Schmidt at Sundance: Paparazzi (Yes!), Amy Poehler (No!)

My Sundance experience began with the random travel pairing of Guillermo De Toro and Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, who shared my flight out of LAX into Salt Lake City. This talent grouping was so inspired, I thought, that perhaps Sundance films should be made only from casts accidentally assembled on airplanes. This notion was confirmed ten minutes later when Pierce Brosnan walked up to retrieve his luggage while paparazzi shuttered away.

Really, "paparazzi" is too fancy a term -- how about "a dubious collection of grizzled stringers and fans with camcorders and cellphones." All of whom were recording footage which probably ended up on TMZ's TV show. It's truly amazing to me that horribly shot footage containing any famous person in any situation is now considered worthwhile viewing. In the future, I think we will all be able to order up security camera feeds from anywhere in the world with the click of a keypad. "Rob Schneider - McDonalds bathroom, Columbus, Ohio!" "Lenny Kravitz - Fountain, Caesar's Palace, Spring 1998!" This material is nonfiction, all right, but I'd like to think it isn't the "future" of documentaries.

Also enjoyed eavesdropping on a (nonfictional) conversation about guest lists that rivaled the classic "Who's On First?"

"Who has a Plus One?"
"I have a Plus One, but I don't know if YOU'RE my Plus One."
"I have a Plus One, so I don't need your Plus One."

Unfortunately, I did not get to see any films today. I attempted one, and it had nothing to do with the world of documentaries: Spring Breakdown, Amy Poehler, Parker Posey and Rachel Dratch's seemingly funny femme comedy. But when I arrived, there were 150 people on the waitlist in front of me. Needless to say, I gave up that idea pretty quick. But I did get to stand outside the theater to see fans geeking out over the stars, who very cordially posed for photos. The trailer looks enjoyable. Here, enjoy it yourself:

Sadly, I had left the Gen Art party (which was kind of fun), and as I walked out they said, "You know, if you leave you can't come back." Then I regretted leaving, of course. But this had been my fourth event in a row, starting off with a very nice ITVS event where I got to catch up with a lot of cool docu-folks, so I figured I ought to call it a night. Fellow documentary.org correspondent Tamara Krinsky was my travel companion for some of this ride and thankfully let me be her plus one, twice.

So my evening ended, pleasantly, at the 24 hour Albertson's with condomate and Board Member Adam Chapnick, as we purchased coffee, salt and vinegar chips, and contemplated the 24 oz. Budweiser-And-Clamato in a can. I said, "contemplated," not "ingested."

I tried to take some video of myself in front of a giant stuffed bear, but something went wrong. I'll work harder at it tomorrow, I promise.