If you haven’t heard of world renowned comedian Louis CK then you must have been living under a rock. This guy is the epitome of a stand up comedian. When I heard that he had a film here at Sundance, I honestly thought it was just going to be a documentary with some of his stand up routines thrown in. What we actually get is a full blown comedy show experience.

The first starts off with him arriving at the club, then going directly to the stage to being his onslaught of racy comedy. There isn’t a whole lot for me to talk about for this review, as its straight forward just a full stand up routine. Nothing new, nothing plot wise… just Louis CK delivering some of the best stand up comedy I have heard in years. There were points in the film that we were in tears during the routine.

Louis C.K. delivers some very vulgar, and somewhat offensive material but he tells it all with a smirk/smile that you cant help but laugh at. It offended a few people in our screening who walked out after a couple of racial jokes.

After seeing this comedy concert film I am dying to see Louis C.K. live so he can offend me, and make me cry in person.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Jake Scott may only have 2 feature full length films to his credit but don’t let that fool you… this guy is a champ. WELCOME TO THE RILEYS will roll into my top ten films of Sundance because of both the strong direction and great performances from this incredible cast.

Doug Riley (James Gandolfini) owns a plumbing supply company that does very well for him and his wife. Every Thursday night he plays cards with his friends and then goes to eat breakfast at a diner. The waitress that serves him is also his mistress whom he has been seeing for the past 4 years.

Louis Riley (Melissa Leo) is a stay at home house wife who does exactly that… stays at home. She doesn’t leave her house, not even to check the mail at the end of the driveway. She knows of the affair but to keep the peace she never brings it up to Doug. Doug is forced to go on a trip to New Orleans for a convention and after a visit to a strip club becomes increasingly interested in one of the young strippers, Mallory (Kristen Stewart).

In this particular strip club, not only are the dances for sale but also the girls. After Mallory offers to have sex with him for money he realizes that this girl needs some major help. It also doesn’t help that this girl looks identical to the daughter they lost a couple of years previously.

Doug decides that in order to help this girl he needs to stay in New Orleans. He makes her a proposition to move in and help take care of her. He drops the bomb to his wife that he wouldn’t be home for a while. This devastates her and she decides that the only way to win him back is to drive to New Orleans and get him.

I don’t want to ruin the rest of the film for you so that’s as far as I will delve into the plot. I will tell you that the three main actors in the film, James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Kristen Stewart all turn in amazing performances. It would have been very easy for things to go south in each of the roles but Jake Scott pulled out what could be one of the best performances of Stewart’s career and definitely my favorite of Gandolfini and Leo.

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS is a touching, emotional journey that you aren’t really sure where it will go, but leaves you happy with where it ends. Jake Scott does an amazing job of getting what he wants for each character and makes every scene raw and real. There is a lot of grittiness in the story and it fits in perfectly with the storyline. You shouldn’t be disappointed after this film.

Overall Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5

Adrian Grenier plays a famous guy on Entourage, which in turn has made him super famous. Dealing with the paparazzi is an everyday occurrence for Vince, and Adrian. During an event he is accosted by a 13 year old kid who turns out to be a regular paparazzo. Intrigued by this phenomenon he gets the idea to follow the kid around and get an inside look at the world of papping.

Austin Visschedyk is a 13 year old kid who lives in LA with his mom and enjoys taking pictures. Instead of shooting photos of typical 13 year old stuff, he rolls out to red carpets, outside restaurants, and even outside of houses waiting to get the elusive celebrity photo. Austin is a paparazzo.

The film is completely narrated by Adrian Grenier, and the film is a double sided view of both him and Austin vs the rest of the paparazzi. Adrian is so intrigued by this phenomenon that he asks Austin to help him buy a camera and goes out to try his hand at papping.

The pap world doesnt welcome Adrian with open arms and actually brings a little heat onto Austin because everyone thinks that the purpose of the film is to make them look bad. When in reality we get a glimpse of the paps being real people, who are just trying to make money for their families. Some of the ways they go about doing it are a bit sleazeball but for the most part they are just trying to do a job.

