Following the Thursday closing night of AFI Fest in Hollywood – and let me give them major props for keeping the free booze lounge going on that day, when normally one expects it to shut off completely on the final stretch – I stayed home all day Friday, recouping and forgetting what day it was. [...]

Initially, I was a little disappointed not to make the cut for the “closing night” (held two days before the technical actual closing date) screening of A SINGLE MAN. I was also surprised…are people that enthused for A SINGLE MAN? More so than the stuff at the other galas that I did get into? I’m [...]

Wednesday began with a look at Argentina’s submission for this year’s Oscars, THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (El secreto de sus ojos). Courtesy once again of our emcee, R-to-tha-Koehl, we learn that the director of this film, Juan Jose Campanella, has actually directed several episodes of Law & Order, and that this informs his film [...]

On Tuesday, left to my own devices, I might have gone to Harmony Korine’s TRASH HUMPERS, because I think he’s an exciting filmmaker even when he fails. But then I got offered a chance to attend a cocktail party for THE MESSENGER with Woody Harrelson, so of course I signed up for that and the [...]

IMDB lists six movies with the title PERPETUUM MOBILE. Who knew?

Oh, that’s right: Robert Koehler. The man knows stuff. Certainly more than IMDB when it comes to this movie. IMDB doesn’t mention that composer Michael Nyman makes a cameo (a relatively pointless one, but who cares) while wearing an outfit much like the one Bob [...]

Monday at AFI was about one thing only: THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS. Sure, I could have dragged myself over earlier, but all that was playing was NORTH BY NORTHWEST, which I’ve seen, and a documentary about cinematographers, which sounded boringly self-reflexive.

So enthused was I about PARNASSUS that I had inadvertently RSVP’ed twice, which led [...]

POLICE, ADJECTIVE is, for me, this year’s version of 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, AND 2 DAYS in that it’s a Romanian film playing AFI that came with a really nice post-show dinner attached to it for those of us who are deemed important critics (this time of year is the one season where it’s actually [...]

I forgot to tell a HILARIOUS JOKE based on night one before.

Two blonde chicks sat in the row in front of me for Fantastic Mr. Fox. They were in outfits designed to maximize their boobs as the focal point of everything.

And they ended up sitting in seats 9 and 11.

INAPPROPRIATE JOKE: It made sense that [...]

Since there’s no pay involved, this might be a very prolonged process like the TNA post. I’m gonna try to keep my reviews as such brief and to the point, as much as is feasible.

AFI Fest kicked off Friday night in the Grauman’s Chinese with Wes Anderson’s FANTASTIC MR. FOX. More on the movie in [...]