July 2008 Archives

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Simon Pegg remembers being at Comic-Con four years ago to promote "Shaun of the Dead." As he was walking around San Diego's downtown Gaslamp District in search of a good cup of coffee, he spied two people wearing t-shirts featuring characters from his BBC television series "Spaced."

"It was astonishing to see people wearing Tim and Daisy t-shirts for a show that had only been seen on American cable at odd hours of the morning," Pegg says. "I couldn't believe anyone knew it here."

The series, broadcast in two seven-episode seasons in 1999 and 2001, finally came out on DVD this week in North America.

It's currently No. 2 on Amazon.

"Spaced" was written by and starred Pegg and Jessica Hynes and was directed by Edgar Wright. Pegg and Wright went on to make two of this decade's funniest and smartest movie comedies - "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz."

"Spaced" sported surreal comedy and a distinct cinematic style. Wright shot it with a single camera and pulled off spot-on tributes to movies like "Pulp Fiction" and "The Matrix."

The three-DVD set includes all 14 episodes, the original commentaries taped for the UK DVD release and all-new commentaries featuring "Spaced" fans Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Matt Stone, Bill Hader, Patton Oswalt and Diablo Cody.

"Watching 'Spaced' is like watching a Kevin Smith movie if Kevin Smith had any talent," Smith said in a statement both self-deprecating and unfortunately true.

Pegg says he would have liked to have done a third season, but considers the prospect unlikely now because of the cast's age and success. He rejects the idea that "Spaced," like Ricky Gervais' "The Office," remains special because of it put quality over quantity.

"I think Ricky should have done another series of 'The Office," Pegg says. "I think it's silly to abide by this 'Fawlty Towers' thing. 'Fawlty Towers' didn't do enough. It's all very cool. But it feels self-consciously cool to only do 12 episodes."

Wright respectfully disagrees.

"The flip side is that we did 14 episodes with a very small team and as such they are very handcrafted," Wright says. "They are very personal."

Which, Hynes says, was why there wasn't a third season of "Spaced."

"In America, there's a huge industry brought up around TV and film production," Hynes says. "If a show's successful, they will support you and pay you. Incredible as it may sound, there were four people who made 'Spaced' pretty much. And that wasn't enough. We didn't have great budgets. Ultimately it led to the demise of the show."

"Me and Simon wrote it all and that's a big workload," Hynes continues. "In America there would be writing teams, show runners. And Edgar filmed ambitiously. Thinking about what we went through physically, the strain, to contemplate that again seems overwhelming."

"Well," Pegg adds. "We were younger then, weren't we?"

The DVD's bonus features, including the twin sets of commentaries, sport a longer running time than the episodes themselves.

"There are only 14 episodes so we feel kind of guilty that we have to service the fans with an enormous amount of content," Pegg says with a laugh. "There's a doc about the show that's almost as long as the first series."

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Highlights from the Univeral Pictures Comic-Con panel, in descending order of interest:

1) The crowd gave its hearty approval to Sam Raimi's return to his horror roots and with good reason. The two clips Raimi showed from "Drag Me To Hell," due next year, were both hilarious and freaky frightening, just what you'd expect from the guy behind the "Evil Dead" movies.

Raimi said that post-"Spider Man," he was looking to return to a "good, simple campfire story." In this case, the tale revolves around a young woman who, trying to get in good with her boss, rejects an old woman's loan application, resulting in an unfortunate eviction.

"She picked the wrong woman to throw out of the house," Raimi said in an understatement.

Raimi then showed a scene, rather remarkable for a movie shooting for a PG-13 rating, in which the old hag confronts the bank woman (played by Alison Lohman) in an underground parking garage. There's some creative use of office supplies and also a rather alarming incident involving the loss of dentures.

The trailer mentioned the need for a blood sacrifice, hinting that a pet cat might be involved.

"No kittens were harmed in the making of this movie," Raimi assured. "The effects team made a great live and dead kitty. Oh, and there was a great, post-digested kitty, too."

2) Universal is remaking Roger Corman's "Death Race 2000" with Jason Statham playing an inmate forced to participate in a brutal car race. Statham came to Comic-Con to plug the movie (on his birthday, no less), along with co-stars Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane and Joan Allen.

"It's a NASCAR movie set in prison in the future and Joan Allen says f***," McShane explained. "What more do you want?"

Indeed, casting Allen as the evil prison warden feels like a stroke of genius.

"I was surprised to be sent the script," Allen says. "Surprised, but pleased."

To which Gibson, seated next to her, said: "Well, I loved you in 'The Notebook.' "

3) Brad Silberling didn't have any clips to offer from next summer's remake of "Land of the Lost," but he did have a couple of taped offerings from its star Will Ferrell.

In one, Ferrell, making like Steve Martin in his Wild and Crazy Guy days, strummed a banjo while warbling the catchy lyrics to the theme song from the Seventies Saturday morning show.

Ferrell was later seen on Hall H's jumbo TV screens in what was jokingly billed as a live feed from San Diego's Hotel Del Coronado. But the "audio link" wasn't so good, so Ferrell's reactions were always out-of-sync with what was happening with the panel.

Like most of Ferrell's recent comedy output, it was all decidedly hit-and-miss.

