I knew this movie was going to be painful to watch as soon as the ‘70s or ‘80s power-pop intro song started. It seemed out of place, forced—As did most of the dialogue in the film. A couple of high school friends, Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) and Patrick Keenan (Gabriel Basso) decide that their parents are such a drag that the only option is to build their own house in the forest and live there. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Upstream Color
It’s going to take me a few more viewings of this film to full grasp what the hell is going on and what it all means, but let’s try this: Larvae infect a plant, kids harvest and process the blue dust on the infected plant and they make a drink out of it which gives them mental, physical and spiritual connection. … read more
Nero (DJ Set) @ Park City Live 01.17 with DJ Zen Freeman
Sundance is perfect people watching, best partaken in the gaudy parties and concerts that tend to cater to warm weather visitors, aka, girls wearing bikinis in frigid Utah temperatures. This year’s opening night brought acclaimed electronic duo Nero to Park City for a pricey, open to the public, sold-out, classic Sundance dance party. … read more
Sea Wolf @ Urban 01.19 with Pentagraham Crackers, The Devil Whale
After a brief pause in the green room, Sea Wolf emerged congenially, all looking dapper and composed. The spotlights dimmed and the performers glommed onto their devices. Familiar, lilting guitar, a cymbal smash, and a wave of illumination ushered in “You’re a Wolf.” … read more
Afrojack @ Park City Live 01.20 with Warren Peace
Afrojack appeared onstage, gold confetti was released, and then the mayhem ensued! His set was solid, from a sick remix of PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” to his popular “Polkadots” track. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: My Name is Faith
Following a young girl named Faith—who suffers from Reactive Attachment Disorder— and her family, the Junkers, through two camps designed to help families with children who have various attachment disorders, My Name is Faith documents the difficulty of dealing with these very real issues—both as a child and as a family.
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Slamdance Film Review: The Institute
Following the storyline of a massive reality game created by Jeff Hull, The Institute searches for the boundry that separates what is real and what is fiction.
Sundance Film Review: MANHUNT
Before you jump to the conclusion that “MANHUNT” is only the documentary version of “Zero Dark Thirty” (and you’d be partially correct), Greg Barker’s accounting of the hunt for Osama bin Laden takes a further step back into history and recalls the actions of “The Sisterhood”, a group of C.I.A. analysts who were responsible for uncovering the existence of the terrorist network al-Qaeda. … read more
Ushio Shinohara Exhibit Opening @ CUAC 01.18
When first entering the gallery, I found myself momentarily stunned by the colors, movement, and scale of his works. Ushio Shinohara modernizes violence, anger and sorrow, making it his own. With each punch, a bout of catharsis is imprinted onto the canvas. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Fruitvale
Directed by a 26-year-old, first-time feature filmmaker, Fruitvale is a near-perfect, emotionally driven drama with a strong-hitting political agenda. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Animation Spotlight
In the 12 years I have been coming to Sundance, I have never seen the Animation Spotlight program contain such risqué subject matter, which is fully embraced by this film critic. It’s nice to enjoy some lewd material with a sold-out theater of guests. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Hell Baby
From the creators of Reno 911! comes a wickedly funny horror-comedy that explores horror film conventions in such an over-the-top and self-aware way that I’ll never be able to take a haunted house, exorcism or demonic baby films seriously again. … read more
