Sundance Stories, part 3

And so it is—after ten long and busy days, the 2010 Sundance Film Festival (known as SundanceFilmFestivalTwentyTen to the hipster film crowd) has drawn to a close. As with every year, I am glad I had the opportunity to do it and am glad I could meet some cool people. However, also as with every year, I am glad it is over. (And for any naysayers who think that being a driver during a busy film festival is a walk in the park, I have only this to say: try it.)

Mark "Man of 1000 faces" Ruffalo

Despite what my previous posts—being full of stories and Photoshopped celebrity pictures—may lead you to believe, there are actually films going on at Sundance; and every year, I get the opportunity to see a few. This year, there were many-a good film at Sundance. To Catch a Dollar is an excellent documentary about a man who gives microloans to impoverished communities. Restrepo is a hard-hitting look at the oft-forgotten war in Afghanistan. And Happythankyoumoreplease is well deserving of its Audience Award.

Tory "Mythbusters used to be cool, but now it pretty much sucks" Belleci

Though the aforementioned films were good, there was one film at SundanceFilmFestivalTwentyTen that took the cake: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.

The premise is simple: imagine that all the events of a slasher movie are one big misunderstanding. For example, perhaps the reason the man comes running around the corner waving a chainsaw is not because he was trying to kill someone, but because he was sawing a log, hit a beehive, and was simply running away. Or how about when the hillbillies stalk through the woods, shouting out, "We have your friend!"? What if it turns out one of their friends got a concussion and the hillbillies were nursing her back to health?

They're nice guys. Really.

Starring two funny-yet-relatively-unknown guys—Alan Tudyk (Wash in Firefly/Serenity, Pastor Veal in Arrested Development, Steve the Pirate in Dodgeball) and Tyler Labine (a whole bunch of minor roles in television and movies)—Tucker and Dale vs. Evil combines the situational humor of Shaun of the Dead with the over-the-top slapstick/gore of Evil Dead. Hopefully it will get distribution (if it hasn't already) so the joy can be shared with others. I mean, how can you not smile at the line, "Dale! Some kid just ran by and threw himself headlong into my woodchipper!"?

We have had a doozy of a day...