SXSW 2013: So It Begins..

SXSW 2013: So It Begins...The countdown has ended. Badges adorn almost every neck in sight. The rain showed up early. SXSW has officially begun.

Today is day 1 of the Austin, Texas 20th SXSW Film Festival. While the films remain a few hours away, droves of wild registrants litter Austin’s downtown area; seeking shelter from the rain or hopping into already packed lines in hopes for a bit of something free from some form of local or corporate sponsor. Venues and pops-ups are being constructed all around. Upcoming TV shows have brought their own food trucks in hopes of hashtagged meals. Everyone wants you to attend their party, or at the very least RSVP.


If it sounds like a lot to take in, it is. It’s damn near overwhelming. There’s literally so much going on in every nook and cranny that one passes that getting distracted is an understatement. Some of these distractions can be quite rewarding, though. Take this small tented area by the Austin Convention Center that provided curious parties free breakfast and coffee for nothing in return, not even an email trade.

SXSW 2013: So It Begins...

See, I came to write about movies and here I am discussing the distractions.

Tonight there are 22 different films playing; many of them making their World Premieres. Planning out a course of action is key and, sadly, sacrifices must be made. Of the 22, I’ve whittled my day one down to a lean, strong 3.

While the festival’s big opening film is The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, my first dip into the huge film pool will be writer/director Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color. The synopsis for the film is a simple sentence, “A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism.” That brief bit, coupled with the love, adoration and beautiful confusion the film left film lovers with at Sundance has had me eager anticipating this film experience. I’m quite thrilled that this will be my film to start off the week.

SXSW 2013: So It Begins...

Shortly after Upstream Color ends, I’ll find myself face to face with one of the horror community’s most anticipated films of the year, The Evil Dead. Directed by Fede Alvarez, the film is a loose remake of the much beloved Sam Raimi helmed 1981 horror classic of the same name. While early thoughts of anyone remaking this gem of horror film cinema ranged from proclamations of blasphemy to labored eye rolls and groans, the film’s red band trailer and open commitment to practical effects caused the film to make quite the u-turn, silencing many doubters, myself included, and making it a film many of us have now got behind. I can’t wait.

SXSW 2013: So It Begins...

Closing out my night will be the sequel to one of my favorite films of last year’s SXSW, V/H/S/2. While the first installment got rave reviews on the festival circuit, it met with mixed reactions once it made it’s way to public, especially within the horror community. V/H/S/2 does return to the found footage anthology motif, following a pair of detectives discovering a collection of VHS tapes that they hope might help find them find a missing student. It is, however, being touted as being a bit more refined in it’s storytelling; featuring almost completely different creative teams while offering fewer stories and allowing the ones that are included to breathe a bit. Some of the early reviews out of this year’s Sundance fest praised this film as much better and more creative than the first. I truly enjoyed V/H/S and am very much looking forward to what this sequel has in store.

SXSW 2013: So It Begins...

The view from the window of The Hideout Lounge informs me that the rain has subsided. My homemade cinnamon roll and Eraserhead cappucino have been depleted and my phone is once again fully charged. I have four hours until my first film. I might as well go find some more distractions.

For up to the minute updates, pictures and general buffoonery, feel free to follow my exploits on twitter and instagram at @capnnarcolepsy as well as @TheHDRoom.

SXSW 2013: So It Begins...

SXSW 2013: So It Begins...

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