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Austin, Film, Pop Culture

SXSW Official 2012 Film Line-Up

SXSW just released their official 2012 film line-up yesterday and there are a lot of goodies.

Over the next weeks, I will be posting about some  of the must-see films of the year.

In the meantime, check out the list of films below.
Narrative Feature Competition:

Booster

  • Director & Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
  • When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
  • Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail
  • (World Premiere)

Eden

  • Director: Megan Griffiths | Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips & Megan Griffiths | Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim
  • A young Korean-American girl, abducted and forced into prostitution by domestic human traffickers, joins forces with her captors in a desperate plea to survive.
  • Cast: Jamie Chung, Matt O’Leary, Beau Bridges, Jeanine Monterroza, Scott Mechlowicz
  • (World Premiere)

Gayby

February 2, 2012 by
20-Something, Film, Music, Pop Culture

The Indie-Urban Existential Crisis

I’m reaching an age where it takes a lot for me to stay focused and interested in contemporary independent film and music.

I’m reaching an age where unless a film has a point or a song is originally written, displays some sort of individual talent and doesn’t sound like a band I heard back in the 60’s-90’s, I fall asleep, turn it off, or get up and leave.

This sort of behavior does not make it easy for me to go to the theater with friends or listen to music recommendations. Because of this, I’m absolutely not in the know on what is indie-urban popular, because, well, most of the time I think it’s absolute shit.

This goes against the idea of being a “hipstercrite”, I guess. I really can’t go on and on about how I hate Lana Del Rey, talk about what movies are currently hot at Sundance or manifest Ryan Gosling memes.

The alternative, the irreverent and the ironic is my bag, but lately I’m finding a lot of it forced and showing lack of skill. More often than that, I’m finding (more…)

January 24, 2012 by
Film, Hipstercrite Life

Rudy’s Barbershop Loves Loves Her Gun

So check this.

We partnered with one of my all-time barbershops on our film, Loves Her Gun.

Rudy’s Barbershop is featuring our little movie as one of their Rudy’s Saves projects. Every year, the company selects an artistic endeavor to support and this year they chose us! Rudy’s supported artists in the past like Shepard Fairey, OJAS, Eric Elms, KAWS, and our lead actress Trieste Kelly Dunn.

We’re so stoked to be working with Rudy’s. When I lived in LA that was the only place I got my hair cut. At the Melrose store, I always enjoyed looking at the cut-outs of scantily clad 70’s men. Rudy’s is the original hipster barbershop.

Rudy’s interviewed Geoff and I about writing and making the film. Somehow David Byrne and Pee-Wee Herman got mentioned.

If you’d like to learn more about our partnership with Rudy’s and read our interview, go here.

If you want to get the most awesomest haircut on the planet, check out the list of Rudy’s locations here. Rudy’s is located in Seattle, (more…)

January 12, 2012 by
Austin, Film, Pop Culture

How Do You Find a Unicorn and Make it Cry?

There is so much talent coming out of Austin, it makes me want to barf. In a good way. Like cotton candy barf.

Austin filmmakers & writers David Ward, John Ramsey and Jack Dreesen and actor Byron Brown made a genius Doritos spec for the chip company’s Super Bowl commercial contest.

It looks like their entry was popular, but didn’t win, which is STUPID! If only marketing agencies could come up with as brilliant spots!

This will be the best 30 seconds of your day.

What do you think? Should they have won?

January 5, 2012 by
Film

When Your Movie is On Netflix

I mentioned awhile back that my boyfriend is a  filmmaker. In the summer of 2011, we wrote a screenplay called Loves Her Gun and shot it in September. We’re working on the edits now. It’s really weird watching footage of something you created. It’s like giving birth…for hours and hours. It’s both bowel-emptying exciting and downright terrifying.

This film is the second one my boyfriend has directed. His first film is an animated love story that takes place on Mars. The film is called MARS. My boyfriend’s last name is Marslett. Needless to say, the word “Mars” is a common word in our vocabulary. The film stars Mark Duplass (“The League”, Cyrus), Kinky Friedman, James Kochalka and Howe Gelb. MARS just premiered on Netflix Instant last week and it’s been in the top 20 most downloaded films for the past eight days.

It’s interesting making a movie. Well, it’s interesting creating anything. There are always going to be lovers and haters. The reviews on Geoff’s film are mixed. Either (more…)

January 5, 2012 by
Film, Hipstercrite Life

Being Friends With An Acquitted Murderer (and B-List Actor) Is Not Easy

Some of you guys might be familiar with this story for I’ve broached the topic of me being friends with an acquitted murderer/b-list actor before. If you’re not familiar with it, check out my story over at CultureMap. Murder, sex and purple pearl snap shirts. Such a wonderful children’s story for the Holidays.

