Results – Way Too Indie http://waytooindie.com Independent film and music reviews Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:34:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Way Too Indiecast is the official podcast of WayTooIndie.com. Our film critics grip and gush about the latest indie movies and sometimes even mainstream ones. Find all of our reviews, podcasts, news, at www.waytooindie.com Results – Way Too Indie yes Results – Way Too Indie dustin@waytooindie.com dustin@waytooindie.com (Results – Way Too Indie) The Official Podcast of Way Too Indie Results – Way Too Indie http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/waytooindie/podcast-album-art.jpg http://waytooindie.com Now Streaming: Movies and TV to Watch This Weekend – October 23 http://waytooindie.com/news/now-streaming-movies-october-23/ http://waytooindie.com/news/now-streaming-movies-october-23/#respond Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:11:14 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=41397 Two films by Andrew Bujalski available to stream this weekend for Netflix and MUBI viewers. Plus a beautiful musical to stream via Fandor.]]>

Shout! Factory, one of the best home video distributors of genre cinema operating today, had a little fun with the Halloween season and the #TBT concept yesterday by hosting an all-day streaming session called “The VHS Vault.” They took a few of their older properties and streamed them in a way to replicate the grainy VHS quality that suits many of these films—complete with tracking lines! This is basically the opposite approach to the recent news that Vudu has started to stream their films in 4k. If you missed out on VHS Vault day, don’t worry—you are still able to stream their films on demand at their website or on their Roku and Samsung apps. Available films include classics Sleepaway Camp, Night of the Demons, Day of the Dead, Class of 1984, Exterminators of the Year 3000 and Adjust Your Tracking. If you pitched your VCR and badass collection of horror films years ago (or if you are young enough to not know what a VCR even is), you have the bizarre opportunity to relive the complete VHS experience.

Netflix

Results (Andrew Bujalski, 2015)

Results 2015 movie

Coming up through the ‘mumblecore’ film movement as a director and screenwriter, Andrew Bujalski made the leap to the higher-budgeted indie scene with Results. The film stars Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders as gym trainer coworkers, but it has been veteran character actor Kevin Corrigan as their new wealthy client, that has been getting the most acclaim. One of the most talked about films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Results has been praised by some as an off-beat romantic comedy, injected with Bujalski’s low-fi sensibilities. For more on Results, check out our (mixed) take on the film here.

Other titles new to Netflix this week:
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (David Lowery, 2013)
Back in Time (Jason Aron, 2015)
Hemlock Grove (Series, Season 3)
Hungry Hearts (Saverio Costanzo, 2014)
Unexpected (Kris Swanberg)

Fandor

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964)

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg movie

One of the most lush musicals of all time, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a beautiful and heartbreaking romance of first loves Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve) and Guy (Nino Castelnuovo). When Guy is drafted into war, his young lover stays behind in their quiet French town, tending to her mother’s umbrella shop—all set to a musical opera. Deneuve, who was only 21 when the film released, is absolutely radiant, clearly a star-in-the-making. Jacques Demy, the master of French musical cinema, is at the top of his game with vibrant direction and lyrical screenplay. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg isn’t a typical musical, without big dance numbers or musical setpieces set apart from dialogue, but it is as emotionally satisfying and purely entertaining as any of the bigger films of the genre. As a part of their Criterion Picks, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is only available until November 1.

Other titles new to Fandor this week:
Cruel Story of Youth (Nagisa Ôshima, 1960)
A Day in the Country (Jean Renoir, 1936)
Days of Youth (Yasujirô Ozu, 1929)
Summer Interlude (Ingmar Bergman, 1951)
Suzanne’s Career (Eric Rohmer, 1963)

MUBI

Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski, 2013)

Computer Chess movie

After watching Bujalski’s newest film on Netflix, you can go over to MUBI to see the highly acclaimed indie that preceded it. With an ultra-dry wit, the 1980s rendering of a computer chess convention is one of the most unconventional comedies of recent years (read our review). Its nerdy vibes and anti-social characters make for a nice comparison with HBO’s Silicon Valley, though much less broadly comedic and even more esoteric. Bujalski’s low-fi narrative construction suits the black-and-white presentation, nostalgic tech and shaggy characters perfectly. Computer Chess is available on MUBI until November 15.

