KOB Shot of the Day #92: Sundance Part(ay) #1

Shot with iPhone, click to enlarge.

Hey all,

Saturday. Exhausted. Totally fine with that.

Friday night the first IndieVest/Knights of Badassdom party was in full swing. When we walked in they already had a mini-red carpet, complete with a "Step and Repeat" backdrop…with a KoB logo! Was NOT expecting that, nor was I anticipating the many signs wagon-wheeling around the room. Having not even finished the film yet-even though we're on schedule-it was a little unreal that people would already be here, discussing it, psyched for it. Met so many of our supporters and investors as well, who are also here enjoying the many movies programmed at Sundance and just talking movies all night. Needless to say, my kinda soiree; when a 45 minute discussion on the filmography of John Carpenter is the table topic over dinner, it's good times. It's a shame we couldn't show anything form the movie while here but everyone seems extremely excited about the film which was a great charge. Met SO many great people that my head was spinning, which is a nice segue to mention Tommy Lee was scheduled to spin at the party immediately after. Um, what? That Tommy Lee? OK, this could be interesting.

Shot with iPhone, click to enlarge.

…and boy can the guy spin. Everyone was impressed, and while there was a slight tinge of disappointment over the false rumor he'd use his dong on the 1's and 2's, it was a fantastic mix of deep house, hip-hop, pop and even some metal (the remix of Rage's "Killing In The Name" was an awesome capper. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and even though Im not a really a partier (to me, a jumpin' Friday night is being home with 3 Giallo flicks) I had a great time with everyone. But I also had to call it a night sooner than later as I scored a ticket to Paddy Considine's (the fantastic actor from DEAD MAN'S SHOES, BOURNE ULTIMATUM & HOT FUZZ) feature directing debut, TYRANNOSAUR. At 9am?! Oof. Better get to bed. Of course i stayed up and watched Louis CK's HILARIOUS again till 4:30am.

Thankfully, the screening was in the hotel we were at, the Yarrow. Actually, it was literally 100 feet away from my room. As bad as I wanted to walk in in my Hotel robe and slippers, I ended up dragging ass and plopping it front row center just as it began, barely able to keep the eyes open. But within 3 minutes of the movie's open, I was kicked squarely in the chest and from there I was wide awake. TYRANNOSAUR is a sad, sobering and pretty spectacular film, but as grim and often-times brutal as a Brit drama can get. Peter Mulan as the angry old man who befriends an abused wife is fantastic, and the movie reminded me of old-school Mike Leigh. It also reminded me of Gaspar Noe's I STAND ALONE, which is also intense but a little more cinematically assaultive. I knew nothing of the movie before it started other than the talent involved, but by the end I knew this movie would stay with me for a long time after. Knowing I had ANOTHER screening directly after I bolted before the Q&A but when I left, outside was Paddy and Peter and knot knowing what compelled me, with hands still kinda shaking from the film and a little teary, I just shook both their hands and said "Thank you, that was amazing" before walking off. Paddy called back "Mate! Thank you that's so great of ya". I've been in that position before, where you don't really know if your ideas and on-screen storytelling works with an audience or not, but its such a strange, unique feeling when an anonymous person comes up to you and compliments what they saw. I hope KNIGHTS does that to a few people too, something we'll know soon enough. But there was genuine graciousness when I I went up to him and he deserves it for sure. The film is not for the faint of heart, but its scarred heart is beating strong and Paddy is a hell of a director himself. Very glad I work up for it.

Shot with iPhone, click to enlarge.

Trying to shake off the intensity from TYRANNOSAUR (wait till you hear how the title came about, film nerds) I met with a few friends (some old some new) who were going to see the CORMAN documentary. Roger Corman is 80-something and still gore-ing strong (Zing!) and this doc reveals his career spanning almost 60 years in and out of the Hollywood grind. How they got so many huge names to do it is a testament to Corman's legacy, so when you see Jack Nicholson, Joe Dante, Peter Fonda, Dick Miller, John Sayles, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme & Martin Scorsese (all graduates from the "Corman School" of filmmaking) lamenting about the man who taught them the ropes, it adds such a legitimacy to a man who is usually the butt of B-movie jokes. It was such a great palate cleanser from TYRANNOSAUR and one hell of an entertaining time. MUST see.

Shot with iPhone, click to enlarge.

When we walked out, we discovered the sky was dumping snow. I was thrilled to see it because it was like a little slice of home, especially since we didn't have any snowfall when we went back east to NY for Christmas. It was chilly but worth the wintery mise en scene.

…and now Im back at the hotel, promising myself I'd give myself a break and rest before the 2nd IndieVest party tonight, but nope; Have MIDNIGHT RUN playing on Netflix Instant in the BG while I sit here and write this. Miss my family so badly right now but duty calls. I hear some of the KNIGHTS are actually showing up tonight too...one more night!

Joe