Sundance Vs. SPARTANS
February 1st, 2008 by Andre Soares
John Anderson looks back at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Newsday:
"So let’s assess: Given all the socially conscious, politically inspiring and otherwise good-for-you movies that earned accolades, awards and the envy of their peers at Sundance, what film emerged during the festival’s 10-day run that can serve as the bellwether of American cinema? The harbinger of change? The film that summed it all up?
"Easy question: Meet the Spartans.
"Just as the nation’s premier independent film festival was winding down, the sword-and-sandals satire was No. 1 at the box office. And no one should have been surprised. What’s significant for independent filmmakers, fans and observers was that it was released into theaters by Lionsgate, a company that used to be a player in Park City and has apparently learned its lesson: Last year at Sundance, the company came into possession of the Sundance films Fido, Teeth and Trade, and Away From Her. This year it bought … nothing. Like several of the distribution houses — whose presence at Sundance is the blazing porch light for the moths of indie filmmaking — Lionsgate has seen the future and it’s not about Hurricane Katrina documentaries. It’s about Meet the Spartans."
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But if Lionsgate has moved on to bigger and worse things, perhaps other smaller, upstart companies will take its place at film festivals like Sundance, Slamdance, and SXSW? Here’s hoping.
In his article, in addition to pointing out several of the festival’s idiosyncrasies, Anderson does praise a few of the films screened at Sundance, including James Marsh’s documentary winner Man on a Wire.
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One Response to “Sundance Vs. SPARTANS”
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People are stupid. And stupid people deserve exactly what they get: Meet the Spartans. We ask for shit. We get it.