The 2013 Sundance Film Festival has been good to Joseph Gordon-Levitt—in addition to hiring the actor to host the Sundance Awards Ceremony on January 26, as well as premiering his feature-length directorial debut, that very debut (Don Jon’s Addiction) is now getting a wide release, thanks to Sundance.
This year's Sundance Film Festival features two separate films about the beat poetry movements greatest idols. Director John Krokidas marks his feature directorial debut with Kill Your Darlings, about the tectonic shift in literature and expression by Alan Ginsberg, Lucien Carr, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs, and the dark events surrounding it. To...
In this world, there are few things you’re supposed to leave alone—sleeping dogs, hornet’s nests, and the Disney corporation. But the film Escape From Tomorrow, which just premiered at Sundance, did exactly that—the movie was shot almost entirely at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and “without the knowledge or...
While the Sundance Film Festival is an opportunity to see a massive collection of new films, it’s also a wellspring of news about upcoming films in 2013, as several filmmakers are being asked about new projects. One such filmmaker? Robert Rodriguez, who dished about some big casting news for his upcoming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller shine in the coming of age, romantic, teen drama, The Spectacular Now. This film has everything you would expect from a high school love story, in which the popular party boy falls for the shy, nerdy girl. Its two protagonists, Woodley and Teller are believable, loveable, and endearing. I just wish...
A lot of documentaries at the Sundance Film Festival are uplifting in spite of something (personal tragedy, political unrest, etc.), but Dave Grohl's passion project Sound City managees to sidestep that emotional pitfall. It is the story of a beloved, albeit defunct, recording studio in L.A. which was home to the recording of some of rock & roll's greatest...
Director and screenwriter Jeff Nichols wowed us all in 2011 with Take Shelter and this year returns to Sundance Film Festival with Mud. Though Take Shelter was amazing, it was wonderful to see him return with something completely different, showing that he's far more than a one trick pony, while still retaining a...
Award winning director Michael Winterbottom re-teams up with Steve Coogan to tell the story of Paul Raymond the man formally known as "The Richest Man in Britain" for his gentlemen clubs and work in the adult entertainment industry. The story shows us the obstacles he faced along the way to his frowned upon empire in Look of Love. And though Coogan's name leads the...
Every Sundance needs a darling and a film that leaves you lost in your own thoughts. Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes is one of those defiantly Sundance films, with everything from it's long and mysterious title, to it's opening voice-over narration, to it's quirky characters who don't follow the rules of decorum, and it's unique perspective on one...
This film by writer/director Andrew Bujalski took me by surprise. I was expecting a relatively straight-forward reflection on a fictional, but realistic, 1980s computer science competition to develop a chess program that can beat a chess master. I was shocked and delighted to discover that Computer Chess is much more like a mockumentary, in the...
I always like to start the Sundance Film Festival with something fun, so I'm glad that my first screening this year was Austenland. Screenplay writer Jerusha Hess's directorial debut, this film is a delightful mix of charm, satire, romance, and irreverence. Though it takes some time to find and establish its tone, the humor is saucy, witty, and brilliantly executed...
The very first film I saw at this year's fest, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete by George Tillman Jr. (Faster, Notorious, Soul Food), is about a pair of children fending for themselves in a Brooklyn Housing project after being abandoned by their drug addicted mothers....
Get on-demand Hot Cocoa Saturday and Sunday morning (the 19th and 20th) at Sundance! That's right, the on demand car service Uber is offering an on-demand gourmet hot cocoa service! Tomorrow morning, while you’re waiting in line for tickets in 10 degree weather, access #UberCocoa via the Uber app and they’ll deliver your hot drinks directly from The Riverhorse on Main (a...
The 2013 Sundance Film Festival is happening right now. Celebrities, film bloggers, studio executives and Hollywood hopefuls are all gathered in the snowy town of Park City, Utah. We'll be bringing you coverage all week long, of course. But to get you in the Sundance spirit, we decided to roundup all things concerning the festival. Below we have the new trailer for James Franco's...
Another year, another found footage horror film. The first big one this year? S-VHS, the sequel to last year’s hit, VHS. The anthology film/ sequel now has a trailer, just in time before its premiere later this week at the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2012, Matthew McConaughey churned out the most consistent (and consistently entertaining) year of his career, with a hypnotizing and disturbing star turn in Killer Joe and excellent performances in both Magic Mike and Bernie. And if the trailer for Mud is any indication, McConaughey’s hot streak will likely stretch into 2013. Check...
Sundance is about to begin again, the yearly event that showcases the best independent (and "independent") films that will be hitting theaters and possibly become awards contenders. The biggest film to emerge out of Sundance last year was best picture nominee Beasts of the Southern Wild, which is currently up for a number of Oscars. Mark Webber's...
The thermometer may read 0 degrees Fahrenheit in Park City, Utah, but things are about to start heating up. The countdown to the 2013 Sundance Film Festival has begun and my dance card is filling up fast. I'm packing my warmest clothes and ploughing through synopses, cast-lists, and an onslaught of press invitations currently clogging my email inbox. As with every year, there are far more...
The 2013 Sundance Film Festival is tons of fun (Industry parties! Woooo!), but let's remember that this is also the festival that brought us films like Winter's Bone, Restrepo, West of Memphis, and The Sessions. Don't get me wrong, these are all terrific films, but they're all kind of...
Sundance Film Festival 2013 is right around the corner and it looks to be a great year! Though there will be many surprises and breakthroughs by newcomers, some of my favorite films every year are from the returning Sundance Directing Champs. Those who, despite their giant careers, still believe in indie darlings, taking risks, pushing themselves and making films that they...
