film. I really liked the tense storytelling about a young guy who meets (maybe?) the love of his life in such a perfectly "random" way.

DRUMBEAT - Man, this one works on so many levels for the first 90 minutes, but then they completely blow the last half hour by adding unnecessary narration and dragging things out. It felt like they didn't know (or more likely, were afraid) how to actually end the movie. Such a shame, because the potential was there.

Test - Unlike "Ralph," this is hands down the worst short film I've watched at the Festival so far. A couple of funny moments here and there... but that's it. Bottom line: zero points. Just pointless.

GUEST ORCHESTRA - If the Sundance Film Festival had an award for the "most human" film, this would definitely win it. It’s a good movie that makes you laugh and hits you emotionally right when it intends to... But that’s actually where the issue lies: just when you're waiting for that final crescendo—that emotional eruption that makes you want to stand up, clap loudly, and shout "Bravo! Bravo!"—it never comes. The film just ends, lacking that final "touch" a piece like this really needs. A real missed opportunity.
But regardless of my rambling—definitely give these a watch!

Michael Newman50 said:sinegdoha 🤷 I suspect I find myself in opposition to this. What are your thoughts? 🤷

Indeed, excluding those final twenty minutes where I am left feeling 🙂

I simply cannot find the words to articulate it yet.

Michael Newman50 said:🤣 I figured you’d enjoy watching some guy climb a mountain just to find himself... 🙏

Basically, Drums is a gorgeous, straight-to-DVD fart. One line from the synopsis actually appealed to my masochism enough to make me watch it: This stunning new film marks a significant return to the genre and is a feast for the mind and senses. 🤮

Haven't seen it. We don't get films this good around here—not like what they show at the Sundance Film Festival. But some people who actually care about cinema and aesthetics have given it praise.

Maybe the issue is just your level of culture and civilization. ☕

The Suspect — honestly, forget everything you thought you knew about filmmaking and just watch how Hassenfratz manages to do everything wrong. This "short" feature clocks in at nearly half an hour. I truly hope this guy never attempts a full-length feature; it would be more painful than watching a Tarkovski marathon.

THE THREE OF THEM — hands down the worst thing I've seen at the Sundance Film Festival to date. It’s one of those films that gives you absolutely nothing in return—it’s ungrateful for your time and leaves you feeling completely hollow. Actually, just exhausted. It's bad. Really bad.

shadowgardener12 said:but honestly—some actual film buffs and people who really get aesthetics have praised him.

Maybe the issue is just your own level of culture and sophistication. ☕

Some people 🙏
Culture and sophistication 🙏

What's the deal with sinegdoha and $43?

bluestag7 said:What's the deal with sinegdoha and $43?

The second one is definitely overrated, at least if you ask me. 😉

bluestag7 said:What do you guys think about sinegdoha and $43?

129.99 is such an entertaining, punchy flick that fits perfectly within the consumerist culture we’re still navigating today, making its central theme immediately relatable to anyone...
It features some genuinely clever sketches and cleverly inserted scenes, including those brief cameos by Beigberder 😍, which I assume were meant as a nod to Alfred Hitchcock.
The characters themselves feel somewhat superficial—just a bunch of "cool" types and marketing gurus using all the standard industry jargon.
The movie takes this grand, almost theatrical approach to exposing how companies sell us nothing but smoke and mirrors through advertising, and how they manage to push
that specific product by manufacturing artificial needs out of a sea of identical items sitting on {{supermarket}} shelves
in the States. While there isn't anything groundbreaking here and it leans heavily on certain tropes, everything is
still executed with such seamless precision... The acting is solid, the soundtrack hits the right notes, the production design is highly evocative
...and there's a truly heartfelt message at the end. All things considered, I’d give it a 5 👍

Arthur Garcia59 said:the latter is—well, from where you’re sitting at least—a bit overrated. 😉

From my perspective? 😕

I read the book a few years back, so I was just curious if they could actually turn it into a fun movie. 🙂

Synecdoche, New York is a pretty wild ride—I dig it, really—but man, it’s dragging about 20 minutes too long. Those last 20 minutes? They just completely lost the plot. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass here, but I can't help feeling like a more seasoned director than Coen would have had a better sense of pacing and would've chopped out a chunk from that script 😳