Sorry, I have been really slow on the update from Sundance 2006.  We saw a bunch of films in the second weekend including many award winners, which might be why the reviews are so positive...no real dogs.  Here are the films we saw (in no particular order) and a brief summary/review:

1) Man push cart - decent movie if you have ever lived in NYC and wondered about the lives of those guys who push bagel/coffee carts and sell on the street corners.  Brutal, grueling job.  This is a love story.  Go figure.  It is very well shot, though.

2) Little miss sunshine - great flick.  Modern day Nat'l Lampoons Vacation as a disfuntional family road trips to get their youngest to a beauty pagent in CA.  Will be a hit in the theaters for sure.  Dont miss it.

3) God grew tired of us - everyone should see thei pointed documentary about the lost boys of Sudan as it profiles 4 of their journeys through Africa and to the US.  Very well done.

4) No. 2 - Funny and touching movie about a Fijian family in New Zealand rallying for one party for the matriarch of their family, a hilarious grandmother.  I hope it gets released in the US because it was quite special. 

5) Right at your door - Dirty bombs in LA, panic, marshall law, families divided.  Not Jerry Bruckheimer style, which is nice.  More about hte moral choices involved when people get exposed to the toxic chemicals.  Could be made for TV, but worked better and made your hair stand on end.

6) In the pit - Documentary about workers on a huge construction project to add a second tier to a highway in downtown Mexico City.  Well shot, but the translation was tough.  Spanish speakers enjoyed it more than we did.  My guess is they will redo the subtitles and it will improve.

7) Sombodies - Hadji, who wrote, directed and starred in this is very funny and charismatic.  I think this will get picked up either as a film or a TV show (which we all agreed it would be good as.)  African American male, just out of college, trying to make sense of needing to grow up but not wanting to get rid of his partying past.  Also, his family is hilarious.  See it if you get the chance...

8) Quinceanera - the big winner of the festival in terms of awards...we liked it, but did not get wowed by it.  It is a coming of age story and an inside look into the Latino traditions set in suburban LA.  A young woman, approaching her 15th birthday (hence quinceanera) is impregnated and puts her family and friends at odd...

Time for Sundance.  I am heading out to Park City 1/26 to see some movies.  Check back to this blog for the reviews of the strange, intersting and truly innovative movies of Sundance 2006.  If you want to see the movies that are showing, go to http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/sundance or  www.sundance.org. 

Jazz Festival.  Fess Jazztival.  The most beautiful three days of the year.  Check out www.nojazzfest.com for an overview of what it contains.  If you have not been there, you should go.  That is if you like music and $3 miller lite.  This year's new band discovered is the Red Stick Ramblers.  A unique combination of musical flavors.