HitFix premieres a clip from Sundance title 'Bass Ackwards'

One of the first films I watched for this year's festival was last night, a very small film called "Bass Ackwards."  Directed by Linas Phillips and also starring him, "Bass Ackwards" is the story of a guy named Linas who finds himself at a crossroads, disappointed by where his life has led him, and he makes a strategic decision to retreat.  Taking a cross-country trip, he heads back to where his mom and dad live, with the intention of moving in with them so he can figure out what to do next.

There's a girl, but "Bass Ackwards" isn't a love story.

There's a guy who takes the trip with him, but "Bass Ackwards" isn't a buddy film.

The movie is soft-spoken and introspective, but it's not really a mumblecore movie.

Basically, "Bass Ackwards" is what I think of as the very model of a Sundance movie.  Slight, delicate, and personal, it's a film that is never going to set the box-office on fire, but it'll do very well in a festival environment, and I think it'll play beautifully at home.

We've got an exclusive clip for you today, and it's a scene that takes place fairly early in the movie.  Linas has ended up employed at a llama farm.  He's still not sure what to do with his life, but when he discovers an old VW bus that the owner of the farm is willing to let him have, he decides on the spot that he's going to make the trip that takes up the rest of the film's running time.  The clip really shows off the gorgeous photography that is one of the film's strongest suits, so you may want to click here for a larger version, or just check out the embed below:

 

 

And if you're interested, take a look at this site, where Thomas Woodrow, the film's producer, makes an interesting pitch for a new model in indie distribution.

We'll have more about this and many, many other movies from Sundance in the days ahead.  Right now, I'm on my way out the door so I can meet Greg Ellwood at the airport and start this year's Utah adventure.

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You can e-mail me at drew@hitfix.com or follow me on Twitter, where I'm DrewAtHitFix.