Sundance “bumpers” nixed… then revealed
From TheVulture:
Sundance veterans have noticed something missing from their moviegoing experience this year: Gone are the annual series of funny minute-long Sundance-branding shorts (or “bumpers”) that precede each film. Made by the previous year’s standout filmmakers, they traditionally feature the Sundance logo and slogan (2011’s is “Be Here”), and give the audience a quick laugh before wading into, say, an intense two-hour torture flick about Uday Hussein and his body double (we’re talking to you, The Devil’s Double). Instead, this year audiences are just being flashed the same quick, digitally animated rendition of what might happen if the Sundance snowflake logo was put through a kaleidoscope, and then it’s right to the main attraction. Cried out one man at a screening yesterday, “I am so done with that fucking snowflake!”
Good news for you, guy in the screening! Vulture has uncovered the set of funny bumpers that were actually commissioned for the festival, but were spiked just before opening night. Sources say the decision came from the highest level, and it was likely Robert Redford who made the call.