Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Pathological effect of high altitude on the human body, caused by exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude. Symptoms resemble the flu, carbon monoxide poisoning, or a hangover.
Closely related to AMS is Park City Sickness (PCS). Pathological effect of the Sundance Film Festival on the human body caused by exposure to: 1) Standing in ticket lines at all hours in frigid weather 2) Waiting outside (insert corporate sponsor) lounge, convincing the bouncer you’re on the guest list. 3) Enduring excessive press. 4) Trudging on Main Street loaded down with corporate swag. 5) Over-consumption of indy film. PCS symptoms resemble flu, hangover, nervous tremors, shortness of breath, shortness of temper, voice loss, and inability to drag oneself out of a hotel room.
Emergen-C, Echinacea, copious non-alcoholic fluids, rest, rest, and more rest…but when is there time? Anyone attending will tell you the paramount goal was not just to get into a screening of the most buzzed about film, Beasts Of The Southern Wild, rather to make it through the festival without contracting PCS.
This year was my first time to Sundance with my own film, Goats, which debuted in the Premiere’s program. After 10 years to bringing Goats to life, it was an honor to premiere in the same program alongside luminaries like Spike Lee and Stephen Frears.
I was lucky in the past to avoid PCS, but was even more determined to not let the virus destroy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. High-rolling celeb or average festival goer, the virus doesn’t discriminate. I witnessed Tracy Morgan collapse at an awards dinner before being airlifted to a Provo hospital. Well, that was the rumor. A medevac chopper landing on Main St. is a great visual. My agent arrived full of excitement, only to be reduced to a feverish mess huddled in his hotel room. One of my own cast was seen huffing an oxygen bottle all week.
Here I was, eight hours before my premiere in the thick of it, press, photo shoots, more press. The same five questions over and over. I can’t tell what answer goes to which question anymore. I just finished an on-camera with the editor of Vanity Fair and I’m told I “passed the test!” Wow, I’m glad I didn’t know it was a test. Yet, all I can think is, “Please God, let Goats play well tonight AND don’t let me get PCS.”
Hours later as I wait nervously in the Eccles Theater with festival director John Cooper, who’s generously introducing me, now all I can think of is how to get out of walking out in front of 1,400 people. If only I had PCS! I could pull a Tracy Morgan! Someone else can intro the film, and I’ll be on my way to a hospital in Provo!
Alas PCS never struck. Though Cooper’s introduction sounded like the “wa-wa-wa” of the teacher in Peanuts, I was told it was brief but flattering.
I shuffled to the podium, thanked Cooper, thanked the festival, squinted towards the sea of people, told them that 10 years ago this month I begun work on Goats, and that it was a dream come true to be standing there before them. I took my seat, the house lights dimmed and the film ran. At the first place where the audience was supposed to laugh, they did, loudly.
(Feature filmmaker Christopher Neil is repped for spots and videos by production house Honey Badger.)
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More