Director Jack Truman and Writer/Actor Opal Dockery
Sundance 2013 on Main Street
Sundance 2013: Day 2 in Park City
Day 2 in Park City
This fucking city has really changed.
If today is any indication, I don't
know about this fucking city and Sundance week anymore. You talk
about going Hollywood. Being the commercial, artificial LA bullshit.
Today really reflected that.
I can't tell you how many things Opal
and I went to today on Main Street that just crapped out. Or as I
like to say, petered out. Take, for example, the coffee lounges on
Main Street. There's about 7 or 8 this year that I know about (like
the New York Lounge, Variety Lounge, Utah Film Hub, Sundance Channel,
etc.) . Some of these places we'd go to sit and have a cup of coffee
while networking, but some didn't even have coffee. Some were closed
up for a special event. Some blocked me with a 'what can I do for
you' snootie snoot attitude like I was a fucking nobody. Fuck this
fucking shit. I never remember Park City like this. My first full day
here for Sundance and Slamdance and I'm not getting into things I'm
RSVP'd for, not meeting many people, not getting and giving
cards.....it seems really weird this year. Not near as good. I've
been here 4 times over the years at Sundance and Slamdance. Twice
with hit films PHONE SEX GRANDMA and THE OUTHOUSE. Last year as a
Short Film Juror for Slamdance. This year as a Programmer for
Slamdance, author of a new NO BUDGET FILMMAKING book and Director for
the new feature PHONE SEX GRANDMA. And I never remember it this bad.
It really reflects Hollywood. It's getting worse and worse that way
each year. And this one takes the cake more than ever.
Plus, the films I've seen so far are
for shit. I can't believe they select the crap that's showing this
year that I've seen so far.
Here's a quick breakdown of what
happened my first full day here at Sundance (Day 2);
Got up around 7 a.m. At the Motel 6 in
Salt Lake City. Woke up with some morning coffee in the motel room
while getting ready and wrote yesterday's blog, while lining up the
schedule for the day. Drove to Park City. Stopped at Staples on the
way and made copies of the new flier for the NO BUDGET FILMMAKING
book. Went to Sundance and got lucky with the parking. Got to park
right across the street (right in front of) the Sundance
Headquarters. Took the Shuttle to Main Street. That ride took over an
hour. Because of the long shuttle ride, we missed the Slamdance
breakfast. So while walking down Main Street to the Sundance Channel
Headquarters, we got some free coffee from Acura and Bad Ass Coffee.
That coffee was really good. Tried wifi there on the laptop but
couldn't get access. Left and drank the coffee while walking down
Main Street. Got to the Sundance Channel and tried the wifi on the
laptop, but it couldn't connect. There was a line with an hour wait
for a free cup of coffee, so we said screw that and walked across the
street to Slamdance. Got some tickets for some Slamdance films. Then
walked down to the Sky Lodge of Heber for the Creative Coalition
luncheon with Bill Pullman and Joey Lauren Adams. They wouldn't let
us in. Didn't have our RSVP on the list. That really pissed me off. I
RSVP'd over a week ago, after being invited to the brunch. So that
was a waste of time. That petered out. So we walked down to the Utah
Film Hub Lounge on Main Street. That's always a good one with coffee
and snacks. They didn't have anything. Nothing. Not even coffee. Just
people standing around in a room. So we walked up to the HP Lounge on
Heber at the Sundance House. That was pretty good. Got to use some
internet and check emails, and got some nice pictures taken. After
that, walked across the street for the Slamdance panel with David
Pierce. He was getting things set up for a late start, so we walked
down to the New York Lounge on Main Street for a quick cup of coffee.
Everyone in there had a snooty snoot attitude like their shit didn't
stink. Didn't used to be like that in previous years. After a quick
cup of coffee, we walked down to David's Slamdance legal panel. I
enjoyed hearing David and Dan's stories (my Slamdance buddy Dan
Mirvish). After the panel, I went up to David for some legal advice
on my upcoming feature film PHONE SEX GRANDMA and...well....I won't
even go there. I'll just say he treated me for shit. One good gift I
have is a talent for reading people. It's something I picked up years
ago when working in property management. And it helps me to this day.
It was obvious he didn't want to talk to me. He told me things that
he knew I already knew. And told me he couldn't help me. So that
pissed me off. But oh, well. These fucking Hollywood people. What
else is new? But I do have to say I enjoyed hearing Dan and David
talk. It was inspiring. So we left the Slamdance Public House after
the panel and walked up Main Street to the Mc D's and Social Red
Media Lounge for a cup of coffee and to network (another place I
RSVP'd for every day). We weren't in there 15 seconds someone came up
to us and told us we had to leave. They said if we weren't media, we
had to go. They were closing up early for a big media event. So that
petered out. Pissed me off again. We left and walked up to Slamdance.
Got some free Red Bull, free Luna health bars, and stood around
chatting with some old film friends for about an hour. That was the
most fun we'd been having all day. By then, it was time for the
Sundance Channel party across the street, but I was really loaded
down with stuff. So I decided it would be best to return some of this
stuff to the car. We took the shuttle back to the car and I dropped
off bags of stuff and my laptop (which I never got to use on Main
Street all day). Taking the shuttle back to Main Street took over an
hour. By the time we got back to Main Street, they had closed the
party early for the Sundance Channel. I had RSVP'd for that. And that
petered out. Pissed me off again. So I said screw that. We walked
across the street to Slamdance and went to the first Happy Hour. That
was fun. Saw some old friends and met some new ones. Opal was back to
her rock star self with everyone recognizing her as PHONE SEX
GRANDMA. After an hour of that, we walked next door for the North
Carolina film party. That petered out. There was a long line on Main
Street for that. A mob. Like a crowd of rats packed together trying
to mob into a place to get the cheese. That's what it looked like to
me. We had RSVP'd for it 2 weeks ago. After 30 minutes, the line
hadn't even moved. They were full, and you had to wait for people to
leave for a body to go in. So we never got in. That pissed me off. So
we walked back to Slamdance and saw the documentary feature film THE
INSTITUTE. Damn. What an awful movie. Just bad. That's all I'll say
about that. And the short documentary film with it THE CORNER GARDEN
wasn't good either. After those films, we walked to the Morningstar
Farms building for some free vegan burgers. They were great. That was
the most fun I've had here yet. Then we ran over to see the premiere
of the new Slamdance film THE DIRTIES with the short TURTLE. Both
were okay, so so films. Better than THE INSTITUTE. In my opinion,
that's not saying much. Don't mean to come across too brutal, but I'm
just being hones about things. But you know what they say. Opinions
are like assholes. Everyone's got one. By the time that was over, it
was almost 1.a.m.; so we took the late shuttle to the car, drove back
to Salt Lake City and got to the Motel 6 room around 2:15 a.m.; a lot
that day, for the first full day at Sundance 2013.
Let's hope today gets better.
THE OUTHOUSE
Featuring Opal Dockery
Directed by Jack Truman
A Slamdance $99 Special
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