SXSW Highlights: "Chef", "Neighbors" And "Veronica Mars" Bring The Laughs (And The Diehard Fan Emotions)
For those who care about films in the slightest, South by Southwest is the place to be this week. The conference, which runs March 7th through March 16th in Austin, Texas, is the place for enthusiasts to see the latest films, get album previews and generally have tons of fun. So, four days into SXSW, what are the highlights?
The VM cast was out in full force at SXSW.
First of all, there was Seth Rogen and Zac Efron’s Neighbors, which pits Rogen against Efron in a battle for dominance over a suburban street. In this comedy, directed by Nicholas Stoller from a script by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien, Rogen plays one half of a newly married couple, who are just settling into their cozy suburban nest. Efron and his band of frat boys, however, are there to ruin everything. According to THR, Neighbors got big laughs at its Paramount Theater premiere, so it might be one to look out for later in the year.
Watch the Red Band trailer below.
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On the very first day of the conference, Jon Favreau unveiled his latest, Chef. It’s a comedown from films like Iron Man, but judging by the reviews, the indie flick is charming and clever enough (and features enough food porn) to be a great return to basics for Favreau. His character is a creatively frustrated chef who opens a food truck after losing his restaurant job. He hits the road with his sous chef (John Leguizamo, at his grooviest) and his 11-year-old son (charming newcomer Emjay Anthony), making beautifully-filmed pit stops in foodie meccas New Orleans and Austin. The nod to Austin cooking did not go unappreciated by the local audience. Following in the footsteps of foodie redemption stories like Eat, Drink, Man, Woman, Big Night, and Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, is definitely a treat. A live Q&A with Favreau, Leguizamo, Anthony, and Oliver Platt followed. Favreau expressed his hope about the indie flick’s box office chances. It opens in theaters on May 9.
Jon Favreau returns to his indie roots with Chef.
The big one, however, had to have been Veronica Mars. A lot has been written about the premiere, during which the cast proved themselves to be one of the most adorable groups of human beings in Hollywood. As for the film itself, not much has been written since its two exclusive premieres for Kickstarter backers. While quotes from the press conference are already floating around online, any actual movie news will probably be kept on the DL until the film’s official release on March 14.