Sundance melts: Unlike Cannes or Toronto, America's premier
festival is a showcase for unknown independent fare. Because of that, it tends
to go through ups and downs with audience-friendly material. And symptomatic of
the indie biz in general, 2008 was a horrible year. "The
... moreWackness," the one
perceived breakout from the fest, landed the absolute worst possible distributor
in Sony Pictures Classics (which can't successfully market to anyone under the
age of 40) and quickly disappeared in a crowded summer landscape. "Choke," the
adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's popular novel, was an expensive bomb for the
usually reliable Fox Searchlight. Focus Features was out of its league trying to
turn "Hamlet 2" into a surprise hit. And if you don't remember flicks such as
"Sleepwalking," "Diminished Capacity" and "Transsiberian" coming out, don't
worry, you didn't miss much. (AP)Close
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