#Utah/US Film Festival

[decadebattle]

Reblog for a bigger sample size.

Say in the tags what you voted for and if you live in or outside of the US

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: The People's Joker (2022)

Just because I left Fort Lauderdale, and with it Popcorn Frights, behind when I moved to Boston last year doesn't mean I have to give up on horror festivals. And just as I managed to sneak in a trip to the Telluride Horror Show amidst my adventures in Utah back in 2022, so too did I find that -- where else? -- Salem, Massachusetts hosted the annual Salem Horror Show in April and May. Tonight was the first night, and they screened one of the festival's token non-horror films in The People's Joker, a queer Batman spoof made without any official approval from DC Comics or Warner Bros. (They originally had a screening of Hocus Pocus planned with Kathy Najimy as a special guest, but Najimy had to cancel at the last minute.) How was it?

The People's Joker (2022)

Not rated

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2024/04/salem-horror-fest-week-1-day-1-peoples.html>

Score: 4 out of 5

The People's Joker exists in a place very similar to that enjoyed by Escape from Tomorrow. In both cases, you have independent filmmakers making unlicensed, unauthorized use of American pop iconography, Disney in the case of Escape from Tomorrow and DC Comics in the case of this film, as a way of satirizing and critiquing it with a particular focus on its corporate ownership and its role in the modern economy. Unlike Disney, which permitted the release of Escape from Tomorrow, DC Comics and Warner Bros. actively tried to clamp down on this film, which was ultimately saved by fair use laws protecting parodies like this. And of the two, I'd argue that this film pulls off what it was trying to do a lot better. While both films are elevated by a particular psychedelic edge and punk-rock attitude, Escape from Tomorrow was too incoherent to really stick the landing or even really convey what it was trying to say, while The People's Joker manages to successfully pull off being not only a dark parody of Batman in which the Joker is the hero, but also a hilarious comedy in its own right, a queer coming-out story, a satire of the entertainment industry (especially stand-up and sketch comedy), and a film that manages to get its message across loud and clear. For obvious reasons, I don't expect this to be more than a cult classic, but it's one I enjoyed and do not regret watching.

In this take on Batman's most iconic villain, one that's most obviously based on the movie Joker but draws on many versions of the character (as well as elements of Harley Quinn), the Joker is now a trans woman who leaves her disapproving mother in Smallville, Kansas for Gotham City in the hopes of becoming a comedian like her idol, UCB Live star Ra's al Ghul. There, upon being exposed to the gatekeeping and hypocrisy of the world of mainstream standup comedy, which here serves largely to prop up a corporate-run dystopia even as it still claims the legacy of those who once spoke truth to power, she starts her own underground "anti-comedy" troupe in an abandoned carnival that comes to be comprised of many of Batman's traditional baddies from the comics. (Her trademark gag is inviting people onstage to tell the world their saddest experiences and then huffing Smilex and laughing her ass off at their misery, because after all, this is still the Joker we're talking about.) This eventually puts her on a collision course with Batman himself, who's depicted as not only the jackbooted thug that more cynical deconstructions of superhero comics have framed him as, but also a perverted closet case on top of it. (Let's just say, this film gets a lot of mileage out of all those jokes you've heard about his relationship with his sidekick Robin.)

The film ain't exactly subtle in what it's saying. UCB Live is a clear-cut parody of Saturday Night Live, right down to the fact that Lorne Michaels is a character in the film, and moreover, its initialism is lifted straight from the famed Chicago comedy troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade that played such a major role in the development of standup and sketch comedy in the '90s and '00s, including producing multiple SNL stars. And while the film never names him so directly, you also get the sense that its writer, director, and star Vera Drew really isn't a fan of Joe Rogan or the standup circle he's built around himself, either. The Joker's introduction to UCB Live's casting has her body being scanned and her being deemed a potential comedy superstar because she has a small penis and is therefore mistaken for the kind of insecure man who the industry is built upon. Her comic idol Ra's starred in a Borat-like film whose main joke was making fun of foreigners. The whole reason Batman, an avatar of the elite if ever there was one (being the CEO of Wayne Enterprises and all), comes after her is because she directly criticizes and threatens the ruling class in a way that the corporate, sanitized world of UCB Live merely pretends to. Drew is somebody who clearly has experience with comedy and the people who inhabit it, and is very much writing that experience into the meat of the story, a metaphorical representation of an entertainment industry that, in her view, only cloaks itself in populism and progressive language enough that it can fend off criticism without actually making any meaningful changes.

Much of this is told through a mix of a riotous and raunchy comedy and the Joker's romance with her fellow comic Jason Todd, aka "Mr. J", a trans man who's envisioned here as a mix of Robin and the edgelord Jared Leto version of the Joker from the DC Extended Universe. The gags came flying at a mile a minute, and often had me busting my gut in laughter. The whole cast is game for the material, with Drew making the Joker a compelling anti-hero not just as a comic presence but also as somebody whose journey from a Midwestern girl-trapped-in-a-boy's-body to a flamboyant Clown Princess of Crime was one that I found myself genuinely invested in. Kane Distler as Mr. J was also an interesting presence, somebody whose relationship with the Joker starts promisingly only for him to turn emotionally abusive and self-centered (complete with a "gaslighting" pun that had me cracking up), indicating that, when he transitioned, he wound up embracing the most noxious forms of hypermasculinity. And as for the style of the film, Drew goes for an exaggerated feel that combines live-action filmmaking, highly stylized CGI, what appears to be a mannequin representing Poison Ivy, and very crude animation both 2D and 3D to create a feeling that reminded me of watching Adult Swim or surfing Newgrounds back in the 2000s. There clearly wasn't much of a budget here, so Drew instead leaned on creativity, both her own and the dozens of artists worldwide who each contributed to the film. It was as unique a film to watch as it was an entertaining comedy, one that demonstrated a lot of talent and commitment on the part of everybody involved.

The Bottom Line

There's no way in hell that The People's Joker is ever getting a wide release, but if it plays near you, I highly recommend seeking it out, as a twisted, countercultural sendup of everything from superheroes to mainstream comedy to who gets to call themselves "the counterculture".

[lboogie1906]

Ron Stallworth (born June 18, 1953) was the first African American police officer and detective hired by the Colorado Springs Police Department. He holds the distinction of being the only African American “member” of the kkk.

He was born in Chicago but was raised in El Paso. He became a cadet in the Fort Carson police department on November 13, 1972. He became the first African-American member of the Colorado Springs police department and was sworn in on June 18, 1974.

He spent two years in uniform before becoming the youngest undercover agent in the department. He received his first assignment in April 1975 when former Black Panther Party leader Stokely Carmichael came to speak at a local nightclub. He worked in the intelligence department and the narcotics division as a detective.

In October of 1978, he saw an ad in the local Colorado Springs newspaper stating that the kkk was starting a new chapter and looking for members. He sent a letter to the PO Box listed and included his office telephone number. He received a call and was invited to join the kkk. He used a white undercover officer to take his place. He contacted a regional kkk office and spoke with David Duke, the Grand Wizard of the kkk.

He was assigned to protect David Duke during his visit to Colorado Springs. The investigation kkk lasted nine months and identified many local Klansmen as soldiers, including two who were stationed at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the central facility near Colorado Springs, as well as high-ranking government officials.

