Here I present you with yet another Sundance trailer. But it’s for a film that screened at Sundance LAST YEAR. I know, I’ve already bitched recently about having to wait so long for Sundance darlings to make their way to theaters, but I can’t help complaining again. Not when it comes to Son of Rambow, the movie I heard so much about during the 2007 festival and couldn’t wait to see for myself. And then it never came, and I forgot about it for awhile. Hopefully, I can wait just a bit longer (and not forget again in the meantime) for Paramount Vantage to finally give it a limited release on May 2nd.

At least now I have some more time to get around to seeing the original First Blood and the other Rambo movies I meant to watch (because I’ve never seen them before) prior to the release of the new Rambo (which, as a result, I also didn’t end up seeing). Son of Rambow is probably still an enjoyable movie without being familiar with those iconic Stallone movies, but since it’s about two kids making a spun-off sort of movie titled “Son of Rambow”, it seems like I’ll appreciate it a little more if I know the inspiration.

Since I didn’t grow up a fan of the Rambo movies, what reason do I have to be anxiously awaiting this little film? Well, it’s from director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith (together they are a team called “Hammer & Tongs”), the duo that gave us the Disney adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which was both fantastic and disappointing at the same time (half of me wishes they got to continue with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and half of me is glad the series — my favorite books of all time — isn’t being subjected to any more adaptations … for now, anyway). Also, those two tykes make this look like the best and cutest movie starring British kids since Danny Boyle’s Millions. Plus, it co-stars Jessica Stevenson (now Jessica Hynes), who I’ve loved ever since I watched the British series Spaced and who I still wish would be in Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg’s movies (she’s in Shaun of the Dead for two separate seconds, which is hardly enough time).

Paramount Vantage bought up Son of Rambow at the end of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival for a hefty $7 million, which makes it even odder that the studio would hold onto it long after its great buzz and attempt a limited release on the edge of the blockbuster season. At the same time the specialty division picked up Son of Rambow, Vantage picked up How She Move, which of course just opened wide this past weekend. That dance film only cost them a reported $3.4 million and has so far grossed about $4 million. Hopefully the studio knows what it’s doing and can make back their money (by allowing a lot of us to hear about and then go see the movie) on Son of Rambow.

At least Garth Jennings hasn’t seemed to mind the distance between Sundance and proper theatrical release. Here’s what he had to say to IGN during the Toronto Film Festival last September:

“Oh, it’s much better going to film festivals - it’s brilliant. When we did the Hitchhiker’s thing, it was just: Bam! Millions of posters, and then it came out. And you never really saw it with an audience, except test-screening audiences who are just insane. But what’s amazing about the film festival circuit is that, even though I’ve seen it before, I just watched it with you and it’s really interesting what an audience picks up on. It’s such a warm, enthusiastic atmosphere. And none of you have been forced to see it by any marketing campaign, which is great. There’s an element of discovery which is really nice.”

Great way of looking at it, Garth. Just as long as I get to discover it someday, you can linger in festival heaven for as long as you need. I’ll be looking for it at the beginning of May, though.