Greetings and thanks for coming back!

So the second half of my SXSW trip in Austin consisted of a few more movie screenings, several nights out around town, and a few strolls through the Trade Show in the convention center.

The Trade Show is an interesting mix of vendors and folks who are tech-savvy, trying to give away apps that are based on social needs and space needs. A lot of companies like yousendit.com or Seagate, and many related to Cloud Servers. There are tons of music app vendors and then the bigshots like Canon, Sony, and sponsor Monster.com — which set up an interesting program where only SXSW companies and sponsors would post on the SXSW.com website through Monster for the month.

Trade Show at SXSW is a good walkthrough if you’re tech-savvy and planning to start a few of your own apps in the near future, or you’re into local music, but for the film buffs you’ll want to check out the Austin Film Society’s booth or Louisiana or Florida’s booths promoting the tax incentives for shooting in each state.

Speaking of film, here are a few quick write-ups of some other movies I got to see at SXSW:

Another Earth — Winner of the Alfred P. Sloan prize at Sundance this past year, story centers on a tragedy unfolding amidst the discovery of a new planet that is a mirror-world of our own. Indie-Sci-Fi done pretty well, the movie takes almost a half-hour to gain steam, and most of that initial 30 minutes is chock full of melodrama to the umpteenth degree. Also, the music is extremely heavy-handed. Trust the acting, trust the gift of an intriguing backdrop to a complex character study.

Attack the Block — The king of the fest (or at least the screenings I got to see), this is a hilarious alien invasion story from the point of view of a teenage gang in the “bad” part of London. Written and directed by Joe Cornish, produced by Edgar Wright and Nira Park (Shaun of the Dead), the comedy is hilarious and excellent in building unique characters out of a micro-alien invasion story.

Beginners — Ewan MacGregor and Christopher Plummer in director Mike Mills’ highly personal story of a young artist coping with his father’s recent confession of homosexuality. Poignant, skillful in its’ storytelling, and romantic.

Dragonslayer (Ain’t it Cool News 15th Anniversary) — Harry Knowles and Guillermo Del Toro kept the secret good and safe as to what this secret screening would be, right up to the moment GDT announced it live on stage two minutes before the screening started. I have to admit I was skeptical when the blaring 80s music and old print started to flicker across the screen, but the practical effects and very skilled filmmaking techniques of this early-80s sword-and-sorcery classic took over completely in what ended up as a perfectly fun-filled and glorious evening surrounded by movie-lovers of all sorts.

MUSIC

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears at the Mohawk. Trust.

After Tuesday, music really takes over the festival. Free shows are bound to pop-up spur of the moment, and Austin is a town known for its’ live music at no cover charge. On 6th street, almost every bar features a live music act every night of the week, many of them playing right next to the entrance so any number of people walking by can overhear or snag a photo of the drummer wailing hard just two feet inside.

I was lucky enough to catch that Chris Cornell was about to play a live acoustic set at the Belmont, sponsored by Nokia, so I strolled there last Saturday night and took a listen, his voice still raspy and encapsulating.

Just yesterday, Thursday 3/17, the Mohawk, a few streets north from the main strip on 6th street, featured an impressive local lineup all day, not really sponsored by any one company but still entertaining nonetheless. After getting news that Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears were playing a half-hour set, I completed the sweaty, mucky walk up to the Mohawk and sipped Lone Star from a can while BJL wailed funk and soul for a solid 30 minutes. Thus the afternoon was complete.

Thursday was, of course, St. Patrick’s Day, so the remainder of the afternoon and evening was dedicated to knocking back a few beers at a few bars on 6th (The Ranch, for starters…and then other places, the names of which escape me now). Again, for SXSW there were a few more straggling screenings left to be watched, but I had already graduated to just plain fun and excitement with the few locals I’d come to know over the week. It was worth it to kick back and not think or talk about movies alone for a few hours.

Overall, SXSW is an experience to be had, and not trifled with. Grab your badge for one section (Film, Music, Interactive). Investing in the Platinum or Gold badges will likely get you anywhere you want, but it’s not worth the investment when you consider that Austin itself is there to make up for any missed bits of the festival proper.

Shenanigans to you all. Allow it.

Joe P.

Sgt. Angle Reporting for Duty!

Doubtless that the lot of you have already been reading and speculating on the news that Guillermo del Toro is no longer directing The Hobbit.

Wah, wah! Boo-hoo! Now let’s get to the bare bones of it all and pick a winner to take up the reins of this beast.

Del Toro first signed on in April of 2008 to direct, coupling up with Peter Jackson to write two scripts out of the Tolkien story, with a tentative release date in 2012. Then, MGM sh*t hit the fan in terms of, you know, lack of funds. Then, not even a month ago, barely a month ago, del Toro bowed out of the directing gig, citing the fact that constant delays keep him from his passion projects.