Funnier was co-star Danny McBride revealing he was a big fan of the show as a kid and then later it college, but "for different reasons."

There were also sleestaks and an appearance from the show's creators, Sid and Marty Krofft, who revealed that there may well be a big-screen version of "H.R. Pufnstuf."

I'd be fine with that, provided Sam Raimi directs.

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Here's the plot of a movie teased at Comic-Con:

A 73-year-old, prune-loving, old-timer named Carl loses his beloved wife, Ellie. Carl now is about to get evicted from his house, so a developer can bulldoze it. Next stop for Carl: An old-folks home.

Just as this is about to happen, Carl ties a bunch of balloons to the chimney of the house, breaking it free from its foundation. He sets sail in this makeshift airship to Venezuela to glimpse what he and his wife had always dreamed of seeing - Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall.

Not really a Comic-Con movie, is it?

But I feel safe in guaranteeing that out of all the movies teased and promoted here this week, "Up," will be the best.

Why?

It's from Pixar Animation.

And its director, Pete Docter, who has been with Pixar from the beginning and worked on movies like "Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo," calls it the "highlight" of his career.

That's coming from a guy with a lot of obvious highlights.

Docter screened the trailer and a partly finished, five-minute scene from "Up," which will be in theaters May 29, 2009.

The footage was amazing, and just like "Wall-E," completely different from anything Pixar has ever produced. Docter says he was inspired by seeing film of the Tepui tabletop mountains in South America, an otherworldly place with "weird rock shapes" and "mysterious plants" that few people on the planet have ever visited.

Seeing that led to the setting of "Up." The character of Carl (voiced by Edward Asner) was inspired by Docter's encounters with Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, members of Disney's famed Nine Old Men responsible for much of the studio's classic film work.

"Old people have such great stories to tell," Docter says. "This is really an homage to our grandparents."

My favorite moment from the Q&A that followed came when some guy from a Disney fansite asked Docter to define "Up." His rationale: It's hard to describe Pixar movies in a way that gets people excited. (In other words: Who wants to see a movie about a rat in a kitchen, right?)

Here then is Docter's description of "Up": "Pixar takes you to a lost world. It's a love story. And it's a Pixar movie."

Really - what more do you need to know?

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Disney's "Bolt" is about a cute, white German shepherd who stars on an action TV show and, by extension, believes he has "Six Million Dollar Man"-like super powers.

It's the first movie from Disney Animation since Pixar's John Lasseter was brought in to oversee the company. Lasseter took a hammer to the original version of "Bolt," replacing writer-director Chris Sanders when he resisted his story suggestions.

Sanders was replaced by Chris Williams and Byron Howard, who were at Comic-Con Saturday with about 20 minutes of "Bolt" footage.

The film looks like it could be fun. The dog's cute and so is its master, an intrepid little girl who's also his co-star on the television show. An elaborate chase sequence, showing Bolt suspending a car off a bridge using only its teeth and busting through cement walls, was fantastic.

That clip was followed by a comic scene showcasing Bolt's feline co-stars, who are aware that the TV show isn't real and that Bolt is in fact delusional. Bolt, though, remains adamant that he must protect his adorable girl master at all costs from dangers he believes always exist around the corner.

Two other cool bits: Bolt has a show-stealing Hamster sidekick named Rhino who travels around in one of those plastic exercise domes. (It fogs up when Rhino gets excited - which he often does.) And Bolt believes that Styrofoam is his Kryptonite, which results in all kinds of problems.

"Bolt," due Thanksgiving weekend, could be the movie to put Disney Animation back on the map.

Arriving Christmas day this year like a present from Santa Geek is Frank Miller's "The Spirit," a heavily stylized adaptation of Will Eisner's 1940s newspaper strip about a masked crime-fighter who has a way with the ladies.

Eisner's name is big among hard-core comic nerds, and Miller's rep is solid thanks to movies like "Sin City" and his writing work on the "Daredevil" and "Dark Knight" comics.

Miller is using the same digital background photography he employed on "Sin City," a technique that pleases comic fans and distances just about everyone else. He showed three clips from the movie Friday at Comic-Con, including one featuring Eva Mendes, wearing a form-fitting wetsuit, engaging in an underwater gun battle.

Sam Jackson joined the fun at the panel, walking on the stage and standing on a chair to reveal the inscription on his black t-shirt: "Badmofokos." (Since it's misspelled, it's OK to print.)

Jackson talked about Miller's continual quest to find bigger guns for him to use, which proved to be an effective weight-loss technique for the actor.

He spoke of his favorite action figure made in his likeness: "Mace Windu because I've got so many of them in all kinds of forms and sizes. I've even got little wind-up ones walking across my desk."

Jackson also waxed appreciative of the Gestapo uniform he got to wear in "The Spirit": "That was so awesome. Kind of like (Iron Man character) Nick Fury became black, I became a black skinhead."

And you look smart in that outfit, producer Deborah Del Prete said.

"Yeah," Jackson replied. "I'm hot in that."

We'll be waiting for the action figure.

Best lines from the "Watchmen" Comic-Con Q&A session on Friday:

To Billy Crudup, playing the very blue, very godlike Doctor Manhattan:

Q: Was the rest of the Blue Man group jealous?

