Not really a reference to the state of the films on display in Park City, but rather a comment on the frigid weather we had for the majority of the week we were out there. The temperature never seemed to climb high enough to allow for "packing" snow, and with only powder and frozen snow and ice at my disposal, it's the first Sundance in memory without being able to make (or nail a co-worker with) an actual snowball. Somehow I'm unfulfilled...

More quick takes on movies:

YEAR OF THE DOG (3-Stars) - Toothy Molly Shannon plays a perky secretary whose life begins to go to hell when her beloved pet beagle suddenly expires. Laura Dern, Peter Sarsgaard, John C. Reilly, and lots of adorable canines co-star in this quirky directorial debut from actor/screenwriter Mike White (CHUCK & BUCK, SCHOOL OF ROCK, THE GOOD GIRL). Perhaps my expectations were a bit high for this one--despite some funny moments (especially about over-cautious parenting) and poignant touches, I wished it had more of an edge. The Eccles crowd seemed to enjoy it plenty though.

JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN (4-Stars) - Another masterful job by Julien Temple (THE FILTH AND THE FURY, GLASTONBURY). Using recordings of his radio show and "campfire" interviews as a framing device to follow the history of the late Clash member's eventful life, this is a wonderfully constructed doc portrait that bursts with amazing archival footage, great tunes, and tellling insights into the man and artist. The opening B&W footage alone, of Strummer singing accapella in the studio in 1976 (also shot by Temple!), will knock you on your ass.

MANDA BALA (SEND A BULLET) (4-Stars) - Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, this is a visually stunning and disturbing look at corruption and violence in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Frog farms, kidnappers, plastic surgeons specializing in ear reconstruction (from violence perpetrated on hostages!), and one of the sleaziest politicians imaginable are explored in a dazzling indictment of a political system set to an ultra-hip musical score.

A VERY BRITISH GANGSTER (4-Stars) - Tony Soprano meets Bob Hoskins in THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY in this intimate and fascinating look at Dominic Noonan, an openly gay, Manchester England crime lord who's part unofficial mayor and part thug. Along with his teenage henchmen, old-school enforcer brother, and extended family (including the Sinatra wanna-be nephew who sings at weddings, funerals, and acquittals!), Dominic's personality and standing both inside and outside the law make for juicy entertainment. The voice-over narration is a bit over done, but that's a small quibble.

ZOO (3-Stars) - Based on the 2005 incident where a man died from a perforated colon suffered after having sex with a horse, this is a surprisingly unsensational look into a world where a secret society of men love their animals a bit more than the rest of us. The film features audio interviews of "zoo people" unwilling to appear on camera, a number of the actual subjects playing themselves, and an assortment of actors recreating the "zoo" scene and sequence of events leading up to and after the 45-year-old husband/father's death. Though the film's poetic camerawork, evocative score, and disturbing subject matter has stuck with me, the recreations and staged scenes bothered me to no end even though I understand it couldn't have been made any other way.

THE LEGACY (3-Stars) - Despite winning a Special Jury Prize from the World Cinema Competition Jury, this simple story of culture clash and a road trip had its charming moments but felt slight to me. Clocking in at a mere 76 minutes, the new work from Temur and Gela Babluani (13 TZAMETI) follows three French friends and their Georgian interpreter as they head out by bus to visit a castle that one of them has inherited. When an old man with an empty casket and his grandson come aboard, the foreigners get involved in a blood feud from generations ago that they should've stayed out of. Though never dull, the ending disappoints and this parable of sorts never quite has the impact of last year's stunner.

JOSHUA (5-Stars) - Wow! Not a false note in this impeccably directed and acted thriller that plays like a cross between THE BAD SEED, ROSEMARY'S BABY, and THE OMEN (hold the Satan or two). Joshua's already a weird little kid when Mommy and Daddy (the equally excellent Vera Farmiga and Sam Rockwell-again!) bring home their newborn daughter. He doesn't handle sharing their affection very well. Kudos to documentarian George Ratliff (HELL HOUSE) for a remarkable move into narrative filmmaking--this is the type of intelligent and suspenseful psychological horror that gives the genre a good name. It will be interesting to see the general public's reaction when this is unleashed theatrically.

More to come...