Being Friends With An Acquitted Murderer (and B-List Actor) Is Not Easy

12.16.11 | 12:05 pm

I was once friends with an acquitted murderer-slash-B-list actor.

He was a sad man, but I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. The sort of man who spent Thanksgiving alone, eating a grocery store rotisserie chicken in the woods of Ojai, California.

The sort of man who owned nothing but a couch, a bed, a guitar and the photos of his long forgotten career taped to his wall.

The sort of man who has no friends.

The sort of man who lived like the characters he portrayed.

The sort of man where you couldn’t tell if he was acting in real life or not.

I met the (more…)

December 16, 2011 by
Film, Music, Pop Culture

Hipstercrite Round-Up: Bitches Be Crazy Edition

  • (music) Did you know that Talking Heads has a new documentary called “Chronology” out? Yeah, neither did. That one kind of slipped under the rug. NPR gives you a first look at the new doc that chronnicles the band’s live performances from their early days playing at CBGB’s all the way up to the last time they played as a foursome at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. The film is available on Amazon for $19.99 (NPR All Songs Considered)
  • (music) All aboard the P.P. Love Letter (@Monbud came up with that one,  I’m not that funny)! R. Kelly has got himself a cruise ship. He’s going to sing to you on that cruise ship. Then he’s going to lock everyone in the closet. This premise sounds like the beginning of a snuff film. (A.V. Club)
  • (film) Ever wonder what the hell happened to Mike Myers? Well your fears of what he could have possibly been doing during that time of isolation is true: he’s making an Austin Powers musical. Goes to show that even comic geniuses run out of (more…)
December 15, 2011 by
Film, Hipstercrite Life

I Used to be a Hollywood Assistant

Over at CultureMap, I wrote a story about my days in LA. Some of you who have hung in there with me might already know this story. Occasionally I get nostalgic and cry like a little bitch about ol’ Hollywood. Either way, I’m happy I left it…

True Hollywood Story: The Life and Death of a Tinsletown Assistant

12.10.11 | 01:00 pm

I used to work in Hollywood — as a personal assistant.

Sometimes it seems like a dream, my time there. A forgotten dream only triggered by a minor chord or someone else’s love letter to Los Angeles. By songs or films that I relate to but that are not my story. Sometimes I drift off in a cloud of romanticized musings of things I did not experience.

It’s much easier to recall your time in Hollywood like one would a movie, giving your story a narrative when in reality, while you were experiencing it, there was no voice guiding the way.

I meet a lot of young people in Austin who want to move to or are about to move to LA. My initial reaction (more…)

December 10, 2011 by
Film, Pop Culture

The Muppets Review: A Must-See For Every Muppet Fan

source

 

I was going to post this next week, but screw it. I already noticed a few reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and my blog isn’t big enough to have a studio sic a Muppet on me, so here it is, my The Muppets review. Disclaimer- I’m not a movie reviewer and suck ass at writing reviews.

The Muppets is a good movie. It’s not great. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that the more you watch it, the more great it becomes. Writers Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller had a big task in front of them and all-in-all they succeeded in doing the job.

Gary (Jason Segel) and his Muppet brother, Walter, live in Smalltown, U.S.A. They are best buds and do everything together. As they grow older it becomes apparent that Walter is “different”. He feels out of place. One day Gary and Walter watch The Muppet Show on TV and Walter is transfixed. He has found his people.

Fast forward years later, Gary decides to take his girlfriend of ten years, Mary (Amy Adams), to Los Angeles. Knowing how (more…)

November 18, 2011 by
Film, Pop Culture

The Muppets Create Nostalgia-Fueled Cry Fests

Last night I saw an advanced screening of The Muppets.

And as I predicted, I cried eleven times, including once within the first 60 seconds of the film.

When the entire Muppet gang sang “The Rainbow Connection”, I lost it.

I just wrote a whole review, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to post it, so I’ll wait.

Instead I will share with you the write-up I added to the Muppets window which was featured in the East Austin Studio Tour this weekend and next.

 

It was our third date. You were screening your movie. I was nervous.

I really liked you.

When I left the theater I discovered that someone had broken into my car.

The next night you took me out to dinner. You felt bad about the broken window so you offered

to make me a new one. We stood on the dark street cutting out a cardboard window. You

asked me who I wanted driving alongside me. I told you the Muppets. You drew Kermit,

Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear by the light of my cell phone.

I drove around (more…)

November 15, 2011 by