Other titles new to MUBI this week:
Creature from the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954)
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
Reality (Matteo Garrone, 2012)
The Strange Little Cat (Ramon Zürcher, 2013)
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Park Chan-wook, 2005)

Video On-Demand

Trainwreck (Judd Apatow)

Trainwreck 2015 movie

Three weeks before it is available on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming rental, you are able to purchase a digital copy of Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck on Amazon and iTunes. A huge success at the box office (read our review), earning more than big-budget tentpoles Tomorrowland and Terminator Genisys, it was also Apatow’s biggest critical hit since Knocked Up. The filmmaker continues to be a bastion for finding young comedic voices and giving them a huge stage to work on—this time with stand-up and sketch comedian Schumer, who wrote the sole writing credit on the film (think about how rare that is for comedies these days). An irreverent look at modern romantic comedies, it might not be as successfully biting as more direct parodies, but it definitely shows a fresh voice. Also, turning in incredibly strong and funny cameos/supporting performances from LeBron James, John Cena and Marv Albert (among others) is quite the feat.

Other titles new to VOD this week:
Bone Tomahawk (S. Craig Zahler, 2015)
Jurassic World (Colin Trevorrow, 2015)
Meadowland (Reed Morano, 2015)
Testament of Youth (James Kent, 2014)
The Vatican Tapes (Mark Neveldine, 2015)

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Results http://waytooindie.com/review/movie/results/ http://waytooindie.com/review/movie/results/#comments Thu, 28 May 2015 13:03:41 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=36096 Social awkwardness fails to add to a stagnant romantic comedy. ]]>

Best known as one of the pioneers of the indie mumblecore movement, Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Computer Chess) attempts to cross over to the commercial world with Results, a romantic comedy featuring professional actors with a budget that appears larger than all of his previous work combined. In true Bujalski fashion, the writer-director offers socially awkward characters the freedom to roam in a loosely defined script. But the shapeless structure loses steam half-way through, and never fully picks back up by the end.

Recent divorcé Danny (Kevin Corrigan) relocates to Austin, Texas with a ton of inheritance money but no one to spend it with. Danny is so lonely in his vacant mansion that he’s willing to pay $200 for a stranger off Craigslist to hook-up his TV set, his only interaction with a human that day. He decides to visit a local gym, mostly because he’s bored out of his mind and just wants company. His lack of motivation is clear from the beginning, “I’m hoping to get in shape a little bit,” he says to gym owner Trevor (Guy Pearce). Lucky for him, the trainer assigned to him is the strong-willed and gorgeous Kat (Cobie Smulders). As with most romantic comedies, it’s not hard to see where the story is heading.

A few workout sessions into his new regimen and Danny develops an attraction towards Kat, and although she can do a million times better than this overweight depressed guy, she seems into him. But Danny doesn’t have a beat of romantic rhythm in his bones, and is about as smooth as sandpaper. On a night scheduled for a workout, he surprises Kat with an intimate candlelit dinner and live music. For Kat, it feels more like an ambush, and she makes a beeline for the exit.

Bujalski reveals Kat’s habit of crossing the line in professional relationships from the beginning. If a client skips out on payment or threatens to drop her as their trainer, she stands her ground and refuses to accept no for an answer. At other times, her cute looks and welcoming spirit leads her into dicey situations; it’s not surprising to discover she once had a fling with her boss Trevor, a revelation which makes for awkwardness when the three start hanging out.

