Costner's 'Vote' Looks As If It Could Swing Popular Opinion
Posted on: Friday, 16 May 2008, 15:00 CDT
By Reel N.M. DAN MAYFIELD Of the Journal
We may already be sick of political ads, but that's nothing compared to how poor Bud must feel in "Swing Vote."
The trailer for "Swing Vote," the Kevin Costner movie that was shot in and around Albuquerque last year, is finally out -- and it looks good.
The premise is that Bud's vote for president doesn't count. He didn't even care to vote, but his daughter registers him.
"Great. Now I can get jury duty," he tells her.
Bud -- played by Costner -- casts a ballot for president. But the voting ends in a tie, and it comes to light that Bud's vote wasn't counted (insert New Mexico election joke here). So he gets to choose the next president.
This unleashes a media storm. Celebs come out to woo him, from Richard Petty to Arianna Huffington and Willie Nelson. He has the time of his life basking in the spotlight as Kelsey Grammer's character, incumbent President Andrew Boone, and Dennis Hopper, who plays the opponent Donald Greenleaf, lobby for his vote.
The trailer, available on several Web sites like YouTube. com and comingsoon.net, doesn't show much of what looks like New Mexico, except for a few mountains and a great shot of Costner fishing on the banks of the Rio Grande.
I wonder if he caught any silvery minnows.
A FRENCH CONNECTION:
You've got one more day to help out the producers of the movie "Sweetie" get to the Cannes International Film Festival.
The festival, which kicked off Wednesday, is the biggest deal in film. It brings the biggest directors, the biggest stars, a media circus and more to a normally sleepy village in France.
But this year, the crew from Albuquerque's Trifecta+ Entertainment will also be there, showing its Albuquerque-made short film "Sweetie."
The folks from Trifecta+, all from Albuquerque, have hosted a few fundraisers to help pay for the trip and are accepting PayPal donations at trifectaplusentertainment. com.
Of course, they have flights booked and will be there for the screening on Tuesday. But, says filmmaker and company founder Scott Milder, they still need help.
"We figure one way or another we'd have to go. I'd sell a kidney if I had to. It's a huge opportunity," Milder said.
The trip to France, during one of the busiest times of the year, isn't cheap. Organizers are expecting 33,000 people to mob the town this week and next. Hotel rooms? Forget about it.
The Trifecta+ crew has been in the local film industry for years and plans on stumping for New Mexico at the festival. The film stars local actor Chad Brummett, who unfortunately can't attend because he's in a play with Tricklock this weekend and next. Brummett has also had featured roles in the movie "3:10 to Yuma" and the TV show "Wildfire," as well as playing Hamlet in a killer production at The Vortex Theater last year.
"Sweetie" won the state's 48 Hour Film Project last summer and placed third in its national Filmapalooza program. It's a funny little story of tragic love, with a science fiction setting.
Of course, the 48 Hour Film Festival isn't the easiest place to make a movie, let alone one that's accepted at Cannes. The contest gives people 48 hours from the time they're told what to shoot and the time the films are shown. Filmmakers are given a handful of lines they must use and assigned to a genre. It ain't easy, and in truth several of the films just don't cut it.
But when they're done right, they're really good.
The 48 Hour Film Project is a nationwide event that takes place in 55 cities. Registration opens Monday for any crews who think they have the chops to make a film this year in Albuquerque. The actual 48 hours will be July 11-13. Visit 48hourfilm. com/newmexico for more.
And, if your film is good, you can always sell a kidney to go to Cannes next year.
SEND US YOUR TIPS: If you know of a film shooting, or are curious about one, e-mail Film@abqjournal.com.
(c) 2008 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: Albuquerque Journal
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