He transferred to the Utah Department of Public Safety, working as an investigator. He retired in 2005 and gave his first interview about infiltrating the kkk. He had kept the story a secret for twenty-seven years. He wrote Black Klansman about his undercover experience. The film adaptation was called BlacKkKlansman. It debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in France and won the prestigious Grand Prix Award. The film won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

He lives with his second wife, Patsy. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[brookston]

Holidays 7.13

Holidays

Ann Hutchinson Memorial Day

Atomic Bomb Test Day

Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

Be A Geek For A Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Bottled Beer Day

Childhood Memories Day

Embrace Your Geekness Day

Festival of Inner Worlds

Festival of the Three Cows (Border of France & Basque Spain)

Fool's Paradise Day

Go Wakeboarding Day

Go West Day

Gruntled Workers Day

Guinea Fowl Day (French Republic)

International Day of ADHD Awareness

International Day of Sarcoma

International Growth Hacking Day

International Puzzle Day

International Rock Day

International Rock ’N’ Roll Day

Kashmir Martyrs’ Day (Pakistan)

La Retraite Aux Flambeaux (Night Watch; France)

Naadam, Day 3 (Mongolia)

Nathan Bedford Forrest Day (Tennessee)

National Delaware Day

National Paul Day

National Sam Day

Puzzle Day

Sandra Bland Day (Texas)

713 Day

Swiftie Day

Uniwaine Day (Elderly Men Day; Kiribati)

World Cup Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Beans 'n' Franks Day

Krispy Kreme Doughnut Day

National Beef Tallow Day

National French Fries Day (a.k.a. National French Fry Day)

National Nitrogen Ice Cream Day

2nd Thursday in July

Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo begins (Vernal, Utah) [2nd Thursday thru Saturday]

National Tree Day [2nd Thursday]

Oregon Trail Days begin (Geris, Nebraska) [2nd Thursday thru Sunday]

Oxegen Festival begins (Ireland) [2nd Thursday there Sunday]

Turkey Rama begins (McMinnville, Oregon) [2nd Thursday]

Independence Days

Statehood Day (Montenegro)

Usi (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Wilkland (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abd-al-Masih (Christian; Saint & Martyr)

Abel of Tacla Haimonot (Coptic Church)

Anacletus (Christian; Martyr)

Asarnha Bucha Day (Theravada Buddhism)

Bhanu Jayanti (Sikkim, India)

Blanche of Castile (Positivist; Saint)

Boun Khao Phansa begins (Buddhist Lent)

Clelia Barbieri (Christian; Saint)

Conrad Weiser (Episcopal Church (USA))

Eugenius of Carthage (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Kalimát (Words; Baha’i)

Geek Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (a.k.a. Henry the Emperor; Christian; Saint)

Joel the Prophet (Christian; Saint)

Macarena Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Mordecai Ardon (Artology)

Mildrith of Thanet (Christian; Saint)

Mr. Screech (Muppetism)

Obon (a.k.a. Ulanbana, Festival of the Lanterns; Buddhist, Shinto)

Rosa Mystica (Christian; Saint)

Silas (Catholic Church; Saint)

Solstitium IX (Pagan)

Spot the Loony Day (Pastafarian)

Teresa of the Andes (Christian; Saint)

Turiaf (a.k.a. Turiave or Thivisiau; Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 13 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [13 of 24]

Fatal Day (Pagan) [14 of 24]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Breaking Away (Film; 1979)

Californy’er Bust (Disney Cartoon; 1945)

Country Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1935)

Dedicated To the One I Love, by The Shirelles (Song; 1959)

Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1956)

Eighth Grade (Film; 2018)

Generation Kill (TV Series; 2008)

Ghost (Film; 1990)

A Hard Day’s Night, by The Beatles (US Album; 1964)

Hollywoodland sign (Dedicated; 1923)

Ice Age: Continental Drift (Animated Film; 2012)

Inception (Film; 2010)

The Last Starfighter (Film; 1984)

Legally Blonde (Film; 2001)

Microbe Hunters, by Paul de Kruif (Science Book; 1926)

The Muppets Take Manhattan (Film; 1984)

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, by Ambrose Bierce (Short Story; 1890)

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, by Bob Dylan (Soundtrack Album; 1973)

Queen, by Queen (Album; 1973)

Skyscraper (Film; 2018)

The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond Film; 1977) [#10]

Today’s Name Days

Anno, Heinrich, Kunigunde (Austria)

Emanuel, Ferdinand, Henrik (Croatia)

Markéta (Czech Republic)

Margrethe (Denmark)

Greta, Grete, Kreet, Kreeta, Mare, Maret, Mareta, Margareeta, Marge, Margit, Marit, Marita, Meeta, Reeda, Reet (Estonia)

Ilari, Joel, Lari (Finland)

Enzo, Eugène, Henri, Joël (France)

Heinrich, Kunigunde (Germany)

Iliofotos, Sarah (Greece)

Jenő (Hungary)

Enrico (Italy)

Alda, Margarita, Margrieta, Mariska, Pērle (Latvia)

Anakletas, Arvilas, Arvilė, Henrikas (Lithuania)

Melissa, Mia, Mildrid (Norway)

Ernest, Ernestyn, Eugeniusz, Irwin, Jakub, Justyna, Małgorzata, Radomiła (Poland)

Margita (Slovakia)

Enrique, Joel (Spain)

Joel, Judit (Sweden)

Ezra, Joel, Joelle, Mildred, Natalia, Natalie, Natasha, Nathalie, Nathan, Nathanael, Nathania, Nathaniel, Tasha (USA)

Henri, Nathalie, Nathaly (Universal)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 194 of 2024; 171 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 28 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 4 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Wu-Wu), Day 26 (Ren-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 24 Tammuz 5783

Islamic: 24 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444

J Cal: 14 Lux; Sevenday [14 of 30]

Julian: 30 June 2023

Moon: 16%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 26 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Blanche of Castile]

Runic Half Month: Feoh (Wealth) [Day 15 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 23 of 94)

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 23 of 31)

[alvadee]

Ok, so here's what legendary 89-year-old Julie Newmar, who as Catwoman was a fellow Bat-villain of his in 1966 and made a movie with him in 1967, had to say about Victor. :) I did ask a few follow up questions she kind of skipped over and I combined two of her emails in this text (I don't think there will be more, otherwise I'll add it):

"Here are a few thoughts that I have on Victor Buono.

I’ll do my best to clear up some misunderstandings – we all knew we would not be paid on this film (Seduction of a Nerd), that’s important. Which also shows you how deeply and positively we felt about the project. I flew back on weekends to be in his film from location spots in Utah and the Grand Canyon while filming “McKenna’s Gold”. There was a deeper fulfillment of working on the Don Joslyn project than the multimillion-dollar film. This was Don Joslyn’s oeuvre, he was the writer, director, creator in all ways. He was very much in the vein of multi-talented filmmaker John Cassavetes, everyone wanted to work with him, pay or no pay.

There is a scene in “Mother”, the original title, with Victor as a cross-dresser (leaning against a lamp post), it is, he is heart-breaking. Both touching and embarrassing. There was no money to intensify or glamourize the background setting, only locations that Don Joslyn could get for free.

Victor was a complete pleasure to work with. In a sense, like me, he was all about the work, focused. I don’t have personal tid bits. In his roles he was a natural genius like Peter Sellers. The same was true of Jack Mullaney, my costar in The Living Doll. He must have been wonderful in all the parts he played as a member of the San Diego Shakespeare festival. Think of it, how incredible that Victor was playing Fallstaff at the age of 24! A flawless character actor, he could do any age. Us, we normal people could not have done that, meaning that his background, his family experience gave him untold knowledge to embody this great Shakespearean character.

His work is so refined (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane). Another part of his genius was that he could act without acting (let that sink in). He was a perfect partner to work with on screen, thankfully not having big star egotistic distractions. As King Tut on the Batman series, he was the top writer Stanley Ralph Ross’ favorite character to write for. Stanley wrote brilliant dialogue for me as Catwoman.

How wisely he conducted his life, all told; however short (which is determined before birth). He was ‘gay’, another protection in a way and irrelevant to us, to me anyway.

There is much to know and understand and love in this world."

[holidaymoviereviews]

Haul Out the Holly (2022)

Plot summary: After an awful breakup with a mediocre white man, Emily arrives home hoping to visit her parents, only to find that they are going on a trip of their own. Clearly her parents have un -decorated their house because they’re monsters, and we already hate them, 16 minutes in. While Emily stays at her parents’ house for the holidays, their HOA is determined to get Emily involved in the neighborhood Christmas festivities. Because they’re all insane.

