Alrighty folks, SUNDANCE is underway and we need all the reports we can get on the films there. So if you are in SUNDANCE... Write us up, let us hear what is happening. Whether you're a filmmaker, a mover or shaker, and most importantly just you regular ol movie fans... it makes no difference, AICN wants you.
Now onto the first of several reports we will be getting from these wacky delinquint children and their cheapo adventures in the land of snowy cinema....
Eisner, Jr. and Katzenberg Jr. here with our report from Sundance. We have decided to put aside our parents differences and attend the festival together. However, when Michael and Jeffery found out, they cancelled our platinum American Express cards, so now we are on budget.
Undeterred, we decided to go to Sundance the peasant way.
On Monday, January 11, 1999, we awoke early and tried call in to the Sundance ticket office to get tickets. Of course, the computers in Utah crashed, so no tickets went out. On Tuesday, Katzenberg Jr. got through and was put on hold. After three minutes, the hold music stopped. Our hearts were beating faster in anticipation about getting tickets. Then,click, and the hum of the dial tone. Damn!
Finally, Katzenberg Jr. called one of daddy's friends in Utah to go stand in line at Trolley Square Mall promising to pass any scripts to Jeffery. According to his friend, the ticket booth at Trolley Square looked liked one of Sadam Hussein's palaces the day after Desert Fox. We got a total of four, count 'em, four tickets. A word of advice, for individual tickets, Utah residents get first dibs at them two days before phone sales start. So the next time two young men in white shirts and ties come to your door, let them in. They might be your only contact in Utah.
Since everything was booked up in Park City, we are staying in Salt Lake City with a friend. Best place to stay is somewhere free. But if you have to pay for a room, the absolute cheapest place to crash in Salt Lake City is Avenues Hostel on 107 F Street (801/359-3855). Dormitory rooms are $10 -$14 night and private rooms are $25 - $45 a night. Also, the Ute Hostel is on 21 E. Kelsey Avenue is not in the greatest neighborhood, but what the hell. Dormitory rooms are $15 and private rooms are $35. The City Creek Inn on 230 West North Temple (801)533-9100 was about $45 a night. Most Salt Lake City hotels we called were booked up.
It's only a 10 hour drive from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, if you don't stop in Las Vegas. Airfare from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City is about $200 roundtrip. We also tried to get an Auto Driveaway. An auto-driveaway is where you drive someone elses car to another city. We didn't have any luck talking to these companies, and most were rude on the phone.
So, we are driving ourselves to the festival on Friday.
Last night, we met at Bar Marmont for a pre-sundance soiree. Slimeballs and actors were picking up starlets using the line, "So where are you staying at Sundance?" On Thursday morning, one could hear a collective sigh of relief as thousands of assistants throughout Los Angeles relaxed after their bosses finally left for the festival.
Our next report will reveal the following: getting free massages in Park City, getting into sold-out movies, and how to crash a Hollywood party. Oh, and we might tell you about the films we see too.
