Avatar

For the love of Pete, go see Avatar, in 3D, as soon as possible. It literally had me gasping aloud. The most visually stunning movie since What Dreams May Come. Add to that a masterpiece of a story, an solid script, an incredible cast, great acting, and rich, full characters and you have a movie that lives up to its hype. And since I essentially live under a rock and had never even seen a preview for it, it didn't even have to do that for me. But despite my lack of expectations, I couldn't have been much more impressed. The best word for it (as cliche as it may sound) is epic. Just GO.
For a great review go to: http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/Avatar

Is Anyone As Excited About THIS As I Am?

Sundance Excitement

Billy Bob Thornton and me at the 2009 Sundance Festival.


I have a time-slot to purchase individual local tickets to the Sundance Film Festival on January 9th. I'm excited! My good friend, Lacey, will be coming in from Denver to "do" the festival its first weekend. She will be here for four days and we plan to see at least three films. We also aim to get our pictures taken with Orlando Bloom (yum!) and Ryan Gosling (Lacey's pick). The next weekend my sister, Sarah, and her 15 year old son, Gabe, will be in town from Arizona. I'll probably hit another film with them.
Which films, you ask. Well, I intend to see a worldwide premier on both Friday the 23rd and the day after. I won't tell you which, just in case you're a stalker, but I will tell you what films look intruiguing.

Those starring celebrities:
The Company Men (Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner)
Cyrus (John C. Rilley, Marissa Tomei)
Blue Valentine (Ryan Gosling)
Burried (Ryan Reynolds)
Hesher (Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie, Natalie Portman)
Sympathy for Delicious (Orlando Bloom:)
Get Low (Bill Murray)
Jack Goes Boating (Phillip Seymore Hoffman, etc.)
The Extra Man (Kevin Kline, etc.)
Howl (James Franco:), etc.)
The Runaways (Kristin Stewart, Dakota Fanning)
Bran Nue Dae (Geoffrey Rush)
3 Backyards
Please Give

Those without any big-names:
All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
Boy
Abel
Obselidia
Armless
Cane Toads
The Shock Doctrine
Bilal's Stand
Douchebag
Peepli Live
Son of Babylon
Southern District
Vegetarian
Animation Showcase

Documentaries:
Lucky
Bhutto
A Film Unfinished
His & Hers
My Perestoika
Smash His Camera
Waiting for Superman
Wasteland
Secrets of the Tribes
Russian Lessons
The Red Chapel
Last Train Home

Find your picks in the film guide.

Motion Picture Association

The Motion Picture Association of Utah Forum will take place
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Redman Movies and Stories
1075 S. 700 W
Salt Lake City
(801) 978-9292.

Light refreshments will be served. I encourage each and every member of the MPAU to attend, and I ask that each of you bring a friend who is an industry member but has not yet joined the MPAU.

The entire Board of the MPAU will be present, as well as members of the Utah Film Commission, including Marshall Moore. I expect to discuss the current state of our industry including upcoming productions which have received the Utah Motion Picture Incentive. I want to report on our recent meeting with Governor Herbert, as well as our recent meeting with Spencer Eccles, the new Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. I also want to detail our plans to you for the upcoming Legislative Session. As with all Forums, however, the main goal is to give you a chance to express your thoughts and concerns on an in person face-to-face basis. These have been difficult times for all of us, and one of the results has been a considerable amount of misinformation being disseminated. I think it is important to clear the air.

Sincerely,
Don Schlain, President

Environmental Film Series - Wednesday

Swanner EcoCenter's Environmental Film Series is featuring WE SHALL REMAIN: THE PAIUTE this week. The film will screen this Wednesday, November 11th at about 6:30pm.

From Swanner:
"This KUED production is one piece of a powerful five-part series on the American Indian Tribes of the Great Basin Region we now know as Utah. The provocative project establishes Native history as an essential part of U.S. history.

The thirty minute film will be followed by a discussion led by Forrest Cuch, Director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, as well as Southern Paiute representative Carmen Martineau, and the film's producer Sally Shaum.

Arrive at 6:30 pm to enjoy light appetizers and talk with our guests. The film will start shortly after 6:30pm with discussion immediately following.

Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members, and half price for children. RSVP to nell@swanerecocenter.org."

The Swanner EcoCenter is located in Park City at Kimball Junction in the Redstone shopping district.

Here's Your Chance

Wednesday night at 7:00 is your chance to see the award-winning documentary, The Cove. It will be screening at the Park City Library, followed by a discussion with the Oceanic Preservation Society. If you'll recall, I briefly mentioned this film in my article about Impact Partner's Geralyn White Dreyfous.

The Sundance Institute's website gives the following description of the film:

The largest supplier of dolphins in the world is located in the picturesque town of Taiji, Japan but the town has a dark, horrifying secret hidden from the rest of the world. The only way to stop the evil acts of one company, and the town's protection of it, is to expose them. Armed with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, a band of activists, led by the most famous dolphin trainer in the world, devise a plan to infiltrate the cove to document the events that happen there.

Winner of the Sundance Film Festival's prestigious Audience Award, this is one documentary you will certainly not want to miss!

Hopefully some of my readers are at the SLC Film Center's showing of Shouting Fire at this very moment. If so, please leave me a comment telling me your thoughts about it.

This Weekend in Park City

Sundance's Park City Film Series is showing Woody Allen's 2009 Whatever Works. It stars Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood, plus an incredible supporting cast.

PG-13
92 mins.

Fri. & Sat. 8pm
Sun. 6pm
Park City Library
Jim Santy Auditorium
1255 Park Ave.

More details here.