Starring: HHMU favorite Lacey Chabert as Emily Melrose, Peter “Dr. Taub” Jacobson as her dad, Albert, Carrie Morgan as Gail, her mom, Wes Brown as childhood friend Jared “President of the HOA” Farnsworth, and Jake Stormoen as absolutely terrible ex-boyfriend Dave/Dan/Doug. And Stephen Toblowsky as Ned (“Ryerson! Needle-nose Ned? Ned the Head? C’mon, buddy! Case Western High? Ned Ryerson! I did the whistling belly-button trick at the high school talent show? Bing!”), the absolutely terrifying, ice sculpture-carving neighbor.

Setting: Evergreen Lane, which is, according to the license plates, in Utah. (Filmed in Salt Lake City.)

Ridiculous third act conflict: All the conflict happens at the beginning. The conflict is that there’s no conflict. She’s fully brainwashed by the middle of the movie. There are clearly psychotropics in the water supply.

Steaminess (out of 5 ☕️): Honestly, the whole thing is a horror movie.

Keep an eye out for: How terrified Nicole’s mother (Jess) looks when she says about her daughter “She’s always listening.”

Overall holiday joy: These people need to be stopped.

Tropes

Meet-cute ✔️

Red pickup truck ❌

Plot moppet ✔️✔️

Big city girl returns to her hometown ✔️

Handsome stranger with a tragic backstory ❌

Dramatic ex encounter ❌ (Emily’s terrible ex somehow…kinda ends up saving the day?)

Heroine make-under ❌

Dead parent(s) ❌

Sibling conflict ❌ (No siblings at all. I don’t know if it would have been better or worse if Emily had someone to commiserate with.)

S/he hates the holidays ✔️ (To be fair, her parents made Christmas awful for her, and continue to do so.)

Quotes

Jenny: It’s HHMU “Inception.” A Hallmark movie within a Hallmark movie!

Jenny (yelling at the screen): DON’T CAVE TO THE FASCISTS, GIRL!

Jenny: Do they have, like, money on her getting with this guy?!?

Jeff: What if this is Ned’s ‘Groundhogs Day’? While we’re seeing Bill Murray’s perspective, this is what Ned is dealing with?

Jenny: This is a horror movie. This neighborhood is a cult. Why didn’t anyone tell us that this is a horror movie?

[atri28]

BEST WINTER VACATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES: EMBRACE THE SEASONAL MAGIC

Best Winter Destination

While the US winter is not just snow and cold, it's also a season of coziness in front of fireplace fireplaces or sunny voyages to enjoy some exotic culture. Whether you are a frequent skier, just love snow, or looking for somewhere warm to relax in the heart of winter then there is definitely a place out that waiting with your name on it. Top Winter Travel Destinations In The U.S.

1. Aspen, Colorado

Broadway promises one of the best-known destinations: Aspen, a world-renown skiing destination with boasting stunning mountains and decadent amenities. This picturesque town is located in the Rocky Mountains and gives access to four ski areas, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands Buttermilk, and Snowmass. SKIING NEXT TO ASPENNA TRUE DESTINATION RESORT WITH AN ELEVATED APERITIF SKI VIBE, THERE IS EXCELLENT DINING SHOPPING AND SPA OFFERINGS GALORE IN TOWNBUT BEYOND THE SLOPES IF YOURE ABLE TO TEAR YOURSELF AWAY FROM HEADACHE FINE WUSES AGAIN LUXURY WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU WHEREVER WURRENTLY CONDUCT. Don't miss the opportunity to make it out into this iconic mountain town for some fresh snow and all that winter in Nederland holds!

2. Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Home to the iconic Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, a ski and snowboard destination in winter for outdoor enthusiasts or those simply looking for that perfect après-retreat. This part of the state is famous for having some exceptional ski and board at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. While skiing is the main attraction, guests can also go snowshoeing, snowmobiling and wildlife watching in Grand Teton National Park just minutes away. Jackson is a great winter escape because the town offers western culture, unique boutique shopping and lots of cozy lodges.

3. Lake Tahoe, California/ Nevada

Lake Tahoe is one of the most visited winter destinations in USA with its beautiful alpine landscape and varied recreation opportunities. Home to a handful of ski resorts like Heavenly Mountain Resort and Squaw Valley, the area caters to all types of riders across its myriad runs. Lake Tahoe is known for more than skiing,, you can also enjoy snowshoeing, ice skating and sledding too. Nearby towns like South Lake Tahoe and Truckee offer dining options for all tastes, as well had live music entertainment to accommodate your winter experience.

4. Park City, Utah

Winter destination Park City Photo courtesy Trip.com Located in a charming mountain-town atmosphere, visitors can experience some of the best skiing America has to offer. I got to test out these models on the ground (or trail) during a three-day ski trip home at Park City Mountain Resort, featuring over 7,300 acres of skiable terrain that is also the largest in United States. That said, Park City draws film buffs as well to the renowned Sundance Film Festival catering them and also attracting celebrities from around the globe. The town itself is because of its Main Street, which has the gamut from dining to shopping to cultural experiences.

5. Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is all about the charm of a snow village in small-town New England, and it provides upper-tier mountain accommodations. It is famous for the best skiing and snowboarding at Stowe Mountain Resort, in addition to plenty of opportunities as cross-country skiers or those who prefer to strap on a pair of traditional wooden snowshoes. Stowe village is also very cute, with old inns and B&Bs, cozy cafes an sweet little boutique shops. The nearby Green Mountains make a beautiful winter playground with scenic vistas too.

6. Aspen, Colorado

Aspen is actually one of the top winter destinations in (not just Colorado, but) the world for a reason: Premier skiing plus ultra luxury decor and an air quality that can't be beat.... Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, this romantic town with its beautiful environment provides 4 places for skiing: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk or Snowmass. Ers and snowboarders will enjoy world-class skiing, along with exceptional après-ski dining opportunities for upscale food experiences in high-end restaurants, shopping options, and free-downtime facials at the spa. Take advantage of all the spectacular snowfall and winter wonderland activities in this historically known mountain town just before it disappears.

7. Sun Valley, Idaho

A well-kept secret among ski enthusiasts, Sun Valley, combines breathtaking skiing with small-town character for a world-class winter travel experience. The region also boasts some truly exceptional skiing and snowboarding at Sun Valley Resort in addition to cross-country skiing on well-groomed trails or ice skating with the family. Over in Ketchum, you'll find a cozy environment and an array of dining options as well as cultural experiences such as art galleries and local theaters. Sun ValleyWith its stunning views and laid back attitude, Sun Valley is the ideal spot for a winter getaway.

8. New Orleans, Louisiana

Despite the easy breezes of New Orleans, it still serves a cold and festive holiday getaway. With a rich culture, historic buildings, and cuisine that is known worldwide, New Orleans in winter offers something uniquely different. Head there in the holiday season for elaborate decorations and events, or go during early Mardi Gras festivities that start each January. New Orleans offers an exciting warm, and lively food culture, rich history, music scene, and winter change of pace.

9. Santa Fe, New Mexico

Winter in Santa Fe is a convergence of art, history, and you guessed it—outdoor excitement. The area also features ski and snowboard possibilities at Ski Santa Fe just down the road, as well as options for wintertime hiking and snowshoeing. You have a variety of options for shopping in the Spanish market on Santa Fe Plaza, exploring the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and Organic Farmers Market at Los Alamos, or even visiting one of Taos's beautiful cultural centers. Indulge in the city's diverse gastronomic delights and be part of its culture through a selection of festivals and events.

10. Orlando, Florida

Visitors looking for a warm winter holiday can head to Orlando, Florida where famil-favorite activities are aplenty. During this lull in summer tourism, you can hit some of the best theme parks around to enjoy rides and entertainment without long lines. Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort, anyone? That the Winters can be mild, and attractions are busy year round with dining options, shopping experiences as well cultural venues is our idea at an escape that has a mix of fun & relaxation.

Conclusion

Winter travel in the U.S. can mean anything from skiing and snowboarding to sunbathing on a warm beach. From skiing, ice fishing, or simply regrouping in a cozy village, I have gathered the top winter destinations that are sure to offer something for everyone. Get started on planning your winter escape and fall in love with a season.