Eventually the lifestyle and attention Austin gets from the documentary and various news outlets goes to his head, but at 14 making that kind of money from selling photos and having a documentary made about you…whose head would it not go to? He becomes cocky, uninterested and just generally a little brat. Adrian see’s this and attempts to help Austin broaden his horizon’s with other photography outlets. He fails.

Towards the end of the doc, Adrian sits them down and makes both Austin and his mom watch the film which is a big turn around for both of them because they can see first hand how they come off to the world. In the end, Austin isnt the 13 year old boy he started out as. He sees the error of his ways and at almost 16 has matured enough to realize to appreciate and respect everything he has and does.

The documentary is very well told. Adrian is as charming as always and you cant help but love the guy. Austin starts off as a cute kid, then grows into an annoying brat, and ends up as a respectable young adult. One of my favorite documentaries at the festival this year.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Jay and Mark Duplass are pretty much what you would consider Sundance royalty. These guys always show out here because they do incredible work and this year is no different. When I heard that Fox Searchlight was backing these guys for a studio flick that they would write and direct starring the likes of Jonah Hill, John C. Reilly, and Marisa Tomei… there is no way this movie wouldn’t be hit.

I missed the premiere screening of the film, but was lucky to snag a seat in the press screening today. I thought with a cast like this we would get your typical comedy that Reilly or Hill wouldn’t typically star in…I was wrong. The Duplass Brothers have sculpted a super awkward, but seriously funny film about life, growing and moving forward.

John (Reilly) is a divorced guy in his late 30′s, early 40′s who is still struggling to get over his ex wife (Catherine Keener) and move on. She convinces him to attend a party with her and her new fiance to help him meet some prospects. He unsuccessfully talks to a couple of women at the party only to be shot down.

Through a series of events he runs into Molly (Tomei) who quickly develops a little crush on him. They flirt it up at the party and eventually hook up. After a couple of dates John realizes that Molly has a son, Cyrus (Hill), that still lives with her. Molly and Cyrus don’t have your typical mother/son relationship which John quickly realizes. Cyrus seems to have some mommy issues and Molly cant seem to let go.

There is a lot more than I can go into about Cyrus, but lets just say that he creates some issues for John and Molly. Wow… I kept that mostly spoiler free.

Jay and Mark Duplass do an amazing job of combining laugh out loud comedy that is infused with some pretty real drama. The really great quality is that they didn’t go for a polished “big studio look” with the way the film was shot. They stuck to their roots and shot it like they have previously done with BAGHEAD and THE PUFFY CHAIR which excited the hell out of me. CYRUS is a big studio film with an indie heart and the two exist to perfection.

Jonah Hill gives a pretty outstanding performance as the title character. He showed quite a bit of range and proves that he can definitely do more than just raunchy comedy. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a full blown drama in the near future. John C. Reilly is also incredible in the movie. He is just as funny as he always is, but he also tosses in some of the straight faced non-comedic elements that we have all come to love from MAGNOLIA and BOOGIE NIGHTS.

Everyone in the film does an incredible job, delivering very convincing performances. The Duplass Brothers definitely know how to pull characters out of actors, and I had no doubt they would do the same with all of the huge names they had attached here. There isn’t much you can say that is negative about the film… its pretty much perfect.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

I would say that this is easily the biggest film at Sundance 2010, and because of that it was hard as shit to get into. Lucky for us, a fellow film journo had an extra ticket which I snagged from her. Working off only 3 hours of sleep I rolled out of bed and onto this adventure.

The movie stars Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, the two famous faces of The Runaways. It chronicles the events leading up to them coming together as a band, the first tour, getting signed and the eventual breakup. There isn’t a whole lot of synopsis I can give you that you probably don’t already know.

The film isn’t perfect. Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning give great performances and I cant really say anything bad about them.The only downfall of the movie is how they tell the story. They spend 3/4 of the movie showing the band form, start writing songs and play their first shows. Then the final 1/4 of the film is the demise of the band and Cherie leaving. The ending felt super rushed, like they had to cut so much to get it to some time constraints.