While Results doesn’t follow standard genre tropes by forming a love triangle and pitting the three characters against each other, the film’s alternative isn’t necessarily better. An unlikely circle of friendship develops too conveniently, and no one is held accountable for their actions. It’s far-fetched enough that Kat would make a move on Danny in the first place, but it’s worse when she’s quick to forgive him for every mistake. Even more implausible is the dynamic between Trevor and Danny. Their polarizing personalities and shared love interest in Kat make them perfect rivals, and yet they become best friends despite any convincing logic.

The characters found in Results are well-developed, each with their own complicated backstories and unique personalities. Danny’s attempts to fix any situation with money is performed with just the right amount of comic delivery from Corrigan. Smulders is excellent as Kat, the disciplined but self-sabotaging romantic who trusts people a little too much. And Pearce is surprisingly the least impressive of the bunch, he’s so grounded compared to the others he ends up flattening them all out.

Unfortunately, Bujalski has difficultly using the combined skills of his cast to form a meaningful story. He goes through all the trouble of detailing these characters, but then doesn’t take them anywhere. And without sparks of chemistry or cohesion, the talented individual performances feel wasted. Whatever it’s attempting, Results fails to utilize its awkward scenarios and abundant talent to add pep to a stagnant romantic comedy scenario.

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Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders get ‘Results’ http://waytooindie.com/news/guy-pearce-and-cobie-smulders-get-results/ http://waytooindie.com/news/guy-pearce-and-cobie-smulders-get-results/#respond Wed, 15 Apr 2015 17:03:53 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=34511 New trailer for mumblecore veteran Andrew Bujalski's Sundance hit Results.]]>

Guy Pearce is awesome. When he shows up, we show up, ticket in hand. Even in the smallest roles he has a way of breathing a little something special into the picture, whether it be falling apart around him or a good film he’s just made great (must-sees include: Animal Kingdom and The Rover). Cobie Smulders, on another hand, is something of an unknown factor. How I Met Your Mother was never too good, and never truly terrible, but the role didn’t give her much to work with. And neither has her work in the Marvel universe. Both of these factors are just two of the reasons to take a look at the new trailer for the Sundance 2015 hit, Results.

The log line for Results is rather simple: the film follows  Kat (Smulders) and Trevor (Pearce), two personal trainers who get caught up in the messy life of new-client Danny (Kevin Corrigan). Ideally, humor, maturing, and something heartfelt follow.

Written and directed by Andrew Bujalski (the “godfather of mumblecore”: Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation), Results is his first foray into the territory of professional actors–a trick that’s brought endless returns for other mumblecore vets. Joining the three principals are Brooklyn Decker, Giovanni Ribisi, and Anthony Michael Hall.

The word out of Sundance was quiet, but positive, so count us in. Results arrives May 29th.

Results trailer

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Full List of Films Sold at Sundance 2015 (Updated) http://waytooindie.com/news/full-list-of-films-sold-at-sundance-2015/ http://waytooindie.com/news/full-list-of-films-sold-at-sundance-2015/#respond Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=29988 Like a freezing celebrity-filled farmer's market, many Sundance films found their way into distributor's grocery carts. ]]>

One of the great joys (or miseries, depending on your perspective) of attending a film festival is seeing films that may never be seen by a wide audience. Hundreds of films come to Park City, Utah each January with the hopes of being loved and subsequently picked up by one of the major indie film companies—without being sold at the Sundance Film Festival, there is no real guarantee that your film will ever be seen again.

Check out the up-to-date list of the films that have been sold this year. These are likely the films that will be raved about in 12 months as some of the best of the year, so take note.

A24

The End of the Tour
Director: James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now)
Starring: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Chlumsky
A magazine reporter recounts his travels and conversations with author David Foster Wallace during a promotional book tour.

Mississippi Grind
Director: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck (Little Miss Sunshine)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mednelsohn, Sienna Miller
Down on his luck and facing financial hardship, Gerry teams up with younger charismatic poker player, Curtis, in an attempt to change his luck. The two set off on a road trip through the South with visions of winning back what’s been lost.

