SXSW in '07

I just spent 8 days at the South By Southwest Film Festival. It was my 5th time covering this event, and if you ask anyone who knows me they'll say "Yes, it's (far and away) his very favorite film festival, even better than Sundance or Toronto," and then they'll sigh loudly and roll their eyes because it's something I say all the time.

This year I had a whole BUNCH of friends in town, from six of my eFilmCritic colleagues to a pair of very excellent Cinematicaleers and a sticky handful of filmmaker buddies I've chummed up with over the years.

Anyway, here's a list of the SXSW movies I saw. Two lists, actually. (Links lead to my reviews. My star ratings go on a 1 -5 scale.)

SXSW Movies I saw at festivals prior to SXSW '07

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane - ***1/2
Black Sheep - ****
Eagle vs. Shark - ***1/2
Fay Grim - *** 1/2
Fido - ****
Severance - ****
The Signal - ****
The Ten - *** 1/2
Zoo - **1/2

Movies I saw during (or just prior to) SXSW '07

638 Ways to Kill Castro - ***1/2
American Zombie - **1/2
Blackbird - ***
Borderland - ****
Cashback - ***1/2
Cherry Valley - **
The Devil Dared Me To - *** 1/2
Diggers - ****
Disturbia -- **
Doubletime - ***1/2
Elvis and Anabelle - ***1/2
Everything's Gone Green - **1/2
Exiled - ***1/2
Flakes - **
Forfeit - ***
Grimm Love - ***
Helvetica - ***1/2
Imprint - **1/2
Itty Bitty Titty Committee - ***
The King of Kong - ****1/2
Knocked Up - ****1/2
The Lather Effect - ***1/2
A Lawyer Walks into a Bar - ***
Mulberry Street - ***
Murder Party - ***1/2
Orphans - **
Pretty in the Face - ***1/2
Suffering Man's Charity - **1/2
Them - ****
Third Ward TX - ***
Trailer Park Boys: The Movie - **
Trigger Man - **1/2
Who Loves the Sun - ****

...also seen during SXSW week, although they weren't part of the festival: Blades of Glory, Dead Silence, and TMNT. The parties were cool, the friends were everywhere, I got to meet Bill Paxton, and I was lucky enough to be on a discussion panel about horror movies. Throw some sexual intercourse in there and it would have been the best week of my life. (That record still belongs to last September's Fantastic Fest.)

OK, back to work. Yesterday was probably the busiest I've ever been for deadlines, assignments owed, cigarettes smoked, and irritated bosses.