Crudup: I don't know. We're not on speaking terms.

Q: What about getting in shape for the film?

Crudup: There was a lot of fitness. I had to get in shape, changing my molecules and all that. That stuff, they don't teach you in drama school.

Patrick Wilson on playing the retired vigilante Nite Owl:

"It was pretty cool. When everyone else had to get ripped, I could sit back with a quart of Haagen-Dazs and a couple of beers. That was OK."

Jackie Earle Haley, on how Comic-Con fans influenced his portrayal of Rorschach:

"There's a lot to Rorschach. I studied the script. I studied the book. I had long conversations with (director) Zack (Snyder) about his multiplicity, what he's about. And actually I spent a lot of time on the websites and blogs, so I learned a lot about him from you guys. It was all really empowering when I got into the outfit."

Zack Snyder, answering a query from a man dressed as Batman, on his favorite "Watchmen" character:

"Good question, Batman. I like them all for different reasons. How's that?"

Snyder is showered with boos from the 6,500 fans stuffed in the auditorium.

"OK," Snyder offered. "Everyone likes Rorschach the best, so that rules him out. And everyone likes The Comedian because he's a badass and morally ... you know. Also the girls ... awesome, but that's a copout. It seems obvious."

Pause. "OK. I'm gonna say the girls. I like the girls best."

Someone from the audiences screams, "Copout!"

Snyder: "Thanks a lot Batman."

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Figuring most everyone at Comic-Con has already seen the "Watchmen" trailer since it was shown before multiplex showings of "The Dark Night," director Zack Snyder cut together three and a half minutes of footage that he said highlighted the "non-PG aspects of the movie."

"Watchmen" is dark. During the Q&A portion of Friday's panel presentation, one fan asked Snyder if he had tried to balance out the nihilistic spirit of the film's graphic novel source material.

"Why would we want to do that?" Snyder replied good-naturedly. "I mean, we never sat and thought, 'Oh, this movie is going down a dark path. People are going to slit their wrists in the movie theater.'

" 'Saw' is dark because people get their arms sawed off," Snyder continued. "Well, people get their arms sawed off in our movie, too. But for a MORAL CAUSE. To teach a lesson!"

The wordless footage, scored partly to what sounded like Phillip Glass and featuring many images already revealed in the trailer, covered the bases, introducing each of the superheroes and their dilemmas, ending with Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Comedian being thrown through a plate-glass window of a high rise.

As the glass shattered and the Comedian fell, we saw the iconic, blood-stained "Watchmen" smiley-face button, dropping to the ground with him.

The panel featured Snyder and artist Dave Gibbons, who collaborated with Alan Moore on the novel. When asked if Moore, who has disavowed the movie and his profit share in the movie (just as he has most every other film adaptation of his work), could ever be brought on board, Gibbons laughed.

"I see there is an elephant in the room," Gibbons said. "I wish that Alan could feel the same kind of joy I'm feeling now. I wish he hadn't had such a bad experience in the past."

Also on hand were cast members Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode and Carla Gugino.

Recognizable names, yes. But not necessarily recognizable faces, which was the point of the casting process.

"If it had been say, Jude Law, playing (MG's character), it would have taken you out of it," Snyder says. "When people see it, they'll say that world. Not: That's not some actor dressed up like a guy. It happened on '300' too. No one knew those guys. It was just '300.' "

For Synder, it's all about the source material, which he referred to constantly as "the bible."

"People are asking me if the movie is going to comment on modern times and today's mass culture," Snyder told me yesterday. "It's not. The comic asks a lot of moral questions, but you've got to answer them yourself. That's the beauty of it."

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Benicio Del Toro has his fans among the Comic-Con faithful, but you wouldn't go so far to call him a Comic-Con kind of guy.

Sleepy-eyed, chewing gum and unshaven, Del Toro ambled on stage Friday to promote next summer's "Wolfman," a classic horror remake of the famed Universal Pictures franchise. He made a point to mention he was paid well for the movie and that he was "still being paid."

Del Toro's enthusiasm for the Wolfman franchise was considerably greater.

"It goes all the way back to Lon Chaney, Jr.," Del Toro said. "I loved those movies. My manager saw I had a poster of the original 'Wolfman' in my house and he said, 'I'm going to Universal and talk to them.' "

Del Toro and co-star Emily Blunt joined make-up genius Rick Baker Friday at a panel presentation. They unveiled a trailer that included silver bullets, dark woods, lots of blood and brains and guts and a shot of hands turning into hairy claws.

Anthony Hopkins, playing Del Toro's father in the movie, sees his son covered in blood and says with appreciation: "You've done terrible things."

The Wolfman's look is all makeup. No CG.

"That's the best approach," Baker said. "There's a magic that happens when you get a really good actor in that Wolfman makeup. It's called the 'Wolfman.' It's an old-fashioned gothic horror film so this was the right way to do this."

Baker turned to Del Toro: "And I can make a man look like a Wolfman just fine -- especially someone like that."

Blunt's makeup required considerably less effort. As did the role itself.

"I thought: I can run. I can scream. I can even run and scream wearing a corset," Blunt said. "I liked the idea of being a damsel in distress."