Of the two, I would say that Kristen Stewart gives the better performance as Joan Jett. I was also a little bothered by the uneven telling of Cherie Currie’s story, and less of Joan Jett’s. It didnt really even out in the end, and Dakota Fanning is on screen for much more time which might be way I prefer Stewart’s performance.

I am going to take a moment to RAVE about Michael Shannon in the role as Kim Fowley, the band manager/producer. He literally stole the film with every scene he is in. He demands your attention, and this is one of Shannon’s greatest performances to date. Looking at photos of the real Kim Fowley, Shannon pulls off the look to perfection.

I absolutely loved the first 3/4 of the film, its shot beautifully and does a great job of telling the story of how the band came to be. If it weren’t for how rushed the last 1/4 of the film felt it would be damn near perfect. The music in the film is a collection of songs from The Runaways, and a bunch of classic 60′s/70′s songs mixed in. Its a great rock biopic that I wish they had made a little bit longer instead of rushing the end of the film/story.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

At Sundance you will see a few films by first time writers/directors, sometimes they hit and sometimes they miss. With HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE we already knew that Josh Radnor could act, since he is one of my favorite characters on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. I wasn’t sure how he would fare as a writer/director but after the screening I knew that Radnor was the real deal and we would definitely be seeing more of him behind the camera.

HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE centers around Sam, a writer who is trying to push his novel to get it published. On his way to a meeting with a publisher he stumbles upon a boy who has been separated from his family. Being a kind hearted guy, he takes the boy, Rasheen, with him with the intention of dropping him off at the police station. One thing leads to another and Rasheen comes with him to his meeting which was a recipe for disaster.

The movie also revolves around Sam falling for a waitress named Mississippi, his best friend Annie who has Alopecia, and his cousin/friend Mary Catherine who is dealing with her boyfriend wanting to up and move to LA. All of Sam’s friends quickly become worried after he takes Rasheen in, especially with all of the NY state laws about foster children.

The character development is deep, and the story lines go just even deeper, so I wont ruin or spoil anything for you here. I will tell you that Radnor took his time with the script. It didn’t feel rushed or over done. Its a very touching story and you honestly feel close to every character in the film.

The entire cast does an amazing job in the film. Everyone plays to their roles perfectly. Kate Mara is not only absolutely stunning as Mississippi, but does a great job acting and singing. I was also really surprised by Tony Hale in the role of Sam #2, who takes a bit of a departure from things we’ve seen him in previously. Michael Algieri who plays Rasheen in the film is a great child actor, cant wait to see what else he will be doing.

After interviewing both Radnor and Malin Akerman (who plays Annie) about the film I realized how much work they put into making Annie as real as possible. The character is based off of one of Randors friend in real life who has Alopecia, and it feels like they did her justice. Malin Akerman even went as far as to shave her eyebrows to avoid the use of makeup. She has never done a role like this and I was blown away by her performance. It was very real, and very touching.

I was blown away at the connection Radnor made me feel with him and Rasheen in the movie, there were scenes that I got a little choked up, which really surprised me.

This is definitely one of my favorite movies of the festival, and Josh Radnor has some great things ahead of him. I really hope this movie gets picked up so everyone has a chance to experience it.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

When I saw the stills from HESHER I was under the assumption that this movie would be a very intense drama. What we actually got was a film that cannot be placed into any genre of film and is so politically incorrect it would make Howard Stern blush. Please don’t get me wrong, this movie is fucking fantastic and I cant rave enough about it… a quarter of the way through the film I turned to AJ and told him this would easily be my favorite of the festival, if not the year. With an all star cast of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson and Natalie Portman there is very little that can go wrong.

The movie revolves around T.J. who is dealing with the loss of his mother who died in a car accident. He and his father Paul (Rainn Wilson) are forced to move in with his grandma because the death pretty much sidelines them. After a series of events T.J. comes to know of a metal head squatter known only as Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who forces himself into his life.When I say forces himself, I literally mean he moves in with T.J. at his grandmothers house.

Not only is T.J. having issues with Hesher, but the school bully also has it out for him and after a run in with him, he is saved by a grocery store clerk named Nicole (played by the amazing Natalie Portman), whom he also falls in love with. Without spoiling too much of the film (more than I already have), I will say that the rest of the plot is like a roller coaster ride that you don’t want to get off.

