Q&A

Rant between M and J about B

The below rant contains some crude language - parental guidance is advised:

Setup: "Glycerine" by Bush is playing at the Bar.... M texts J... Rant ensues-

M: 

Movie was great. We are now at a bar with bush playing - glycerine. 😏😏

J: 

Oh no

The greatest song ever

I wonder what he is singing about

The amazing thing is

He has no idea what he is singing about either

But he screams the word very forcefully and with gravitas

M: 

At least he is not flying to Los Angeles to find his asshole brother. 😜😜😜

J: 

It is as if Glycerine is causing him great angst

As if we should also feel the deep seated yearning

For whatever or whomever glycerine is

My guess is that it is Not Gwen Stefani's pussy slathered in some acidic chemical

But "no doubt" that interpretation Could be valid

Since Gavin in his infinite artistic wisdom has utterly failed to express Any Meaning whatsoever in that song

I love bush

And by that i mean

Both pussy in its general sense

And the band

I select E, "all of the above"

Everything Zen, man. Everything Zen.

-Seacrest Out.

So much has changed

So much has changed here since last year! Our favorite bar at the Marriott got a face lift but one of our bartender friends still works there thankfully. Up on Main Street, the bars we like got turned into small venues for Acura and the sundance institute. Our bar at our hotel still has similar hours to last year but a different bartender. I heard a rumor that the wait list line gets the tents and ticket holders get to wait outside in a "fast moving line". Will let you know more as soon as I do! We are getting ready to walk to the Eccles Theater now - ready for the First Film!!!

The Skeleton Twins

Official synopsis with review below:
2013, 90 minutes, color, U.S.A.
Living separate lives on opposite sides of the country, estranged siblings Maggie and Milo are at the end of their ropes. But after a moment of crisis reunites them, Milo goes to spend time with Maggie in the small New York town where they grew up. A dental hygienist, Maggie struggles with her unhappy marriage to the painfully good-natured Lance, while Milo tracks down Rich, the English teacher with whom he shares a checkered past. Adrift and wondering how they ended up so far from who they were supposed to be, the siblings try to patch things up.

Craig Johnson’s second feature sensitively explores these lives of quiet desperation with remarkable finesse. It unfolds a rich backstory through subtle interactions between its characters and finds the agility to be funny, melancholic, touching, and devastating within the space of a single scene. Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader give astonishing, dramatic performances. Their connection to the characters and to each other is magical…and funny (Maggie cleaning Milo’s teeth proves that nothing promotes sibling reconciliation like nitrous oxide).

The twins’ father once told them to stick together no matter what. The Skeleton Twinsis about discovering what that means. 
Director: Craig Johnson
Screenwriters: Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman
Producers: Stephanie Langhoff, Jennifer Lee, Jacob Pechenik
Executive Producers: Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Jared Ian Goldman
Cinematographer: Reed Morano
Production Designer: Ola Maslik
Editor: Jennifer Lee
Composer: Nathan Larson
Principal Cast: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook, Joanna Gleason

Review by Jason Brown:

The Skeleton Twins is a highly entertaining tragic comedy. It features very strong performances by Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig. Bill portrays the melancholic Milo with depth and humor that hides his pain. Wiig plays her character, Maggie, in an understated way but still delivers a strong performance as the troubled sister trying to be happy in an allegedly storybook marriage. One of the best lines from Milo about Maggie is that she is a "restless housewife with whitish tendencies" delivered during one of the more touching moments of the movie. Trust me when I say that scene will stay in your memory! Also - keep an eye and ear out for the duo lip syncing to a well known Starship power ballad! I think this movie will do really well in general release - still no word on who will pick it up. If you do get a chance to see this movie you will be glad you did. I am also hopefull that this can allow Hader and Wiig an entry into more dramatic roles.

Landed!

What We Do in the Shadows

Official synopsis with review below:

2013, 86 minutes, color, New Zealand/United States

Consider the living quarters of vampires, and stodgy old castles in Transylvania may come to mind. But these aren’t your typical bloodsuckers. Viago (379 years old), Deacon (183 years old), Vladislav (862 years old), and Peter (8,000 years old) have chosen to share a flat in Wellington, New Zealand. Unfortunately for them, it’s hard to make new friends due to their constant thirst for blood. Without any mortal chums left to invite them in to all of the hip establishments around town, they’ve lost touch with the current social scene. Can these creatures of the night put aside their differences as roommates and adapt to modern society?

