Sundance starts this week, and in addition to getting updates from Our Man at Sundance, I thought I’d review some of my favorite movies of past festivals.
Slacker (1991)
This movie put my favorite city, Austin, on the map as a haven for artist/hippie/cowboy/slacker culture smack dab in the middle of conservative Texas. Of course, the argument has been made many times before that the movie made Austin so popular that the artists/hippies/cowboys/slackers can’t afford to live there anymore. I disagree.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
I think this is one of Tarantino’s best films, and not in an “I don’t like anything an artist does after his breakout piece” kind of a way. I’m a big fan of Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds, too.
El Mariachi (1993)
This movie had to make the list — Robert Rodriguez filmed the whole thing for $7,000, around half of which he raised by performing in clinical drug trials. Those are the kind of fun facts you won’t find anywhere else. Unless you have access to Wikipedia.
Clerks (1994)
Still one of my favorite movies.
Big Night (1996)
You might remember me mentioning this one in my Food Movies post, way back in July of 2009. Those were such halcyon days.
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Not my favorite Wes Anderson movie (that would be The Royal Tenenbaums), but still a lot of fun.
American Psycho (2001)
This is Christian Bale’s best performance, The Dark Knight and crazy on-set rants notwithstanding.
Donnie Darko (2001)
My brain hurts just thinking about the plot.
Super Troopers (2001)
Seriously, this movie is hilarious. When I heard about it airing at Sundance, I checked out the preview and couldn’t figure out why it had so much buzz. When I finally got around to watching it, I nearly blew a funny fuse.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Don’t ask me to explain why I find this movie to be so funny. I just do.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Alan Arkin was worth the price of admission on this one.
Once (2007)
This movie has a cute story and a fantastic score, plus it’s set in Dublin, which is an excellent city and surprisingly not a setting for too many good movies. I was a big fan of Glen Hansard from his indie band The Frames before I ever saw the movie. Respect my hipsterness!
The Wackness (2008)
This movie is so deliciously 90s that I was tempted to buy and then wear a pair of parachute pants while watching it.
For more movies from Sundance past, check out the History of Sundance.
