Thursday, March 18, 2010

Laurie Coker's Blog: SXSW Red Carpet and overall RECAP

Opening night for SXSW always holds a huge air of excitement and even though I ended up on the wait list for the red carpet for the opening feature, 'Kick-Ass,' I arrived early and secured my line on 7th and Congress, which eventually extended down 7th, around the next block and beyond. For me 'Kick-Ass' offered one of the best opening films to date, but my most standards, I'm still an infant SXSWer. 'Kick-Ass' opens on April 19 and at the Q & A following the screening it was wholly apparent that the cast, crew and entire audience was pumped. They offered an excellent after party, free van rides anywhere downtown and logo shirts and key chains, and a spread of food and drink.

Next I had stood on the red carpet interviewing and photographing Patrick Wilson, Chloe Sevigny and director Chris D'Arienzo, who also penned the screenplay. Are three were extremely gracious as we visited and waited to see their film Barry Munday, a comedy about a man who has to lose his "manhood" in order to learn what it is to be a man. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and was even more psyched to meet Wilson, Sevigny, D'Arienzo and co-star, and very funny gal Judy Greer at a round table interview the next day. Sadly, at the moment, 'Barry Munday' has no distributor, but it is an excellent film and I feel certain it will soon. Its characters are endearing, interesting and its theme clear.

After seeing 'Barry Munday,'I moved right to the red carpet for the premier of 'Wake,' meeting its stars Josh Stewart, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Chris Browning. I'd like to say I liked the film, because again the actors showed graciousness and willingness to answer questions. Stewart told me he saw the film as a "powerful thriller' and co-star Browning agreed, stating that is not meant to be a "horror or slasher film." It is not, but I felt the film moved a bit too slowly for my taste in thrillers.

Shortly after, I was standing on the red carpet again with the French director of 'Micmacs'Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a wonderful subtitled, humorous film about a crew of oddball junk dealers and artists who take in a man who has a rightful beef with arms dealers. Jeunet's message is clear and his means for delivering, heartwarming, funny and pleasing.

Within minutes, I stood back in line for 'Cyrus' starring John C. Riley, Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei, because I once again was wait-listed for the red carpet, but it mattered not, since the next morning I interviewed both Hill and Riley with a few other critics about the funny and entertaining rom-com with a touch of twist - a love story about a woman and the two men in her life - her new boyfriend and her grown son, who does some pretty wacky things to stop the relationship. Not sure when it will hit theatres, but it is worth a look.

The next day, I spoke to Rhys Ifans and Chloe Sevigny (again) about there pairing in 'Mr. Nice,' the story of Britain's most notorious drug smuggler, Howard Marks. Ifans told me he was "thrilled to be cast as Mark,' a man with whom he had a pen pal relationship in his youth. 'Mr. Nice will not please everyone, but it did me. Ifans is wonderful - perfect actually - in it and the story of Marks' dealings and role as a loving father and husband is amazing if nothing else.

Later that nigh I was able to photograph a few of the ladies of 'Electra Luxx' on the red carpet, from a side "seat," but was sorely disappointed when two-thirds of the way through the film, the Paramount projector broke. I have yet to see the end of the film, which is a sequel to last years "Women in Trouble,' by director Sebastian Gutierrez, who along with his cast of beauties (including Carla Gugino and Malin Akerman)attempted to entertain the audience, only to discover that the show would not go on. Electra Luxx, by the way, is a former porn star who is pregnant and now teaching sex ed classes in a community center.

Again, I did not make it on to the red carpet for the next big film 'MacGruber' based on the 'Saturday Night Live' sketch of the same name, but did get to see the cast - Val Kilmer, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe and Will Forte, who obviously LOVED making this film (all that is except for Kilmer, who looked less than enthusiastic about his role as the film's villain. I have to say, I did not enjoy to much about the film, although I did find a few gags funny, but the audience seem to love it and I am assuming the target audience (SNL fans and teens to thirty-some (especially males) will LOVE it.

On Tuesday I met the cast of 'Stateland,' an amazing kind and gracious group of young people - Ashley Greene, Casey LaBow, Bret Cullen, "Taylor Handly, James LeGros, Heath Freeman, lead Shiloh Fernandez and director Anthony Burns. I'd like to say I enjoyed 'Skateland' better than I did, but it moved a bit too slowly for me, as it looked at the live of a young man, trying to find his way in small town Texas. Feeling a great deal like an 80s version of Linklater's "Dazed and Confused,' but without the heartbeat. The kids are awesome and so humble and approachable. I hope the movie does well.

I missed the opening of "Get Low,' starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray, but fellow critics tell me it is a must see. I opted instead to spend time with my grandson and then my pillow.

I have seen several other amazing films, like 'Harry Brown' starring Michael Cane - about a retired man who decides he has had enough of the violence and corruption in his neighborhood. A documentary called 'The Parking Lot Movie' had me laughing and intrigued by the characters (all lot attendants of the Corner Lot) and their philosophies of life, people and the cars they drive. And "Lovers of Hate' a psychological thriller about two brothers, a huge house, and the woman they both love.

I have two more days of SXSW film to see, or not, and plan longer reviews as they enter theatres and art houses. All in all, my SXSW 2010 experience thus far has been a good one. Problems with lines, difficulties in getting from venue to venue and covering as many films as I like, the nightmare of parking and paying high prices for it, the one broken projector and a rainy day haven't dampened my spirit too much, but I am exhausted to be sure.

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