The Witch
Director: Robert Eggers (Debut)
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson
William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness, with five children. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another.

Alchemy

Strangerland
Director: Kim Farrant (Naked on the Inside)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Joseph Fiennes
A family finds their dull life in a rural outback town rocked after their two teenage children disappear into the desert, sparking disturbing rumors of their past.

Zipper
Director: Mora Stephens (Conventioneers)
Starring: Lena Headey, Dianna Agron, Patrick Wilson
A family man who has it all until he risks losing everything due to his inability to fight off his obsessive temptation for other women.

Bleeker Street

I’ll See You in My Dreams
Director: Brett Haley (The New Year)
Starring: Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Sam Elliott
Carol, a widow in her 70’s, is forced to confront her fears about love, family, and death. After her routine is rattled she decides to start dating again and falls into relationships with two very different men.

Broad Green

A Walk in the Woods
Director: Ken Kwapis (He’s Just Not That into You)
Starring: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte
After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson returns to the U.S., where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends.

Film Arcade

Unexpected
Director: Kris Swanberg (Empire Builder)
Starring: Gail Bean, DuShon Monique Brown, Anders Holm
An inner-city high school teacher discovers she is pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students and the two develop an unlikely friendship while struggling to navigate their unexpected pregnancies.

Focus Features

Cop Car
Director: Jon Watts (Clown)
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham
A small town sheriff sets out to find the two kids who have taken his car on a joy ride.

Fortissimo

Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Director: Chloé Zhao (Post)
Starring: Irene Bedard, Dakota Brown
High school senior Johnny is fixing to leave the Pine Ridge Reservation when the unexpected death of his rodeo-cowboy father complicates things.

Fox Searchlight

Brooklyn
Director: John Crowley (Boy A)
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson
In 1950s Ireland and New York, young Ellis Lacey has to choose between two men and two countries.

Me, Earl and the Dying Girl
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (The Town That Dreaded Sundown)
Starring: Jon Bernthal, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton
A teenage filmmaker befriends a classmate with cancer.

Mistress America
Director: Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha)
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke
A lonely college freshman’s life is turned upside down by her impetuous, adventurous soon-to-be stepsister.

Gravitas Ventures

Being Evel
Director: Daniel Junge (Saving Face)
The real story behind the myth of American icon Robert ‘Evel’ Knievel and his legacy.

HBO

3 1/2 Minutes
Director: Marc Silver (Who Is Dayani Cristal?)
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving November 2012, four boys in a red SUV pull into a gas station after spending time at the mall buying sneakers and talking to girls. With music blaring, one boy exits the car and enters the store, a quick stop for a soda and a pack of gum. 3 1/2 minutes and ten bullets later, one of the boys is dead.

IFC Films

The D Train
Director: Andrew Mogel & Jarrad Paul (Writers, Yes Man)
Starring: James Marsend, Kathryn Hahn, Jack Black
The head of a high school reunion committee travels to Los Angeles to track down the most popular guy from his graduating class and convince him to go to the reunion.

Sleeping with Other People
Director: Leslye Headland (Bachelorette)
Starring: Alison Brie, Jason Sudekis
A good-natured womanizer and a serial cheater form a platonic relationship that helps reform them in ways, while a mutual attraction sets in.

IFC Midnight

The Hallow
Director: Corin Hardy (debut)
Starring: Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Joseph Mawle
A family who move into a remote milllhouse in Ireland find themselves in a fight for survival with demonic creatures living in the woods.

Reversal
Director: Jose Manuel Cravioto (El Mas Buscad)
Starring: Richard Tyson, Amy Okuda
A young girl, chained in the basement of a sexual predator, escapes and turns the tables on her captor.