Check out [b0arding.com] for more wanderlust and travel hacks, and get started on where to go for your winter spirit wander!

[audaciousamadeus]

Self-pity, the post

Ladies and gents, what a week.

It's been 6 months. 6 months since I found out the method I was using to answer the first question of my PhD project wasn't well-established and the person I got it from in the lab was also trying it out. 6 months of troubleshooting. After promising results indicating that I managed to fix the protocol, I processed a huge amount of samples, not only for my project but for many collaborators. 

Now the data was finally here (as of the previous week), and I had my lab meeting presentation the week after the arrival of the new and shiny data. The presentation was one day after my 30th birthday. Exciting and frightening times. 

On the week I got my data, I also got a proposal from a colleague to catsit and housesit while her and her boyfriend were away on a festival for 4 days. "You should see it as a little getaway" she said. Thinking about how much work I needed to get done and how little that would happen if I stayed home and got distracted by my flatmate, I accepted the offer. Went to her place on Tuesday for dinner, picking up the keys and meeting the lovely cat who looked like the pathetic pleading emoji. Their garden looked perfect for my data analysis getaway, and I was looking forward for the weekend.

Very little analysis was done that weekend (pre-processing takes time) and instead I bought some cheap vintage clothes from a store that was closing in Camden, went to a local bakery in Nunhead and walked in the Nunhead cemitery with my newly bought tradwife cosplay of a dress. Maybe some people must've thought I was an apparition. When waiting for my data to get ready and choosing which experiments I should prioritise for my presentation I sang to the cat, who loved it. This weekend I was completely obsessed with Real and Rain, both songs by Unprocessed, and by Alibi from Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar and Yseult so that's the repertoire that the cat got to listen to.

On Sunday I also walked to the lab to feed some cells and got my ass literally kicked by a homeless man in Peckham. This was probably an omen, if not a visual metaphor of this week kicking my ass. Also, I couldn't find my bike lock keys. Just grand really.

While looking at the initial quality control of my data I was faced with a very depressive image. The degree in which the problem in the protocol was indeed solved varied to insane degrees depending on the sample. And the useful percentage of the data was usually too low. Considering that I was going to watch a film the next day with an amazing bioinformatician from my lab, I decided to ask in person whether she could meet me to discuss my data for the lab meeting.

Usually, I would say no to social outings so close to my presentation, but I really look up to her and feel like we have a bond. Due to a part of the lab having a different location we barely interact. A few more people that I had similar feelings towards were going to join as well. I felt like I couldn't decline the opportunity to meet them and that I would deal with my presentation stress and tiredness later. 

We watched the best worst film: Troll 2. The one in which there is no Troll 1, no trolls (there are goblins though), and one of the actors was some guy that was an outpatient from the University of Utah psych ward. It was gloriously trashy. The Bioinformatics Goddess told me to come over to their part of the lab so we could discuss things the next day.

Getting to the fancy part of our lab the next day, I first saw Mr Genius, who was also there in the Troll 2 watch party. Something about him tells me that he can handle my sense of humour and that we're quite similar, but I'm always reminded that this is not fully the case. The mismatch isn't big, but it always gives me a weird sense of unease and anxiety amidst the joy I get when talking to him. Him being intellectually intimidating doesn't particularly help, but still, I quite like our interactions. After some light banter about the film, I told him that soon I was going to talk to the Bioinformatic Goddess about my data and he decided to join.

Going through my slides and data their silence intensified until both cut that with indignation at our boss. They were both furious at our boss for the lack of adequate supervision that I have received so far, and the amount of hard work that I put for almost no reward. It takes me a lot of mental effort to show them my work and have discussions, as I feel slightly inhibited towards them due to me seeing both as inspirational people, but I think I managed to calm myself down a bit and to have a proper discussion with them. My fears were confirmed. the way that the data looked, I would only be able to detect biological phenomena that were quite pronounced. And perhaps this could be the case with one of the collaborator's projects, but it was most definitely not mine. It felt reassuring to see that they both felt that I was competent actually and that they both had my back. "You are truly excellent, and this is a waste of hard work and intelligence, I'm sorry but this just makes me so angry", Mr Genius said. It feels a bit delirious to write this down, even. We spoke a bit about what analysis I could do with what I currently have in order present something on Thursday, and they were both very helpful.

After work I went home to make sure I had some analysis pipelines running for the pre-processing of a few datasets before heading off to Pizza Tuesday (with the people from the Bosnian wedding). I took an apple strudel that I baked that morning as a little birthday thing. We spoke briefly about the dancing blog guy, and they told me something vague about reasons for him ditching me. I couldn't really put their bits of information together, but something about him "not being that social" and them thinking that I "deserved better" (as if anyone deserves anything. As if there should be the need to diminish the person who is not your friend, the person said friend is attracted to and decided to like based on their own assessment, just because this friend got hurt) and that in reality he most likely just couldn't "handle it". Whatever "it" means. The prospect of commitment? My feelings? His feelings? I decided to not ask any further, but somehow hearing that from them intensified my heartache. I almost preferred to think of my previous hypothesis that he just didn't care about me and thought I was physically unattractive. Hope I don't care about people ever again, 4/10 experience.

I wanted to spend the night working on my presentation and analysing data, but the wise Bosnian Pizza Tuesday host told me it would be better to sleep and to work on it in the morning. Feeling emotionally exhausted, I don't think there was anything else that I realistically could do.

At last, it was my birthday, and I decided to go early to the bouldering gym as a treat. That felt great and I even found my bike lock keys there! I felt like the universe was finally smiling at me. My Persian ex sent me happy birthday wishes, we spoke a bit about my lab struggles, and he said "Good luck with all of that. Never forget: you came a long way and you have done great things. You are also gonna be even better and go higher!". I cried a bit in the middle of the gym and was very thankful that it was empty. His support has always been invaluable, and I will forever be grateful and resent the fact that I am not attracted to him. Went back home and got some presents from my flatmate's parents (for tolerating their deranged ape son. Just kidding). Went to work and found some more goodies on my desk from colleagues.

People kept asking me for celebrations and what I would like to do on my birthday. I decided to go out for drinks in a cute pub close to the lab as a celebration after my presentation. I felt like I didn't have energy to organise anything else and that I would need the drinks. I'm definitely not on the path to become a raging alcoholic. 

Also, early March I had bought one ticket to watch the Spirited Away theatre play on my birthday, with the original Japanese cast. I feel a bit guilty that I did not invite anyone to come with me, but I truly wanted to have this experience alone and treat myself. Back then however I did not know I was going to have a presentation the next day. And truly, it was magical! And it was all in Japanese! When it was over I returned home and spent most of the night finishing my presentation.

I concluded that I shouldn't lose all my sleep over this and that if there was any interesting bit of data to show, there was not enough time to properly prepare slides in a way that I could communicate something meaningful to the lab. It would just be a show-off of how much I had done and that only thing that would accomplish is for me to feel like I am not useless. I refuse to do such meaningless self-soothing behaviour ever again. It was painful, but I decided to make a presentation based on how the method that I was using was indeed not usable, what are the exact issues, ideas of how to proceed, some optimisations on other methods. The main focus was to inform other lab members and my boss if they wanted to either use the method or suggest it to collaborators, and to gather feedback and ideas of what I could possibly do. Personally, the whole thing was painful to me and gave me a feeling of failure and not being smart enough to know when to quit optimising and switch to something else. But I received reassurance from peers that things are ok and that's how a PhD goes.

I am still, however, feeling that sort of numb sadness. Indeed, good that I had drinks afterwards. Good job, past me.

For the celebratory drinks there were some people from my lab, my flatmate, two London besties, and a guy adjacent to my Brazilian friend group who moved to London before I hanged out with these people. We talk quite often on Telegram but I think that my texting style became too European to keep up with Brazilian texting (but it's still too Brazilian and intense for the European standards). I got lovely cards, a few gifts and an AMAZING vegan (so that my Witchy Muse could eat) chocolate and raspberry cake from Konditorei, organised by my tasteful and thoughtful flatmate. 

