PARK CITY, Jan. 19 - Sundance. Slamdance. Slumdance. Slam Dunk. If they
don't stop this copycat festival business soon, they'll begin to run dry
on soundalike pun names.
The Slam Dunk Film Fesival kicked off Sunday night as Park City's newest
cinema competition with a keynote by "Midnight Cowboy" cinematographer
Adam Holender. Boasting some surprisingly mainstream indie offerings, Slam
Dunk screens films in the middle of Main Street at the Elks Lodge - just
a few blocks down from Slamdance central.
With the vacuum created by the absence of Slumdance this year, the organizers
behind Slam Dunk have assembled a varied slate of features and shorts. This
year's highlights include a feature titled "How to Make an Oliver Stone
Film," a satire directed by Mary Harron of "I Shot Andy Warhol"
fame.
"Dogtown" stars resident swinger Jon Favreau alongside Mary Stuart
Masterson and Rory Cochrane, best known for his role as Slater in "Dazed
and Confused."
And for us "whatever-become-of-philes" in the crowd, Slam Dunk
offers some real gems. The premiere night film was Kenneth Schapiro's romantic
comedy "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" featuring the cinematic debut
of former teenypopper sensation Debbie Gibson. According to the synopsis,
Gibson plays a "dishy tabloid photographer" in what seems like
a very supporting role. Still, the girl behind "Electric Youth"
gets top billing over the likes of Academy Award nominee Valerie Perrine
and the voice of Jasmine from "Aladdin." Moreover, the soundtrack
features music by ???Daddy??? - great name, huh? - a band comprised of former
Village People members.
That's not all. The WASHED-UPdate woud have a field day at Slam Dunk. The
comedy "Groupies" stars former Brat Packer Ally Sheedy (also starring
in "High Art" at Sundance) and - get this - the subject of that
bitter custody struggle in 1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer." That's
right, cute little Justin Henry is now in his twenties and starring in an
indie film! Only in Park City.
Most certainly, someone will invent another festival next winter to handle
all of the Slam Dunk rejects. Anyone for Scumdance?
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