Kino Lorber

The Forbidden Room
Director: Guy Maddin (My Winnipeg)
Starring: Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Louis Negin
A never-before-seen woodsman mysteriously appears aboard a submarine that’s been trapped deep under water for months with an unstable cargo. As the terrified crew make their way through the corridors of the doomed vessel, they find themselves on a voyage into the origins of their darkest fears.

Lionsgate

Don Verdean
Director: Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite)
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan, Jemaine Clement
Biblical archaeologist Don Verdean is hired by a local church pastor to find faith-promoting relics in the Holy Land. But after a fruitless expedition he is forced to get creative in this comedy of faith and fraud.

Knock Knock
Director: Eli Roth (Hostel)
Starring: Keanu reevs, Lorenza Izzo
A pair of femme fatales wreak havoc on the life of a happily married man.

Magnolia

Best of Enemies
Director: Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom)
Documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr.

Results
Director: Andrew Bujalski (Computer Chess)
Starring: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan
Two mismatched personal trainers’ lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client.

Tangerine
Director: Sean Baker (Starlet)
Starring: Kiki Kitana Rodriguez, Mya Taylor
A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart.

The Wolfpack
Director: Crystal Moselle (Debut)
Locked away from society in an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Angulo brothers learn about the outside world through the films that they watch.

Netflix

Hot Girls Wanted
Director: Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus (Sexy Baby)
A documentary about young women who have been drawn into the sex trade – and how easy it is for a web-savvy generation to end up making porn.

Open Road

Dope
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Stars: Zoe Kravitz, Forest Whitaker, Tony Revolori
A coming of age comedy/drama for the post hip hop generation. Malcolm is a geek, carefully surviving life in The Bottoms, a tough neighborhood in Inglewood, CA filled gangsters and drugs dealers, while juggling his senior year of college applications, interviews and the SAT.

Orchard

Digging for Fire
Director: Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies)
Starring: Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson
The discovery of a bone and a gun send a husband and wife on separate adventures over the course of a weekend.

Finders Keepers
Bryan Carberry and J. Clay Tweel (Print the Legend)
Shannon Whisnant has a nose for a bargain. But when he bought a used grill at a North Carolina auction, the severed human foot he found among its ashes was not part of the deal. Soon the gruesome discovery becomes the toast of the infotainment world, and the new owner spies a golden opportunity to cash in on the media frenzy, until struggling addict and amputee John Wood recognizes his missing member and demands his own foot back.

The Overnight
Director: Patrick Brice (Creep)
Starring: Judith Godreche, Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling
Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family “playdate” becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on.

Oscilloscope

The Second Mother
Director: Anna Myulaert (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes)
Starring: Regina Casé
When the estranged daughter of a hard-working live-in housekeeper suddenly appears, the unspoken class barriers that exist within the home are thrown into disarray.

Relativity

The Bronze
Director: Bryan Buckley (Debut)
Starring: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole
A foul-mouthed former gymnastics bronze medalist must fight for her local celebrity status when a new young athlete’s star rises in town.

Relativity Sports

In Football We Trust
Director: Tony Vainuku & Erika Cohn (Debut)
Presenting a new take on the American immigrant story, this feature length documentary transports viewers deep inside the tightly-knit Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Samuel Goldwyn Films

Fresh Dressed
Director: Sacha Jenkins (debut)
Fresh Dressed chronicles the history of Hip-Hop | Urban fashion and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere in-between.

Screen Media Films

Ten Thousand Saints
Director: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor)
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Ethan Hawke, Asa Butterfield
Set in the 1980s, a teenager from Vermont moves to New York City to live with his father in East Village.

Showtime

Dreamcatcher
Director: Kim Longinotto (Sisters in Law)
For twenty-five years Brenda Myers-Powell called herself ‘Breezy’ and she dominated her world, or that’s what she thought. It was a world that had turned her into a teenage, drug-addicted prostitute. After a violent encounter with a ‘john,’ Brenda woke up in the hospital and decided to change her life.

