I've been busy the last four days. New York Comic Con overlapped the New York Film Festival and the New Yorker Festival got mixed in. (I couldn't manage the CBGB festival). The result is I'm really tired.
I have tons of reports to write up, and I will, but I just wanted to get word out on a couple of things.
First up I have to go on the record to say that the New York Comic Con did a stellar job. Everything that made me want to stay home this year was fixed.
The crowds were manageable- hell this was the first time ever that you actually could get around on a Saturday without feeling you were overwhelmed by a human tsunami. The craziest day was Sunday, and you know what? It was full of really friendly families. It was an absolute pleasure.
For the first time I heard no vendor talk of theft.
Lines moved. Panels were good.
Strangely the amount of cosplay was less then in past years, though today more than made up for it.
There are stories to tell, and I will.
I've posted a hell of a lot of pictures from my wanderings over at Tumblr if you want to see them. Actually there are pictures from Comic Con and the BIRDMAN press conference there as well. Go here to see all the goodies.
Speaking of BIRDMAN, I know John has done the review, but I I just wanted to say it's the best narrative film from the New York Film Festival. It's an amazing level on every level as the cast turns in Oscar winning work, the film is technical marvel and the film has so many levels that it will be the rare film that people enjoy and scholars and critics earn their doctoral thesis about.
I think Hubert is going do do a piece on it and I may as well.
I'm pretty sure that both Hubert and myself are going to weigh in on CITIZENFOUR. Hubert will do something sooner and I'll do something when the film opens.
The short capsule version from my end begins with missing the NYFF CITIZENFOUR screening and getting up early to see it with about a dozen of my film writer colleagues this morning. I was very curious because no one seemed to know much about it, and then the Twitterverse exploded on Friday night when the film premiered at the NYFF. Apparently it was an epic standing ovation and long heart felt Q&A.
On the other hand talking to several writers at the BIRDMAN screening the feeling was very mixed. When I mentioned the Twitter reaction to the film they were puzzled.
I went in to the screening not sure of what I was going to think.
My reaction is best described in the line I told the PR people, its not bad, but it's really a great hour long documentary hat runs two hours. The film is the story of Edward Snowden and his release of "secrets" as it happened. The trouble is that outside of a quick bit at the end there are no new revelations. If you've been paying attention you know this already. The film also isn't fully focused on Snowden but also on Glenn Greenwald, who is interesting, but isn't this supposed to be Snowden's film?
There is a great deal to say, and I will when I can.
As for me it's time for bed. This is the first night in several weeks where I know I'll be able to sleep in in the morning. Reviews and reports will be coming all week so keep reading
(And yea I still haven't said anything about Roger Corman at the New Yorker Festival-but I will)
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