There's a hot new documentary called Wordplay that will premiere next month at the Sundance Film Festival. You know it's hot when my beloved Language Log takes notice, right? And any doc that makes the cut at Sundance must be pretty damned good—more than 700 films were submitted but a mere 16 were selected for the festival.
"What is this Wordplay?" you ask. "I am intrigued." It's filmmaker Patrick Creadon's look into the world of crosswords, particularly the New York Times puzzle and its editor, Will Shortz, as well as the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and its übergeek competitors. Patrick was a ubiquitous presence at the tournament last March, but there was some sort of malfunction with his camera—it was largely incapable of being aimed at yours truly until nigh unto the end of the tournament. So I may or may not appear in this film, but at the very least, I know several people who are featured prominently in it and will be going to Sundance for the premiere.
I'm hoping that (1) I am not on the cutting room floor, (2) the camera did not add umpteen pounds, and (3) the movie gets picked up by a distributor and plays for months at theatres nationwide, because I have got to see it (and the movie could help explain some of my nuttiness to my friends who maybe don't quite get it). And think of all the Hollywood swells who might see the movie at Sundance! Do you think Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., or George Clooney might go? I bet they all love crosswords.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I will certainly be watching for it at my local indie theaters.
Now if you could have just taught Val Kilmer some crossword magic and had him be the star....
There will eventually be a DVD which should include footage cut from the longer version. It also means we can freeze-frame and find people we know among the crowd.
This was a documentary so no hair and make-up. I'm worried how I'll look magnified on the big screen.
You really ought to consider coming, too. It's a great time, and you'd even have some damn snazzy hosts! (that would be my husband and I, in case you're wondering...)
In any case, I'll try to catch it.
That's actually pretty cool.
Post a Comment