The Tribeca Film Festival filmgoers don’t look like your typical con attendee, but this year it was definitely programmed for the genre lover. While several films in genres relevant to nerds were released, this year the interviews and events were what we all wanted to see. Here’s a rundown of what you need to watch:
COMEDY
The big opener of the festival was the documentary about Saturday Night Live called Live From New York. While people quibble about the quality of the show at any time, the documentary proves the show is a comedic institution that has influenced US culture and politics. Plus, it includes interviews from some of the best comedians from the last 40 years. Watch the trailer here:
Our top pick for all of TFF was the celebration of Monty Python for the 40th Anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It included a self-effacing interview with all the Monty Python members by John Oliver. They discussed a lot of inside details about the process of making the movie and comedy as a commentary on politics.
Amy Schumer came off a planned red carpet trip onto Kimye to launch the third season of her series. She and the writing team of Inside Amy Schumer provided commentary on how they came up with the ideas for skits this season including the season opener’s “Last Fuckable Day”
HORROR & SCI FI
Stephen Colbert interviewed George Lucas and a fan filmed it:
Those hoping Colbert really went for blood in the interview will be disappointed. For the most part Colbert and Lucas share a sense of humor and love for Star Wars. Lucas comes off as someone who’s defended his choices, but is not defensive because he loves his work. But most importantly he predicted a Howard the Duck Marvel movie on par with Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a funny and enjoyable interview which will make you hate George Lucas less for ruining your childhood. It’s you’re choice which side of that force you want to be on.
Billed as a comedy, Applesauce reads like a Twilight Zone episode with more sex and body parts. What starts as a relationship drama that focuses on the question, “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” turns disturbing, bloody and psychological. It’s like an urban, New York version of last year’s The One I Love. It’s dramatic, horrific, and funny, and it’s the opposite of a date movie. A trailer is available here:
Finally, one of the most talked about and anticipated films of the festival turned out a lot different than it sounded on paper. Arnold Schwarzenegger stretched his dramatic acting skills in the premiere of independent zombie film Maggie. While a zombie movie seems like a typical Schwarzenegger turn, this movie is more about how the plague of zombies affects the family unit than Schwarzenegger laying out corpses. The buzz around the movie was that it’s “The Fault in Our Stars” but with zombies. If you go expecting zombie carnage you will be disappointed but if you like the relationship dramas in The Walking Dead, you’ll love it. The trailer is available here: