FRIDAY EVENING: SEVERANCE - don't like horror/slasher movies so this was not fun. i can appreciate that it was clever and funny (i was laughing when i wasn't cringing) but it was not for me. i'm sure it will be very popular! Laura Harris (Daisy from Dead Like Me) was fun to watch and made it tolerable.
SATURDAY MORNING: A TRIBUTE TO WALTER MURCH - liked this a lot. only tribute we made it to. after some clips there was an on-stage interview and although technical it was really fascinating. highlights for me were when he talked about how he redid Touch of Evil using Orson Welles' notes and how he edited the Godfather movies. great storytelling and behind the scenes info. could have listened for another hour.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: THE SENTIMENTAL BLOKE - one of my absolute favorites. i love silent films and this rare one from Australia i'd never heard of. very charming, with live original music from an Australian composer. Telluride is known for it's "hidden treasures" and it's one reason why film-lovers keep coming back every year.
SATURDAY EVENING: LITTLE CHILDREN - i love this book and was a little worried they would screw it up but it was great. i didn't really like In The Bedroom (same director) but this was really good and i think will be a big hit on the art-house circuit. acting was wonderful, especially Jackie Earle Haley (Moocher from Breaking Away). ending was a little different than the book but i think i actually liked the movie version better. the director talked and answered questions afterwards. a highlight of the weekend for me.
SUNDAY MORNING: CALLING CARDS - series of 8 short-format films from around the world. we try and hit this every year. really original and fun (also free)! my favorite was "Useless Dog" from Ireland. very charming and made me homesick for our dogs who'd been left behind for the weekend.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON: THE NAMESAKE - this was a preview or whatever they call it when movies show up that are not on the program. my absolute favorite of the weekend i think. it made me cry. Indian movie from Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) with universal themes about family, etc. surprised to see Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar) as one of the leads but he was wonderful. the director talked afterwards and answered questions. it's supposed to be released early next year.
SUNDAY EVENING: PLAYTIME - never heard of this but it was 70 mm and so we wanted to see it. we were on the 3rd row, which kind of cancelled out the big screen experience but i liked it a lot. there was a skunk incident but it was outside the theater (not inside as some have claimed) and was not that bad. kind of dragged in the middle but really fun. i want to see it again. reminded me of Airplane-type movies with all the visual jokes.
MONDAY MORNING: 20,000 STREETS UNDER THE SKY - from the BBC and i guess is a mini-series. liked it a lot. three intertwining period stories based on three novels by Patrick Hamilton. interesting enough that i'm going to look for the books. this one was free also.
MONDAY AFTERNOON: DODSWORTH - presented by TCM (and free). i'd never heard of this 1936 movie directed by William Wyler. great story and acting. seemed very different from other movies of that time, especially the ending (everyone in the theater cheered at the end). true underrated classic.
MONDAY AFTERNOON: VENUS - i heard great things about this from others and was not disappointed. Peter O'Toole was fabulous. made me cry. very funny and wise about what it's like to grow old. my husband and i are still arguing about this one since he didn't like it as much as me!
MONDAY EVENING: DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD - this was from TCM. i confess i don't like westerns much but this behind the scenes documentary by Peter Bogdanovich was really fun. featured interviews with all his films great actors (John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Maureen O'Sullivan, Henry Fonda, etc.) great storytelling and very fun. we live somewhat close to Monument Valley and it was interesting to see how they made all the great movies. will definitely watch for it again on TV.
in summary, another great weekend, especially for not having a pass. we missed all the big premieres on purpose since we will get to see those later. did want to see Penelope Cruz but the lines were so long we didn't even try. monday is the best day to see films since they're usually all replays (TBAs) and a lot of people start home after sunday. we're now looking forward to the Denver International Film Festival in November!