Sundance: movies, music and more

I am home after the last weekend at Sundance and saw a few more good movies.  I'll add them to the list.  

 I had a great time talking movies with so many people.  Sue, Carly and I have been having a great time.   I spent the first few nights up there just hanging out with them, since I didn't actually have to work until late Sunday night.  

So here are a few of my favorite movies.......so far:

Prom Night in Mississippi- a documentary about a school in Miss. that still has segregated proms.  Morgan Freeman offered to pay for the prom if they would have just one.  Who would have thought that 1 1/2 hours of listening to high schoolers talk could be so entertaining.  I really liked it.

Rough Aunties - a documentary about a group of women in South Africa that work for a nonprofit organization that counsels sexually abused children and works to bring their abusers to justice.  But mostly it was a film how these women strengthen and support each other in tragic situations.  And two of the Aunties were there and very nice. 

It Might Get Loud - a documentary that takes three generations of electric-guitar phenoms, puts them together for a day, and it does get loud.  The only thing I didn't like is the no-show from all three (although I did hear they put on a great show at the SLC viewing)

Good Hair - a documentary that Chris Rock made to help him understand his young girls hair.  His quest for understanding took him to salons and barbershops all of the country and to India, where hair is one of the exports.  It was very funny.  Plus Chris Rock was there hanging out at the theater during the viewing.

Taking Chance - My favorite movie so far.  Kevin Bacon stars as a Marine Colonel who asks to be the escort of a slain soldier back to his hometown in Wyoming.  This was a simple and beautiful movie that didn't take any ideological point of view, but just showed honor, sadness, the military fraternity and the American community during a time of tragedy.  Based on the journals of Michael Strobl.

The Cove - This was a documentary about a small town in Japan that kill over 23,000 dolphins a year.  They capture the dolphins to sell to water parks around the world, and the left overs are killed.  For anyone that knows, Dolphiave nearly 4,000 times the allowed amount of mercury in it, and should not be eaten.  This doc shows that dolphin meat is being sold in Japan as other types of fish, and was almost put into the school lunch program.  It was amazing what this film crew had to do to get footage of the killings.  Their guide was Ric, the dolphin trainer of the Flippers, who for the past 25 years has been trying to educate the world on why dolphins should not live in captivity.  I will never think of Sea World the same.

Adam - a fun movie about a man with aspbergers syndrome and the woman who befriends him and eventually dates him.  Hugh Dancy was great.  A very sweet movie.

Over the Hills and Far Away - a documentary about a family who have an autistic son.  They have tried all conventional therapies, but he is still unable to be potty trained and throws terrible tantrums.  They take him  to Mongolia to be healed by traditional healers known as shamans.  The boy also has a connection to animals, horses mainly, and so they travel by horseback to see the most remote shaman in Mongolia.  It was beautiful to see what lengths parents will take to help their children.  They have since opened a horse therapy program.  

Of course the Music Cafe runs every afternoon beginning at 2 pm.  I only went 2 days and here is the list of who I remembered:

Rosi Golan - Israeli born singer who was very good.

Dan Wilson - Has written songs for many artists and now is launching his own singing career.  

Gin Blossoms - Take me back to the 1990.  Guitarist was crazy.

Maiysha - Soulful singer who was just nominated for her first Grammy.  

John Rzeznik - from the Goo Goo Dolls.  He was very funny and sang all the old familiars.

Wynonna - OK. Seriously the most fun.  She talked almost as much as she sang.  She was so funny and shared a lot about her personal life.  She sang a variety of songs.  I especially liked the old (I mean 1930's) songs she sang.  She was great!

Damien Rice - He seemed a little bit whiny to me.  Sounded a lot like Glen Hansard (the Once guy).  And he talked a little too much.

Volunteering was totally easy.  Taking tickets, helping people find their seats, stamping hands for re-admission.  We only had one pushy sales agent that tried to push the entire entourage through.  And I still wonder why the theaters are so cold.  I would have enjoyed Sergio (the documentary on the man who was U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees who was killed in the UN bombing in Iraq) much more if I was shaking.  

So that is the info from Sundance.  I'm home for a few days and will be back up there for Friday and Saturday night.  Then a chance to get some real sleep.