As I lament, there are many films that play festivals that we as critics get a chance to enjoy that rarely see the light of day. I'll spare you my usual Transformers 3 on three billion screen rant, because I am giddy with delight.
One of my favorite surprises at SXSW was getting a chance to catch the screening of The Snake, a film being pimped by Patton Oswalt. He introduced the writer/director/star Adam Goldstein (working with writer/director partner Eric Kutner) beforehand because he knew by the end of the film, none of us would like him very much. However, I fucking Love him.
The Snake is a rare mumblecore that doesn't feel all introspective and arthouse. It's a dark, dark, horrible comedy about an absolute shitheel named Ken (Adam Goldstein), who desperately wants to bang a super thin underaged girl named Talia (Nina Braddock). So he...
One of my favorite surprises at SXSW was getting a chance to catch the screening of The Snake, a film being pimped by Patton Oswalt. He introduced the writer/director/star Adam Goldstein (working with writer/director partner Eric Kutner) beforehand because he knew by the end of the film, none of us would like him very much. However, I fucking Love him.
The Snake is a rare mumblecore that doesn't feel all introspective and arthouse. It's a dark, dark, horrible comedy about an absolute shitheel named Ken (Adam Goldstein), who desperately wants to bang a super thin underaged girl named Talia (Nina Braddock). So he...
- 1/11/2010
- by Brian Prisco
If the end of the year is a time to reflect on mistakes made and relationships lost (and of course, the good stuff, too), there may not be a better way to start the new year than with a screening of "The Snake," a wicked little low-budget comedy about a scoundrel whose transgressions in the dating scene and life in general will instantly improve one's outlook for themselves in '10. Not to mention that it's very, very funny.
"The Snake" is the feature debut of Eric Kutner and Adam Goldstein, the latter of whom also stars as Ken, the mustachioed scoundrel in question, who infiltrates a support group for females with body image issues after becoming fixated on bedding a bulimic and proceeds to alienate every member with his boorish behavior. Shot on nights and weekends over the course of six months in San Francisco, "The Snake" caught the attention of Patton Oswalt,...
"The Snake" is the feature debut of Eric Kutner and Adam Goldstein, the latter of whom also stars as Ken, the mustachioed scoundrel in question, who infiltrates a support group for females with body image issues after becoming fixated on bedding a bulimic and proceeds to alienate every member with his boorish behavior. Shot on nights and weekends over the course of six months in San Francisco, "The Snake" caught the attention of Patton Oswalt,...
- 1/5/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Chances are, if you're reading this site, you've heard of the word "mumblecore." You may have even used it in a sentence - as in, "What's with all these mumblecore films at SXSW?" It's a term that's been kicking around for a few years, used by anyone but those who would be called mumblecore to describe a brand of American indie film with particular hallmarks: low budgets, improvised dialogue, twentysomethings talking at length about life and sometimes love, and non-professional actors (or those who just act like it). It seems reductive, but you know a mumblecore film when you see it.
Last week, the New York Times poured attention on what was dubbed "Planet Mumblecore" - a socially connected sphere of indie filmmaking where any small budgeted independent film of a certain type seemingly earned the label. A new class of so-called mumblecore filmmakers posed for a cheeky group photo in designer duds ("Eric Kutner,...
Last week, the New York Times poured attention on what was dubbed "Planet Mumblecore" - a socially connected sphere of indie filmmaking where any small budgeted independent film of a certain type seemingly earned the label. A new class of so-called mumblecore filmmakers posed for a cheeky group photo in designer duds ("Eric Kutner,...
- 12/15/2009
- by Jen Yamato
- Cinematical
Wednesday was a transition day at SXSW. To quote Eric D. Snider: "You can tell the SXSW music fest is starting and the film fest is ending because everyone's skinny and bearded instead of fat and bearded."
SXSW Scene. With so many things happening, I forgot to mention my Spike Lee sighting. While riding a shuttle bus late Tuesday afternoon, my eagle-eyed colleague Jette Kernion spied Lee walking with John Pierson, an original investor in Lee's She's Gotta Have It, now arguably best known as the husband of SXSW Producer Janet Pierson. Our shuttle bus instantly transformed into a Hollywood Stars Tour Bus, as we all stood up and gawked. Lee was in town for a special screening of Passing Strange, about the Broadway rock musical.