Celebrations didn't stop there. Two people joined me for climbing on the next day, and on Saturday my flatmate gave me the surprise present of watching episode 6 of Star Wars in the cinema, a perfect ending for our Star Wars craze we had for the past weeks watching every main film in the franchise. I'm incredibly thankful for all the lovely people that consider themselves my friends. Highschool me would never once have thought that one day people would care as much. Considering that she never had that, I didn't have a lot of practice with saying no and finding a balance. It's especially hard considering that it's not easy for me to immediately access my emotional feedback on things, so if something is too much it usually hits me consciously way later than for most people. It was getting obvious though (at least for me) that my interactions were getting stunted and unnatural the entire week. That was not very 365 party girl of me. 

I'm just...

Tired. 

Exhausted really. 

I want nothing more than to stay in bed, watching nonsense on YouTube, or some series, or to casually read a fiction book, and to sleep for 9 hours every night for 1 month. Surrounded by pillows, preferably with cuddles every so often. And that would be the only contact with people that I would want in that ideal one month.

But that fantasy is far from happening in the foreseeable future. You see, I started writing this from a Starbucks at the London Gatwick airport with a large cappuccino. I had a flight to Geneva at 7:45am and woke up at 3:30am to come to the airport and be on time. With a pack of discounted babybels in my pocket so that they wouldn't go bad in the fridge.

Said flight was overbooked. I will now fly at 4:55pm. It was 8:36am as I started writing this. I stayed in that Starbucks for almost 6 hours writing this and reading a paper to make slides for a summer course in the Swiss Alps. The flight was also 2 hours late and now my earphone batteries ran out. I'm finishing writing this on the plane to Geneva. Woe is me.

When Mannequin Pussy said, "Everyone says to me 'Missy, you're so strong' but what if I don't wanna beeeeeeeeee" I really felt that.

This is just the beginning of frenetic two weeks. And It's me and my pocketful of babybels against the world.

Exhausted salutations,

Drained Amadeus

PS: The timeline is probably very confusing so I'll simplify it here:

Week of the 12th of August: At some point in the middle of the week, my data arrived

15th to 18th of August: Catsitting in Nunhead

21st of August: My birthday

22nd of August: Lab meeting presentation

[briamichellewrites]

56

Mike and Dave surprised everyone by getting engaged. It felt like the right time. Their families were excited about their marriage! During a meeting with Muto and Donna, they revealed they were going to have a small wedding. For the past year, Dave’s mother had been fighting breast cancer. She was not doing well. The disease was progressing rapidly throughout her body. At most, she had another year left. It was because of this, they wanted to get married as soon as possible.

They gave the boys their blessing to get married. Dave would be a wonderful son-in-law and partner to Mike. Mike proposed to him before they left to go on tour. He accepted his proposal right away! They shared the news with everyone while in the air. They congratulated them! Chester already knew. He tried as hard as he could to keep it a secret.

He was antsy because he wanted to share the news, but he couldn’t! It wasn’t his news to share. When Mike spilled the beans, he felt a great relief. Rob asked if they were going to continue living with Bria, or if they would move out. They were not sure about that. They didn’t think it mattered to her what they decided. Speaking of, how was she doing? She was doing so well! Her relationship with Brad was healthy and as such, they didn’t have to worry about her running away again.

She had episodes of depression. That was part of her bipolar disorder. However, they weren’t as severe as they were before. They would have her as part of their wedding party. She could wear a tuxedo if she wanted to. They laughed. Unlike her marriage to Jason, they would never get divorced. No matter what. Mike’s parents credited him for helping him remain sober.

“You have to learn to love yourself before you can love me.”

Dave remembered how far they had come. He had to fight for him, while he struggled with alcoholism and depression. The man he loved was destroying himself with men and alcohol. He had to step back because he didn’t want to continue getting hurt. When he became sober, he started seeing the man he loved coming back out. For the first year, he was scared of losing him to a relapse.

Promoting the movie was hard work. That was why Bria was grateful to have Brad there with her. The cast had press conferences, photo shoots, interviews, and film premieres. It was a lot of early mornings and late nights. She collapsed into bed every night because she was so tired. At the same time, she was so happy. This was what she wanted to do. Every time they showed it to the media, they got good reviews. It was as if everything she did was praised.

Brad warned her it wouldn’t be like that forever. Critics could be fickle about what they like. They would love her one day and then, hate her the next. All she could do was give her best performance. He had movies where his performance was criticised, even though he gave it his all. The comments hurt sometimes and they made him frustrated. It was as if they didn’t understand what he was trying to do.

He couldn’t let the negativity ruin his career. She took that advice to heart.

Park City, Utah. The weather was colder than she was used to. She had to run to Saks to get a warm jacket and snow boots before leaving California. Anthony was used to the cold since he was from Joliet, a city outside of Chicago. He jokingly asked her if she would ever move to the Midwest.

“I would be like the retired community, who go to Florida during the winter to get away from the cold. I prefer Southern California.”

“You can take the girl out of California, but you can’t take the California out of the girl.”

“Exactly. You poor Midwesterners.”

He laughed. She did have fun playing in the snow. It made her feel like a child again. She threw a snowball at Brad. Barry, Heath, Daveigh, Matt and Jennifer joined them in their snowball fight. She tripped and fell back into a snow bank, getting her pants wet. Oh, well. She would change when they got back to her hotel suite. The festival was full of different celebrities promoting their films. They got to meet them during the various parties and events. The cast also hung out together at their hotel.

Brad scheduled everything for them. He was enjoying watching Bria experience everything for the first time. She was excited about the little things. It brought out another part of her personality that he loved. It taught him to appreciate the little moments. Her almost nonstop energy and enthusiasm inspired the cast to keep going. She thought about how excited her parents would be for her.

Bria would have asked Brad to hire Jasper as one of the crew. He would have had fun learning more about how movies were made, along with watching his daughter. Both he and Christina would have told their friends about the movie. They would have encouraged them to go see it, like the proud parents they were. Brad and Jasper would have gotten along well. He would have gotten a kick out of Jasper’s energy and enthusiasm. They were there in spirit. That’s what she had to believe.

“Meow!”

Princess looked up at Dave. She was trying to use her cat charm to get more treats from him. It was almost working. Mike told him that he was spoiling her. He laughed and crouched down to pet her. No, she would have to wait until dinner for more food. It was only two in the afternoon and she had just had lunch. She wasn’t going to starve to death before five.

Sensing she wasn’t going to get her way, she fell to the floor and meowed in protest. They had to laugh at her tantrum. Chester came in and asked what happened. Dave explained the situation in amusement. They laughed before leaving her to her tantrum. She continued meowing loudly, but they ignored her. Micha looked at his sister making a damn fool of herself before walking away. After five minutes, she got up because they were not going to give in to her demands.

The house was quiet, as it was just the three of them. The band would be coming over the following morning to work on their album. Mike spoke to Jason over the phone. The previous evening, he went out with some of his workmates. He got drunk at the bar and had to be helped back to his flat. His boss found out about it. He promised it wouldn’t happen again.

Mike was not happy about his slip-up. That was an understatement. It didn’t matter if he didn’t intend for it to happen. Not to him. Chester thought he was justified in his anger.

“But?”

“Nothing. I would usually tell you not to be too hard on him. Coddling and enabling won’t help him. Be angry or whatever you need to feel.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that”, he replied sincerely.

“You’re welcome.”

