What a blast! This is the third year I’ve attended the festival, and it’s the third year the festival has taken over the wonderful Westwood Village for a week in late June. I saw big premieres, small indies, fresh comedies, and a handful of glorious documentaries, and of the twelve films I saw this week, only one was disappointing. I was extremely impressed with the work I saw at this year’s festival.

Opening Night Film: Wanted

I walked into Wanted expecting absolutely nothing, and I walked out giddy and breathless. The most popular movies of the last couple summers have been big bloated blockbusters like the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, which, for my money, had next-to-no entertainment value if it hadn’t been for Johnny Depp. A movie like Wanted is the crazy bad-ass action movie we’ve all been waiting for. It’s got the movement of Speed and the idiocy of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, all wrapped up in one neat package. The film truly has it all. An identifiable and unlikely protagonist, a simple but electric storyline, and one incredible action scene after another. It’s also a blast to watch Angelina Jolie having fun in a movie that takes itself far less seriously than the lame Lara Croft movies, but still allows her some exhilarating physical action. The first half of Wanted is perfect; the second half isn’t quite as good. But this is still one helluva ride, with director Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) making a sensational U.S. debut. ***1/2 (out of ****)

Closing Night Film: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Guillermo Del Toro is a visionary in every sense of the word, and in no other film has he shown such depth to his imagination. While I’d be more partial to his quieter, more lyrical films The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is, unlike anything I’ve seen this summer, an absolute feast for the eyes. From beginning to end there is one inventive creature after another, all inhabiting not one but two worlds, a mythical world and our world. Opening with a very cute scene with Hellboy as a young boy being told a story about the title’s very own golden army, the plot sets in when an ambitious leader of the spiritual world Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) targets our world to conquer, but Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his comrades gang up to stop him. The plot, though, is almost beside the point because you’ll be going to this movie for the visuals, and there’s wondrous eye candy to be had here. The film took me back to 80’s fantasy like The Neverending Story, where we as an audience are transported (more…)

Hello all… it’s been 2 months since my last update. For any who read this column, I apologize! It’s been a busy time for me but I just needed a little break. But this week I have three exciting updates, the first being this link to my newest movie, tomorrow my take on the recently concluded Los Angeles Film Festival, and later this week my review of the biggest movie of the year.

Kelly, shot in June 2007, tells the story of a mother who chains her son up in her garage when she discover he’s… well… you’ll just have to watch to find out!