We're back with short report from South by Southwest Film Festival SXSW 2010.
This time we're giving you first look on some projects that got our attention, hoping that you'll also be interested in. And, since the festival is still on, let us remind you to check the updates on our site.
“C'mon, be honest with yourself, at some point of our lives we all wanted to be superhero” – that's exactly the main thing about the first movie we're going to talk about.
Kick-ass a superhero movie unlike any that has gone before, and definitely one that pays tribute to the rich history of the comic book movie. Still, this one is so different, original and fresh.
Dave Lizewski is an average high school student with typical teenage problems – no girlfriend, too much homework, and a chronic masturbation habit. His love of comics has inspired him to want more, or if you prefer, to do something remarkable with his unremarkable life.
And so one day Dave decides to become a superhero. He buys a green wetsuit online, and soon transforms into Kick-Ass – a masked man prepared to fight the forces of evil to help those in need. But unfortunately our hero is slim and slight and lacks anything resembling a superpower, so his first day on the job involves a brutal beating, a life-threatening stab wound, and a lengthy spell in the hospital.
Still, heroes can not be defeated that quickly, so he's soon back on the streets, and since he's 21st century man, he does what any modern superhero would do and sets up his own My Space page. Soon he gets requests for help from a curious public, and when his first successful rescue attempt finds its way onto You Tube, Kick-Ass quickly turns into an online phenomenon. As usual, when there's so much criminal in this world, superheroes need good and capable help.
Soon he attracts the attention of Big Daddy and Hit-Girl, two similarly masked vigilantes who take it upon themselves to help Dave in his efforts, and together they endeavor to clean up the streets.
Aaron Johnson is in the role of the main character Dave Lizewski. Nicolas Cage plays Big Daddy, a former cop who, in his quest to bring down an evil drug lord (played by Mark Strong) has trained his 11-year-old daughter to be the ruthless vigilante Hit Girl, being played by Chloe Moretz.
How does that sound to you guys? We're thrilled!
Next one that we're interested in is Phillip the Fossil from writer/director Garth Donovan.
This movie follows an aging party animal chasing the now extinct glory days of his youth. Blowing lines with kids half his age and naive girls are all part of Phillip's relentless pursuit of the endless summer.
Chuckling along as the carefree town jester, Phillip has become completely isolated in the dead end rut he so comfortably dug. The chance to pull himself out of this kind of life comes when an old love returns home so the opportunity to run his own landscaping business knocks.
But before that, Phillip must first solve the problems that he made on his way to pleasure. One of the biggest problems is insecure seventeen year-old that's been his shadow for the last month.
With her jealous ex in his grill and a best friend returning from Iraq with an acutely hostile form of PTSD, it isn't long before Phillip gets tangled in tornado of violence that may turn his future into a real hell.
So it's no wonder we all can describe this one as an uncompromising and realistic portrait of everyday people who struggle day after day for a life of balance, control and meaning.
In the leading role we have Brian Hasenfus, who just won the Breakthrough Actor Award for Phillip the Fossil at SXSW, with help of actors Nick & Rich Dellarocca, Ann Palica, Angela Pagliarulo…
Those are our favorites for today, and we hope you enjoyed this report. Stay tuned, we'll be back soon, with more information, and more reviews from SXSW!
