5 SXSW films we're excited about

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Published on March 7, 2013 10:42PM EST

The South by Southwest Film Festival kicks off this Friday evening, March 8 in Austin, TX. The opening night festivities include a double feature of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, withstars Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, and Olivia Wilde on hand to welcome movie lovers to the venerable Paramount Theater, and the highly anticipated remake of the 1981 cult horror classic Evil Dead. The nine-day festival will celebrate 133 films, from the US premiere of Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, in which former Disney stars run amok, to the world premiere of I Am Divine, Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary about the legendary drag queen. There will be conversations with the likes of Danny Boyle and Matthew McConaughey, red carpets with Willie Nelson and Billie Joe Armstrong, and movies premieres of Big Ass Spider! and Unhung Hero, whose self-explanatory titles are a thing of pithy and bold beauty. Out of so many riches—Before Midnight, Don Jon, Good Ol’ Freda, You’re Next, The East—it’s cruel to pick what intrigues us most, but here are five flicks for which we can’t wait to turn off our phones.

Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Joss Whedon (U.S. Premiere) — Whedon shot Shakespeare’s classic comedy in 12 days. (Agent Coulson lives!)

http://youtu.be/AAMsDP_DMHE&w=510

I Give It A Year, directed by Dan Mazer (North American Premiere) — From the writer of Borat and Bruno comes a comedy about the first year of marriage. Based on this very funny trailer, starring Rose Byrne, Anna Faris and Simon Baker, I am completely on board.

http://youtu.be/Od8DhL1hyfw&w=510

Broadway Idiot, directed by Doug Hamilton (World Premiere) — Green Day from Madison Square Garden to Broadway. (Yikes, that Rolling Stone story. Be well, Billie Joe.)

http://youtu.be/7BSPh6QhLYc&w=510

Downloaded, directed by Alex Winter (World Premiere) — A documentary about Napster and the teenage hacker who took over the world. (Directed by either Bill or Ted!)

http://youtu.be/6Ai6K2VIEXM&w=510

The Punk Singer, directed by Sini Anderson (World Premiere) — A documentary devoted to the awesomeness of Kathleen Hanna, Riot Grrrl and lead singer of punk bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. The only trailer we could find is for their Kickstarter campaign, but you get the idea.

http://youtu.be/xuhtI_Kgn3E&w=510

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