Authors: Kathy Rong Zhou
Slamdance Film Review: Withdrawn
Director Adrian Murray’s first feature film, “Withdrawn,” is somewhat of a dry farce that manages to be both entertaining and subdued. The broke, basement-dwelling, band-tee-wearing Aaron spends his days mostly alone, preoccupying himself by playing video games, trying to solve a Rubik’s Cub and also trying to find ways to pay bills that he can’t afford. When he finds a lost credit card, Aaron decides to hatch a defrauding scheme. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: The Children Send Their Regards
The Children Send Their Regards is relentlessly eye-opening and excruciatingly detailed in its examination of the corruption that pervades throughout the clergy—and throughout a society with a legal system and statue of limitations that protects the abusers over the abused. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Strad Style
Danny Houck is a 32-year-old eccentric. He wears a long scarf around his head at almost all times, and he has a mania for violins. In particular, he’s obsessed with the two greatest violinmakers in musical history, the Masters of Cremona: Antonio Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu. Director Stefan Avalos’ “Strad Style” has us cheering for Danny from beginning to end. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Dim the Fluorescents
Fitted with long scenes, on-point characters and justly over-the-top dialogue, Dim the Fluorescents is as imaginative and entertaining as are Audrey and Lillian’s sensational corporate demonstrations. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Hotel Coolgardie
Pete Gleeson’s documentary, “Coolgardie,” is about a remote town in Western Australia. After getting their credit cards stolen and travel savings drained in Bali, Finnish travellers Lina and Steph decide to work in the town’s pub, hoping to replenish their funds. Coolgardie, however, isn’t anything close to what Lina and Steph were prepared for. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Aerotropolis
“Aerotropolis” follows Allen, a young, middle-class man who invested everything he owned into a beautiful apartment and unused aerotropolis land. Lulled in by the aerotropolis’ “promised land,” Allen is instead ensnared by the pitfall of financial pressures and an existence stripped of meaning. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Wexford Plaza
Toronto-based Joyce Wong’s first feature film, Wexford Plaza, is an at-times painfully real-life comedy about suburbia, isolation and ennui. The film follows the lives of 19-year-old, late-night security guard, Betty (Reid Asselstine) and the well-meaning, deadbeat bartender, Danny (Darrel Gamotin), as they find their lives unraveling. … read more
Kuro: Voice and Vignette
Joji Koyama and Tujiko Noriko’s Kuro is a beautiful and slow-burning film that will steep audiences in ambiguity during its world premiere at Slamdance 2017. … read more
Salt Lake City Staycation
You may be in town for some film festivals, or you may be a born-and-raised, diehard Salt Laker. Either way, you deserve your Salt Lake City staycation. … read more
Growing La Barba
Cozy yet luxurious, old-world yet modern, inventive yet approachable, La Barba Downtown has become a treasured Salt Lake hub for coffee culture and education. … read more