by Larry Richman
July 3, 2008 6:41 PM

Los Angeles can be a fun town if you know where to go, what to do, and who to do it with. That said, I had a wonderful time at the LA Film Festival -- not because of the lineup of films there but in spite of it. There were far fewer screenings than at most festivals I've attended, most starting at 1 PM or later, and timed in such a fashion that it was difficult to see more than two or three on any given day. Keep in mind that being able to see four or five a day is easy to do at other festivals. There were also times during which only one film was being shown, as opposed to having a choice of as many as 10 during any given block of time at other festivals. The result is that I only saw one or two films a day, except for last Saturday when I saw three. But I made the best of it, and found joy outside the theaters instead.

The good news is, I have so many friends and colleagues in Los Angeles that the meals, meetings, and parties more than made up for the lack of moviegoing. The films I actually did get to see weren't all that impressive either, so I'll be hard pressed to come up with a meaningful list of Top Picks. It will be much easier to list a few "highlights of the week" instead. And, ironically, neither of the two most exciting events I attended involved seeing a new independent film.

One was the Hollywood Premiere of American Son. This film wowed audiences when it premiered at Sundance and was immediately picked up for distribution (it will debut on the Starz premium movie channel). It was screened again at the Brooklyn Academy of Music during their Sundance at BAM series (where I saw it). This was its debut on the West Coast and garnered a lot of media attention due to the fact, for what it's worth, that the star of the film is married to Mariah Carey. She didn't show up for the red carpet but hubby Nick Cannon did, as well as cast members Michael Welch (Twilight), Melonie Diaz (Be Kind Rewind), Matt O'Leary (Brick), Jay Hernandez (World Trade Center), and writer/director Neil Abramson.

I took a great deal of pictures on the red carpet as well as during the Q&A following the screening, which I'll be posting as soon as I can.

The other fun event, although listed as part of the LA Film Festival, wasn't actually run by them at all. It was the World Premiere of Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D, and Warner Brothers was in charge of the festivities. It's ironic that I avoid Hollywood studio movies in favor of independent films shown at festivals, and here I am at a festival sponsored by Film Independent, the folks behind the Spirit Awards, and the most exciting screening is a studio-sponsored big budget blockbuster that spent two years in post-production. Go figure.

It was like the Oscars -- nobody could even approach the theater without an invitation-only ticket, and the public was cordoned off behind barricades on the opposite side of street, facing the rear of the red carpet backdrop. The venue was the magnificent Mann Village Theatre, originally part of the Fox chain, built in 1930 and virtually unchanged to this day. The 1400-seat house was packed to capacity, and WB sprung for free popcorn and sodas.

I passed up the ridiculously packed paparazzi pens on the red carpet before the film for the privilege of actually seeing the movie (most photographers don't) and shadowing a couple of the actors after the screening as they posed for pictures and signed autographs.

Some special personal thanks to all the friends and colleagues who showed me that even a week in LA is too short.

(in alphabetical order)

Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Center of the Earth)
Doug Lloyd (Still Green producer/editor)
Rocky Marquette (1968 Tunnel Rats)
Georgia Menides (Still Green writer/producer/editor)
and especially Michael Welch (Twilight)

...plus Jill, George, Jack, those friends and family who shall remain nameless along with those who couldn't make it, but did their best.

Next up: some capsule reviews of a few "okay" films.