--Matthew

Who put the wham in the whamma-lamma ding-dong? You did! If those lyrics sound familiar, you're either a fan of the sensational Chuck Prophet or paid attention during the end credits of Sundance cult favorite, TEETH (where it worked extremely well). The often swampy, singer-songwriter-guitarist extraordinaire was the focus of my first-ever visit to the Music Cafe, and his 6-song, 35-minute set was a thing of beauty. Accompanied by only a drummer (who also added some nice backing vocals), Chuck's remarkable guitar work was brought to the fore without the usual accompaniment of keyboards, bass, and steel guitar so prevalent in both his recordings and live sets.

For 6 songs, a fan couldn't have asked for more. Opening with an instrumental cover of "Boogie Shoes" to get everyone in the mood, he followed with one of my all-time favorites, "Summertime Thing." The rest of the set included "After the Rain", "I Bow Down and Pray to Every Woman I See", the classic "New Year's Day", and to top it all off, "Who Put the Bomp...", the likely reason he was in Park City in the first place. Since the Music Cafe was running about a half hour late, I was afraid I'd have to leave before the end of the set or miss my next screening. But as I straddled the doorway torn between rushing off to the bus depot or remaining for one last song, I heard those opening notes and my decision was made. See Chuck doesn't get to Orlando very often, and this was such a unique format to see him in. It all worked out well in the end, and I actually made it to the screening of ROCKET SCIENCE with a minute to spare. And though more people seemed interested in the odd and poppy girl-vocal band preceding him, "The Bird and the Bee" (apparently fronted by the late Lowell George's daughter!), those that attended got a real treat--whether they knew it or not. Vagina dentata indeed!

--Matthew

Just got back from Park City Monday night. It is beyond freezing there. In the negative digits overnight and not out of the singles during the day...okay it maybe got in the high 20's. Not friendly to my FL blood.

I'll tell you what was friendly though, the Park City Police! On our way to a condo party at 10PM one night, Suzy and I got horribly lost WAY up on the mountain. After walking around for about 45 minutes UPHILL, we saw a police SUV and flagged him down for directions. We weren't expecting to hear, "Hop in!" but damn glad we did. Turns out the Lieutenant was in charge of the entire PC police force that evening and was happy to take us to our destination (some two miles away) so he could patrol the area. And just as we found the condo, he was getting to the good stories about shutting down Playboy parties...darn.

I saw eight films in three days...some I liked, some I didn't. Here goes:

STRANGE CULTURE...amazing doc about Steve Kurtz, an artist who was held as a susptected terrorist...a film and story that has (and will have) incredible ramifications for all of us living in post 9/11 America.

DELIRIOUS...what's not to love about Steve Buscemi as a desperate paparazzi who will do anything for a "shot heard round the world."

WEAPONS...not so much a fan...Paul Dano and Nick Cannon turn in great performances, but it kind of felt like been there, done that...youth culture is rough...we get it. Why am I supposed to have sympathy for you again? Oh, yeah. Life is hard.

BROKEN ENGLISH...Suzy didn't love it, but I kinda did...although it was like watching bits of my dating life...Parker Posey was light and likable as always...

YEAR OF THE DOG...I will preface this by saying that I love Mike White, Molly Shannon, Peter Sarsgaard and John C. Reilly, but I felt like Mr. White didn't go far enough...the movie rolls along with laughs but remains a bit flatlined...in the end I wanted a much more dramatic turn of events...but didn't get it.

THE GREAT WORLD OF SOUND is a great film. No big name actors, no fancy camera work, just a solid script, a lot of improv, some non-actors, and heart. Wish there were more like it in Park City. Look it up.

INTERVIEW...my most highly anticipated Sundance film. I adored the Theo Van Gogh original at Sundance back in 03 and didn't quite believe Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller could pull it off. They did with the help of Theo's crew. Miller has finally won me over and Buscemi turns in one of the best performances of his career. And that's saying something...

So it turns out we have both a graveyard behind our condo (a little weird for a view from a breakfast nook) and a mirror in our living room which has a child's handprints all over it when seen at a certain angle. Perhaps this is only creepy if you remember the original BLAIR WITCH poster that was created for Sundance eight years ago...

Early trends from the first two days of filmgoing include dark subject matter with lots of high school settings, and according to others, consistent male masturbation (!) What this means I have no idea, but here's a quick rundown of my films thus far (with the usual 1 - 5 star rating to be consistent with our Orlando critics):

ONCE (4-Stars) - A disarmingly good musical from Ireland about the friendship between a singer-songwriter who fixes vacuums for a living when he's not playing folk songs in the street, and the Czech woman he meets who happens to be a young mom separated from her husband. Simple, charming, and filled with genuinely good tunes.