Sony Pictures Classics

Dark Horse
Director: Louise Osmond (Deep Water)
An inspirational true story of a group of friends from a working men’s club who decide to take on the elite ‘sport of kings’ and breed themselves a racehorse.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Director: Marielle Heller (Debut)
Starring: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgard, Kristen Wiig
A teen artist living in 1970s San Francisco enters into an affair with her mother’s boyfriend.

Grandma
Director: Paul Weitz (About a Boy)
Starring: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden
Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.

Sundance Selects

City of Gold
Director: Przemyslaw Reut (Paradox Lake)
As the unabashed cradle of Hollywood superficiality and smoggy urban sprawl, Los Angeles has long been condemned as a cultural wasteland. In the richly penetrating documentary odyssey City of Gold, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold shows us another Los Angeles, where ethnic cooking is a kaleidoscopic portal to the mysteries of an unwieldy city and the soul of America.

Tribeca Film

Misery Loves Comedy
Director: Kevin Pollak (Actor, The Usual Suspects)
Over fifty very famous American and Canadian funny people (filmmakers, writers, actors and comedians) share life and professional journeys and insights, in an effort to shed light on the thesis: Do you have to be miserable to be funny?

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Magnolia Buys Highly Anticipated Sundance Film ‘Results’ http://waytooindie.com/news/magnolia-buys-highly-anticipated-sundance-film-results/ http://waytooindie.com/news/magnolia-buys-highly-anticipated-sundance-film-results/#respond Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=29758 Before Sundance 2015 officially kicks off, Magnolia Pictures already bought Andrew Bujalski's 'Results' starring Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders.]]>

Well that didn’t take long. Magnolia Pictures already bought the world rights to the highly anticipated film Results, ahead of its 2015 Sundance Film Festival premiere next week. Written and directed by exciting young filmmaker Andrew Bujalski (Computer Chess, Funny Ha Ha), Results is an indie comedy set in the fitness world of Austin, TX, where a recently divorced man heads to the gym for self-improvement. At the gym, he meets a self-styled guru/owner and an irresistibly acerbic trainer and eventually forms relationships with both. The film contains plenty of star power that includes Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovani Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker and Constance Zimmer.

Magnolia plans to release the film theatrically in the summer of 2015.

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2015 Sundance Film Festival Lineup Announced http://waytooindie.com/news/2015-sundance-film-festival-lineup/ http://waytooindie.com/news/2015-sundance-film-festival-lineup/#comments Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=28359 Sundance Film Festival announces their 2015 lineup with 118 indie films from Andrew Bujalski, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Bobcat Goldthwait and many more!]]>

The folks over in Park City have just unveiled their lineup for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off the festival season every year in January. With 118 films announced in their lineup, and even more to come over the next couple weeks, there’s a lot of digging to do. Some of the notable standouts so far include: “mumblecore” pioneer Andrew Bujalski’s (Computer Chess) new film Results (starring Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders and Giovanni Ribisi), Patrick Brice following up this year’s Creep with The Overnight (starring Adam Scott and Jason Schwartzman), Kris Swanberg‘s new film Unexpected, and Compliance director Craig Zobel‘s Z for Zachariah, all of which will compete in the U.S. Dramatic category of the festival. The festival continues to premiere some of the hottest indie titles every year, so check out the entire list below!

The 2015 Sundance Film Festival will take place from Jan 22 – Feb 1.

2015 Sundance Film Festival Lineup

U.S. Dramatic Competition

“Advantageous” (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.

“The Bronze” (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women’s gymnastics team. Today, she’s still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status. Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. (Day One)

“The D Train” (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high-school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he’s changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer. 

“The Diary of a Teenage Girl” (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she’s sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgard, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.

“Dope” (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoe Kravitz, ASAP Rocky.

“I Smile Back” (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.

“The Overnight” (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte and Max. A family “playdate” becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godreche.

“People, Places, Things” (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.