Blunt also got off the best line of the brief, half-hour panel. Twin guys, each wearing the same brown "Family Guy" t-shirt, making them look like some kind of freaky, two-headed creature, approached the mike and asked Del Toro about working with Blunt.

Blunt then had a question for them.

"What are your names?" she purred. "And what are you doing later?"

Today's big deal is the noontime panel for "Watchmen," Zack Snyder's movie adaptation of the graphic novel generally accepted as the holy text among comic book fans.

Snyder will be screening three and a half minutes of special footage, and I'll file my impressions this afternoon, as well as quotes from him and the movie's cast of (mostly) unknowns.

But I did hang with Snyder a bit yesterday in the middle of the densely populated exhibit hall, where tens of thousands of fans hunt for limited edition Ugly Dolls and mint vintage comics.

Snyder was holed up on the second floor of the Warner Bros. exhibit area, his presence unknown to those roaming the floor. Unlike a lot of Hollywood types hawking their wares here, Snyder actually digs coming to Comic-Con. He'd like to be out there on the floor, hunting for the latest breakout pop culture totem.

Instead, he's talking to people like me.

The great thing about Snyder is he brings a genuine, boyish, Mountain Dew-fueled enthusiasm to his work (and conversation) as well as the actual know-how to pull his ideas off.

This separates him from somebody like McG, who will be here Saturday explaining just what he's doing to the "Terminator" franchise.

Snyder has long said he didn't think "Watchmen" lent itself to a movie. But he knew Warner Bros. was going to make it - whether or not he directed it. So he felt a responsibility to the Alan Moore / Dave Gibbons graphic novel, a comic that revolutionized the field with its sharp deconstruction of the superhero genre.

"Them offering it to me presented a responsibility," Snyder said. "If they had never presented it to me, I could have washed my hands. But the fact that they said, 'Do you want to do it?' If I had said no and for whatever reason it didn't work, I would have felt like it was my fault no matter what."

Like, I asked him, if McG had made the movie.

"McG is a nice guy," Snyder said, laughing. "No. Somebody could have made a better movie than I did. I don't know. Even if they did, I'd still feel like I betrayed it a little bit. Like a child. 'Hey, do you want to take care of this kid?' 'No. No. he'll be fine on the streets.' You've got to do it. You can't say no."

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Friday is guaranteed to be a better day at Comic-Con because, if for no other reason, there probably won't be a big rig overturning, catching fire and shutting down Interstate 5 in the early morning hours, turning a drive from LA to San Diego into a seven-hour endurance marathon.

Ask Dakota Fanning.

Fanning was supposed to take part in an afternoon panel for "Push," a psychological horror movie in which she plays a "special person" hunted for her psychic abilities.

When the presentation began at 2 p.m., Chris Evans and Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou took the stage with director Paul McGuigan. But no Dakota.

About 90 minutes later, a moderator brought little Dakota (now 14, not quite so little any more) out on stage.

"I'm sorry!" she said, waving to the crowd. "I was in my car ... for seven hours!"

Fans did get to see a clip of Fanning in action. She and Chris Evans were in an outdoor Hong Kong market, being chased by bad mind-readers capable of delivering a high-pitched wail that shatters glass and eardrums.

The screeching sound seemed straight from Godzilla's C-movie cousin, Mothra.

That or the sound of a thousand teen-aged girl "Twilight" fans, driven to delirium at the sight of Robert Pattinson running his hands through his hair.

Marketing execs at 20th Century Fox are betting the house on three words - Klaatu barada nikto - when it comes to selling their remake of Robert Wise's sci-fi touchstone "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

Comic-Con attendees were given black t-shirts bearing the famous phrase from Wise's Cold War-era movie. Then, when the lights went dark in Hall H, the screens were filled with several seconds of white noise before a familiar voice could be heard uttering ... Klaatu ... barada ... nikto.

Nobody knows exactly what the words mean, so it's probably perfect that they were being said by Keanu Reeves. Reeves, a figure loved by most and hated by some in Comic-Con circles, is playing Klaatu, an alien who travels to earth bearing a dire warning.

Shape up or risk alien obliteration.

It's perfect casting: Reeves, so often seen in movies struggling to make sense of the world (whether it should be an effort or not), playing an alien trying to understand both the humanoid body he has temporarily inhabited as well as the human race itself.

"He is trapped in this human body," Reeves said. "It's a containment, a compression. That's how I tried to play it. In the original, the character was a little more warm and fuzzy, more human than human."

Reeves paused for effect.

"I'm not that guy."

Director Scott Derrickson said "Day" was ripe for a remake as it's the kind of movie that lends itself to different issues that speak to different eras. In 1951, it was nuclear peril. Now, it's environmental implosion.

The clips Derrickson showed sported a more bad-ass Klaatu, with Reeves' alien flipping the switch on a lie-detector test and eerily rendering his captors powerless.

"In some ways, it's the story of an alien becoming human and understanding what makes humans worth saving," Derrickson said. "It's such a good story. And I'm surprised how few people have actually seen the first movie. I hope people go back to it after seeing ours."