Princess went into the cat room sulking. How could the humans be so cruel? Dave came in and she growled at him. He apologised to her for not giving her treats. She growled again because she was angry. He scratched her head and told her she was still his favourite girl. She blinked at him. Was he forgiven? Yes, but she still needed time to work through her anger. He thanked her.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon

[themovieblogonline]

Chicago Rolls Out Red Carpet for Sundance X Chicago 2024

o Logan Center for the Arts on the campus of the University of Chicago co-hosted the first event with Sundance to be held in a city other than Park City, Utah. Sundance X Chicago began with the screening of the Sundance documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” at the Logan Center for the Arts. No less a celebrity than the Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, was present. Also in attendance was Eugene Hernandez, the Director of the Sundance Film Festival since 2022, and the Director of “Luther: Never Too Much,” Dawn Porter. The City of Chicago, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and Choose Chicago, in partnership with the nonprofit Sundance Institute kicked off the highly anticipated Sundance Institute X Chicago 2024 - the first of its kind event in the United States -  with a welcome reception with City officials, Sundance creatives, and the greater Chicago film community. SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL The landmark three-day event, June 28 - 30, showcases Midwest premiere screenings of four films drawn from the Sundance Film Festival’s lineup in January, along with a robust series of panel discussions, master classes, and community programming. Sundance, originally the brainchild of Robert Redford, began in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1978. In 1981, the festival moved to Park City, Utah, and changed the dates from September to January.  In 2020, the year the pandemic struck,  the estimated value of Sundance to Utah was said to be $167 million. Due to the pandemic in 2021, the 44th festival went virtual. The festival returned to in-person showings in 2023. I reviewed 8 films streamed to me from Sundance in 2024. Currently, Sundance is considering moving to another city in 2027. Cities that have expressed interest in hosting Sundance include Boulder, Atlanta, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Chicago, Buffalo, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. "Luther: Never Too Much" Documentary "Luther: Never Too Much"  is a documentary that chronicles Luther Vandross's impressive career and life, using clips from his performances and collaborations with greats like David Bowie and Bette Midler to interviews done with Luther, himself, along with those who knew and worked with him. Among those who praise the talent of Luther Vandross in the documentary are Jamie Foxx (an executive producer of the film), Dionne Warwick, Oprah, John Tesh, Roberta Flack, Richard Marx, and Mariah Carey. The treatment resembles the documentaries devoted to Little Richard, Billy Ocean, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, and others that have recently become available.   Read the full article

[dlinton11]

Sundance Film Festival: THE Film Festival of The World 

Sundance Film Festival: THE Film Festival of The World 

Sundance Film Festival: Introduction To the World of Independent Cinema 

The Sundance Film Festival, held in Park City, Utah, is all about the showing of astounding films and revolutionary ideas. The festival was started by actor Robert Redford in 1978, and it's become super popular for the showing of films that are different from the usual ones that would be seen in big theaters. Originally called the Utah/US Film Festival, it acquired its new name in 1985 from a famous movie Redford was in. Today, Sundance isn't just any festival, it's a huge deal within the film industry. People from all over the world, including filmmakers and fans, come to check out the newest and awe-inspiring independent films. The Sundance Film Festival is compared online to a gigantic party just for movie connoisseurs. So why should we care about Sundance and what happens there? Well, it's not just about watching new films that are being created, it's also about celebrating different stories and perspectives. Sundance gives a voice to filmmakers who might not get heard otherwise, showing us, the viewers, new ways to tell their own stories and think about the world. To put it briefly, the Sundance Film Festival is a huge deal because it's all about showing incredible films, and new ideas, and celebrating diversity in filmmaking. The Sundance Film Festival not only brings together filmmakers, and fans, but anyone who loves fantastic stories being told. 

Sundance Film Festival: Looking At the Beginning  

The Sundance Film Festival, in Park City, Utah, has become a foundation for the film industry, showcasing the best in independent cinema. Learning about how the Sundance Film Festival started and changed helps us see how it went from a small local event to a huge deal worldwide. Founded in 1978 by acclaimed actor Robert Redford, the festival initially began as the Utah/US Film Festival, aiming to celebrate and promote independent filmmaking. Over time, it went through big changes, both in what it was called and how big it got, until it became the well-known Sundance Film Festival. Robert Redford's vision for the festival originated from his passion for supporting independent filmmakers and providing them with a platform to showcase their work. His commitment to encouraging creativity and including diverse perspectives set the groundwork for what would grow into one of the biggest and most influential film festivals globally. In 1985 though, the festival underwent a significant rebranding, adopting the name "Sundance" after Redford's character in the iconic film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." This switch wasn't just about honoring Redford, it also began a fresh start for the festival. The festival kept growing and making a bigger impact on the film industry. Since its beginning, the Sundance Film Festival has experienced remarkable growth and increase in size. What started as a small gathering of independent filmmakers has become an enormous event that attracts thousands of attendees from around the world. Every year, the festival keeps getting better, adapting to new technology, trying out different types of films, and welcoming different voices. But through it all, the main goal is supporting independent filmmakers.

Sundance Film Festival: The Significance of Sundance 

The Sundance Film Festival is a huge deal in the film world. It's a major platform for independent filmmakers to show off their work and a place where new talent can be discovered. Its impact is felt all around the world, affecting how movies are created and watched by viewers. Sundance not only gives independent filmmakers an important chance to show their movies to many people but also includes big names in the industry. It's a way for films that might not get seen in theaters to get noticed and appreciated. This freedom lets filmmakers express themselves in unique ways. Sundance is like a launching pad for new filmmakers. Lots of famous directors, actors, and writers got their big break from there, which gets them noticed and opens doors for their careers. It's a place where fresh voices can be discovered and where storytelling boundaries are pushed. Sundance's impact goes beyond the festival itself, it shapes trends, inspires new ideas, and even sets the bar for the whole film industry worldwide. Movies that debut at Sundance often become huge hits and change the way we see films today.

Sundance Film Festival: Diversity and Representation 

At Sundance, diversity and representation are super crucial. Overall, the festival is all about making sure lots of different voices and perspectives are heard. Through these efforts, Sundance shakes up the typical stories we see in movies and provides a platform for communities whose voices are often overlooked to share their stories. Sundance goes out of its way to find movies with lots of different perspectives, showing the wide range of human experiences. By focusing on stories from communities that don't always get attention, the festival makes sure everyone's voice is heard. This helps make films more inclusive and helps viewers understand each other better. Sundance is a huge player in shaking up the usual stories we see in films though. The festival promotes films that break the rules and don't stick to stereotypes. By showing movies with different ways of telling stories and new ways of creating films, the festival gets us to think differently and see the world in many new ways. Numerous movies that premiered at Sundance have become popular and well-loved, which is the reason they've drawn attention to important social issues and communities that don't always get noticed. These success stories show the focus on how Sundance deals with diversity and can make a big difference, not just in films but in the world too.

Sundance Film Festival: The Impact  

The Sundance Film Festival has a huge effect on independent filmmaking. The event influences everything from gaining money to making the film to getting it out to the public. Based on the market and help from the Sundance Institute, and overall influence, the festival plays a gigantic role in shaping indie cinema. At Sundance, the market is a super crucial place for buying, selling, and funding indie films. Lots of industry folks come together to discover new projects, make deals, and get funding to create these iconic films. This not only facilitates the production and distribution of innovative films, ensuring they reach audiences, but it also provides significant support to filmmakers throughout the year beyond the festival. Sundance offers lots of different programs, gives out grants, and offers mentorship to new and aspiring filmmakers. This support helps create creativity and new ideas in indie cinema. The Sundance Film Festival's impact goes way beyond just the festival itself. It affects how independent movies are made and shown all around the world. Movies that debut at Sundance often catch the eye of big distributors, leading to them being shown to a bigger audience and getting praised by critics. In conclusion, Sundance's focus on creativity sets a real standard for indie filmmaking and inspiring filmmakers to try new and daring projects. 

