Attack The Block, a movie about a London gang who were thought of as hoodlums but become heroes when they defend their neighborhood against alien creatures, was one of SXSW's most buzzed about movies. We had a chance to sit down with the movie's brilliant writer/director Joe Cornish during the fest in Austin last week and he shared, among other things, one of his favorite travel tips: ]]>
The premiere of Apart at SXSW wasn't just an honor for the film's creators, it was also a sort of homecoming. The movie has a unique premise, which in this age of remakes and sequels is a testament to the tenacity of its writers, Josh Danziger and Aaron Rottinghaus, who committed to their idea.
Apart centers on Noah Greene, who awakens from a two-year coma with hazy memories of his own life. As he begins to dig into his past, he is forced to confront two tragedies that bind him to, and threaten to drive him away from, the woman he loves. The first tragedy, a childhood bus accident leaves him forever connected to schoolmate Emily, who suffers from disturbing and precognitive visions after the accident, visions which Noah also experiences, but only in proximity of Emily, the result of a rare—but real—disorder called folie à deux.
The filmmakers not only chose to explore tough issues in the film, but they also chose to shoot the movie in an unlikely location, Rosenburg and Richmond, Texas. ]]>
Win Win may be the most authentic high school wrestling movie ever made, even though it's more than just a sports movie. We recently had the chance to talk to the movie's writer/director Thomas McCarthy and two of its stars, Paul Giamatti and Alex Shaffer, at a roundtable event at SXSW in Austin, where they discussed the movie and, of course, wrestling.
Tom explained that he purposely looked for a wrestler for the lead role, rather than an actor, to capture a sense of authenticity.
]]>Early on I decided I needed a wrestler for the role and not only because I used to wrestle but beyond that I'm sort of a sports nut. I can't stand when watching movies and I feel like the actor can't actually play that sport or play it well, especially if that actor is suppose to be very good...I knew with Alex's character of Kyle I needed that.
As SXSW newbies, saying that we learned a lot last week is an understatement. Mostly, we learned how to do things differently next year when we return. So, sharing this fresh knowledge, here are our top 5 tips for surviving your first trip to SXSW:
1. Book Early.
The most important thing we learned this year is to book everything early. We booked our hotel room in mid-February, more than a month in advance, and it was still too late. We had few hotel choices at that point, and even less that were on the SXSW shuttle route. We ended up at the La Quinta South (Ben White) which was on the shuttle route, and the staff was friendly, but it had little else going for it.
The location is literally on the wrong side of the tracks with nothing but an IHOP and a Burger King within walking distance. The room was dingy, the linens were thin, the free breakfast was meh and the WiFi was less than fast.]]>
If you're having trouble getting back to reality after a whirlwind week at SXSW like we are, here's a look back at the week in pictures we snapped throughout the film, tech and music portions of the ginormous fest in Austin, Texas.
There's nothing like watching Austin go from geek to rock 'n roll chic in a matter of hours, or simply city blocks! Or how about taking time out to "network" at all-night parties on 6th St; staying out in the mix as late as possible to score those early hours special Foursquare badges. ]]>
With only two days left of SXSW, you'll want to make the most out of these final hours! Here's a look at some of the best live music in Austin tonight:
· Snoop Dogg’s Funk n Soul Extravaganza with Mayer Hawthorne and the County & DAM-FUNK kicks off the closing party at the Pepsi MAX Lot (Whitley Warehouse, 301 Brazos Street, Austin TX) at 7 pm. Pepsi MAX will be livestreaming the concert on www.PepsiMAX.com/SXSW for the fans who can't make it there too. ]]>
On Tuesday night we caught the hilarious Aziz Ansari as he headlined the Comedy Night with IFC and Comedy Death-Ray at the IFC Crossroads House at SXSW, located at E. 7th and Brazos. Dave Foley, Thomas Lennon, Eugene Mirman, and Michael Ian Black also performed at the event, which was live-streamed on IFC's website, but Aziz stole the show.
If you missed him last night, Aziz will be performing again Friday, 3/18 at 8PM with Benson Interruption at Esthers Follies, 525 E 6th St. Like the IFC event, admission is limited and only Music and Platnum SXSW badge holders will get in after also obtaining a wristband, but trust us—it's totally worth it!
See more of our SXSW 2011 coverage here.
[Photo: John Matthews]]]>