I know a lot of people come to Sundance and see four or five movies a day. Every single day. Well, I finally managed to see two in one day, and they were both very fitting for MLK Day/pre-inaugural viewing, as they dealt with the politics of speech, culture, race and prejudice. Liz Garbus' new film, Shouting Fire, about the battles to engage, protect and uphold First Amendment rights, and Robert Townsend's Why We Laugh, a chronicle of the sociological importance of 20th Century African-American comedy, made an interesting--if accidental--double bill. That is if you call a "double bill" two films in two different theaters, separated by a wait in the cold and a wacky shuttle ride. I guess I would (did).
See this clip from Why We Laugh on YouTube here.
I'm unaware of the distribution plans for Why We Laugh (which boasted an impressive collection of interviewees and some choice clips from the likes of Redd Foxx and the great Robin Harris) but Garbus' film airs on HBO in July, along with an (appropriate) outreach program to schools. In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that her father Martin Garbus, who is the connective 'glue' of the film (and one of the most renowned First Amendment attorneys in the country), also appeared in my own This Film Is Not Yet Rated. I enjoyed interviewing him then, and I enjoyed seeing him take a central role here - he's a wise and engaging man, and he was certainly in good hands here with his talented daughter.
I would have made it three films except I messed up my scheduling, as I headed over to Slamdance in the afternoon to see Lost Sparrow, a film which was part of IDA's own Fiscal Sponsorship program. Only it wasn't actually playing until Tuesday. Duh on my part. Slamdance looked like it had some fun offerings: the latest from Broken Lizard, The Slammin' Salmon, and Smile Til It Hurts, the doc about legendary kitschmeisters Up With People.
As for the Celeb Beat, I left the Cinema Eye honors and found myself crossing paths with Robin Williams, and then later overheard someone on a cell phone say, "Yeah, man, Ron Jeremy's here."
And it wouldn't be a Sundance without Ron Jeremy, right?