AdamGoldstein Tagged Articles at Cinematical
SXSW Review: The Snake
Filed under: SXSW », Theatrical Reviews »
Making a film about an entirely unlikable character is nothing new, but somehow The Snake sticks the premise into an indie film wrapper that manages to be hilarious from the outset. I imagine the film is going to piss a lot of people off -- and if anyone in a bulimia support group gets wind of it, we'll hear about protests and hunger strikes (sorry, I couldn't resist). But that's not meant as a statement to defend Adam Goldstein's title character from the flick: the word douche was invented to describe him.
The film follows the exploits of said douche, Ken ("The Snake"), who will basically do anything to try and sleep with a woman, yet he's vain enough to be swayed by the slightest outside influences that hint at his object of affection being less than stellar. Case in point: while cruising the local bars he actually picks up a fairly attractive woman, despite his idiotic come-on techniques and cheesy lines. However, when one of his friends suggests (as a joke) that she might be slightly overweight, he turns her down when she invites him back to her place. That's just the tip of the iceberg, and it's hilarious to watch.
SXSW in 60 Seconds: Friday, March 13, 2009
Filed under: Independent », SXSW », Festival Reports », Cinematical Indie »
Cold winds and torrential rainfall did not dampen the spirits of attendees on the first day of SXSW in Austin, Texas. Cinematical writers traveled from near and far to cover the annual celebration and eat some barbecue. It's only my second SXSW experience, but seeing so many writers, film critics, and bloggers whose work I read and respect has inspired me to quit the business. No, no, I meant to say: it's cool seeing so many Twitterers in person.
Good Buzz: The film festival proper got underway with some serious man love, as the opening night presentation of John Hamburg's bro-mantic comedy I Love You, Man was unveiled at the historic Paramount Theater, with stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel among hundreds in attendance. Simultaneously, a slew of films began screening at other venues; William Goss said Nash Edgerton's Australian thriller The Square was unexpectedly good, I heard very good things about Eric Kutner and Adam Goldstein's snarling comedy The Snake -- presented by Patton Oswalt, who was in the house -- and I enjoyed a wild and wacky program of music videos.
Midnight Gets Crazy: To cap the evening, most of the Cinematical crew gathered for the first evening of SXSW Presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight, the international festival premiere of Ong Bak 2. The directorial debut of martial artist supreme Tony Jaa features numerous insanely awesome fight scenes and, er, elephants. Before the film rolled, new SXSW Producer Janet Pierson introduced Alamo Drafthouse impressario Tim League, dressed for some reason in a Roman toga, who kicked things off with a contest that I'm not sure I should describe in detail. (Hint: it involved beer. And men. And drinking.) A good time was had by all.
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