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Call it a new trend of Comic-Con

Gerard Butler ("Gerry" to his friends), had just finished answering a question about his new crime thriller "Rocknrolla" and there was a silence in Hall H ... which was soon filled when a woman bellowed to Butler: "Take it off!"

This command - made repeatedly throughout Thursday's "Rocknrolla" panel --follows the shout-outs earlier in the afternoon during the "Twilight" presentation, which featured various begs, screams and shouts from a rabid female fan base, mostly directed toward young star Robert Pattinson.

The "take it off" directive was actually more interesting than anything said or seen during the "Rocknrolla" presentation, which featured Butler, director Guy Ritchie and actors Jeremy Piven and Chris Bridges.

Ritchie called the film a "spillover" from "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." Is a "spillover" the same as a leftover? This does not sound promising.

It takes awhile, but someone from the audience mentions - in a good way -- the movies that Ritchie has made in the eight years since "Snatch"? (That would be "Swept Away" with wife Madonna and "Revolver.")

Q: "Was there pressure to go back to films that were as successful as the first two?"

Ritchie: "Yup."

As for the trailer, which made its debut at Comic-Con, it sports a bunch of mooks, young and old, shooting guns, crashing cars and repeating the word "rocknrolla" over and over again.

To Butler, this "defines cool."

It certainly feels like old times for Ritchie. We'll see if he can recapture a bit of the magic when the movie arrives in October.

One funny moment came when Piven, whose HBO series "Entourage" famously featured an episode set at Comic-Con, was asked how reality of the event compared with television.

"I'm in awe of all of you," Piven says. "And I would like to celebrate each and every one of you."

An audience member immediately yelled for Piven to toss out some of the chocolate candies Butler had been throwing into the audience.

"I have no more chocolate left," Piven said. "But I will be taking my shirt off."

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Joel Silver has mellowed over the years, and when I've encountered him lately, he seems like a nice enough guy. The legendary screaming seems to have tapered off.

But the man's movies of late aren't exactly generating a lot of whoops and hollers from the Comic-Con crowd.

Silver returned to Comic-Con Thursday, selling the latest slate from his Dark Castle brand. First up: "Ninja Assassin," a movie whose title speaks for itself. It stars Korean pop singer Rain, also seen earlier this summer in Silver's "Speed Racer."

Silver introduced a "Ninja Assassin" clip. "It's really out there," he said. The footage Silver showed featured lots of fire and people hitting each other with sticks and fists and a fair amount of stylized blood geysers in the vein of "300."

Yawn. The teen girls in Hall H didn't seem to care about the quality - or the movie. They just wanted to express their undying affection for the one known as Rain

Sample: "Hi. This question is for Rain. I love you Rain! Just wondering how you prepared for this role of Ninja Assassin."

Rain, who has shiny hair and a bright smile but not the most exacting command of the English language, responded: "I always dreamed about being an action star. Finally I made it. Please wait for 'Ninja Assassin.' Thank you."

Here's a guess: There will not be much Rain-related dialogue in "Ninja Assassin."

Sample question No. 2: Does Rain hope to conquer America as he has South Korea?

"I love America. Here ... is a lot of girl. That's it. I'm just kidding, you know. Thank you."

What's up next for Rain, one fan wondered. A musical, maybe? A romantic-comedy? (Suggestion: A silent film.)

Rain: "I think it's going to be huge. Really. My first girlfriend was sword. My second was ninja chain. I think it's going to be really successful."

Thank you.

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

The women - packs of teens, many of whom had their mothers in tow -
began lining up outside the San Diego Convention Center last night at
8 p.m. They carried pillows and blankets. Some had sleeping bags.
They were all there for one reason - "Twilight."

Stephenie Meyer's series of vampire novels have attracted a cult
following unknown to most Americans. But they made their voices heard
loud and clear Thursday inside Hall H. Their numbers, which had grown
to several hundred campers by midnight Wednesday, dominated the day's
Comic-Con presentations.

And when "Twilight" cast and crew disappeared, so did the women.
Probably to hunt for Robert Pattinson, who plays the vampire boy toy, so they could tell them, just one more time, that they love him.

Stars Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were on hand Thursday, along with Taylor Lautner, Cam Gigandet, Rachelle Lefevre, director Catherine Hardwicke and author Meyer to answer questions and show a clip from the film, which opens Dec. 12.

The movie, based on the first book in Meyer's series, is essentially a Romeo and Juliet love story about a mortal teen named Bella (Stewart) and a vampire stud, Edward (Pattinson), who fall deeply in love.

When Stewart admitted that she hadn't heard of the book before she was sent the screenplay, there was an audible gasp from the thousands of fans close to the stage.

When those fans were given the chance to ask the cast their own questions, the first one out of the gate pretty much set the tone for the afternoon:

"Um ... I just want to ask how it is to portray superhot vampires in the movie," a teen girl queried.

It was revealed Pattinson would sing a song on the soundtrack. It was also revealed that Pattinson had a hard time forming a complete sentence, though you could forgive the 22-year-old Brit because of the decibel level in the hall.

The typical exchange went something like this:

Nervous teen girl: "What's your favorite Edward/Bella moment?"