Cinematical Coverage. The last title in the SXSW Presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight section to premiere, The Haunting in Connecticut, struck William Goss as "a run-of-the-mill spooker.
SXSW Scene. With so many things happening, I forgot to mention my Spike Lee sighting. While riding a shuttle bus late Tuesday afternoon, my eagle-eyed colleague Jette Kernion spied Lee walking with John Pierson, an original investor in Lee's She's Gotta Have It, now arguably best known as the husband of SXSW Producer Janet Pierson. Our shuttle bus instantly transformed into a Hollywood Stars Tour Bus, as we all stood up and gawked. Lee was in town for a special screening of Passing Strange, about the Broadway rock musical.
Cinematical Coverage. The last title in the SXSW Presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight section to premiere, The Haunting in Connecticut, struck William Goss as "a run-of-the-mill spooker.
- 3/19/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
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,...
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,...
- 3/19/2009
- by Kevin Kelly
- Cinematical
Austin -- John Hamburg's "I Love You, Man" opened the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin on Friday, a week ahead of its national theatrical rollout. The comedy, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, played to a packed house at the Paramount Theatre, one of 54 world premieres set to play around town before the fest wraps Tuesday.
"It's such a cool movie town, and it feels like a really cool vibe to debut our film here," Hamburg said.
Friday's opening slate ran the typical festival gamut, covering everything from studio pics to such darker fare as John Inwood's "ExTerminators," starring Heather Graham, and Adam Goldstein and Eric Kutner's "The Snake," an indie comedy introduced and championed by comedian Patton Oswalt.
Saturday saw the premieres of two films that couldn't be more different: Duncan Jones' sci-fi thriller "Moon," starring Sam Rockwell, and Michael Stephenson's documentary "Best Worst Movie.
"It's such a cool movie town, and it feels like a really cool vibe to debut our film here," Hamburg said.
Friday's opening slate ran the typical festival gamut, covering everything from studio pics to such darker fare as John Inwood's "ExTerminators," starring Heather Graham, and Adam Goldstein and Eric Kutner's "The Snake," an indie comedy introduced and championed by comedian Patton Oswalt.
Saturday saw the premieres of two films that couldn't be more different: Duncan Jones' sci-fi thriller "Moon," starring Sam Rockwell, and Michael Stephenson's documentary "Best Worst Movie.
- 3/15/2009
- by By Daniel Carlson
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Austin's South By Southwest film festival is the perfect venue for a movie like The Snake, a film which proudly belongs to a delightfully despicable group of movies like Choke or The Foot Fist Way. These are movies which can only be properly appreciated if you're in possession of a sick, twisted, demented, completely fucking amoral sense of humor. Hey, I have that! So do most of you, even if you don't want to admit it. For those of you who have, line up you cynical bastards, The Snake will make you lose your ass to laughs. It's about a true sleezeball, a completely insecure piece of crap who lives his life to bang hot chicks and win the approval of his equally douche bag friends. This sleezeball's name is Ken (Adam Goldstein), and he's The Snake. When as a joke one of Ken's friend's tells him the super hot...
- 3/15/2009
- cinemablend.com
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...
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...
- 3/14/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
SXSW is one of my favorite festivals of the year as it showcases some of the best and most innovative real independent films, and with this host of world premiers, it's also playing alot of Sundance material as well as genre fare from all over the world, many of which we've covered heavily in these pages.
From the Sundance lineup, we have films like Moon, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, You Won't Miss Me, Grace, and Humpday, among others.
For the world genre material we've covered, there's Lake Mungo, The Square, Zift, and Awaydays.
I think you get the point that lots of great looking film will be playing. I'll leave a bit of the exploration to you..
Lineup after the break.
Narrative Features Competition
Artois the Goat
Director: Kyle Bogart. Writer: Cliff and Kyle Bogart
Lab technician Virgil Gurdies embarks on an epic quest to craft the greatest...
From the Sundance lineup, we have films like Moon, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, You Won't Miss Me, Grace, and Humpday, among others.
For the world genre material we've covered, there's Lake Mungo, The Square, Zift, and Awaydays.
I think you get the point that lots of great looking film will be playing. I'll leave a bit of the exploration to you..
Lineup after the break.
Narrative Features Competition
Artois the Goat
Director: Kyle Bogart. Writer: Cliff and Kyle Bogart
Lab technician Virgil Gurdies embarks on an epic quest to craft the greatest...
- 2/2/2009
- QuietEarth.us
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.