Saturday, March 12, 2011

Saturday at SXSW

Kevin Clash sat quietly checking his email prior to the start of the doc Being Elmo. An almost full house at the Austin Convention Center’s Vimeo theater scooted past him unaware that they had just had an Elmo experience. Clash, the voice and hands behind the puppet, proved accommodating after the screening to odd requests such as to actually tickle Elmo. He also stuck around for a slew of photos with fans.

When Ellen Page missed her flight and thus a standing-room only talk about the film Super, co-star Rainn Wilson picked up his cell phone and put Page on speaker phone to chat with the crowd of more than 650. Director James Gunn called her part in their very human superhero flick is far from her usually wise young soul parts and instead “a twenty-three year old with the mind of a twelve year old.” On the phone, Page confirmed the shoot was “Rad as hell.” Gunn signed Wilson for the lead role at the suggestion of his ex-wife Jenna Fischer, who told Wilson about the script in a break on the set of The Office. Oh and don’t walk out on a panel featuring Wilson. His retort to early leavers: “Gotta go? Is Jake Gyllenhaal taking a dump down the hall?”

Does any photo exemplify SXSW film better than this? The woman is urging all to “tap this,” while the film geek talks blissfully unaware on his cell phone. And the University of Texas personalized Hilton license plate just adds to the intrigue.

The registration line awaits with badges, lots of stinkin' badges.

Poster? We got posters...

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