THE SAVAGES (5-Stars) - Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman are siblings dealing with their own screwed up lives even as they must figure out how to take care of their elderly father (Philip Bosco)who's suffering from dementia. Beautifully written and wonderfully acted, this is one of those frequently hilarious dramas that really hits home. The latest from Tamara Jenkins (SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS), and well worth the wait.

ROCKET SCIENCE (3-Stars) - The first narrative feature from the director of SPELLBOUND, this is a mildly amusing New Jersey high school tale of a teenage boy with a major speech impediment, a kleptomaniac older brother, and the ruthless hottie on the debate team he's got a crush on. Though funny in places, it's also self-consciously quirky and a bit over-the-top in places--think THUMBSUCKER meets Wes Anderson and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE.

SNOW ANGELS (4-Stars) - A small-town drama with tragedy just around the corner, David Gordon Green's haunting new work is one of two films shot by Tim Orr that I saw on the same day (Mike White's YEAR OF THE DOG being the other--more on that later) . The always underrated Sam Rockwell is the mentally unstable and unemployed husband who's having major problems being separated from his beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale), also the mother of his young daughter. Michael Angarano ("24", SKY HIGH, the forthcoming BLACK IRISH in competiton at this year's Florida Film Festival) is the high school student dealing with his own parents' failed relationship and a budding first romance. Fine acting and a powerful story, with some interesting supporting turns by Amy Sedaris, Tom Noonan, and Griffin Dunne.

TEETH (3-Stars) - This is it, the "killer vagina movie" everyone's talking about. A Christian high school girl turns out to have a monster that likes to chomp in her nether regions, but it actually is more like an avenger of sorts against all of the male scumbags that do her wrong. A frequently funny, gross and gory horror-comedy with a satirical bite (sorry), the film stars a game Jess Weixler (from the upcoming FFF film, THE BIG BAD SWIM) as the confused heroine. Docked one star for being in the Dramatic Competition (what?) instead of the MIdnight Features where it belongs.

AN AMERICAN CRIME (4-Stars) - A shocking and emotionally brutal story about child abuse based on testimony from an infamous 1965 case in Indiana. A truly frightening and excellent Catherine Keener is the mentally exhausted and physically ill single mother of seven who agrees to temporarily care for two daughters of a travelling carny couple. Ellen Page (HARD CANDY) is the sister that must endure the unspeakable punishments. Well done with the exception of an unnecessary dramatic flourish like something out of a slasher movie, this was actually directed by Tommy O'Haver of BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS fame. Rumor has it that an ambulance had to be called for a woman who passed out at the first public screening--a laff riot it aint!

--Matthew

Usually the transition from January weather in Orlando to Sundance weather in Park City is no big deal. But considering it was shorts and T-shirt weather the last few days in Central Florida, the single digits we've encountered on Day 1 is a bit of a shock. Having arrived wearing the usual bare minimum long sleeve shirt and down jacket, the thermals and hoodie came out as soon as the sun went down. "Bitter cold' is too modest a description--this blast of frigid air actually hurts, layers be damned.

Waking up before the crack of dawn to make our 7 AM flight, the travel was uneventful but did offer some amusing moments. The pre-takeoff choice of music being piped throughout the plane was curious, with Josh Rouse's "Love Vibration" a pleasant surprise and a Muzak version of New Order's 'Blue Monday" one of the more bizarre things I've heard in quite some time. The stewardess offered a "Mile High Mojito" on the alcoholic beverage menu, and I had to wonder if they serve it in the bathrooms. And Shannon and Suzy were befriended by some guys who turned out to be flying to Salt Lake City for a Mormon bachelor party. Hey now!

What wasn't so much fun was the clusterfuck that took place at the baggage claim carousel, resulting in a one hour wait for our luggage to come out. Apparently, every flight possible got in at the same time, resulting in the longest wait ever and industry types 3 or 4 deep at the carousel clamoring for their bags. Pretty bad...and we heard the lines at the car rental counters were equally infuriating.

Bring on the movies...and a little snow and a lot of sunshine would be nice too.

--Matthew

Congratulations to all the filmmakers, Enzian staff, and FilmSlam Producers John Thiesen and Brian Feldman for a successful return to the Central Florida cinema landscape on Sunday afternoon. The encouraging attendance (the crowd would have filled the old DMAC) and quality of the entries bodes well for the monthly event, and how nice is it to have something like this event on a regular basis back on the cultural calendar!

By audience consensus, the winner of FilmSlam # 1, January 2007: A MAN IN THE ATTIC, directed by Ali Imran Zaidi--nice job.