Sundance Film Festival: Challenges and Criticism 

Even though the Sundance Film Festival gets a lot of praise for helping indie movies, it also has many problems and criticisms worth bringing up. Many people worry it's getting too focused on creating profit because there are issues with how easy it is for everyone to take part, and there's a tough balance between making popular films and keeping true to an artistic vision. As the Sundance Film Festival gains popularity, some folks worry it's getting too focused on making money. They think it's starting to care more about big-name stars and making films that sell well, instead of sticking to its roots of supporting indie filmmakers. Making sure everyone feels included is still a huge problem for the Sundance Film Festival. Even though the festival tries to show lots of different voices and stories, it can be hard for filmmakers from marginalized groups to take part. This also makes it hard for some people with limited money or who can't get around easily to have a tough time attending. It's super key to fix these issues so that everyone can be part of the festival. One huge problem for the Sundance Film Festival is finding the right balance between making profit and staying true to the original vision. Indie filmmakers often feel pressured to change their films to make them more commercial, even if it means losing some of their artistic freedom. It's a tough balance for both filmmakers and the festival organizers to figure out. Recognizing these problems and listening to the criticisms can not only help the Sundance Film Festival to keep getting better but continue to be a welcoming place for indie films. By being open to change and making improvements, the festival can make sure it stays an energetic and inclusive spot for independent filmmakers to display their work. 

Sundance Film Festival: Cultural and Social Impact  

The Sundance Film Festival doesn't just have a huge effect on films, but also has an impact on culture. The festival influences how films are created, which gets people talking about important issues such as the shaping of modern culture. By changing how stories are told and encouraging important conversations, Sundance has made a lasting impact on the film industry. Sundance has played a significant role in setting movie trends and pushing the limits of how stories are told. Lots of the stuff we see in mainstream movies today started at Sundance, showing just how big of an influence it has on the whole film industry. Sundance has always been known for showing movies that tackle big social issues and get the people talking. By putting a spotlight on social issues such as race, gender, sexuality, and the environment, the festival encourages everyone to think differently and look at new perspectives. With this type of thinking, they make the viewer question their own ideas, helping others understand better. Sundance has made a huge impact on today's films, but it's hard to grasp just how big. It's helped lots of filmmakers get their start and shown audiences amazing films. Sundance's dedication to indie filmmaking and pushing creative boundaries has motivated tons of filmmakers to follow their dreams and think outside the box. This is why Sundance is still seen as a major force behind some of the trendiest cultural movements we've seen lately. To sum up, the Sundance Film Festival has had a huge impact on both culture and society. It shapes movie trends, gets people talking about important issues, and has left a lasting mark on the world of cinema. This is why it's seen as such a big deal in the film world because it's one of the most influential places for movies to be shown and celebrated. 

Annotated Bibliography 

Academic Articles: 

An Analysis of the Commodification of Independent Cinema, digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1479&context=etd. Accessed 7 May 2024.  

“The Big Conversation: Complicating Representation.” Sundance Film Festival, festivalplayer.sundance.org/fr/sundance-film-festivall-2023-prod/play/63b755a4ddde220056b40026/63cf1567a99f840089c1fe0e. Accessed 7 May 2024.  

Diane Knispel  Park City Museum. “Way We Were: A Brief History of the Sundance Film Festival.” ParkRecord.Com, ParkRecord.com, 2024, www.parkrecord.com/news/way-we-were-a-brief-history-of-the-sundance-film-festival/.  

palak_jayswal. “Sundance Film Festival Kicks off, Looking at 40 Years of Movies and What the Future Holds.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 2024, www.sltrib.com/artsliving/arts/2024/01/18/sundance-film-festival-kicks-off/.  

True Tales at the Sundance Film Festival, www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/true-tales-at-the-sundance-film-festival-a11f32a3. Accessed 7 May 2024. 

Popular Sources:  

Gage, Clint. “Why the Sundance Film Festival Is so Important to Hollywood.” IGN, IGN, 5 Feb. 2024, www.ign.com/articles/why-the-sundance-film-festival-is-so-important-to-hollywood.  

Gleiberman, Owen. “Have Sundance Movies Lost Their Danger?” Variety, Variety, 29 Apr. 2024, variety.com/2024/film/columns/have-sundance-movies-lost-their-danger-sundance-film-festival-1235872148/.  

Pennick, Bailey. “This Is Your First Look at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Program.” Sundance.Org - Sundance.Org, 2024, www.sundance.org/blogs/this-is-your-first-look-at-the-2024-sundance-film-festival-program/.  

Rossmann, Sarah. “Diversity at Sundance: A Closer Look.” Medium, Medium, 18 Feb. 2023, medium.com/@sarah.rossmann/diversity-at-sundance-a-closer-look-736aeea2d884.  

“Sundance Film Festival.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 2 May 2024, www.britannica.com/art/Sundance-Film-Festival.  

“Sundance Film Festival: What We’re Watching.” The Opportunity Agenda, 29 Nov. 2022, opportunityagenda.org/partner_stories/sundance-film-festival-what-were-watching/.  

“A Year Later, 7 Festival Filmmakers Reflect on ‘the Real-World Payoff of Sundance.’” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-02-08/sundance-film-festival-the-independents-look-back. 

Reviews: 

Aaron. “2024 Sundance Film Festival Reviews + Recap.” 2024 Sundance Film Festival Reviews + Recap - by Aaron, Wild About Film, 2024, www.wildaboutfilm.io/p/2024-sundance-film-festival-reviews.  

Doperalski, Daniel. “Sundance Film Festival.” Variety, Variety, 2024, variety.com/h/sundance-film-festival/.  

Forbes, Mercedes Diane Griffin. “The Sundance Film Festival Celebrates Underrepresented Voices.” DG Speaks, 5 Apr. 2024, dgspeaks.com/celebrating-diversity-the-sundance-film-festival-as-a-vital-platform-for-underrepresented-voices/#:~:text=Through%20its%20commitment%20to%20inclusivity,the%20work%20of%20women%20filmmakers.  

Gardner, Chris. “Sundance: Roundup of Events, Panels and Parties for 2024 Festival in Park City (Updating).” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 2024, www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sundance-2024-festival-parties-panels-screenings-details-1235786387/.  

The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, www.theguardian.com/film/sundancefilmfestival. Accessed 7 May 2024.  

Oliver, Katherine. “Film as a Force for Social Impact.” Medium, Medium, 2 Feb. 2016, medium.com/@kolivernyc/film-as-a-force-for-social-impact-e8f3a5e87b57. 

Interview: 

“Getting into Sundance: A Convo w/ Eugene Hernandez, Sundance Film Festival Director | Adobe Video.” YouTube, YouTube, 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9kQNEmin3s. 

[yessadirichards]

Laura Linney and Nico Parker are mother and daughter in Laura Chinn's ‘Suncoast’

PARK CITY, Utah

When writer-director Laura Chinn was a teenager in 2005, her mother moved her and her terminally ill brother to Florida. The idea was for him to spend his last days in hospice in peace. Instead, the place was mobbed by protesters and media because, as they’d quickly discover, Terri Schiavo was in that same hospice.

The circumstances provided the inspiration for Chinn’s directorial debut, “Suncoast,” starring Nico Parker as the teenager in question and Laura Linney as her mother. It’s streaming on Hulu starting Friday.

Though it’s not unusual for a filmmaker to draw on their life for narrative guidance, within this strange and fraught and emotional time Chinn saw an opportunity to tell not just her story but a more universal one about grief and empathy. And she got to work, using the skills she’d learned over the years, writing for and acting on television (including creating the series “Florida Girls”) and learning some new ones too (like photography and how to shotlist).

Schiavo was in a vegetative stage for 15 years after a cardiac arrest at 26 in 1990 and had become the face of end-of-life legal rights, which beyond the bitter disagreement between her husband and her parents had ignited a national debate. In 2005, right before her death, it was a full-on media and political frenzy.

“But also as a teenager being in that position, it gave me an opportunity to see a very political story that was on the news right up close and see that these were all human beings.” Chinn said.

The film is still mostly fiction, however.

“It’s important to know that while Kristine is certainly archetypally based on Laura’s mother, while there may be some similarities here and there, I was not intentionally playing her mother,” Linney said.

Likewise for Parker’s Doris, who is attempting some semblance of normalcy amid the turbulence in her teenage life, making new friends and pushing boundaries. Much to her surprise, she finds herself most comforted by a protester played by Woody Harrelson.

“She’s sort of wise beyond her years,” Chinn said. “This older person is someone she can connect with more so than the people her own age.”

