Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy Sundance Film Festival Director: Robert Townsend What a perfect and appropriate film to witness as President Obama was sworn into office just hours before. Robert Townsend’s documentary, based on Darryl Littleton’s novel, recounts the harsh and tragic history of African Americans in the United States told through
Local Reviews: The Dhoon
I appreciated Bright in No Light after my second listen quite a bit more than the first—which was on a sunny day in busy traffic. Listening while outdoors at night happens to be the better way to get into this music. … read more
Lymelife – Review
Lymelife Sundance Film Festival Director: Derick Martini Director Derick Martini grants the audience access to significant moments of his personal life in this coming-of-age drama about first loves, failed marriages, and Lyme disease. It’s the 1970s and Scott Bartlett (Rory Culkin) is the class punching bag, secretly in love with his neighbor Adrianna (Emma Roberts),
Common at Harry O’s
Common’s performance at Harry O’s was a refreshing and invigorating, the seasoned rapper played many of his familiar hits, bringing the crowd to a near frenzy of hip hop arm pumping and hip swiggling ecstasy. The club set up helped his presentation, the soundsystem had enough bass to nearly make me sick to my stomach,
Local Reviews: Eagle Twin
If you live in Salt Lake City and you are even remotely into heavy music, you, at the very least, have heard of Eagle Twin. Master craftsmen Gentry Densley and Tyler Smith return with their highly anticipated follow-up to 2009’s epic, The Unkindness of Crows, and the anticipation is far from unwarranted. This fucker is heavy, and I don’t mean just a little. … read more
Nollywood Babylon – Review
Nollywood Babylon Sundance Film Festival Directors: Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal With a population of 14 million, Lagos, Nigeria is the third largest film producing country in the world, trailing only the United States and India. Each year, approximately 2,500 films are produced with a budget under $15,000, but with only three movie theatres in
World’s Greatest Dad – Review
World’s Greatest Dad Sundance Film Festival Director: Bob Goldthwait It’s seems that it will become a tradition at Sundance that whenever you see Bob Goldthwait listed as director, you know you’re in for a darkly sinister treat of perverse delight. Returning to the Festival after his 2006 K-9 escapade, Stay (a.k.a. Sleeping Dogs Lie), Goldthwait
DAY ONE IN PARK CITY: Friday Jan. 21, 2005
Local Reviews: Esther
Esther’s self-released EP, Common Choirs, finds its groove in the post-hardcore/ screamo realm—it would sit well on the shelf next to late ’90s/early ’00s genre releases. The hallmark heart-on-your-sleeve, metaphorical lyrics are abundant, just waiting to be turned into tattoos/T-shirts/Facebook status updates, and are backed by emotive guitar lines that dip into heavier territory than others of this genre might. … read more
Five Minutes of Heaven – Review
Five Minutes of Heaven Sundance Film Festival Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel Unbeknownst to me, the comedic screening of Manure was switched to Oliver Hirschbiegel’s drama of murder, revenge, justice, and forgiveness in the Emerald Isle. That sounds just dandy to me. In civil war torn Ireland, violence and death was an everyday occurrence. In the 1970s,
Punching the Clown – Review
Local Reviews: Jake Burch
The local scene has been graced by the presence of the eclectic folk band L’anarchiste. Now the band’s influence is growing as one of its members, Jake Burch, has gone solo. He offers jazz-influenced folk in his debut, War. I want to like the album, but it just rubs me the wrong way a few times. Almost every song highlights a new instrument and different vocal style. … read more
