My hard-drive died on Friday. Oh, hooray! So I had to spend $200 I'd been rather attached to and wasn't planning on parting with any time soon. Yay! But I'm back in business, and there're quite a few things to get through, so let's get to 'em.

Cannes press conference video. That's on the official Cannes site, and there's also press conference footage at YouTube. Thanks to Clay and Robbie.

Still on Cannes videos, IFC Cannes cam, featuring Rock 'n' Roll and the gang on the red carpet, with A.O. Scott (NY Times) as the guest speaker. And here's red carpetness from Pap's Point of View. Says Tram, re: that last clip: "warning: to anyone who is repulsed by trash... and yes, those pair of bayjungas truly transcend gravity." And the remainder of this update was brought to you via Tram, too:
 

That'd be the customary standing ovation after Synecdoche screened at Cannes. Everyone gets a standing ovation at Cannes, because the chairs are rigged with an electric shocker. The pic came from this blog post

Review of the day:

Like Lynch's brilliant fever-dream, Kaufman's film seems destined for heavily mixed responses. Many will hate it. Those who love it will do so fully, passionately. Several days ago, I myself was unsure of my own reaction to the film, except to say that, out of all the films I saw at the Cannes Film Festival, none felt this immediate, this involved in exploring all the complexities of life, this, for lack of a better word, important. I now feel comfortable proclaiming it a work of messy genius and of great artistic scope. It is much too complex a film to fully grasp after a single viewing, but right now, with the hustle and bustle of the festival behind me, I think it's some sort of masterpiece. (Source)

And here's my favourite piece of Cannes-ness so far, courtesy of The Advocate (the US gay publication):

WACKY PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTION #3: CHARLIE KAUFMAN'S GAY AGENDA
Reporter #1: Would you say that you understand loneliness?
Charlie Kaufman (writer-director of "Synecdoche, New York"): Um, I'm not sure I understand anything. I've experienced loneliness.... But to understand it, I'm not sure what that means.
Reporter #2: How should we consider homosexual relationships are...are heroes in your film? Is it some kind of critic or irony or whatever or is it some story, that's all?
Charlie Kaufman: Is it just a story?
Reporter #2: Is it just a story or is just we should think of some kind of message you want to say about....
Charlie Kaufman: No, no. I don't have any message. I don't really have any message about anything but what happens in the movie.
Reporter #2: OK. Thank you. (Source)

'Ave a good weekend.