Is swag dead? Are you joking?

There have been scurrilous reports about big stars shunning swag at this year's Sundance Film Fest.

It’s true that neither Robert DeNiro nor Colin Farrell did any celebrity looting at the gifting suites that have proliferated up and down Main Street over the past decade.

But most stars still love it. And now they're not making a secret about their swag addictions.

I saw acclaimed British actor Alan Rickman lugging his own over-stuffed swag bags (one of which contained a brightly colored Axis razor) around on Friday. “Brothers and Sister’s" star David Annable, left, told me Saturday night that he was psyched to hit the swag suites on Sunday.

It’s gotten so bad that no one asks, “What have you seen?” anymore. Now it’s ”What did you get?”

Singer Dave Matthews hit the Kari Feinstein suites and posed like a pro wearing his new free fur hat.

Comedy king Jack Black and acclaimed filmmaker Michel Gondry were seen mugging with merchandise at the Backstage Creations Iconix suite. Even Tom Hanks’ son, Colin Hanks, below right, seems to have mastered the underrated art of posing with product.

And swag is not just an afterthought for Sundance celebs.

“Sex and the City” style-setter Sarah Jessica Parker managed to squeeze in a swag pit stop at Fred Segal boutique at the Lift before heading to the premiere of her new film “Smart People” at the Eccles Sunday night.

Her score? Some fluffy boots, a warm jacket and a Guitar Hero for her son.

Several reporters on the carpet were a bit disappointed that they didn’t get to talk to the actress because she had to be yanked into the theater as the film was about to start.

“Why can’t they get here on time? We’re just trying to do our jobs and cover their films," groused one stiffed scribe. "Is it so hard to get here with enough time to talk to us? Isn’t that their job? Isn't that why they're here?"

Good point.

But who are we to deny these hard-working actors a little joy?

"Smart People" star Ashton Holmes, left, just back from Australia where he's been shooting Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s grueling new WWII miniseries about the war in the Pacific, hit the suites Sunday afternoon.

The young actor, best known for his role in 2005's acclaimed film, "A History of Violence," snagged a pair of Reebok sneakers, a cool new watch, a jacket and a Guitar Hero when he hit no less than three suites in one afternoon!

But he was also one of the professional early birds at the “People” carpet and freely admitted that he loved being given free stuff.

“It's great!" Holmes said of the swag scene. "There is no other film festival in the world that does it like Sundance!”

Wow. Bet Robert Redford’s thrilled with that praise.

-- Elizabeth Snead

Photo credits: WireImage

Comments

[Disgusted]

How about some REAL news?

Farm surplus commodities are scarcer, industry is donating less -- and at the same time more families are seeking help.

By Susannah Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 21, 2008

To Gladys Jacques' relief, a grocery bag filled with chicken, bread and canned corn or string beans arrives on her doorstep once a month, delivered by church volunteers.

Retired, the 76-year-old registered nurse lives alone in South Los Angeles on a small Social Security income, hindered by diabetes and a stroke that makes it hard for her to walk. So the monthly deliveries from Bethel AME Church's food pantry help Jacques get by when times are tight.

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- How to help

"I'll eat anything they give me," Jacques said of the periodic restocking of her shelves.

But those who run food banks say they are struggling. The supply of donated food is at its lowest level in recent memory, largely because of a steep decline in government surpluses. Many who work in the field are concerned that low-income people like Jacques may go hungry -- a worry they say is heightened by a growing number of households, particularly those with children, who report that they do not always know where their next meal is coming from.

[gertie]

"Disgusted makes a good comment, but the industries behind the" swags" are only struggling to get their products into the market. Many of these do donate to charities but they get more feedback by the gifts to stars. And the stars now have to pay income tax on these so called 'gifts'

[callie]

I'm just so glad that there are free programs for wealthy, socially conscious movie stars. It makes me proud to be an American that businesses have seen fit to fund such things on the chance that Rickman might be photographed shaving with his Axis razor, or SJP's son will be seen playing Guitar Hero with his famous Dad. Who knew that such charity existed in big business? The only thing missing are t-shirts that say, "I went to Sundance and all I got was this SWAG."

[Apres Ski]

It can't be serious news all the time. Yes, there's FarmAid, empty food banks, crappy job market, but that's what the rest of the paper is for.

This is the fun fluff & stuff that we need to balance out the rest of the bad created by Bush43, Cheney, & Friends!!

[kay]

don't these people earn enough money to buy their own things? makes them seem very greedy.

[libsukbad]

Typical liberal debauchery and greed, of course they will see no conflict in this "looting". These are the same idiots who will all fly in on their empty corporate jets and demand that average people cut back on energy use and buy algore's carbon credits so he can also become a billionaire. Anyone who votes democrat contributes to the lowering of living standards for all but the most well connected and affluent. BOYCOTT hollywood NOW!!

[libsukbad]

This is a response to Apres Ski, what the hell does George Bush have to do with this topic, and are you so much of an escapist you need to follow this crap? Frankly those on both sides of the aisle are unhappy with Bush, to me his biggest failing was trying to impersonate a democrat with his liberal spending, assisting illgals and jailing innocent Border patrol guards doing their jobs! GWB is basically a liberal much like Gov Schwarzenegger-Kennedy, a true RINO if there ever was one.

[Chunkdog32]

Gertie,

Reebok and the producers of Guitar Hero need feedback and help marketing their products? Please! This is greed, pure and simple.

[Venus]

Um...wasn't Sundance supposed to be an independent, non-Hollywood thing?...by the earthy, anti-corporate, non-sell-out multi millionaire Redford? Or is this a different Sundance?