Todd Solondz trotted out his “Wiener-Dog” for a Sundance world premiere on Friday night, and the result was a mix of morbid humor and awkward existentialism that have become hallmarks of the director.
Featured in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, “Wiener-Dog” follows several lost souls and the tiny Dachshund (the breed got the nickname thanks to its long, hot-dog-shaped body) that connects them.
Jokes aside, Solondz is beloved at Sundance and in the indie film community for edgy fare like “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” “Happiness” and “Palindromes” — yet “Wiener-Dog” is nowhere near as heavy as those projects.
“Like, the most fun shit-show,” said one man to a group of friends in the lobby of the Eccles Theater following the screening. Another moviegoer could be heard more artfully calling the movie a “Sistine Chapel of weirdness.”
Wealthy atheists telling their cancer survivor son that death is inevitable, a veterinarian assistant using a puppy to seduce a heroin-addicted former flame, a dying matriarch hallucinating versions of her own inner child to show alternative versions of her life (if, for instance, she “was a bigger tipper”) are just a few of the dark threads that had the theater giggling and covering their faces in shock.
We won’t spoil the fate of said Wiener-Dog (whose individual pet names range from “Doody” to “Cancer”), but let’s just say a drive to a scenic farm is not in store for the canine.
Credits rolled with an expected notice that no animals were harmed during production.
In his personal life, however, Solondz told the crowd at a Q&A following the premiere that he had numerous dogs as child, but “none lasted very long.”
Sundance Deals: What's Sold So Far, From 'Tallulah' to 'Under The Shadow'
Sundance Film Festival
"The Fundamentals of Caring" Sells to Netflix Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts struggle with looking after one another in Rob Burnett's comedy, but Netflix was more than happy to look after the SVOD rights for nearly $7 million.
"Tallulah" Sells to Netflix Netflix scooped exclusive SVOD rights to Sian Heder's "Tallulah" to the tune of $5 million, which follows Ellen Page as a nanny gone rogue. An unnamed theatrical partner will release the film in the latter part of 2016.
"Complete Unknown" Sells to Amazon Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon seduced Amazon into purchasing U.S. rights to this thriller, in which Weisz plays a mysterious dinner party guest who Shannon swears he's met before. And he may be right. Amazon will seek a theatrical distributor for later in the year.
"Love and Friendship" Sells to Amazon/Roadside Whit Stillman's reteaming of Chloe Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale goes from the after-hours life of "The Last Days of Disco" to the sidewalks of Jane Austen in "Love and Friendship" -- which now belongs to Amazon for streaming and Roadside Attractions for theatrical. The partnership comes after the companies worked together on Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq."
"Under the Shadow" Sells to Netflix The Iranian horror film "Under The Shadow" -- which has been compared to "The Babadook" -- had its SVOD rights go to Netflix.
"A Birth of a Nation" Sells to Fox Searchlight Fox Searchlight closed a record-breaking deal to acquire worldwide rights to Nate Parker’s “Birth of a Nation” for $17.5 million, which is believed to be the most paid for any film in Sundance history.
"Equity" Sells to Sony Classics Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide rights to “Equity,” a female-driven Wall Street tale starring Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Sarah Megan Thomas and Alysia Reiner.
"Indignation" Sells to Summit Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment acquired North American rights to James Schamus‘ directorial debut “Indignation” for $2.5 million. The coming-of-age drama is based on the novel by Philip Roth about the son of a kosher butcher who leaves his sheltered family life in New Jersey to attend college in Ohio, where he clashes with the dean.
"Morris from America" Sells to A24 A24 acquired domestic rights to Chad Hartigan’s “Morris From America,” which stars Craig Robinson and newcomer Markees Christmas. The nearly seven-figure deal will fall under A24’s pact with DirecTV, which recently released the company’s Garrett Hedlund-Oscar Isaac thriller “Mojave.”
"Manchester by the Sea" Sells to Amazon Amazon has closed a $10 million deal for domestic rights to Kenneth Lonergan’s family drama “Manchester by the Sea,” which garnered rave reviews following its world premiere at the Eccles on Jan. 23.
"Eat That Question" Sells to Sony Classics Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide rights to the documentary “Eat That Question — Frank Zappa In His Own Words,” about the legendary composer-musician. The film is told entirely through archival footage assembled from the performer’s 30-year career in entertainment, including rare TV interviews and performances from around the world.
"The Fits" Sells to Oscilloscope Laboratories Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired U.S. rights to Anna Rose Holmer’s debut feature “The Fits” from Mongrel International, just days before the film’s Sundance premiere. Oscilloscope will release the film theatrically this summer, when it will first open New York’s new Metrograph theater.
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Studios, indie players and deep-pocketed streaming companies compete for 2016’s best films. Here’s who won
Sundance Film Festival
