Hey guys, I'm back with a two-fer. Since I saw zero movies on Tuesday (read: St Patrick's Day), I'll be covering all the other SXSW goodness I experienced that day instead. After all, this year I am covering more than just the films- I am also sharing my adventures all around the fest. I'll also be jumping into my day 5 coverage which includes less parties and more movies. Balance my friends is the key to a successful SXSW, so I hope at least a few of you enjoy this more well-rounded aspect of the fest.
My St. Patrick's day commenced like I'm sure many of yours did- with drinks among friends on a patio. Mine however took place at a free SXSW day show, official kicking off the free daytime music part of the fest for me. You see, though the music part of the SXSW festival starts technically at 5:00 pm when they start checking badges and wristbands, the day shows begin as early as 7am (NPR y'all). And by free, I mean they are free to attend, and often there is some sort of free drink/food situation. Anyhow, this day took me to the Side Bar where Yoko and friends beckoned. One of my cousins who was in town also joined me on my latest quest in the SXSW madness. We arrived, were handed out wristbands for the free open bar, and promptly found our cohorts sunning themselves on the patio listening to the latest band on the bill.
The bands usually play very short sets in these type of "showcases", so if you're not into a particular band, just stick around for half an hour and you'll get a new band. I liked the first band we saw, XCop, a lot. They were pretty standard guys-with-one-gal indie rock, and it was chill and nice. The next band was my fave of the day for sure though, eliciting the sentence,"you had me at Japanese girl rapping," when Yoko described them to me.
My St. Patrick's day commenced like I'm sure many of yours did- with drinks among friends on a patio. Mine however took place at a free SXSW day show, official kicking off the free daytime music part of the fest for me. You see, though the music part of the SXSW festival starts technically at 5:00 pm when they start checking badges and wristbands, the day shows begin as early as 7am (NPR y'all). And by free, I mean they are free to attend, and often there is some sort of free drink/food situation. Anyhow, this day took me to the Side Bar where Yoko and friends beckoned. One of my cousins who was in town also joined me on my latest quest in the SXSW madness. We arrived, were handed out wristbands for the free open bar, and promptly found our cohorts sunning themselves on the patio listening to the latest band on the bill.
The bands usually play very short sets in these type of "showcases", so if you're not into a particular band, just stick around for half an hour and you'll get a new band. I liked the first band we saw, XCop, a lot. They were pretty standard guys-with-one-gal indie rock, and it was chill and nice. The next band was my fave of the day for sure though, eliciting the sentence,"you had me at Japanese girl rapping," when Yoko described them to me.
'They are out of London, but the lead singer is an amazing cute Japanese chick who sings, plays instruments, changes costumes, and YES YES Y'ALL throws in some sweet Japanese rhymes. Needless to say, Yoko and I danced and bounced nearly the whole set. A definite highlight from the fest overall. Also, did I mention free open bar? Well, they also had free tacos!! Once again, if you like BBQ or tacos, you're pretty much set during SX.
After their set was over, we made the obligatory journey (1 block) to the local pub, had some sort of Irish shot thingy, and then headed south of downtown with one of my lurvely friends-always-in the-know to the Highball where the Mondo party was happening. So, I forgot to RSVP for this thing, and my cousin certainly wasn't on this list, but we decided to go for it. I mean miracles happen and the festival gods have definitely been smiling on me this year. Basically when we got there I flashed my press badge, mentioned Brandy Fons (publicist extraordinaire), and the powers that be saw it fit to admit us. I may have actually been on the list after all- those Fons publicists know what they're doing- but either way, we were in like Flynn!
We were immediately treated to an amazing band playing Spaghetti Western/Argento style music. Now, now here is where I die a little bit inside because I failed to write down the name of this incredible band, and Google has failed me since it was a private party. Alas, despite my ineptitude in the case of recalling their name, their sound left an indelible mark on my ears. I hope I get to see them again one day. CORRECTION PEOPLE: Thanks to bar tending God (and Jack of all trades in the Austin fest scene) Jon Matina, I have just learned the band is called Federales. They are totally badass- check them out!
At some point, Diva Del Mar joined the fray, and we were whisked away to one of the amazing themed private karaoke rooms that are upstairs at The Highball. As I first entered the loud, darkened room, I was struggling to adjust my eyes when I heard a surprised, "Rebecca?!" Come from the blackness in one corner. To my utter delight it was none other than the old school AICN-er Monki and his absolutely gorg wife Caiti. I don't get much of a chance to hang with Monki since he became kind of a big deal over at Rooster Teeth (kidding,not kidding), so I was pumped to quickly catch up and make the acquaintance of his lovely lady.
After this chance encounter, everyone headed back downstairs to the main stage for Elijah Wood's DJ set. Yep, when Elijah isn't creating big screen magic, he is a voracious collector/fan of music and he DJs. And he's pretty freaking great, btw. His latest venture is actually a collaboration with a fellow DJ under the banner Wodden Wisdom. They incorporated a lot of cool African beats which made the urge to shake your thang pretty hard to resist. Though once again I plead total ignorance about who is assisting DJ Elijah on stage here, their collaboration made for an extremely fun times on the dance floor.
After their set was over, we made the obligatory journey (1 block) to the local pub, had some sort of Irish shot thingy, and then headed south of downtown with one of my lurvely friends-always-in the-know to the Highball where the Mondo party was happening. So, I forgot to RSVP for this thing, and my cousin certainly wasn't on this list, but we decided to go for it. I mean miracles happen and the festival gods have definitely been smiling on me this year. Basically when we got there I flashed my press badge, mentioned Brandy Fons (publicist extraordinaire), and the powers that be saw it fit to admit us. I may have actually been on the list after all- those Fons publicists know what they're doing- but either way, we were in like Flynn!
We were immediately treated to an amazing band playing Spaghetti Western/Argento style music. Now, now here is where I die a little bit inside because I failed to write down the name of this incredible band, and Google has failed me since it was a private party. Alas, despite my ineptitude in the case of recalling their name, their sound left an indelible mark on my ears. I hope I get to see them again one day. CORRECTION PEOPLE: Thanks to bar tending God (and Jack of all trades in the Austin fest scene) Jon Matina, I have just learned the band is called Federales. They are totally badass- check them out!
At some point, Diva Del Mar joined the fray, and we were whisked away to one of the amazing themed private karaoke rooms that are upstairs at The Highball. As I first entered the loud, darkened room, I was struggling to adjust my eyes when I heard a surprised, "Rebecca?!" Come from the blackness in one corner. To my utter delight it was none other than the old school AICN-er Monki and his absolutely gorg wife Caiti. I don't get much of a chance to hang with Monki since he became kind of a big deal over at Rooster Teeth (kidding,not kidding), so I was pumped to quickly catch up and make the acquaintance of his lovely lady.
After this chance encounter, everyone headed back downstairs to the main stage for Elijah Wood's DJ set. Yep, when Elijah isn't creating big screen magic, he is a voracious collector/fan of music and he DJs. And he's pretty freaking great, btw. His latest venture is actually a collaboration with a fellow DJ under the banner Wodden Wisdom. They incorporated a lot of cool African beats which made the urge to shake your thang pretty hard to resist. Though once again I plead total ignorance about who is assisting DJ Elijah on stage here, their collaboration made for an extremely fun times on the dance floor.
After Elijah's set, more karaoke was had, including me and Del Mar dueting on Total Eclipse of the Heart and Let It Go. Remember people, this is at the end of St. Paddy's Day- I didn't exactly chronicle every drink that was imbibed throughout these antics, but they were numerous. Here's Del Mar tearing it up!
We thankfully called it a somewhat early night...and on to Day 5!!
Day 5 started straight-out-the-gate with a movie. And not just any movie guys - BEING EVEL.
BEING EVEL
So, like any kid born in the 70's Evel Knievel has been a household name my entire life. I pretty much associate the name with the audacious, super hero-like motorcycle man I had seen jumping, landing, and sometimes crashing his way onto my 3 channel TV set throughout my childhood. In BEING EVEL, director Daniel Junge not only shows the showboating side of the famed dare devil we all know, he also delves into the deviant and not so nice side of the legendary stunt man.
