My hair is huge, my hair is ablaze, and I am ready for Ebertfest 2015.
The lineup of films and guests is awesome. I’ll be participating in one of the panels (“Challenging Stigma Through the Arts”), as well as presenting/participating in the QAs onstage for two of the films being shown: Girlhood, directed by Céline Sciamma (so excellent, my review here), as well as a sad beautiful film called The Motel Life (starring Stephen Dorff and Emile Hirsch) – my review here. Stephen Dorff and co-director Alan Polsky will be in attendance as guests. Very exciting! Lineup of Ebertfest guests here The list of critics attending Ebertfest is extensive. It’s going to be a great time. My mother and I fly out to Illinois tomorrow.
Sounds amazing! Good luck. One of these years I’m going to make the drive over there for Ebertfest.
Dan – you should definitely buy a pass one of these years. It’s such a relaxed and positive environment and the theatre itself is to die for!! Would be nice to finally meet you too!
YAAAAAYYYYY!!!!! Have a fabulous time at the Best Fest Ever!
Gonna be fun – lots of good friends in the critic pool, and the people of Champaign-Urbana are so nice. It’s a real feel-good event. Looking forward to it. Looking forward, too, to a little vacation with my mother!
At first I read that as “Challenging Stigmata Through the Arts” and I thought gosh I don’t really know how much you’re gonna be able to say about that.
I really need to challenge my own stigmata, I know that for sure.
Sheila, have you read Willy Vlautin’s The Motel Life? That novel is an amazing book about working-class life and love, like Bukowski if Bukowski had been more focused and less drunk and much less mean about women. I’ll be curious to see how a film adapts the novel’s power and melancholy.
Walter – I did read it, in preparation for the review – I’m going to re-read it on my flight out there tomorrow. I was blown away by it. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t read it before.
I highly recommend the movie – especially for Dorff’s raw and tragic performance. Would be interested to hear your thoughts – it’s streaming on Netflix!
I love that photo. You could be an aviatrix in a Miyazaki film!
Have a good time. I hope there’s video of the panels.
I believe they’re live-streamed somewhere. I should know where, but I do not.
// You could be an aviatrix in a Miyazaki film! //
Love itt!! My pal Fee said I looked like Gena Rowlands in Gloria which … you know. High praise. I’ve always wanted to be a gun moll.
I had curled my hair that morning. And it’s so damn red right now – I love my hairdresser. She does my hair and we discuss 50 Shades of Grey. As she removes my own grey. It all works out.
Hope you and your mom have a great time in Chicago! So, is Stephen Dorff the new Mickey Rourke? Always loved him so glad to see him in these type of roles now. Will there be video of your panel?
Red hair is pretty boss.
Paula – thanks!! There should be video – I’m not sure where it will be though. I’ll keep you all posted! I’ll be writing dispatches from the festival as well as perhaps some posts on the events over at Rogerebert.com. Gonna be a busy couple of days.
Oh, and there’s going to be a Harold Ramis tribute on the first night!! Very much looking forward to that.
The festival actually takes place in Champaign-Urbana – so Mum and I are flying into O’Hare from our different places, and then meeting up for the flight down to Urbana.
I found a wonderful interview with Stephen Dorff on Youtube around the time “Somewhere” came out. It’s about 45 minutes long, so – you know – if you feel like it – check it out. He talks a lot about his career, and what he’s interested in as an actor. I’ve always really liked him, and he is absolutely GREAT in The Motel Life.
Anyway, here’s the interview. Looking forward to meeting him and seeing the film again.
Have a great time! Looks like an awesome lineup.
Dorff is an interesting actor to me, he has done some Hollywood movies like Blade but he seems much more interested in smaller, offbeat films and roles. Like Candy Darling in I Shot Andy Warhol. He doesn’t seem to be chasing the fame and fortune, he really seems interested in the work itself. He also has a bit of a “bad boy” reputation, I’m curious about the reality.
I will check out The Motel Life since it’s on Netflix and report back.
Did you ever see Blood and Wine? Dorff, Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, J Lo, Judy Davis. Great movie, Ebert loved it, I think it has played at Ebertfest before but I could be wrong.