South by Southwest Film Festival is not afraid to put me to work.
And, frankly, there are few festivals I would bend over backwards more aggressively to help. I have come to really love SXSW over the last five years or so, and I think the work that Janet Pierson and her amazing team of programmers and publicists have done to really focus and emphasize the identity of the fest has paid off handsomely.
This year, you’ll probably see my face if you’re attending lots of midnight screenings, and as I announced a week or two ago, I’ll be moderating a panel on the bizarre new sitcom “Holliston” that will be appearing on FEARNet. We’ve held off on the last big announcement until now, though, and honestly, if there’s any one thing I’m most excited about doing at the fest this year, this is it.
On Sunday, March 11, I’m going to moderating a live-chat with Joss Whedon and Drew Godard, the big-brained lunatics behind “Cabin In The Woods.” I can’t publish my review of this one until it premieres at the fest, but suffice it to say, I am a fan. I think it’s smart and fun and, more than anything, makes a great case for why we all need a little red meat in our cinematic diet. I am excited for people to get a look at the film, but more than that, I’m thrilled that I’m going to get to serve as the moderator for what I hope should be a freewheeling dialogue between these guys and the audience.
I’ve certainly had my fair share of experience with Whedon’s fans, and I can vouch that there are few groups more impassioned or informed, and I suspect this is going to be a really spirited event. We’ll be asking fans to post their questions on the official “Cabin In The Woods” Facebook page, and I’ll pull questions from there. You’ll be able to see the conversation in three different places. You’ll be able to see it here, obviously, as well as on the film’s Facebook page, and then also on EPIX. It’s going to be an exciting experience.
Obviously, Whedon and Goddard both have a body of work worth discussion, and we’ll also be treading lightly on some subjects because I think we all agree that audiences deserve a chance to see “Cabin In The Woods” with some mystery still intact. It’s a rewarding movie precisely because of the way it confounds expectation at every turn, and we don’t want this chat to just be a way to spoil that experience. Far from it.
So I want you guys to participate. If you’ve been itching to ask Whedon and Goddard anything, this is your chance, and knowing these guys and their fans, it’s going to be a smart conversation. I’m going to have to be on the ball if I hope to keep up.
“Cabin In The Woods” opens the festival on March 9th, and then arrives in theaters April 13th.