The film begins like any self respecting bio doc does- at the beginning. With rare insight from hometown friends and family alike, we hear about the rough and tumble origins of Robert Craig Knieval. As an intuitive risk taker in the hard scrabble mining community of Butte, Montana Knieval found his share of trouble. Nothing major, but enough to send him on a course in life that found him defying current norms in any of his various eventual chosen fields. As the film chronicles his rise to fame, the continual observations of the dearest people in his life tell the real story behind the mythical man.
The movie is beautifully shot, with talking head commentary nicely countered among an entertaining array of stock footage and memorabilia. From childhood pals to a more modern breed of professional extreme athletes, everyone has had their favorite EVEL story, and somehow Junge manages to let each one shine.
Though I typically have rules about documentaries that are over an hour (ie they better not be boring), I am thrilled I can say with certainty that BEING EVEL smashes my silly little rule into oblivion with its endless energy and entertainment. One of the most intriguing parts of the film for me is how featuring Knieval's shortcomings makes him more accessible. In fact, even though his ego is on full display for most of the film, his own misgivings about his past bring the man full circle to a place where even those he assaulted-literally and figuratively- can approach his memory from a place of understanding instead of resentment.
Aside from this seriousness, the film is chock full of nail biting antics and death defying stunts that are still marvelous even by today's X games standards. This is a pretty badass flick that does not disappoint! Check it out.
After EVEL, I met up with the lovely Diva Del Mar for a bit of sushi abandon. We slightly over did it and ended up giving about a pound of leftovers to a homeless dude. Lucky duck. Soon, Del Mar and I parted ways and I made my way to the Stateside Theater to queue up for my next film of the day, THE INVITATION.
The film begins like any self respecting bio doc does- at the beginning. With rare insight from hometown friends and family alike, we hear about the rough and tumble origins of Robert Craig Knieval. As an intuitive risk taker in the hard scrabble mining community of Butte, Montana Knieval found his share of trouble. Nothing major, but enough to send him on a course in life that found him defying current norms in any of his various eventual chosen fields. As the film chronicles his rise to fame, the continual observations of the dearest people in his life tell the real story behind the mythical man.
The movie is beautifully shot, with talking head commentary nicely countered among an entertaining array of stock footage and memorabilia. From childhood pals to a more modern breed of professional extreme athletes, everyone has had their favorite EVEL story, and somehow Junge manages to let each one shine.
Though I typically have rules about documentaries that are over an hour (ie they better not be boring), I am thrilled I can say with certainty that BEING EVEL smashes my silly little rule into oblivion with its endless energy and entertainment. One of the most intriguing parts of the film for me is how featuring Knieval's shortcomings makes him more accessible. In fact, even though his ego is on full display for most of the film, his own misgivings about his past bring the man full circle to a place where even those he assaulted-literally and figuratively- can approach his memory from a place of understanding instead of resentment.
Aside from this seriousness, the film is chock full of nail biting antics and death defying stunts that are still marvelous even by today's X games standards. This is a pretty badass flick that does not disappoint! Check it out.
After EVEL, I met up with the lovely Diva Del Mar for a bit of sushi abandon. We slightly over did it and ended up giving about a pound of leftovers to a homeless dude. Lucky duck. Soon, Del Mar and I parted ways and I made my way to the Stateside Theater to queue up for my next film of the day, THE INVITATION.
THE INVITATION
So, I had heard good things about this festival favorite, but actually had no idea what "good things" constituted. I knew it was supposed to be a genre film, though, so naturally I was onboard.
THE INVITATION is about a former couple and their friends who reunite at a dinner party. The weird part is that the soirée is taking place at the residence the split up couple used to share with their deceased son. Apparently after the tragic event, their marriage crumbled leading the wife, Eden, to shack up with her current beau who she met at group grief counseling. They disappeared for 2 years only to recently reconnect with this old group of friends via this dinner party invite. This backstory establishes a very tense and strange tone that builds steadily throughout the film. Though Eden's ex, Will, can't quite put his finger on it, something is just not quite right. As the night progresses we are left questioning whether Wills misgivings are accurate or if this is just part of the psychosis of a mourning father.
