For the second year in a row, I've opted out of covering the Sundance Film Festival for Film Threat. Last year, Mark and company decided not to get a condo in Park City, and ended up staying in Salt Lake City and driving the 30-45 minutes back and forth to the fest each day. Not my kettle of fish, and things here at home were such that I was a little hesitant about taking off for a week. Also, I'd spent the two previous festivals 1) catching Ebola and 2) slogging through 4 or 5 movies a day, so I decided to take a breather.
This year, the FT team is back in Park City (intermittent webcam coverage can be had on the main site), yet here I am. I fully intend to get back up there one day, but for now I prefer spending a week in Austin for South by Southwest, and having an option on a long weekend for something like deadCENTER or CineVegas. Shorter trips, smaller fests (a relative term, WRT to SXSW), and normal strength beer temporarily win out over Paris Hilton and waiting for the bus in 10 degree weather, I'm afraid.
And I was going to say I had no regrets, until I saw that Cinematical's James Rocchi got to meet Wendell "Bunk" Pierce in Park City. Bunk! God damn it.
Sorry Don...but Bunk trumps Snape. But only just.