I WANT TO ROCK!

What happens when you take a Broadway musical, make it set in the late 1980s and give it a story that is more typically indicative of today’s high school melodramas than an otherwise legitimate narrative? Why, you get Rock of Ages, a musical written by Chris D’Arienzo and directed by Adam Shankman. But is this the next big step in creating a Hollywood musical, or is it merely a soon to be special I Loathe the 80s?

LAFF: G-DOG PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON PRIEST

With a name like G-Dog you would expect the documentary to be about the hard life of inner city gangs. The truth is that the film is not so much about gang life, but those trying to get out of it. That unique perspective on what could have easily been another cliché documentary elevates the film to a whole new level.

LAFF: URSULA MEIER'S, SISTER

The Consul General of Switzerland held a luncheon this Saturday afternoon to honor the work of Ursula Meier, one of its country’s brightest directors. Held at the residence of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Hancock Park the event put the spotlight on a director that has been making a name for herself throughout the world.

TO ROME WITH LOVE

There’s no such thing as a bad Woody Allen film, let’s get that out of the way. The only problem is that after making masterpieces like Annie Hall and Sweet and Lowdown every film he releases is inevitably compared to the classics. That being said, his latest effort lacks the intellectual punch of his previous films and is perhaps his most experimental.

HOLY LAND OF TYROL, DIRECTOR Q & A

It's not often you catch a film that truly inspires you, let alone a period film with unknown actors, subtitles, and a first time feature director. This was the case when I saw the impressive and heartfelt debut of The Holy Land of Tyrol at the first Film Festival Flix in North Hollywood. We had the chance to chat with Director Philip J. Pamer after the screening!