There are so many things in this movie that leave you scratching your head, and that’s part of what makes the movie so amazing. The fact that Hesher essentially moves into T.J.’s house without as much as asking the father or grandmother and is met with little to no resistance from either of them seems so far fetched that it would never happen but it just fits here. Add that in with all of Hesher’s stories that always have some type of deeper meaning despite them being somewhat unrelated.

Joseph Gordon Levitt gives one of the greatest performances of his career, playing Hesher. He is gritty, raw, unforgiving and in your face. He doesn’t care what you think, nor does he worry about any of the consequences to his actions. Gordon Levitt hasn’t played a character like that of Hesher, but damn… you truly understand just what kind of range he has if you didn’t before.

I was also pleasantly pleased with Rainn Wilson as the father Paul. There were several moments that he could have gone the Dwight Schrute route and been a little on the cheesy side but there are no moments in the film where you get that.

HESHER also features some of the best one liners in a film… ever. Here is a quote for you to drool over:

Hesher: Where’s the laundry room?
T.J.: You cant be in here.
Hesher: Have you ever been skull fucked?
Hesher: You want to?

I walked out of the screening smiling ear to ear with the knowledge that we just had our minds blown by director Spencer Susser. Susser had previously done a short called I LOVE SARAH JANE which is one of the coolest zombie concepts I’ve ever seen. He used some scenes and plot lines from I LOVE SARAH JANE in HESHER which made me super excited to see. Specner Susser is going to do amazing things, and I am pleased to say that I have been witness to one of the first.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

I wasn’t sure what to think when I saw the first HOT TUB TIME MACHINE trailer but from the looks of this new(er) Red Band trailer, I am freaking stoked. The cast seems to be a pretty odd selection, but that doesn’t matter because all of them kick ass.

You can see the trailer below thanks to ComingSoon.net and also read the the synopsis:

“Hot Tub Time Machine” follows a group of best friends who’ve become bored with their adult lives: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend; Lou (Rob Corddry) is a party guy who can’t find the party; Nick’s (Craig Robinson) wife controls his every move; and video game-obsessed Jacob (Clark Duke) won’t leave his basement. After a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, the men wake up, heads’ pounding, in the year 1986. This is their chance to kick some past and change their futures – one will find a new love life, one will learn to stand up for himself with the ladies, one will find his mojo, and one will make sure he still exists!

That’s right boys and girls, Day 1 video blog of Sundance, before Jeremy arrived. AJ and I kick you in the teeth with our awesomeness here in this video blog explaining what we did and didn’t do on our first day. Enjoy:

Sundance 2010 Day 1 Video Blog from scott hutcheson on Vimeo.

So the secret screening has been announced, and its the Banksy documentary called EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP. For those of you that don’t know, Banksy is a graffiti artist from the UK who does some absolutely amazing stencil art on walls, street signs, billboards, and a ton of stuff here in Park City already. Check out this photo of one I came across of one of his pieces of art:

Here is a synopsis:

“EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP is one of those films that comes along once in a great while, a warped hybrid of reality and self -induced fiction while at the same time a totally �entertaining experience. The story is so bizarre I began to question if it could even be real…but in the end I didn’t care. I feel bad I won’t be able to shake the filmmaker’s hand and tell him how much I love this film. �I think I will shake everyone’s hand that day and hope I hit on Banksy somewhere. I love his work in all forms.”

I absolutely cannot wait to see this film, as a huge fan of Banksy it should be a great time. You can see the trailer here.

