Yes, it's yet another of our SXSW Diaries. The following is a stream-of-consciousness-style report filed from in front of the Alamo Drafthouse's South Lamar location. Below, we'll share our passing thoughts on Attack The Block, Detention, The Beaver, and a few other things that have been happening here at SXSW. Really, we're just passing the time until the next screening, so if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, I beseech you to read on, my gentle Examiner readers...
It's day three of our SXSW coverage here at Comedy Examiner HQ, and-- to be perfectly frank-- your humble Comedy Examiner's beat: there's been no end to the "drive over here, drive over there, stand in this line, wait in that line" shenanigans, but it's been worth it every step of the way. So far, I've seen a handful of truly great films at this year's festival, talked to some interesting folks (Edgar Wright and James Wan were both extremely friendly and thoughtful in their interviews), and seen a few strange sights. So, what am I doing now? Sitting in front of the Alamo Drafthouse (HitFix's Drew McWeeny, God amongst men, is sitting directly next to me, hammering away on his own laptop), waiting for Detention to start.
From what I've heard, Detention's going to be a really strange little flick. The trailer incorporated horror elements with comedy, sci-fi, and the oft-derided "high school" genre (y'know, the kinda film where there's a geek, a jock, a cheerleader, and so on), and it looks like-- even if it sucks-- it won't be boring. It certainly couldn't be as boring as The Innkeepers, which very nearly provoked me into suicide with its jaw-dropping dullness.
The one I'm really excited to see is Attack The Block, Joe Cornish's alien-invasion comedy. I'm hearing that the screening last night at the Alamo Ritz blew the doors off the place-- which has only served to make me want to see it more-- and I think that I better shut up and line-up for the flick before I lose the chance to see it: there remains the issue of the film getting U.S. distribution. Apparently, some studios have been scared off of picking up the film because they're worried about audiences being able to understand the thick accents of the film's boys.
But, really, guys: is anyone seeing this film that's going to be bothered by British accents? Even if some of the lines are hard to understand and some of the slang's unfamiliar to American audiences, is it really necessary to slap a series of subtitles onto the flick? Ugh. But, hey, if that's what's going to get Attack The Block into theaters, subtitle away.
Another thing worth sharing: Yesterday, Pee-Wee Herman brought his Pee-Wee Herman's Broadway Show to the State Theater, and-- from what I heard-- it was one of the hardest films to get into at SXSW thus far. Luckily, though, Pee-Wee Herman was camped out in front of the Paramount Theater with a personalized ice cream truck, handing out ice cream sandwiches, cones, and popsicles to everyone that wanted 'em. I first noticed a lot of people eating ice cream about two blocks away, and by the time I saw the hundredth person shoving a popsicle in their mouth, I knew something was up. About thirty seconds later, I rounded a corner and found myself staring down Pee-Wee's ice cream truck. It would not be exaggerating to say that this was one of the more surreal moments I have ever lived through.
Let's see, what else can I share with you? Most of the buzz at this year's SXSW has been centered around Attack The Block, Insidious, and Paul, but one film that no one seems to be talking about is Jodie Foster's The Beaver: I haven't encountered a single festival-goer that's excited for the film, and some people seem to be unaware that it's playingI was talking with someone sitting next to me in a screening a few days ago, and they were dumbfounded when I told them the film was playing here. It's strange, considering the pedigree behind the film. Sure, Mel Gibson's name has been completely destroyed (and deservedly so) over the past year, but with Jodie Foster directing and Gibson's infamy, you'd think it'd be on more people's radar.
Initially, I was determined to see the film, but as we get closer to the film's premiere, I'm getting a little waffle-y about whether or not I'm going to see it. The premiere is taking place at the exact same that a screening of Attack The Block's taking place, and right now-- and especially after chatting with Drew McWeeny about how great Attack The Block is (sayeth Drew: "It's Shaun of The Dead good")-- I'm second-guessing myself. On the one hand, I'd like to see The Beaver if it's going to be a genuinely good film, good enough to make me forget everything else I've learned about Mel Gibson over the past year (which means it'll have to be really good). On the other hand, I'm kind of rooting for it to be a trainwreck, but if that's the case, wouldn't it be better to use my time going to see Attack The Block instead?
Anyway, it looks like our line's about to move. I'll be back with more later, folks.
If you want to catch up on our SXSW coverage thus far, check out our SXSW Diaries here, here, here, here, and here. Or, if you wanna see it all listed out in a handy, easy-to-read list format, head on over to this page for Examiner.com's complete SXSW 2011 coverage.
Stay tuned for more funny videos, news, reviews, interviews, and more from Comedy Examiner HQ in the near future, folks. We've got all manner of nonsense to keep you informed and entertained during the week, so hit the 'Subscribe' button up top to get all future Comedy Examiner articles delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge, the moment they're published...including any of our future SXSW-related updates
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