“Results” (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers’ lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.

“Songs My Brothers Taught Me” (Director and screenwriter: Chloe Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eleonore Hendricks.

“The Stanford Prison Experiment” (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott)— This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.

“Stockholm, Pennsylvania” (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.

“Unexpected” (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: She’s pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. “Unexpected” follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.

“The Witch” (U.S.-Canada) (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.

“Z for Zachariah” (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman’s affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.

U.S. Documentary Competition

“3 1/2 Minutes” (Director: Marc Silver) — On Nov. 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. “3½ Minutes” explores the aftermath of Jordan’s tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.

“Being Evel” (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert “Evel” Knievel and his legacy.

“Best of Enemies” (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — A behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.

“Call Me Lucky” (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.

“Cartel Land” (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.

“City of Gold” (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.

“Finders Keepers” (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.

“Hot Girls Wanted” (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — A first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.

“How to Dance in Ohio” (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.

“Larry Kramer in Love and Anger” (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.

“Meru” (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.

“Racing Extinction” (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award winner Louie Psihoyos (“The Cove”) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction.

“(T)error” (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — The first film to document oncamera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.

“Welcome to Leith” (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.

“Western” (U.S.-Mexico) (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.

“The Wolfpack” (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

“Chlorine” (Italy) (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won’t be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni.

“Chorus” (Canada) (Director and screenwriter: Francois Delisle) ­— A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sebastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold.

“Glassland” (Ireland) (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. (International premiere)

“Homesick” (Norway) (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don’t know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before? Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad.

“Ivy” (Turkey) (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karacelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship’s owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Ozgur Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Cermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Ozdemiroglu.

“Partisan” (Australia) (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler)— Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori’s idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara.

“Princess” (Israel) (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. (International premiere)

“The Second Mother” (Brazil) (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother’s slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Case, Michel Joelsas, Camila Mardila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli.

“Slow West” (New Zealand) (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — At the end of the 19th century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius.

“Strangerland” (Australia-Ireland) (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker’s two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple’s relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children’s fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown.

“The Summer of Sangaile” (Lithuania-France-Holland) (Director and screenwriter: Alante Kavaite) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaityte, Aiste Dirziute. (Day One film)

“Umrika” (India) (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar.

World Cinema Documentary Competition

“The Amina Profile” (Canada) (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet.

“Censored Voices” (Israel-Germany) (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. “Censored Voices” reveals these recordings for the first time.

“The Chinese Mayor” (China) (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city.

“Chuck Norris vs. Communism” (U.K.-Romania-Germany) (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black-market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution.

“Dark Horse” (U.K.) (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman’s club who decide to take on the elite “sport of kings” and breed themselves a racehorse.

“Dreamcatcher” (U.K.) (Director: Kim Longinotto) — “Dreamcatcher” takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none.

“How to Change the World” (U.K.-Canada) (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. (Day One film)

“Listen to Me Marlon” (U.K.) (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this documentary charts Marlon Brando’s exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, fully exploring the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in his own voice.

“Pervert Park” (Sweden-Denmark) (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — “Pervert Park” follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. (International premiere)

“The Russian Woodpecker” (U.K.) (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war.

“Sembene!” (U.S.-Senegal) (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice.

“The Visit” (Denmark-Austria-Ireland-Finland-Norway) (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place … ” With unprecedented access to the United Nations’ Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, “The Visit” explores humans’ first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. “Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival.”

NEXT

“Bob and the Trees” (U.S.-France) (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere

“Christmas, Again” (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. (North American premiere)

“Cronies” (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski.

“Entertainment” (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek.

“H.” (U.S.-Argentina) (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson.

“James White” (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call.

“Nasty Baby” (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O’Hare.

“The Strongest Man” (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes.

“Take Me to the River” (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret. Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye.

“Tangerine” (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone.

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