Pattinson: "Umm ... (Shout from audience: "WE LOVE YOU ROBERT!!!") my
favorite mmmoooom ... ("WE LOVE YOU ROBERT!!!!") ... maybe ... ah ... (ROBERT
... WE LOVE YOU!!!") how about a little scene I did where ... ("YOU'RE THE GREATEST ROBERT!!!") ... I tried to intimate her and she's not scared at all."

Some questioners were shy. Others were not. One teen asked Pattinson: "How does it feel to be one of the most wanted guys in America ... because I WANT YOU, BABY!"

Another woman, one of many sporting black TwlightMoms.com t-shirts, asked of the male cast members: "Is it boxers or briefs or nothing?!?"

There was the occasional nugget about, you know, the movie itself. And the clip, featuring evil vampire James battling Edward over dear, sweet Bella, got the kind of reception usually afforded rock stars and/or natural disasters - lots and lots of high-pitched wailing.

The most telling moment may have come at the end when someone asked who would top the box-office the weekend of Dec. 12 - "Twilight" or Fox's "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

Short answer: Don't look for a lot of teen girls at "Day" in December.

"Twilight" is going to be a monster.

PHOTO GALLERY: Comic Con: Day 1

Before Comic Con got under way, Glenn Whipp — who's covering the event for the Daily News — wrote this piece about the event:

Comic Con: Where movie buzz is born

By Glenn Whipp, Film Writer

Freaks-and-geeks fest Comic-Con opens its doors Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center, and Hollywood studios are ready for what has become an annual sales job.

Jon Favreau remembers taking the trip to the four-day fest last year to present an early look at "Iron Man." Favreau's energetic meet-and-greet, supported by an appearance from a clearly enthusiastic Robert Downey Jr., generated great buzz among fans, which carried over to the movie's breakout performance at the box office this year.

"I can't say I was looking forward to going to Comic-Con," Favreau says. "I was nervous. This is the core audience of the movie. I thought they'd like it, but until you hear the response, you never know."

Scott Derrickson, director of the upcoming remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still," knows the feeling.

"I think having the trailer out for the movie broke the ice for some people," says Derrickson, who will be attending Comic-Con with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly. "They know we're not delivering the 'Lost in Space' version of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still.' "

Among the highlights this year at Comic-Con:

"Watchmen": Zack Snyder, the dude (and there really is no better word to describe this guy) behind "300," brings the revered graphic novel to the big screen. For this crowd, there is no more anticipated movie than this. The core question: Can Snyder make a movie that comments on superhero movies in the fashion that the Moore/Gibbons serial commented on comics?

"Pineapple Express": This stoner action comedy stars Seth Rogen and James Franco and comes from the folks behind last year's Comic-Con comedy sensation, "Superbad."

"Terminator Salvation": McG is directing this sequel focusing on the adult John Connor trying to stave off the annihilation of mankind.

McG will be greeted with skepticism. The presence of Christian Bale, playing Connor, will stave off some of the hate, particularly given all the adulation for "The Dark Knight."

"Drag Me to Hell": Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots. But he won't be going all the way back. It's PG-13.

"Land of the Lost": Much anticipated if only to see if director Brad Silberling and star Will Ferrell bring any of those giant green lizard-like sleestaks with them. Sid and Marty Krofft, the creators of this seminal Saturday morning TV show, will definitely be there.

"Twilight": Can Hollywood make a good movie out of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling vampire love story? Catherine Hardwicke directs, and here's guessing the tone will be closer to her "Thirteen" than to her last movie, "The Nativity Story."

"The Day the Earth Stood Still": Keanu Reeves, a polarizing figure in Comic-Con circles, stars as the alien messenger Klaatu (the part he was born to play?) in Derrickson's remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic.

"Witch Mountain": Disney is returning. The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, is starring.

"Up": Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.") will be on hand to raise the curtain on Pixar's next movie (due summer 2009) and show an early clip or two.

There will also be presentations on "Max Payne" with Mark Wahlberg; "Mirrors," starring Kiefer Sutherland; "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," the animated saga; "Bolt," an animated film from Disney; "Ninja Assassin"; upcoming summer films "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" and "Death Race"; and Guy Ritchie's "RocknRolla."

In between all the Hollywood presentations in the convention center's cavernous, 6,500-seat Hall H, there will be the usual bizarre bazaar of geek goods, workshops, meet-and-greets and costume contests.

Some 125,000 people attended last year. If you don't have tickets now, expect to scrounge. The event is completely sold out.

If you don't have a hotel room, expect to stay in Rancho Bernardo.

