Sundance 2010: Bits 'n Pieces - Day 1
Sundance 2010 opens with Spike Jonze’s robots, but which Sundance entry will
be the next Paranormal Activity?
What Will Be this Year's Paranormal Activity?
The 2010 Sundance Film Festival opened yesterday, bringing press and filmmakers flooding into Park City, Utah along with some hefty media speculation about which films will be the first sold to distributors – that is, if sold at all. Thanks to the success of 2009’s runaway horror hit Paranormal Activity, which was independently produced on the cheap and bought by Paramount for $300,000, distributors are reportedly on the lookout for similarly small, effective genre films that can be bought at Sundance and turned into multimillion dollar hits. And, as The LA Times suggests, buyers might be especially interested in the unsold Sundance titles in the Midnight selection, which include the Ryan Reynolds thriller Buried, the David Hyde Pierce creeper The Perfect Host, the hillbilly horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, and last-minute addition The Violent Kind. Vincenzo Natali’s Splice, one of the higher-profile genre films this year, is already rumored to be on the cusp of a distribution deal.
FEARnet Talks to the Creators of YellowBrickRoad
Across town during Sundance each year, the inimitable Slamdance Film Festival takes place concurrently. FEARnet spoke with Jesse Holland and Andy Milton, co-directors of the Slamdance horror entry YellowBrickRoad, a film about researchers investigating the disappearance of an entire New England town that feels akin to The Blair Witch Project, The Thing, and Deliverance all rolled into one. Holland and Milton discuss the genesis of their film, the styles and influences they had in mind, and what their greatest fears are right here.
Spike Jonze’s Robot Love Story a Hit
Opening day Thursday was a bit sparse in terms of genre pics, but one film garnering buzz (and a bounty of blogger love) was the latest from director Spike Jonze, a short film called I’m Here. The 35-minute film, sponsored by Absolut Vodka in a strange but whatevs bit of corporate film funding, follows a male robot librarian (Andrew Garfield) with a PC box for a head who falls in love with a more conventional-looking robot girl. According to the reactions of those in attendance at the Opening Night debut of I’m Here last night, Jonze makes good use of haunting, evocative music by musicians like Sam Spiegel and Aska Matsumiya. Watch the trailer below and find out more here.
Watch Now on YouTube: Glottal Opera
This year, the Sundance organizers are trying a lot of cool, creative new tricks. One of these such things is the YouTube Screening Room, where you can watch some of the short films in the fest’s official selection. More titles will be added in the coming days, but for now check out our new bizarre, freaky fave, a musical short called Glottal Opera featuring the vocal chords of all-female singing group Kaya. Yes, I said featuring their vocal chords. It’s strangely, perversely enthralling, and you can see what I mean below.
Stay tuned to FEARnet for news recaps every day during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival!
