Sundance: ‘Me & Earl’ embraces death, teen love without saccharine
Monday, February 9th, 2015 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Sundance: ‘Me & Earl’ embraces death, teen love without saccharineBy Noelle Johansen PARK CITY—As callous as it sounds, teenagers with cancer seem to be in vogue these days. “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is the edgier, artsier version of last year’s novel-turned-blockbuster, “The Fault in Our Stars.” [caption id="attachment_10472" align="alignleft" ...
Slamdance—the ‘other festival’ offers good vibes and good films
Monday, February 9th, 2015 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Slamdance—the ‘other festival’ offers good vibes and good filmsBy Noelle Johansen PARK CITY—If the Sundance Film Festival isn’t independent enough for you, the concurrent Slamdance Film Festival should do the trick. Slamdance, a festival for and by filmmakers, is like the friendly kid sibling to Sundance—less pretentious, more approachable. Case ...
Sundance Review: Jack Black can’t keep ‘D Train’ on track
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Sundance Review: Jack Black can’t keep ‘D Train’ on trackBy Katie Swain PARK CITY — Earnest, dorky, obsessive, overly-friendly in the way that somehow produces no friends . . . and after about 15 minutes you find yourself wondering how Jack Black is playing the same character in yet another ...
Sundance Review: David Foster Wallace at the end of his tour
Sunday, February 1st, 2015 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Sundance Review: David Foster Wallace at the end of his tourBy Mariah Noble PARK CITY—In “End of the Tour” at Sundance, David Foster Wallace is the author of a book called “Infinite Jest,” which made him so successful that he drew the attention of David Lipsky, a reporter for Rolling Stone. ...
Sundance 2015: Raunchy Olympic has-been finishes out of the medals
Saturday, January 31st, 2015 Posted in Opinion | Comments Off on Sundance 2015: Raunchy Olympic has-been finishes out of the medalsBy Mariah Noble and Noelle Johansen PARK CITY—“The Bronze” is exactly what you’d expect from a mash-up of “Stick It” and any Judd Apatow film: athletic, vulgar and the kind of funny not suitable for the dinner table or the faint ...
Sundance 2015 Review: ‘The Resurrection of Jake the Snake’
Saturday, January 31st, 2015 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Sundance 2015 Review: ‘The Resurrection of Jake the Snake’Story & Photo by Ben Hansen Special to Hard News Café PARK CITY—A new year is upon us, and many of us start to think about changes that we’d like to make in our lives. Sometimes change is difficult, and sometimes people ...
You lookin’ at me? Robert De Niro’s dad was a great painter
Sunday, February 23rd, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on You lookin’ at me? Robert De Niro’s dad was a great painterBy Katie Swain PARK CITY—Twenty years after the death of Robert De Niro Sr., HBO’s Sheila Nevins and Robert De Niro Jr.’s producing partner Jane Rosenthal came together with directors Geeta Gandbhir and Perri Peltz to honor the abstract expressionist painter ...
You’ll say, ‘Wish I Was There,’ when you see Braff’s new film
Sunday, February 23rd, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on You’ll say, ‘Wish I Was There,’ when you see Braff’s new filmBy Katie Swain PARK CITY—Ten years after his directorial debut with “Garden State,” writer, director and actor Zach Braff returned to Sundance to tears and a standing ovation as he screened the premiere of his second film, “Wish I Was Here.” “Garden ...
‘Listen Up!’—annoying, arrogant but somehow likeable Sundance film
Sunday, February 23rd, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on ‘Listen Up!’—annoying, arrogant but somehow likeable Sundance filmBy Katie Swain PARK CITY—Premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, “Listen Up Philip” is the latest indie film from director Alex Ross Perry. With unlikable author Philip Roth (Jason Schwartzman) as the belligerent, cantankerous, yet somehow charming protagonist, “Listen Up ...
‘The One I Love’—what?
Sunday, February 23rd, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on ‘The One I Love’—what?By Katie Swain PARK CITY—In any film, the first concern should always be a strong, coherent plot. Artistic elements, daring experimentation, complicated visual effects, and even dialogue or casting should be considered only after a good storyline is mapped out. All ...