Christian Bale is a broody guy, but he's always struck me as eminently rational and self-controlled. So I'm reserving judgment on the Batman actor's arrest for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister in London until more facts become available.
What I will say, though, is that I'd hate to have a physical confrontation with the man. Last month, Bale told me about the Keysi Fighting Method he learned for his role in The Dark Knight.
"We have to tone it down for the movie," he explained. "It's such an ultra-violent - and very effective - fighting form that has nothing to do with the traditional idea of training from a calm sense of zen. It has all to do with going with people's natural adrenaline rush when entering a violent situation. It's very animalistic, y'know? It's not like a choreography, where somebody puts their hand out and you know the counter. There are so many different moves you can use, and you employ it with your instinct and your violence.
"But we do have to tone it down, because if Batman was truly doing it, you'd be seeing cheeks being ripped off and noses being taken out," Bale added. "And his code of not killing would probably wouldn't last very long."
I don't believe Heath Ledger overdosed because playing The Joker took him to an intolerably dark place; when you have a drug problem, it can catch up to you at any time. Similarly, I didn't just post the above to suggest that Keysi has brought out a violent element in Bale's nature. It's reductive, and probably dehumanizing, to argue that role-related work drives professional actors to extreme real-life behavior. Like anybody else, they're motivated by a complex set of very personal factors that outsiders like us have no business trying to explain or simplify.
But I will admit that this Keysi stuff sounds mighty scary. I don't want to mischaracterize it, though, so if you're interested in learning more, here's the discipline's website. The founders, Justo Dieguez and Andy Norman, trained Bale.

The press release says it all:

Bicycle Film Festival O8 is coming to The Vine July 18-July 20! Sunday's street party is not to miss - with the lovely Ines Bruun's world famous bicycle stunts (next stop- The Olympics!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sKUFAbuiD8Below is the complete program.
www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

FRIDAY JULY 18

ALL FILM SCREENINGS AT
THE VINE THEATRE
6321 Hollywood Blvd.

FUN BIKE SHORTS
7:30pm
GOD'S LESSON
Czech Republic 2004 | 16mm/Digital Beta 4min.
Dir. Petr Bednar
Sometimes bike lessons can be divine.


WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO
UK 2007 | Video 3min.
BAT FOR LASHES
Dir. Dougal Wilson
Music video


THE BICYCLE THIEF
UK 2006 | AVI/4:3 3min.
Dir. Nicholas Thorley
After a thief steals Nick's bike, he recruits George to help him.


TICO JAM 5
USA / Costa Rica 2008 | DV 5min.
Dir. Bobby Carter
Top flatland riders from around the world meet in Costa Rica for a fantastic trip.


GHOST RIDE
USA 2008 | DV 1min.
Dir. Ross Harris
Ghost riding around town.


ORANGE BIKES TAKE MANHATTAN
USA 2008 | HD 6min.
Dir. Kalim Armstrong
Captures the response to DKNY placing orange-branded bikes throughout New York.


FASTER
USA 2008 | DV 2min.
Dir. Jeff Stark
Who's faster? A woman competes against the subway train.


D.I.Y. Emancipation 101
USA 2007 | Animation-Xerography 1min.
Dir. Lynn Robinson
Bicycling brought freedom to women!


GOODBYE TOMORROW
CANADA / AFRICA 2008 | HD 8min.
Dir. Benny Zenga and Brian Vernor
BFF alumni, Brian Vernor and the Zenga Bros offer a glimpse into their footage from Africa: 4 months and 12,000 kms on bicycles.


JIM'S LINES
USA 2008 | HD 5min.
Dir. Patrick Trefz
Santa Cruz artist and chef, Jim Denevan, creates land art by bicycle.


BICYCLE STORIES
USA 2008 | HD 14min.
Dir. Daniel Leeb
Three portraits: Matthew McGuiness, George Bliss and Matthew Modine discuss their passions, inspirations and obstacles as they work to build the bike movement.


STANDING START
UK 2007 | DV 12min.
Dir. Adrian McDowall and Finlay Pretsell
Standing Start offers insight into Olympian and World Champion Track Sprinter Craig MacLean, his unflinching focus and preparation.


THE RECYCLE A BICYCLE FILM
USA 2007 | DV 22min.
Dir. Marcus Burnett
Recycle a Bicycle offers training and environmental education to youth in NY's public schools.


9:30pm
BANG-KING 2007
Japan 2007 | DV 5min.
Dir. Kentarou Suzuki
The first Keirin race for street riders in Japan.


TRYPSICLE
USA 2004 | DV 2min.
Dir. Elliot Montgomery
Visual ride.


FAST FRIDAY
USA 2007 | DV 27min.
Dir. David Rowe
Documents the rise of the prolific track bike scene in Seattle. Started by clothing designer and fixed-gear rider Dustin Klein (M.A.S.H.), the monthly bike event known as "Fast Friday" has grown into a showcase of today's most talented riders.

THE SIX-DAY BICYCLE RACES
USA 2006 | DV 60min.
Dir. Mark Tyson
Discover the original American form of bicycle racing when the track was king. Traces the history of the forgotten sport from early days in the 1880s through the sad demise in the 1950s. Interviews bring to life the Six-Day Bicycle Race. The film shares the excitement of an era when a bike rider could make in six days what his father might earn in six years.


SATURDAY JULY 19
1:30
LUCAS BRUNELLE WORLDWIDE ADVENTURE
USA 2006 | DV 11min.
Dir. Lucas Brunelle
Lucas gives us a look at riding like no one else. London's underground, the English Countryside, LA's palm tree lined streets and Tokyo's freeways are some of the backdrops for alleycats seen through the helmet cam.


WORLD ON WHEELS
USA 2008 | Super 8 Film 3min.
Dir. Lisa Marr and Paolo Davanzo
An animated bicycle excursion around the world.