In What We Do in the Shadows, frequent collaborators Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement share writing, directing, and acting duties—all with precise comedic timing. The end result is a hysterical mockumentary that unearths a secret, supernatural society where friendship and camaraderie are just as important as feasting upon the flesh of mortals.

Directors: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement

Screenwriters: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi

Producers: Taika Waititi, Chelsea Winstanley, Emanuel Michael

Principal Cast: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathon Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford

Review by Jason Brown:

I will start this one with a quote by te vampire known as Vladislav, "Nobody wants a sandwich after it's been fucked". What We Do in the Shadows is a "serious documentary" about the New Zealand vampire community (not to mention witches, werewolves, and zombies) - with a documentary crew provided "protection" to film a major event and what leads up to it - The Unholy Masquerade. Ok - enough with the sham - it is a mockumentary - Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi nailed this. The characters are funny - playing everything straight (think Leslie Neilsen in Airplane). There is a Nosferatu looking vampire who is 8000 years old, named Peter. Brilliant naming for that character - and I think he steals every scene he is in. Jemaine's character, Vladislav, is very memorable - even gets a half transformed version of him as a cat - if you blink you will miss it so keep an eye open! There are a number of great one liners - you will walk out from the theater laughing as you remember the many funny scenes. I am not sure if this movie will hit mainstream or not - possibly another Eagle vs Shark type VoD release. I will leave you with some pictures from the "serious" q&a session afterwards.

Listen Up Philip

Official synopsis followed by review below:

2014, 108 minutes, color, U.S.A.

Anger rages in Philip as he awaits the publication of his sure-to-succeed second novel. He feels pushed out of his adopted home city by the constant crowds and noise, a deteriorating relationship with his photographer girlfriend Ashley, and his own indifference to promoting the novel. When Philip’s idol, Ike Zimmerman, offers his isolated summer home as a refuge, he finally gets the peace and quiet to focus on his favorite subject—himself. 

Following up his critically acclaimed The Color Wheel, Alex Ross Perry scripts a complex, intimate, and highly idiosyncratic comedy filled with New Yorkers living their lives somewhere between individuality and isolation. Jason Schwartzman leads an impressive cast, including Elisabeth Moss, Krysten Ritter, and Jonathan Pryce, balancing Perry’s quick-witted dialogue and their characters’ painful, personal truths. With narration by Eric Bogosian, we switch perspectives as seasons and attitudes change, offering a literary look into the lives of these individuals and the triumph of reality over the human spirit.

Director: Alex Ross Perry

Screenwriter: Alex Ross Perry

Executive Producer: Christos V. Konstantakopoulos

Producers: Joshua Blum, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, David Lowery, Katie Stern

Co-producer: Michaela McKee

Principal Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce, Krysten Ritter, Joséphine de La Baume

Review by Jason Brown:

The movie "Listen Up Philip" plays out like a noir drama - deftly narrated between scenes the way the narrator in a book fills in the blank spaces left between dialog quotes. Jason Schwartzman's character is the tragic hero that you never root for and even come to loathe by the end. Jonathan Pryce delivers a thoughtful performance I haven't seen him do in many years. The two men okay off each other in a mentor/student - or even a master/slave sense in one scene. Pryce's character is an iconoclast - with Schwartzman's attempting to rise. There are other minor subplots besides what is in the official synopsis however they only are present to allow the audience to grow to despise Schwartzman's character. I left the movie feeling exhausted by Schwartzman's negativity and blasé mentality. That does not diminish the movie. Schwartzman's character can easily be compared to the one he played in Rushmore - thoughtful, witty, melancholic and spiteful. I recommend this movie and hope to see it in wide release. My fear is that this will be remanded to small art house theaters.

Getting Ready!

Packed the backpack - everything is set!

Final Schedule:

January 22

12:15 pm - Skeleton Twins at Eccles


5:30 pm - Listen Up Philip at Marc


8:30 pm - What We Do In Shadows at Prospector

January 23

12:15 pm - Life After Beth at Eccles


11:45 pm - Cold in July at Library

January 24

12:15 pm - Jamie Marks is Dead at Eccles [NEED TO PICK UP TICKETS AT BOX OFFICE]


11:59 pm: Clerks - 20th Anniversary Screening at Egyptian

January 25

12:15 pm - Frank at Eccles

3:30 pm - Wish I Was Here at Eccles

9:00 pm - US v. Whitey Bulger at Holiday Village

January 26


1:30 pm - Nick Offerman: American Ham at Egyptian