Here is a list of the screenings for EXIT THROUGH THE SIFT SHOP:

8:30 PM � � � � Sun, Jan 24 Library Center Theatre
12:15 PM � � � � Mon, Jan 25 Egyptian Theatre
2:15 PM � � � � Wed, Jan 27 Racquet Club
9:00 PM � � � � Fri, Jan 29 Tower Theatre
6:00 PM � � � � Sat, Jan 30 Temple Theatre

Mark and Jay Duplass have jumped into another project, this time with Golden Globe award winning director Jason Reitman. Reitman will be serving as producer with The Brothers Duplass coming on as directors for a filmed titled JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME. The film is being described by Mark Duplass as a “quest movie” with elements of “THE SWORD IN THE STONE” which is what he sat down with MovieWeb and talked about. Here is more of the quote:

“Our next movie is called Jeff Who Lives at Home. It’s our take on a quest movie. It’s like a Sword in the Stone movie. But it’s starring a stoner who is looking for wood glue. We are always going to mess with genre and use it to our favor. I can’t say too much, because my press team will maul me. Jason Reitman is producing for us. We are shooting in the spring. This is the movie we were born to make. We are more than ready to jump into this one.”

So… searching for wood glue is the basis for this film… interesting. I don’t care, anything the Duplass Brothers do I can get behind so it should be a good time.

We finally have some sort of trailer to go along with the video game adaptation of TEKKEN, but don’t expect anything out of it… seriously.

The film is directed by Dwight H. Little, who has previously done ANACONDAS: THE HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID, MARKED FOR DEATH, oh and FREE WILLY 2. You can see the trailer below, and then comment about how unexcited you are to see the full thing. Thanks to /Film for the hookup.

A horror comedy starring my twin brother, Tyler Labine (OK, we just look A LOT alike) and Alan Tudyk as two hillbillies who are constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can easily see this film being the BLACK DYNAMITE of this year’s festival. I have a feeling its going to do very well in the midnight screenings, and with a good crowd this movie will be a riot. Lets not even mention how much I’ve missed Labine since REAPER ended.

Official Synopsis:

Tucker and Dale, two hillbillies heading to their “fixer-upper” cabin for some relaxin’, discover they ain’t alone in them woods. They encounter an SUV full of vacationing college kids, and Dale unintentionally creeps them out. But later, as he and Tucker are fishing, Dale rescues one of them—the pretty blond Alison—after she falls into the lake. Assuming she’s been captured, the indomitably preppy college kids rally to find her.

A comically macabre battle between Izods and overalls, Eli Craig’s ingenious send-up of the horror genre recounts a simple misunderstanding gone grotesquely wrong. Our hillbilly psycho killers are actually sweet as pie; it’s the judgmental college kids who have “issues.”

Craig lovingly embraces clichés, dispensing humor and gore in equal parts as we watch the educated class blunder to its demise. Nature, beer, and a rising body count—what better way to spend Memorial Day?

Stills:

Trailer:

TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL plays at the following times:

11:59 PM Fri, Jan 22 Park City Library Center Theatre
11:59 PM Sat, Jan 23 Salt Lake City Tower Theatre
5:30 PM Wed, Jan 27 Park City Library Center Theatre
11:59 PM Thu, Jan 28 Park City Egyptian Theatre
9:00 PM Sat, Jan 30 Park City Egyptian Theatre

MakingOf.com scored some pretty badass behind the scenes footage from Quentin Tarantino’s INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. Watch as Tarantino perfects every scene, gives the crew a mantra, and some alternate takes. Check it out below:

As a huge fan of Animal Collective, the fact that they have a feature film collaboration with Danny Perez which is premiering at Sundance got me instantly excited. Then I found out they would be at the festival and doing interviews…book it. As far as I can tell, Animal Collective got together with Danny Perez, they wrote an entire score while he took a bunch of badass imagery and layered it over the tracks. For those of you that don’t know, this is Danny Perez’s first feature length film, and has previously worked on concert projections for some of my favorite bands. If you dont see this film at Sundance, I believe it will have some sort of theatrical run…but why wait?

Official Synopsis:

ODDSAC, a feature film collaboration between the band Animal Collective and filmmaker Danny Perez, will have its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, January 26th, 2010 in the New Frontiers section. The film was co-conceived by and stars Animal Collective, whose 2009 album “Merriweather Post Pavilion” was named album of the year by SPIN, EW, and Pitchfork, and topped critic’s end of year lists worldwide. ODDSAC is a dense and surreal layering of audio and visual elements that eschews conventional narrative to create a visceral, immersive experience.

