When you hear “SXSW” you might think “film festival”, but there is much more to this international conference than that: music, comedy, technology and parties.
SXSW
SXSW Back Live with Film, Music and NFT’s
(Originally published on Blogcritics.org) The SXSW Conference, which began in 1987, returned this year to live presentations after two years of virtual-only events. Taking place in Austin, March 11-20, it celebrated music, film, comedy, and the interaction of culture and technology, with participants from around the world. Despite the fact that of all the virtual […]
SXSW TV: ‘American Gods’ Debuts to an Overflow House
Two years ago, SXSW premiered Mr. Robot. Last year, Preacher wowed conference audiences. This year’s earthshaking TV preview was American Gods from STARZ. American Gods debuted on STARZ on April 30, but if you were lucky enough to have attended the SXSW Conference in Austin, you could have seen it back in March with hundreds of Neil Gaiman fans.
SXSW 2016: Summing Up – and Taking it Home
South by Southwest (SXSW), the annual music, movie, and technology conference that dominates life in Austin each spring, should be on everyone’s bucket list. Cutting-edge film, music, and technology can be enjoyed there, and there are ways to bring home the experience.
SXSW: ‘The Waiting’ – James Caan is Haunted and Blood Spills
A film must have strong characters to be remembered. I will remember ‘The Waiting’ for a long time, not only because of its characters, but because of how well they were used to explore human depravity,
SXSW: Rami Malek and Christian Slater Get Authentic on ‘Mr. Robot’
Mr. Robot stars Rami Malek and Christian Slater joined series creator Sam Esmail at SXSW film panel “Coding on Camera: MR. ROBOT and Authenticity on TV.” SXSW was the site of the show’s premiere last year. This year, participants in the Golden Globe Award-winning series came back to celebrate and discuss the show’s success.
SXSW: Seth Rogen Makes Food Talk Dirty in ‘Sausage Party’
At this year’s South by Southwest film festival Seth Rogen debuted, as a work-in-progress, his new animated feature ‘Sausage Party.’ It is the first foray into the “R-rated world” for an animated feature. If you have no problems with watching food have sex, it’s really funny.
SXSW: ‘Phantasm’ – The Tall Man Is Back with J.J. Abrams
J.J. Abrams joined SXSW attendees and writer/director Don Coscarelli for the debut of Phantasm – Remastered at the Stateside Theatre in Austin. The debut was part of the SXSW Midnighters series which is billed as “Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.”
SXSW: ‘The Bandit’ – Burt Reynolds, a Bra, Fast Cars, and a Deep Film
‘The Bandit’ documents the story behind the making of ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ and of the relationship of star Burt Reynolds and his close friend, stunt double, and creative force behind the film, Hal Needham.
SXSW: ‘Preacher’ – Comic Book Hero Heads for AMC with Dominic Cooper and Surprises
The bad boy son of a West Texas preacher, returns to his hometown to become its preacher and to keep a promise to his father. His past and a variety of bad things, including a mysterious cosmic force, an ex-girlfriend, and a psychopathic vampire complicate this for him.
SXSW: ‘Everybody Wants Some’ and a Tribute to Richard Linklater
Sometimes, when a movie plays at SXSW, it’s not just a screening, it’s a celebration. Last year, that was true about ‘The Breakfast Club.’ This year, the celebration was for the opening night premiere of Richard Linklater’s ‘Everybody Wants Some.’
SXSW: ‘The Trust’ with Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood
‘The Trust’, starring Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood, is a crime drama which combines the world of ‘CSI: Las Vegas’ with the violence and dark humor of a Quentin Tarantino film. Pretty good for beginners
SXSW – Summing Up
SXSW consists of over 3000 events, including 150 movies. I didn’t quite make it to all of them.
SXSW: ‘The Diabolical’ and ‘Roar’ – Learning from Mistakes with Tipi Hedren and Ali Larter
As film fans and writers we can learn something from other people’s mistakes, for example, the SXSW screenings of ‘The Diabolical’ and ‘Roar.
SXSW: William F. Buckley, Asteroids and Al Qaeda
SXSW presents three documentaries: “Best of Times,” “They Will Have to Kill Us First,” and “Disaster Playground.” They are all about what makes us human and vulnerable.
SXSW: ‘Manglehorn’ – Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, and a Cat
Most movies are the merging of technology and short stories, novels or sagas. Manglehorn is technology merged with a poem. It is the story of a locksmith who has lost the love of his life because of something he has done and lives in self-imposed isolation. Manglehorn has constructed a cocoon of memories and fantasies, keeping his son, a former protégé, and the hope of new love at arm’s length.
SXSW: Christian Slater and Lucy Lawless Get Creepy in ‘Mr Robot’ and ‘Salem’
Christian Slater and Lucy Lawless were on hand at SXSW 2015 to explain just why they are so creepy. Not, personally, of course, but in their new roles. Slater in the new sci-fi series Mr. Robot (SXSW Audience Award Winner – Episodic) premiering on USA Network. Lucy Lawless (Xena, Spartacus) joins the cast of WGN America’s Salem for its second season.
SXSW: ‘The Last Man on the Moon’ and ‘Love and Mercy’
Two remarkable biographies premiered on the screens of SXSW this year. ‘The Last Man on the Moon,’ profiling Astronaut Gene Cernan, and ‘Love and Mercy,’ which brings us into the life of Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson.
SXSW: Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy Come Back to ‘The Breakfast Club’
SXSW hosted the premier of the restored classic, The Breakfast Club, written and directed by John Hughes. But the event wasn’t so much a premier as it was a celebration of a movie that has touched a generation or two. With its upcoming special theatrical showings and release to Blu-ray and video, it is sure to touch a few more. When the doors opened, we were given Breakfast Club t-shirts and treated to a breakfast of donuts, coffee and mimosas. Thank you, Universal Studios.
SXSW: Fire, Rodriguez, and Frazetta
t’s a rare moment when two artistic talents you have admired for decades intersect in your presence. Robert Rodriguez has been one of my favorite directors since I saw ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’. Frank Frazetta has been my favorite artist since his paintings began appearing on the covers of Tarzan and Conan books in the 1960s. At SXSW, I participated in a tour of the Robert Rodriguez Museum, conducted by Rodriguez. He explained how, like many others, he found the paintings of Frank Frazetta amazing and inspirational for his own art. He recalled how when he first met Frazetta, and saw his original paintings up close, he was amazed at the depth and detail that never appeared in any of the prints or book covers.