SUNDANCE WATCH: Robin Williams remembered, carnal acrobatics and 'The Bronze' | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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SUNDANCE WATCH: Robin Williams remembered, carnal acrobatics and 'The Bronze'

Lisa Kudrow, a cast member in the documentary film "Misery Loves Comedy," poses at the premiere of the film at the Egyptian Theatre during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

PARK CITY, Utah - The Associated Press is all over the Sundance Film Festival, from its premieres to the Hollywood glitz. Here's what they've seen and heard:

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ROBIN WILLIAMS REMEMBERED

Does the best comedy come from pain? And does that mean comedians are the most miserable people of all?

That's what comic Kevin Pollack wanted to discover in his documentary, "Misery Loves Comedy," which premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival. He dedicated the film "in loving memory and gratitude" to his friend and mentor, Robin Williams, whose suicide last year came just as Pollack was finishing the project.

Williams does not appear in the film, though Pollack said he was "quite desperate and interested" to participate. But the long hours Williams worked on his TV series "The Crazy Ones" prevented him from joining the cast.

Pollack interviewed more than 60 comics, actors and funny folks to find out if comedy requires misery, and found the answer to be both yes and no.

"I just think you're funnier when you're miserable," said Jimmy Fallon.

"I think you have to at least know misery," Matthew Perry said.

Even two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks said he spent "54 and 1/2 years of living in self-loathing."

The pain of life isn't limited to comics and performers, Pollack said.

"Everyone has suffered through misery," he said. "It is the human condition. And the performer or the writer or the filmmaker or the actor must figure out a way to articulate it in a way that makes it either relatable or universal."

Tribeca Film announced Friday that it acquired "Misery Loves Comedy" for distribution and plans to release it theatrically in the spring.

— By Sandy Cohen

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ETHAN HAWKE QUICK QUOTE: 'BOYHOOD' WAS A 'WEIRD TIME CAPSULE"

"They make it sound like we kept it secret. Nobody cared. That's the truth. ... It sounded so experimental to people. I think they thought it was some kind of weird time capsule."

— Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke at Sundance on "Boyhood," which took 12 years to film

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CELEBS AND THEIR SWAG

What are normally ski shops, art galleries and boutiques on Park City's Main Street have transformed into celebrity lounges during the first weekend of the Sundance Film Festival where celebrities load up on swag, from backpacks to boots.

Kevin Smith popped into Park City Live, a conglomeration of celebrity suites including Billboard's Winterfest concert space (set to feature Iggy Azalea on Saturday night) and the Birchbox cosmetics centre, where visitors could get makeovers and collect a slew of beauty samples.

The Village at the Lift also combines various lodges over several buildings. VIPs can recharge their electronics and sip coffee at the hippest McDonald's ever, the temporary McCafe. Next door is a pop-up restaurant, the Stella Artois Cafe, serving food from the trendy Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles. The Tao nightclub is also part of the complex.

The Eddie Bauer suite boasts an indoor climbing wall, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred lounge offers drinks, bites and a chance to try Oculus virtual-reality technology.

By next week, most of the stars will be gone and the businesses will go back to normal.

—By Sandy Cohen

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KRISTEN WIIG QUICK QUOTE: COME FOR THE TACOS

"They're famous for their tacos. ... A lot of people don't know it, but that's a little secret. Morning ... they only serve them in the morning."

Kristen Wiig, on insider tips for attending the Sundance Film Festival

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ALL THEY TALKED ABOUT WERE THE CARNAL ACROBATICS

"Gymnast sex" is mentioned early on in "The Bronze," a darkly comedic look at the world of a washed-up Olympian starring and co-written by Melissa Rauch of "The Big Bang Theory," but it's not until the movie is almost finished that the audience gets a glimpse at what that might entail, and it's a doozy.

The explicit, highly choreographed simulation of two gymnasts doing their thing elicited both gasps and hearty belly laughs from the packed Sundance Film Festival premiere Thursday. The subject dominated both the Q&A and the exit chatter, and the commitment to the bit alone makes the film a must-see.

If only the rest of the movie compared to the carnal acrobatics.

—By Lindsey Bahr

News from © The Associated Press, 2015
The Associated Press

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