Parker, who is the daughter of actor Thandiwe Newton and writer-director Ol Parker, cried the first time she read the script.

“I just couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she said. “I couldn’t stop saying lines.”

Plus the chance to work with Linney and Harrelson was one that Parker said she was “borderline begging” for.

“Woody’s the best, he’s so weird and so funny,” Parker said. “Then when the camera is on him — and him and Laura are similar that way — life just beams out of him, he’s so present. Watching it up close is so interesting. I don’t know what happens in his face, but it’s just sunshine.”

Linney said for her, everything was right there in the script that made it easy despite the heavy material.

“I’m the daughter of a playwright, so the story comes first and you do everything you can to help move that along,” Linney said. “When the script is good and the people are good and you’re having a good time, it’s easy. It’s not painful. You’re not like beating your chest. You don’t go home depressed … And there’s nothing better than feeling like you’re part of a younger artists’ launching.”

Este Haim and her partner Chris Stracey helped craft the score, inspired by the music of the period. All were especially excited to get permission to cover The National’s “Green Gloves,” sung by Monica Martin, for a pivotal moment when Doris is running to hospice.

She’d loved the song but didn’t realize how relevant it was until she read an interview with the group’s frontman Matt Berninger about how it was about grief, and missing someone so much that you start wanting to wear their clothes.

“It’s really a perfect song,” Chinn said,

The “Suncoast” world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last month was a teary occasion. Chinn’s own mother ran out of tissues and a stranger was right there with another to hand off. It was a common sight in a theater full of sniffling (“Suncoast” is funny as well).

“I hope that people can walk away with it being able to express more of their own grief, feel more of their own grief and feel more connected just to the idea that we all go through this and that there’s not really a right or wrong way to do it,” Chinn said. “We’re all just kind of doing the best we can.”

[webseriesviral]

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[ecsundance]

Back in Florida, having had time to thaw out from our time in Utah, it is time to recollect on my 2024 Sundance experience. This was my second Sundance but it was my first time being able to go in person since the 2022 Sundance was virtual. While that was an unique experience with the virtual spaceship and karaoke, it was a much different experience being there in real life with face to face interactions with other festival attendees. In Michael Newland’s book Indie: An American Film Culture he says “The discourse of independent cinema moves through various institutional channels to form a set of common conceptual frames shared among filmmakers and support personnel, distributors and marketers, cultural gatekeepers such as film festival programmers, tastemakers including journalists and scholars, and many ordinary filmgoers. This makes a community of the different persons and groups for whom indie is a meaningful concept; they form this community around their investment in ideas of what indie is and is not.” I think this best describes how it feels to be at Sundance. Everyone there has either already seen what you have or is about to. This allows you to connect with different people in the lines with you or on the same shuttle. In my review of Sundance from 2022, I talked about how virtual screenings are here to say and that if Sundance couldn’t accept that, they would be left behind. I am glad to say that they heed my warnings because while they did promote in  person screenings by not having certain films be available, they still offered online screenings for many films and all of the shorts.

Justin’s Sundance Screenings:

Feature Films:

Freaky Tales

A Different Man

Kidnapping Inc.

I Saw the TV Glow

Ponyboi

Love Me

Little Death

A New Kind of Wilderness

As We Speak

Handling the Undead

The Greatest Night in Pop

Short Films:

Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue

Merman

Pasture Prime

The Lost Season

Thirstygirl

Indie Episodic/New Frontier Projects:

Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza

Eno

Talks:

Mental Health in Film: Using Narrative Film to Impact Mental Health in Underserved Communities

Feature Films:

My favorite film from all of Sundance was Exhibiting Forgiveness which I saw online since I wasn’t able to get in person tickets. This film really impacted me in the way that it dealt with generational trauma in a black family which is a topic that I am very interested in exploring with my own films. My least favorite film from the festival was Handling the Undead because it seemed like it was supposed to be a horror film because it was about the undead but there was little to no action and it just felt so anticlimactic due to its slow pace. Another film that I watched was Freaky Tales which had a lot of traction due to its star-studded cast and I liked the way that the film seemed to take inspiration from Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill despite not really liking the ways that they tried linking the stories together. A Different Man was interesting because it talked about type casting and exploitation but I felt that it failed to do what it was supposed to. Kidnapping Inc was one of my top five films that I saw at Sundance because while it did have many jokes and funny dialogue it didn’t take away from the real world problems of kidnappings in Haiti. I had high hopes for I Saw the The TV Glow since it was associated with the production company A24 but it let me down in the fact that it felt like it couldn’t choose between Thriller or Fantasy so it just felt sort of lackluster in both genres. Ponyboi was interesting in its focus on intersex people and Love Me intrigued me in the way that it used different mediums to get its message across but also in the story that I felt was similar to the Disney Pixar movie Wall-E. I felt that Little Death was unique in its own way in that it portrayed the characters and how they changed physically or emotionally based on what they were talking about or dealing with. A New Kind of Wilderness was a film that really pulled at my heartstrings in the way the story was told, the film was edited, and the shots were filmed making for a very emotional piece. As We Speak was my favorite documentary without a doubt due to its incorporation of narrative aspects in it that created for a really interesting and engaging story. The Greatest Night in Pop was a good documentary and I liked the backstory about a song that I grew up listening to but for me personally I didn’t like it because it didn’t really have any conflicts in it.

Short Films:

Mother Tongue was probably my most anticipated and I am glad to say that it did not disappoint me due to its great dialogue writing and story. Pasture Prime and Thirstygirl both had really interesting stories that I could enjoy but The Lost Season did not keep my attention at all and I am sad to admit that I fell asleep through it. Merman was in between for me because while I did think the subject was interesting I personally didn’t relate to it and I think that’s part of the reason why I didn’t like it as much as the others.

Episodic/New Frontier/ Talks:

Lolla was the only episodic that I watched and I felt so disconnected from it that I fell asleep during it (to be fair it was late at night) and we left before the second episode. Eno was really good and I found it interesting in how each showing of the film would be different due to the use of ai changing the editing of it everytime. The mental health talk that I attended was really insightful and helped me to curate my voice for my short films.

-Justin Hollis

[playermagic23]

Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal fly off to the US for world premiere of debut production Girls Will Be Girls at Sundance Film Festival

Actors and now producers, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal are set to present their maiden production, Girls Will Be Girls, at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. The film, which is also in contention in the World Dramatic Cinema category, promises to captivate audiences with its compelling narrative. Richa and Ali have eagerly left for Park City, Utah, in the United States, ready to showcase their labour of love on an international stage. The date set for this moment and the world premiere is 20th January. Girls Will Be Girls is a joint venture of Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's production houses - Pushing Buttons Studios, Blink Digital, Crawling Angel Films and Dolce Vita Films.

The film, directed by Shuchi Talati, unfolds a gripping tale set in a boarding school nestled in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India. The storyline follows the rebellious awakening of a 16-year-old girl played by Preeti Panigrahi, intricately woven with her mother's unfulfilled coming-of-age experience portrayed by the talented Kani Kusruti. The film also stars Jitin Gulati and Kesav Binoy Kiron in pivatol roles.

Richa Chadha expresses her excitement, saying, "Getting through in such a competitive cinema festival is itself a big deal. I have high hopes from Shuchi as a director and the rank newcomers as actors. Kani, the world has witnessed her brilliance again in 'Killer Soup'. I feel blessed”.

Ali Fazal adds, "As new founders, we’re exploring new worlds through new stories, Sundanc happens to be the greatest step one into the next worlds to be discovered by us hopefully soon. I am thrilled that we get to share our creations with the world. Also very glad to be blessed with such an amazing jury on the world competition that’s gona watch Girls Will Be Girls”.

[thequeereview]

LGBTQ+ highlights at 40th Sundance Film Festival

Thursday, January 18th marks the opening of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival which runs in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah until January 28th, as well as online US-wide for the last four days of the festival. The Festival’s 40th annual edition will showcase 91 features, 53 shorts, and eight episodics, with 32 works made by filmmakers who identify as LGBTQ+. Here we take a look at…