Rumors abounded — Sam Raimi, who is apparently a great fan of Tolkien, has had his name thrown into the fire more than once. Yesterday, however, an interesting, reasonable, and dare-I-say logical choice was reported in the name of David Yates.

Below is a breakdown of why Yates is a great choice, as well as a quickie list of other top contenders who just might do the film justice. This is all, again, speculation, and it could even be less than a week from now when a real choice is made, which would make this write-up amount to nothing more than space on the screen — then again, perhaps we can brainstorm up another project for one of the below directors.

David Yates. This dude almost came out of nowhere when he picked up the Harry Potter franchise to direct Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and the upcoming Deathly Hallows (split into two movies). Before that, he directed the very mature, very complex, and very great thriller for British Television State of Play. If anyone understands the intricacies of character relationships, as well as big-budget effects — and the balance between the two — Yates is your guy.

He’s not a very showy director, and his trimming of memorable scenes from the Potter books during their translation to the screen can range from reasonable to beneficial to downright frustrating storytelling. It’s almost as if he truly does start as late as possible and ends as soon as possible — despite his Potter films climbing upwards of 2 and 1/2 hours.

While Yates has yet to gain household name status, I’d like to think that his character sensibilities and great shot composition can really push the envelope in the world of Middle Earth, if that’s possible, to a point beyond Peter Jackson’s physical landscapes.

Sam Raimi. Though never building to much more than rumor — especially as he preps his film version of Warcraft followed by a possible dip into the land of Oz — the thought of the Evil Dead maestro taking the reins of perhaps one of the best film franchises in history is only a little exciting, considering his not insignificant bungling of the latter two Spider-Man films. Not all of the negative aspects are Raimi’s fault, but when a filmmaker gives up on story and character simply for the sake of the studio’s explosive profit eyes, you have to wonder where their dedication lies. He briefly made up for his mistakes with the delightfully scary Drag Me to Hell, but could Raimi return to a big budget world — under the guiding hands of fellow-filmmaker Peter Jackson — with anything other than a mixed mess?

Alfonso Cuaron. Possibly only a rumor to the few and proud dedicated Prisoner of Azkaban lovers, Cuaron’s visual sensibilities are equivalent to Jackson’s in as much as his deft camera moves and the simple way he captures the heart of poignant and even otherwise bland scenes. However, this could also lead to his downfall, as The Hobbit, while powerful in the creation of the epic journey, is not a trip for the feint of heart, or for the child within. It’s for the grown-ups we will become. Granted, he contributed a great deal to the development of Harry Potter into a young adult, and handed us a more-mature-than-it-needed-to-be tale of friendship in Y Tu Mama Tambien, but is he ready for the gigantic budget and all-encompassing universe of Tolkien? All signs from Children of Men point to yes.

Kenneth Branagh. Go ahead, finish laughing. Who is to say that the director of many-a Shakespeare play or film couldn’t take on the intricate world and character intrigue within The Hobbit? Add that depth to the fact that he is currently shooting Thor, a big-budget Marvel action picture with devious villains (perhaps) and colorful action and special effects, and there’s a side to Branagh that’s ready to branch out. He is one of the greatest actors around today, so maybe he’ll even take on the monumental task of directing himself? Eh?

Frank Darabont. The guy’s too tied up on The Walking Dead TV adaptation to really dedicate to the project, but wouldn’t he be a great choice for the smooth editing and the way his stories unfold? Shawshank Redemption and The Majestic both unfolded in  way that basically implied that these movies always existed, and all we had to do was uncover the filmstrip. The Mist, while perhaps weaker in dialogue and character development, did however unfold almost casually; there is no other way to tell a Darabont script. His writing is always a clean, fast, easy read. I would even go so far as to suggest that Darabont take a pass at The Hobbit script before hoisting the camera over his own shoulders on this one.

George Lucas. Just F**king with you.

Neill Blomkamp. Finally, and perhaps the most obvious horse in the race that I’ve just made up, Neill Blomkamp, Peter Jackson’s protege. The double L Neill rocketed to success after his first feature District 9 — which also featured stunning CG work that was unmatched last year, okay, maybe by Avatar — and also found a way to develop the character of an alien to this planet through mockumentary footage mixed with the “in home” scenes of a father and son just trying to get home. He’s kind of an obvious choice to pick up the reins, but is also the most inexperienced in dealing with the huge budget, sprawling story, and majestic camera sweeps that are the true ingredients to Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth.

So there you have it. Who do you want to consider to take over Middle Earth territory from Guillermo del Toro’s departure? Sound off like you’ve got a pair!

Dismissed.

Sgt. Angle