THE INVITATION is the epitome of a slow burn. I had a moment during one of the many ensemble scenes where I found myself crossing my fingers in hope of some sort of final payoff. Oh boy, does the third act of the film deliver. Though I hate to even say that because it sounds a spoiler-ish, it is obvious throughout the build up of the story that something is going to go down, we just have zero idea what that something is. When the film finally hits its full stride audible gasps and hushed,"What the hell," could be heard throughout the theater. Eruptions of applause and cheering following as well as certain revelations were finally made clear.
I have zero idea about distribution for the THE INVITATION, but I am sure it will make it to a screen near you in one format or another. When it does, definitely take a chance on this festival favorite.
After the credits were finished rolling, I high tailed it to the Alamo Ritz for my third film of the day, 7 CHINESE BROTHERS.
7 CHINESE BROTHERS
This film begins as Larry (Jason Schwartzman) is getting canned from his job at Buca de Pepo for stealing booze from behind the bar. Straight away you can tell that Larry is a generally happy-go-lucky yet aimless slacker type who is perfectly happy bouncing between Joe jobs. He almost immediately finds his next employment at a local Quick Lube cleaning and vacuuming cars. A consummate jokester, Larry can also be found on his daily visits to his grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) brightening her day as well as scoring bottles of pills from his pal who works as an orderly at her assisted living home. There's honestly not much more to the plot, however we do get to see Larry navigate through a few situations that show he is more than just a slacker clown.
Schwartzman does his usual hipster schtick that I happen to find completely charming. If you don't like this type of dry wit persona he has honed, then you may not enjoy the film as much as I did. For me, though, his simple charisma prevails for a performance that is both funny and even heartbreaking in some instances. The supporting cast, including TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe as his grandmother's caretaker, are all pretty understated here. Even the pseudo boss/love interest (Eleanore Pienta) has serious potential to shine, but seems to never quite get the chance. Though I feel like that is likely director Bob Byington's intention- to keep the overall feel of the film a bit subdued- I guess I just wanted the rest of the cast to feel a bit more fleshed out. Also joining them was Arrow, Schwartzman's bull dog, who has possibly the most prolific supporting role of the film. As Larry's constant companion, Arrow definitely provided the film with some serious warm fuzzy feelings that helped ground the protagonists silly antics. In any case, the mellow vibe of the story gives Schwartzman the capacity to do his thing, and the overall result is a charming, yet kind of ho-hum little story.
After the film, Byington and Adebimpe took the stage for a Q and A and were joined by Schwartzman (and Arrow!!) via Skype.
Schwartzman does his usual hipster schtick that I happen to find completely charming. If you don't like this type of dry wit persona he has honed, then you may not enjoy the film as much as I did. For me, though, his simple charisma prevails for a performance that is both funny and even heartbreaking in some instances. The supporting cast, including TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe as his grandmother's caretaker, are all pretty understated here. Even the pseudo boss/love interest (Eleanore Pienta) has serious potential to shine, but seems to never quite get the chance. Though I feel like that is likely director Bob Byington's intention- to keep the overall feel of the film a bit subdued- I guess I just wanted the rest of the cast to feel a bit more fleshed out. Also joining them was Arrow, Schwartzman's bull dog, who has possibly the most prolific supporting role of the film. As Larry's constant companion, Arrow definitely provided the film with some serious warm fuzzy feelings that helped ground the protagonists silly antics. In any case, the mellow vibe of the story gives Schwartzman the capacity to do his thing, and the overall result is a charming, yet kind of ho-hum little story.
After the film, Byington and Adebimpe took the stage for a Q and A and were joined by Schwartzman (and Arrow!!) via Skype.
Needless to say, after two full days of going at it, I headed home after the film to crash hard, so this is where my latest story ends. I hope you've been enjoying my personal version of a SXSW experience. I'll be back with more soon!
Rebecca Elliott
Aka Annette Kellerman