Sundance 2014: ‘They Came Together’ is sweet, funny, klutzy
Sunday, February 23rd, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | 1 Comment »By Katie Swain PARK CITY—New York City, a big business “vaguely, but not overtly, Jewish leading man,” and a mom and pops candy store owning “klutzy, but adorable, leading lady” who are so different they’re obviously perfect each other. Sound familiar? ...
Real lives: Sundance film echoes Utah same-sex marriage debate
Monday, February 17th, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Real lives: Sundance film echoes Utah same-sex marriage debateBy Katie Swain PARK CITY, Utah — In the midst of angry debates and hurt feelings on both sides of the same-sex marriage situation in Utah, Park City held a celebration in honor of the approximately 1,300 gay and lesbian Utah ...
More than a childhood, ‘Boyhood’ took 12 years, and tells moving story
Monday, February 17th, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on More than a childhood, ‘Boyhood’ took 12 years, and tells moving storyBy Paul Christiansen PARK CITY, Utah — The Sundance Film Festival has been host to many beautiful and inventive films over the years, but few have been as groundbreaking and inventive as director Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” the story of a boy ...
Better late than never: Sundance apologizes for missing ‘Bottle Rocket’
Monday, February 17th, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Better late than never: Sundance apologizes for missing ‘Bottle Rocket’By Katie Swain PARK CITY, Utah–This was the 30th anniversary of Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival. As part of its celebration of three decades of success, the indie movie-fest also apologized for one of its mistakes—to a cast, crew and director ...
Great stuff from Jeremy Messersmith at Sundance, and on new album
Monday, February 17th, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Great stuff from Jeremy Messersmith at Sundance, and on new albumBy Paul Christiansen PARK CITY, Utah — Since indie-rock darling Jeremy Messersmith announced in March he'd be releasing his fourth full-length album “Heart Murmurs,” his major label debut, on Glassnote Records, critics and fans have speculated he'd have to adapt his ...
Sundance 2014: ‘Boyhood’ premiere maps the trail to adulthood
Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Sundance 2014: ‘Boyhood’ premiere maps the trail to adulthoodBy Paul Christiansen PARK CITY—The Sundance Film Festival has been host to many beautiful and inventive films over the years, but few have been as groundbreaking and inventive as director Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” the story of a boy growing from a ...
Confessions of a Sundance groupie: My Day with Dan Rad
Sunday, February 3rd, 2013 Posted in Opinion | 2 Comments »By Katie Swain PARK CITY—As a fiercely obsessed Harry Potter fanatic for the better part of my life, the fact that my opportunity to report on this year’s Sundance Film Festival coincided with the premiere of Daniel Radcliffe’s new film “Kill Your ...
Review: A glimpse inside the ultra-private Orthodox Jewish world
Sunday, January 27th, 2013 Posted in Opinion | Comments Off on Review: A glimpse inside the ultra-private Orthodox Jewish worldBy Dani Hayes PARK CITY—Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Hasidic communities have practically been invisible to the world. Rama Burshtein, a Hasidic Jew herself, wanted to give her people a voice and the result is “Fill the Void,” which offers outsiders a look at ...
Review: ‘5 Broken Cameras’ only part of the price for Palestinian village
Friday, February 10th, 2012 Posted in Arts and Life | 1 Comment »By Max Parker Dahl PARK CITY—The winner of the World Cinema Directing Award for documentaries, 5 Broken Cameras is an emotional journey chronicling the peaceful protest efforts made by the Palestinian West Bank village of Bil’in. The people of Bil'in and neighboring ...
Slash expands from music to movies with new company, Slasher Films
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 Posted in Arts and Life | Comments Off on Slash expands from music to movies with new company, Slasher FilmsStory by Ben Hansen and Matt Thurber Special to Hard News Cafe PARK CITY--Slash has been active over the last month in Utah. During the Sundance Film Festival, he held a press conference to announce his new motion picture production company, ...