ODDSAC features an original score with new songs from the band and complex digital manipulation by Perez, a debut filmmaker and visual artist known for his concert projections with musicians such as Black Dice and Panda Bear. ODDSAC represents a new synthesis of music and film, a “visual album” whose songs will not be released in any other form. ODDSAC is the result of over four years of intense collaboration between Perez and the band. “It was meant to be an open-ended operation of audio-video synthesis, the passing back and forth of visuals and sound so that each would inform the other and create an organic structure,” said Perez.

ODDSAC plays at the following times:

Tuesday, January 26, 8:30pm – Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
Thursday, January 28, 10:30pm – Holiday Village Cinema I, Park City
Friday, January 29, 9:30pm – Holiday Village Cinema II, Park City
Saturday, January 30, 6:00pm – Broadway Centre Cinemas VI, SLC

Apparently they have created a teaser trailer out of the first 2 weeks of shooting which is what you will see below. Its nothing amazing, but it does get you excited for what they have in store with the rest of the film. For those of you that don’t know, IRONCLAD is directed by Jonathan English (MINOTAUR, NAILING VIENNA) and stars Paul Giamatti, James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Mackenzie Crook, Jason Flemying, Derek Jacobi and Kate Mara. Here is what we have as far as synopsis goes:

A ragtag group of Knights Templar hold out for months against the hard-fought siege of Rochester Castle in the thirteenth Century. Set in the time of King John’s signing of the Magna Carta treaty, the group struggles against the King to defend the freedom of their country.

We also know that Paul Giamatti is playing King John in the film…outside of that details are pretty bare. You can see the footage below thanks to /Film:

The soundtrack for Tim Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND was revealed today… and here is the tracklist featuring which comes out on March 2nd and will be titled ALMOST ALICE. Thanks to Collider for the heads up.

1. “Alice (Underground)” performed by Avril Lavigne

2. “The Poison” �performed �by The All-American Rejects

3. “The Technicolor Phase” performed by Owl City

4. “Her Name Is Alice” �performed �by Shinedown

5. “Painting Flowers” �performed �by All Time Low

6. “Where’s My Angel” �performed �by Metro Station

7. “Strange” �performed �by Tokio Hotel and Kerli

8. “Follow Me Down” �performed �by 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch

9. “Very Good Advice” �performed �by Robert Smith

10. “In Transit” performed by Mark Hoppus with Pete Wentz

11. “Welcome to Mystery” performed by Plain White T’s

12. “Tea Party” performed by Kerli

13. “The Lobster Quadrille” performed by Franz Ferdinand

14. “Running Out of Time” performed by Motion City Soundtrack

15. “Fell Down a Hole” performed by Wolfmother

16. “White Rabbit” performed by Grace Potter and the Nocturnal

All of these are “re-imagining songs from the Disney classic”, so its all original/new songs from these artists. Super stoked to pick this up. Here is the synopsis for ALICE IN WONDERLAND which hits theaters in Disney Digital 3D^TM on March 5, 2010.

From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. �JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: � the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. � Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. � The all-star cast also includes ANNE HATHAWAY, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and CRISPIN GLOVER. The screenplay is by Linda Woolverton.

Capturing the wonder of Lewis Carroll’s beloved “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) and “Through the Looking-Glass” (1871) with stunning, avant-garde visuals and the most charismatic characters in literary history.

Movies like DADDY LONGLEGS are the reason I go to Sundance. Little indie nuggets that I absolutely fall in love with. Not saying that is always the case, but after watching this trailer I definitely think this film has what it takes to steal my heart(awww). More so because I can relate to being divorced and not getting to spend as much time with your kids as you would like. Be on the lookout for this film.

What is even better about this movies is the fact that while we are watching it at Sundance, you can watch it at home thanks to Sundance Selects VOD service. Direct From the Sundance Film Festival titles will be available for 30 days in a Sundance-branded section on participating cable systems’ main movies-on-demand channels.For more information, check this out.

Official Synopsis:

With Daddy Longlegs (formerly known as Go Get Some Rosemary), Josh and Benny Safdie have crafted a realistic fairy tale that captures the magic of parenthood, invoking memories of their inventive dad from their own childhood.

