Appearances by big stars on both sides of the camera (Brad Pitt, Diablo Cody) and soon-to-be big films made by tomorrow's household names are two hallmarks of the Hollywood Film Festival, on now at Arclight Cinemas. The films come from points all over the globe; the subject matter is both serious and lighthearted. Here are a few highlights (we recommend checking out the full schedule of films running at Arclight this weekend):
"Blood on the Highway": Vampires run amuck in a small Lone Star town. Holy moley, that sounds fun. Or scary. Or both. Directed by Barak Epstein.
"Holiday Baggage": Family tries to cope over Thanksgiving while old lovers tangle. We're intrigued because Cheryl Ladd and Barry Bostwick star. Two charming actors that are too rarely heard from, in our opinion.
"Catalina": A Chilean work that looks absolutely lush and romantic. Try not to well up at the "Upstairs, Downstairs" love affair. Oh, scratch that. It's dark, we'll well up if we damn well choose.
We should add that HFF is flush with shorts as well as full-length features. Is there anything equal to the pleasure of watching a really fine short film? We call it seven minutes of celluloid heaven. And we're guessing you get that feeling, too.
Hollywood Film Festival 2008
Arclight Cinemas
6360 W. Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood
323-464-1478
