World Famous Comics: Brian Flemming Independent's Day
Brian Flemming Independent's Day
Starring: Brian Flemming, Dan Mirvish, John Pierson, Kevin Smith, Ira Deutchman Directed By: Marina Zenovich Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC Label: New Video Group Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 29, 2004 Running Time: 54 minutes Theatrical Release Date: January 15, 1998
Description: Always wanted to be at Sundance? Well here’s your ticket.
INDEPENDENT’S DAY gets behind the scenes at Sundance, Slamdance, and even the Slumdance film festivals in Park City, Utah to reveal the amusing and engaging stories of the maverick filmmakers who
Amazon.com: So you wanna be an independent filmmaker? Then listen now to what Living in Oblivion director Tom DiCillo says: "Get a good haircut, good wardrobe, and a good publicist." And then head to Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival, where Hollywood suits vie for bragging rights to the discovery of the next Steven Soderbergh or Quentin Tarantino.
Independent's Day is the next best thing to being there. If Sundance is indeed "a monster," as founder Robert Redford has said, then Marina Zenovich's irreverent chronicle of the 1997 festival takes viewers into the belly of the beast. Make way for the film critics and the cell-phone-toting studio executives, the bedraggled filmmakers carrying their precious films around in Glad bags, and the actors looking for indie cred. (Hey look--it's Tori Spelling!) Ever since Soderbergh scored an unprecedented Hollywood windfall with sex, lies, and videotape in 1989, independent filmmakers have "set their clock" by Sundance. In 1997, this film informs us, 800 films were submitted to the festival, up from 50 in 1985. From breakout successes such as Neil Labute (In the Company of Men) and Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy) to lost-in-the-shuffle obscurities such as Jeremiah Bosgang, Independent's Day captures the exhilaration and gallows humor of the Sundance experience. Zenovich also detours to the alternative Slamdance Festival, which was created for films rejected by Sundance, and the alternative to the alternative, Slumdance.
For aspiring filmmakers, Independent's Day is an inspiring primer. Consider what one director suggests: "Anyone asks, tell them you went to film school. Preferably Canadian. No one knows anything about Canada anyway." --Donald Liebenson
Accurate depiction of the spirit of Sundance; but needs an update This is a fine little documentary that captures both the excitement and frustration of the independent film scene at Sundance. It focuses on filmmakers who have brought their films to Sundance (and other festivals that take place in Park City at the same time, like "Slamdance" and, for a time, "Slumdance"), and addresses the ways that economics and artistry overlap at Sundance. Some excellent filmmakers are featured, and since the film is about a decade old now, many of these have gone on to very big things: Neil LaBute (who had only done "In the Company of Men"), Stephen Soderbergh (who was at the time just beginning "Out of Sight" -- "Traffic" and "Erin Brokovich" and the Ocean's trilogy were so far unthought), and Greg Mottola (still just a "Daytripper" and not yet "Superbad") just to mention a few. The film does a good job demystifying Sundance a bit, while still showing its excitement and importance. As another reviewer suggested, this doc could definitely use an update -- the number of people who go to Sundance has exploded since the film was made, and the number of submissions to the festival has nearly quadrupled, and with the rise of new digital technology and the growing importance of documentary (which is, ironically, completely unmentioned in this doc) and international film (also left out) to the festival there is a lot that could be covered here. Still, I can say that having been at Sundance five times the picture of the festival captured in "Independent's Day" remains fairly accurate. This doc would make a nice companion piece to "A Decade Under the Influence" which chronicles the changes taking place in Hollywood beginning in the seventies when "mavericks" took over Hollywood until the 80s when with the rise of blockbuster productions the business folks took it back.
Interesting, But Lacks Depth Independent's Day is a brief film shot on less than a modest budget. Interspersed between candid interviews with dozens of novice filmmakers are cuts of the infamous week at the Sundance Film Festival. Notable comments are made by Sydney Pollack, Robert Ebert, actress Parker Posey, director Steven Soderberg ("Sex, Lies & Videotape") and many others. Robert Redford appears briefly in archive footage from past Sundance events. There is much to hear from these young filmmakers, such as the horror stories of impossible deadlines, going into great debt and other hard luck stories, only to have their film dismissed and lost forever. More interesting is the offspring event for independent filmmakers like "Slamdance", a vital alternative to Sundance. It's worthy to note that in 1987, 50 films were submitted to Sundance and 800 were submitted in 1997. This is a direct result of the huge success of previous Sundance award winners. It would have been nice to have heard more stories of the parties and the extent to which filmmakers will go to get their films made. Some of them are outrageous. For a short, `independent' film, this documentary slightly satisfies, but falls short when considering what it might have been. A fitting example of what happens to most of the Sundance entries.
A great documentary for those interested in independent work Is a great documentary, because it shows how Sundance Film Festival works. Interviews with new and not so new in the film arena directors. Is inspiring to see all kind of people talking about their work and points of view about the festival. What they gave for being there, what they won, what they lost. I ask to Director Zenovich to make a second part of this video, because with the new Digital Revolution, it would be interesting to see the impact in the film festivals, compared with the time when she did the current video (1997), when digital revolution had not begun yet.
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