Divorced and alone, Lenny (the perfectly cast Ronald Bronstein) is the father of two young boys he gets to see a couple of weeks a year. He cherishes these days with the kids, being both stern parent and lovable buddy, inventing myths and somehow living them, all while working overtime in the big city. When the going gets tough, Lenny uses some unusual, perhaps even hazardous, techniques to keep the kids safe from the world.

Because of the film’s fluid style, we feel that we are in the boxing ring alongside Lenny, as flawed as he is charismatic, champion of each day, yet totally black and blue. As the storm of society continually rains on him, Lenny laughs through it all. Isn’t life crazy?

Trailer:

DADDY LONGLEGS plays at the following times:

8:30 AM Fri, Jan 22 Prospector Square Theatre
6:00 PM Fri, Jan 22 Tower Theatre
12:00 PM Sun, Jan 24 Holiday Village Cinema IV
6:00 PM Tue, Jan 26 Temple Theatre

No, I didn’t forget the spaces in the title, it really is called HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE. Dont let the title fool you though, this movie stars Josh Radnor who also directs and the very beautiful Malin Akerman and Kate Mara! I will try to keep my WATCHMEN fanboy excitement at bay when I talk to Malin, but I am not so certain I can do that with my IRON MAN II fanboy excitement with Kate Mara. Even though this is Radnor’s first time as a writer/director I have a lot of faith in this film after reading part of the script and many reviews of it. Should be a solid Sundance hit.

Official Synopsis:

Six New Yorkers juggle love, friendship, and the keenly challenging specter of adulthood. Sam Wexler is a struggling writer who’s having a particularly bad day. When a young boy gets separated from his family on the subway, Sam makes the questionable decision to bring the child back to his apartment and thus begins a rewarding, yet complicated, friendship. Sam’s life revolves around his friends—Annie, whose self-image keeps her from commitment; Charlie and Mary Catherine, a couple whose possible move to Los Angeles tests their relationship; and Mississippi, a cabaret singer who catches Sam’s eye.

Written, directed, and starring Josh Radnor (CBS’s How I Met Your Mother), happythankyoumoreplease boasts a wryly funny script and engaging performances from its ensemble cast. With honesty and humor, Radnor captures a generational moment—young people on the cusp of truly growing up, struggling for connection, and hoping to define what it means to love and be loved.

HAPPYTHANKYOUMOERPELASE plays at the following times:

12:15 PM Fri, Jan 22 Eccles Theatre
8:30 AM Sat, Jan 23 Racquet Club
6:30 PM Sat, Jan 23 Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
9:00 PM Mon, Jan 25 Prospector Square Theatre
7:00 PM Wed, Jan 27 Peery’s Egyptian Theater
5:15 PM Fri, Jan 29 Racquet Club

James Franco is known for comedy, but for any of you that watched MILK knows the guy definitely has some incredible acting chops. Add in the fact that he will be playing one of my favorite poets Allen Ginsberg and this film is set to be one of the best films at Sundance. That is all that needs to be said about this film so I will leave you with a portion of the Ginsberg poem the film is based around:

       I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
              madness, starving hysterical naked,
       dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
              looking for an angry fix,
       angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
              connection to the starry dynamo in the machin-
              ery of night,
       who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat
              up smoking in the supernatural darkness of
              cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities
              contemplating jazz,
       who bared their brains to Heaven under the El and
              saw Mohammedan angels staggering on tene-
              ment roofs illuminated...

Official Synopsis:

It’s San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. HOWL, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society’s reaction (the obscenity trial), and mind-expanding animation that echoes the startling originality of the poem itself. All three coalesce in a genre-bending hybrid that brilliantly captures a pivotal moment—the birth of a counterculture.

HOWL is playing at the following times:

6:00 PM Thu, Jan 21 Eccles Theatre
6:30 PM Fri, Jan 22 Screening Room, Sundance Resort
2:30 PM Sat, Jan 23 Library Center Theatre
11:15 AM Tue, Jan 26 Racquet Club
6:00 PM Wed, Jan 27 Broadway Centre Cinemas VI
3:15 PM Fri, Jan 29 Eccles Theatre