Movie Cricket

It's not uncommon for neophyte filmmakers in the hinterlands — armed only with a dream, a video camera and Dad's credit card — to say, "This movie's going to play at the Sundance Film Festival."

Such people usually say that without realizing the high odds of getting into Sundance — since there are around 120 films shown every year, and more than 3,000 films entered for those slots.

But when people who work in Hollywood regularly say they're going to Sundance two months before the festival announces its selections, that's either bravado or stupidity.

With Eli Roth, the balls-out director of the "Hostel" films (who made a splash onscreen as "The Bear" in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds"), it's probably bravado.

Roth was at a film festival in Morelia, Mexico, talking up an exorcism horror flick he produced, "Cotton," to a reporter for the trade paper Daily Variety. According to the Variety story, "Roth said he will be showing 'Cotton' to Sundance in 'a couple of weeks' with hopes of preeming it there in January."

For Spencer Pratt, one-half of the for-the-love-of-God-don't-let-them-breed power couple on MTV's "The Hills," it's definitely stupidity.

In an interview with the celeb web site Zap 2 It, the inexplicably famous Pratt — after explaining why he may legally change his name to King Spencer Pratt — mentioned his foray in being an executive producer. One film he's attached to is a documentary, "King Kron," about MMA fighter Kron Gracie.

"We're planning on hopefully being at Cannes this year with the 'King Kron' film," Pratt bragged. "Hopefully Sundance, too. But I want to go to France, I've never been to Cannes."

Buy a ticket like everybody else, buddy.