--Matthew

This Sunday, January 14, at 1:00 PM marks the Enzian debut of FilmSlam, originally a project of UCF's Downtown Media Arts Center. Of course when DMAC closed last Summer, the FilmSlam went with it, and the monthly screenings of local filmmakers' projects went into hibernation for a while. But with the efforts of Co-Producers John Thiesen and Brian Feldman, and Enzian's goal of serving the community in as many ways as possible, the project has been resurrected and starts anew this weekend.

Screenings will be held the second Sunday of every month at the same time (1:00 PM), and entries are due by the 1st for consideration in the next FilmSlam. Films must be less than 25 minutes in length, and there is no entry fee. Audiences will vote on a 1-5 scale a la the Audience Award ballots at the Florida Film Festival, and each month's winners will qualify for the GrandSlam in December during the Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase.

Sunday's lineup includes such titles as SECURITY DEPOSIT, SINCE SEPTEMBER, AGING IMAGINATION, A MAN IN THE ATTIC, and SPEAKEASY, and admission is only $5. So come show your support for Central Florida's growing number of student and indie filmmakers, and let's get this thing rolling--you'll be glad you did.

--Matthew

I don't want to hear it. There are no excuses for the beat-down that Florida put on Ohio State last night other than the fact that they were vastly superior in all phases of the game on January 8, 2007. Some in the media have tried to make a big deal that the Buckeyes hadn't played for over 50 days, therefore they were rusty. Well, Coach Jim Tressel had been 4-0 in previous bowl games where his team had over 40 days off to prepare, including a blow-out of Notre Dame after a 43 day layoff last year.

This was a total demolition of a team that had won 19 straight games, was the #1 ranked team in the country for months, and of course was the overwhelming favorite to win it all. In fact, Heisman trophy winner and Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith (a class act) ended up with 4 completions the whole night, and the Gators held their offense to a sum total of 82 (!) yards (vs. 370 for Florida). The 27 point differential in the final score (41-14) was the third largest defeat for a #1 ranked team in Bowl Game history. I wonder if Lou Holtz still thinks the Big 10 is so much better than the SEC...

In the 100-year anniversary of Florida football, and exactly 10 years after they destroyed #1 Florida State and won their first national title, the underdog Gators thoroughly dominated another #1 team with awesome defense and a brilliant offensive scheme. They become the first major college team ever to hold the basketball and football championships at the same time--it's a great time to be a fan of the University of Florida.

So congratulations to the Gators and to the Enzian staff, who pulled off a rockin' Florida Film Festival fundraiser on Monday by showing the game in HD on the big screen. The image from the Digital projector was the most stunning (and largest!) TV image I've ever seen. Let's do it again some time...

--Matthew

What a great way to start the new sports year! Beginning final selections this week for the Florida Film Festival has not allowed for much non-submission TV watching, but boy was I thankful Tuesday morning was my assigned time to make my Sundance Package "A" picks. Since I needed to sit down with the schedule and Film Guide anyway on Monday night, I figured why not turn on a bowl game. And just like that I found myself witnessing one of the greatest endings in college football history.

Boise State, despite their unblemished 12-0 record, was supposed to get crushed by mighty Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl (you know--weak conference, easy schedule, blah, blah, blah...) Instead, they played inspired ball and roared out to a 28-10 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. From there though, the heavily favored Sooners scored 25 straight points, including a 33 yard touchdown interception with just over a minute left. Things looked grim for the upstarts, but Boise State's Broncos connected on a miraculous 4th-and-18 from midfield with a hook-and-ladder play (!) and tied the game with only seven seconds left--Overtime!

Oklahoma ran it in for a touchdown on the very first play in OT, and Boise State's defense looked spent--it's now 42-35 Sooners. The Broncos then come right back and score themselves, and it's 42-41 before the extra point is attempted for the tie and to send the game into a second overtime. But the Boise State coach, Chris Petersen (who did a phenomenal job with his kids on such a big stage), had the balls to go for a 2-point conversion instead and win it or lose it right there. The biggest call in Boise State history, a Statue of Liberty play (!!) run to absolute perfection, caught Oklahoma off guard and the Broncos' destiny was complete. Tailback Ian Johnson, who ran left untouched for the winning 2-point conversion and the 43-42 BSU victory, then got down on one knee and proposed to his cutie cheerleader girlfriend in front of the frenzied crowd and the millions watching on live TV. She accepted. Did this guy have a good day or what!?

Simply amazing drama and excitement--you couldn't make up if you tried. Or at least no one would buy it.

--Matthew