Login

Be There: Friends, Films, and Fur

A miracle occurred this year: Jason and I (or more accurately just I) remembered to buy our locals only passes to the Sundance Film Festival back in October and so we were able to get our tickets to this famous affair before the indie movie loving masses and the Hollywood wannabes. Praise be! For once we were actually able to attend almost all of our top show picks. Unbelievable! A number of our acquaintances also benefited from our good planning. We offered over half of the twenty tickets included in our package to friends and family; the end result was that we had different combinations of friends with us at every screening we went to. It was great to see so many of our buddies and get a chance to catch up with them while waiting in line or over a post-show dinner. The excellent company made our festival experience even more enjoyable.

Lauren, Jason, David, and I had to wait outside in the cold for a while to get into Being Elmo. It was completely worth it.
Kevin Clash, AKA Elmo, was a nice guy. I guess that’s not surprising considering the adorable character he imagined into being.

As much as I loved chilling with our chums, they weren’t furry or red enough to make me smile until my cheek muscles hurt, that was all Elmo. One of the screenings Jason and I went to, along with our friends Lauren and David, was a documentary on Kevin Clash, the puppeteer that does Elmo, called Being Elmo. It was a fantastic show and afterward we got to meet the director, most of the crew, Kevin Clash, and Elmo. Being in Elmo’s presence made me feel like a little kid again; I don’t think you ever get too old to find joy in the innocence and love embodied in that little guy. Meeting Elmo was definitely the highlight of Sundance for me this year.

Although nothing could beat my Elmo encounter, all four of the films Jason and I attended were excellent. We saw a documentary on Ronald Reagan that was aptly named Reagan. I thought it was well done and it didn’t seem to have an obvious agenda besides providing a realistic view of Reagan, which pleased me greatly. I’m a facts girl; I have a very low tolerance for political propaganda or idealist portrayals so this documentary was right down my alley.

I bet you can’t help but smile just looking at this guy. In Elmo’s world other facial expressions are virtually impossible to make.

We also saw two non-documentaries: Salvation Boulevard and Perfect Sense. Salvation Boulevard, a satirical comedic mocking of the world of the megachurch, was perhaps a bit irreverent but absolutely hilarious and the acting was spot on. Perfect Sense was a thriller/drama based on the unique “what if” scenario of a global pandemic that slowly strips mankind of their ability to smell, taste, hear, and see. It made for an intriguing story. Sadly, none of the big name stars in either of these movies, such as Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Ed Harris, and Jennifer Connelly made an appearance at our screenings but we did get to meet the director and writer of Salvation Boulevard. As a side note, Salvation Boulevard has been bought by Sony Pictures and is scheduled to be released this August. I would definitely recommend checking it out; all its ridiculousness is sure to make you giggle.

Almost every screening at Sundance is preceded by a long wait in line; it’s part of the experience. This crowd was waiting to get into Rose Wagner Theater to see Salvation Boulevard.
Salvation Boulevard’s director and writer exuded sarcasm. I like sarcasm.

Sundance has never disappointed us and this year was no exception. We saw some great flicks, hung out with some awesome people, and met an adorable Muppet. Beat that.

Rachel February 2, 2011 2 Comments

Pop Pop Power!

Jason bought me a new snowboard for Christmas, a Roxy Ollie Pop C2 BTX that I named Pop Pop. Although I was very eager to try out my new toy, and a few post-Christmas storms left powder aplenty on the slopes, persistent subzero temperatures and woeful tales of skiers getting frostbite on their faces and extremities quenched my boarding cravings.

Isn't my new board cool? Okay, so you can't exactly see it. No big deal. That cheesy grin on my face is evidence of its coolness.

Finally, after weeks of downright miserable weather, Mother Nature cooperated with my boarding itch. The storm that came through here last weekend dropped about 8 inches of snow up at Brighton and then quickly dissipated leaving blue skies and pleasant temperatures. That was all the invitation Jason and I needed to overrun the mountain.

Jadon was a moody skier but he did seem to enjoy himself between bouts of poutiness.

My brother Drew met us up at Brighton with his wife Simone and their six year old Jadon. They spent most of the day on the bunny hill because Jadon and Drew were both trying to figure out the mechanics of skiing; we humbly stooped to hang out with them for a bit there amongst the hordes of tumbling learners. Drew has boarded a handful of times but he decided to turn traitor and give skiing a try. He didn’t look very comfortable on skis yet he claims that he liked skiing better than boarding. How is that possible? Boarding is the r0x’r! I guess not everyone has my excellent taste.

Jadon could do a decent plow but he often refused to go downhill unless someone was holding his hand-not the easiest task for a person on a board. Luckily, Jason could manage this awkward maneuver just fine with his crazy boarding skills.

So how did my Pop Pop do? My new board is a really smooth ride and carves beautifully. It took some getting used to though, especially since Jason also bought me new boots and bindings. Thanks to all my new gear my morning was a little rough, with some unnecessary falling, but after I got a feel for my new board buddy I really enjoyed myself. I can tell that Pop Pop and I are going to get along fabulously.

Rachel January 27, 2011 4 Comments

The Goose Girl

I just finished a great set of novels, known as the Books of Bayern, by Shannon Hale. (They are also called the Goose Girl series but that makes them sound like children’s books, which they are not.) My sister recommended that I read this four book set and I’m glad I did.

Forest Born: the last book in the series

Although these novels were written with the girly teenage masses in mind they lack the melodramatic adolescent angst you often find in other novels meant for this age group; instead of petty drama you will find enough action, romance, and magic to entertain just about any audience. These great coming of age stories are packed with superhuman powers, epic battles, unrequited love, requited love, dark secrets, assassination attempts, and mistaken identities. The first and last books of the series were probably my favorite, and the second one my least, but they all had their merits. I would recommend these fun and light reads to anyone that wants to get sucked into a fantastical world where armies get burned alive, revenge is elaborately weaved, and attractive young women dish out punishment like it was the Groupon deal of the day.

But you don’t have to take my word for it.

Rachel January 19, 2011 No Comments
 Categories

Recent Posts

Recent Comments
Blogroll