Xenogenesis, James Cameron's first film

DVD: Sherlock Holmes redux

In deference to the recent Sherlock Holmes movie I checked out a couple of DVD sets offering different takes on the Victorian consulting detective. Certainly anybody familiar with the original Doyle stories knows that the Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey Jr. version has as much adherence to the characters as it takes liberties with the narrative. Striking portrayals of Holmes by Basil Rathbone and Peter Cushing also offer distinct variations on the current and literary versions.
Sherlock Holmes Double Feature offers two of the Rathbone adventures filmed during the 40s war years. The Spider Woman finds Holmes up against the vicious Adria Spedding (Gale Sondergaard). At one point Holmes fakes his death and then goes undercover, something loosely taken from the Doyle version, only to become a human target at an amusement park. The Voice of Terror has Holmes facing off against Nazis in wartime London. The single DVD has versions of the films (they each run around 70 minutes) that have been recently restored.
The Sherlock Holmes Collection contains the extant episodes of the 1960s BBC series with Peter Cushing as Holmes. Those eps include The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Sign of Four, The Blue Carbuncle, A Study in Scarlet, and The Boscombe Valley Mystery. Cushing brings a literal take to the character with much of the show featuring dialogue straight from the stories. The case comes with a slipcover, the show on 3 DVDs. An extra featurette captivates with the wealth of information it spills on Holmes past and present.

Sundance - What's it all about?

You live in Houston so you remember last week when it was 20-degrees for three days in a row. Well the Sundance Film Festival takes place in Park City, Utah and that's the median temperature, usually accompanied by plenty of snow. There are some great flicks to be seen for sure, and if I could afford to go the films at the top of my queue wold surely be those with the shortest wait in the driving blizzard.
Park City is a mountain ski resort outside Salt Lake City. To drive into town, during the festival, you need to be a resident or have a pre-purchased parking permit, otherwise you park at a lot outside the festival area. But it's the kind of area you can easily walk across in several minutes. Hotel room are at least $200 a night for a single on the low end; certainly there are B&Bs and co-ops but those would've been gone months ago. People make DIY films for less than it costs to attend Sundance. There's a screen in Salt Lake City that shows festival films also and obviously a la carte allows for distinct selection without the benefit of having unlimited entrance to seminars and whatnot. Even with the highest priced ticket one would be lost for a spot on the guest list of the Joat Jett concert or other exclusive soirees.
The 10-day festival has two five-day tickets with the all access ducat going for $3000 (for the first five days) and $2500 for the second five days. When I asked Free Press Houston overlord and owner Omar for an expense account to cover Sundance his eyes just sort of glazed over like one of those animals in Fantastic Mr. Fox.
As always there are films with name actors that everyone will be talking about that will be in local theaters in a matter of weeks (The Runaways, with Kristen Stewart playing Joan Jett) as well as retros and many under the radar titles chosen for their eclectic quality. Some of this year's bright spots include Enter the Void where we follow the soul of a person who's just died, the latest from Gaspar Noe; and Brit helmer Michael WInterbottom's take on film noir and Jim Thompson with The Killer Inside Me. Howl examines the trial involving the Allen Ginsberg poem. Austin filmmaker Bryan Posyer arrives with Lovers of Hate, which perhaps not ironically he partially lensed in Park City last year.
There's a couple of hundred other films so you pretty much have your choice of foreign or indie or schwag induced celluloid nirvana. Also on the international festival route is Berlin in February. A quick comparison of costs shows how affordable film festivals like SXSW or Worldfest really are. Bottom line, if you want to hobnob with celebs save up for Sundance. If you want to watch films with professional yet unknown filmmakers and other delirious film mavens then Austin in March is your destination.