One of the great things about the Italians is they know how to stop time when it comes to eating. Meals typically take three to four hours, starting first with an appetizer like an antipasto, followed by a hearty soup, a decent salad, the primi usually some kind of pasta, the secondi which is your main course and then a light dessert of maybe cheese, cookies and fruit because frankly, who can move after all of that? I mention this because my last movie experience felt exactly the same ...

Being a long time Monty Python fan, I thought I was ready for Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus but I was wrong. From the first frame to the last, I was taken for a ride I thought could only be produced from the consumption of some really strong brownies or sugar cubes. “What must it be like to be in Gilliam’s head?” I wondered. “Crowded!” I concluded. While the story isn’t something new, guy vs. devil, the journey was extraordinary. Its probably better not...

AFI DigiFest will take place at the Mann Chinese 1 Theatre in Hollywood on November 4 and 5. Now in its third year, AFI DigiFest provides a unique, behind-the-scenes look at how storytelling is adapting to an ever-widening array of new screens and platforms. The event is open to the public and admission is free. "This has been a banner year for new media innovation," says AFI Digital Content Lab Director Suzanne Stefanac. "We're seeing forward-thinking writers...

Marking its fourth year, AFI PROJECT: 20/20 is an American Film Institute international initiative designed to enhance cultural exchange and understanding, by bringing together filmmakers and their films from the US and abroad. AFI PROJECT: 20/20 represents an unprecedented cultural diplomacy effort that is supported by the U.S.'s cultural agencies--the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS...

Last night the AFI hosted a star studded, red carpet affair introducing the world to Clarice "PRECIOUS" Jones, directed by Lee Daniels. A film that will "split you open," is due to open later this week. Audience members, the likes of which made me feel like I was crashing a private party for all the cool kids, included Olivia Wilde, Lisa Edelstein, Mary J. Blige, Nick Cannon, Sidney Hicks, Gayle King, Paula Abdul, Jamie Foxx, Eva Longoria Parker, Will Smith, Forest &...

Known for its assorted cartoon characters, acting wannabes and celebrity look a-likes, Hollywood Boulevard at Halloween seems like any other day only more so. The bustling street felt like a traffic accident where the action is fast but seems like slow motion as ghouls, goblins and the scantily clad, wandered the streets like Cinderella at crunch time. In the midst of all this activity, as if quietly perched in the eye of the storm, lies a sophisticated collection of ...