SXSW: SXSaturday Wrap-up
The good thing about SXSW is that it is non-stop action … which leaves little time for blogging. But here what happened from 1pm-1am yesterday.
Barry Munday: Charming movie staring Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer (both in attendance – no calling in sick for them!). Check out the synopsis and remember this title for when it shows up on VOD. I wish this was the kind of film that would open in theaters everywhere – it’s a much better date movie than anything Jennifer Aniston has been in lately – but who knows? That kind of jackpot doesn’t happen very often.
After two movies in a row, we were ready for tacos. Met up with Chris and Beth Freihofer (Hey! Chris! Stoked we’re finally hanging in the same place!) and little sis JJB, who is taking in the lawyer-y panels for some continuing ed hours. May I recommend the El Pepino margarita at Iron Cactus? Cucumbers and jalapeno (with silver label tequila) make such a refreshing pick-me-up.
We finish eating just as our next movie Greenlit starts, so we head over to the IFC Crossroads lab to check back in with one of our favorite gals – Negin Farsad. Director of dCFF fav, Nerdcore Rising and comedy legend, Negin is on air for IFC news all weekend.
We must have passed each other in the street, because as we were enjoying free drinks and tasty passed appetizers at IFC, she was enjoying tacos at Iron Cactus. Which we discovered when Cacky and I left IFC to stand in an EPIC line for Micmacs, the newest from Jean-Pierre Jeunet (who directed Amelie).
While waiting around the corner and two blocks away from the entrance to the Paramount Theater, we get the text from Negin that she is meeting some interesting folks at Rio Rita – and we should join her.
First of all – if you’re in Austin – run to Rio Rita to enjoy their menu of house-infused Tito’s Vodkas. DELICIOUS. Also delicious were the lovely folks we met – I hope to see many of them at deadCENTER this summer. There was Jessica Edwards who directed the short Seltzer Works (which screened with Beesley’s Mr. Hynotism) and her beau Gary who worked on a little movie called Helvetica. Sheez! Her DP was Ben Wolf who also shot the Talking Heads film I’ve circled for Monday – Ride, Rise, Roar. Wouldn’t that be a nice film to open dCFF? (Altogether now – this is not your beautiful house…). Soooooo, super productive hour and a half on a groovy patio on the other side of I-35.
JJB met up with us at Rio Rita’s and we headed off to the convention center to see Dirty Pictures – a doc about the chemist who invented Ecstasy and about 200 other psychedelics.
This movie, by French director Etienne Sauret, really bored and irritated me. Sometimes films that throw conventional story telling tropes out the window are successful and you still get an essence of story, the delivery system has just changed. And sometimes you get 88min of disjointed interviews interspersed with art from Burning Man, shots of random raids on his compound, and the occasional insightful bon mots from the good doctors wife. I wanted to know how he decides when a drug is ready for testing (on himself, of course – and his wife is willing and able). I wanted to know how the ex-DEA agent changed from investigating him (my guess, the relationship between the two of them was never noted) to having dinner with him (there was a shot of them at dinner together).
There is no greater downer than Bad Movie Syndrome, so we left half-way through the unwieldy Q&A. We decided NOT to go the after-party for the film. HOWEVER! On our way out, Cacky spied the publicist for 8: The Mormon Proposition, a film I’ve been trying desperately to secure for dCFF. My sources have hit some brick walls – which the publicist says is happening to everyone as the distribution team is still working on the roll-out for the film. This magical publicist spoke with us at length about the film and it’s future … I went from bummed and tired to hopeful and excited. SXSW makes one a little bi-polar.
Days like today – a few movies, a few amazing connections and conversations with world-class filmmakers, a few crazy cocktails – this is how you go to a film festival. A world-class film festival. Now, if I make it to the AFF brunch in the morning is anyone’s guess… I’d bet against me if I were in Vegas.
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