Yes the Sundance Film Festival is back and The New York Times is here to give you the rundown on all the notable contenders hitting this year’s indie film circuit. Of course, the big mentions broach the topics of lefty politics, sex, and serial killers, because what would Hollywood be without some in-your-face, culture-eroding material.
The New York Times is all hot and bothered by the first (of what’s probably going to be baker’s dozen this year alone) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez documentary, a documentary on political devil Roy Cohn, a biopic on serial killer Ted Bundy, and finally a documentary about a 90-year-old holocaust survivor-turned sex therapist.
But first we must mention the prevailing theme of Hollywood inclusion. The Times began by praising the film festival for its commitment to “showcasing diversity on both sides of the camera.” Of the upcoming event’s 112 films, “forty percent… were directed by one or more women, 36 percent were directed by filmmakers of color, and 13 percent came from directors who identify as members of sexual and gender minority communities.”
Well of course the quality of these movies hinges upon what directors and or actors have hanging between their legs, but that pretty much goes without saying.
Now that the progressive precedent has been set, let’s get into the movies the The New York Times is already chomping at the bit to write 5-star reviews for. The paper mentioned that “as ever, documentaries will give Sundance much of its heat.” Of course for lefties, the steam is already rising off of the new Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez picture, Knock Down The House.
Directed by Rachel Lears, the film documents the rise of the Bronx native and socialist wunderkind from restaurant worker to her new place as a member in the third “chamber of Congress.” And while we’d hate to say that it’s too soon, the already constant and overhyped media attention she’s received makes this new arrival primed to really stick it to our collective gag reflex. Cheers to seeing her face immortalized before she even gets a chance to legislate.
The other political doc that The Times ran early PR for was one about one of “the true dark artists of American politics,” Roy Cohn. Called Where’s My Roy Cohn? (the title is apparently a Donald Trump quote,) it was touted by Sundance as a “thriller-like expose” of a man “who influenced President Trump,” and “shaped our current American nightmare.”
The paper also mentioned a new, more human look at the story of Ted Bundy. The film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile is about the prolific serial killer from the perspective of his loving girlfriend. Although Zac Efron denies glorifying Bundy in his portrayal of the madman, a festival programmer called his rendition, “warm, heartfelt, and lovely,” because why couldn’t anyone comprehend that a man who slaughtered 30-plus women is just a fragile person too.
Lastly, the New York Times also made a plug for the new documentary on late-night sex talk celebrity Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Ask Dr. Ruth follows the life and career of the Holocaust survivor, former Planned Parenthood employee, and shawoman for phoned in sex questions. The Times echoed one reporter’s statement that Dr. Ruth was like “a cross between “Henry Kissinger and Minnie Mouse” - yeah, if Minnie Mouse had encyclopedic knowledge on weird sex.
Ah, another year, another list of Hollywood trash. If lists like these are any indication, 2019’s Hollywood showcase is going to be as or more insufferable than the last.
