Sundance Day 3 – Saturday

This is the fourth in a series of Sundance Film Festival entries.

What’s the time? It’s time to get ill! Nathanial Hörnblowér (AKA Adam Yauch AKA MCA) is at it again with the new Beastie Boys concert film Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That! And…not to be completely cliché, but the film is awesome. The Beastie Boys handed out video cameras to 50 fans to shoot the entire concert. The old adage, “whatever you do, just keep shooting” is put into play and the energetic concert is captured from 50 perspectives across the sold out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The film starts with the “shooters” getting their pep talk before going to their assigned seats spread all across “the Garden”. Everyone is pumped. Seeing the concert through the eyes of the fans is exhilarating and at times both funny and even a little over the top (is it cool to keep shooting when you take a bathroom break, buy a beer or try to get backstage access? It’s this stuff that breaks up the concert, adds character and let’s the “shooters” show a little extra creativity.). Beastie Boys perform songs spanning their over 20-year career. The film uses great effects that make the viewer feel as if they are there including shots with all 50 cameras going at once. And with the sound turned up and the base thumpin’ it’s an intense musical and visual treat.

I came out of the film to a very snowy walk to the shuttle stop to make it up Main Street to the Film Arts Foundation party. On the way I stopped in Dolly’s Bookstore to meet Will Shortz, the crossword puzzle editor at The New York Times, where he was signing books as a promotion for the documentary Wordplay.

That’s me and everyone’s favorite crossword puzzler Will Shortz.

There were many documentary filmmakers at the Film Arts party and it was good to meet some new people. After a couple more quick stops at the Filmmaker’s Lodge for the Discovery wine reception, the Queer Lounge for the filmmaker party and then a couple of tacos it was back to the Holiday Village for Crossing Arizona.

Crossing Arizona explores the Arizona border, those who want to cross it and illegally immigrate from Mexico and those who want to protect it. Crossing the border through the desert is dangerous and many die. The film presents no real new information, but has a few interesting stories to tell within. One story of a man who fills jugs with water and leaves them in specific places throughout the desert so people don’t die of thirst is particularly fascinating. The film however, does not delve deep into any one person’s story. It lacks a personal journey that could have made it so much more powerful.

There are some panels tomorrow and a couple of parties. Looking forward to Day 4.

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