THE BIKE LANE
USA 2007 | DV 65min.
Dir. Sean Patrick Crowell
Before the Lakers and Dodgers, there were the LA wheelman and the Los Angeles Athletic Club cycling team. Before the sig alert and the carpool lane people worked on their bicycles as police officers, lamp lighters, and couriers. Turn of the century Los Angeles was a hot bed of bicycle culture and over one hundred years later it still is.

"The Bike Lane" is a documentary about the bicycling scene in Los Angeles as told by a bicycling advocate, an LA bike messenger, a cycling coach and bike shop owner. The film follows these distinct groups of cyclists as they navigate their way through the city of angels.



3:30pm
PANTANI E "LE TOUR DE FRANCE"
Italy 2008 | DV 9min.
Dir. Natali Fabrizio
Amazing collage of images of Marco Pantani.

COPPI
Italy 2006 | DV 7min.
Dir. Antonio Poce and Valerio Murat
An intermedial work celebrating the mythical figure of Fausto Coppi.

LES NINJA DU JAPON
Italy 2007 | DV 82min.
Dir. Giovanni Giommi
5 semi-professional Japanese cyclists face their most challenging race at the famous stage competition in Africa: the Tour du Faso.

5:30pm
FIXIE DAVE
USA 2008 | HD 7min.
Dir. Terry Breheny
Dave Nice, aka Fixie Dave: an endurance cyclist exploring the country on a fixed-gear single speed rigid bike.

ACROSS THE CZECH REPUBLIC
USA / Czech Republic 2008 | Super 8 5min.
Dir. Jason Reid
In April 2007, three Americans from Seattle bicycled across the Czech Republic. This is their film.


PTERYDACTYL "Polio"
USA 2007 | DV 3min.
Dir. Matt Marlin
Music Video
A bicycle wheel escapes the clutches of an evil bike shop...


HAVE YOU SEEN IT
USA 2007 | HD/16mm 22min.
Dir. Eric Crosland
Part MTB film, part thriller, part documentary, this movie is sure to surprise...

THE WAY BOBBY SEES IT
USA 2008 | DV 57min.
Dir. Jason Watkins, Wendy Todd
A gripping story about a blind mountain biker who relies on a "guide" to help him see as he races down one of the most difficult downhill courses in the U.S.

7:30pm
STANDING START
UK 2007 | DV 12min.
Dir. Adrian McDowall and Finlay Pretsell
See Program 2

MILLAR'S TALE
USA 2007 | DV 11min.
Dir. Nigel Dick
David Millar, one time prologue winner of the Tour de France, talks about his fight against doping and his future with Slipstream Sports.


FROM TRAGEDY TO ADVOCACY: MARY BETH KELLY
USA 2008 | DV 5min.
Clarence Eckerson Jr
Mary Beth Kelly has turned into an even bigger bike advocate since her husband was killed by a tow truck while riding his bike.


ROAD TO ROUBAIX
USA 2008 | Video 75min.
Dir. David Deal and David Cooper
The film features the most difficult and prestigious one-day cycling race in the world: Paris-Roubaix. First held in 1896, the race is a grueling contest over 160 miles of cobbled farm roads in Northern France with a finish in the historic Roubaix velodrome.


9:30pm
URBAN BIKE SHORTS
KING OF SKITCH
USA 2008 | HD 2min.
Dir. Daniel Leeb
The King of NYC, Felipe Robayo, always finds the fastest way to get from A to B.


WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO
UK 2007 | Video 3min.
BAT FOR LASHES
Dir. Dougal Wilson
Music video


THE TOOLBOX ("Spare Parts Race")
USA 2008 | Digital/Stop Motion Animation 2min.
Dir. Chombo
Leftover bicycle parts race one another for glory!


RAVEN AND THE BICYCLE ANGEL
USA 2007 | DV 8min.
Dir. Jonathan van Tulleken
A fun mockumentary about a young man's attempt to win the heart of the woman of his dreams by cycling in a bike courier race.


WOLFPACK HUSTLE: THE MIDNIGHT DRAGRACE
USA 2006 | DV 5min.
Dir. Donny Digital
2nd Street Tunnel single speed and fixed gear drag races in LA.


FUMIKIRI
Japan 2008 | DV 8min.
Dir. Daisuke Hayakawa and Toshihiko Nakano
A view into riding styles of the talented and creative urban track riders of Japan.


LA BIKE SCENE
USA | 10min.
Dir. Shawn Bannon
Los Angeles has it all. From fearless racers to tall bike riders, the LA bike scene is the biggest party and the craziest ride you've ever been on.


MYSTIK MOOD
USA 1988 | Super 8 4min.
Dir. Dieter Runge
A day in the life of a NY bike messenger edited to the song Mystik Mood by the NY band East of Eden.

SCRAPER BIKES
TRUNK BOIZ
USA 2007 | Video 3min.
Dir. Spencer Fortin
Music video

BELLE EPOCH
Italy|USA 2008 | Video 3min.
Dir. Robert Chynoweth
Italian cyclist Giuliano Calore (aka "Cyclist of the Impossible) rides on Europe's steepest mountain roads playing different musical instruments along the way.


TACO TUESDAYS-"Photography Ride"
USA | 3min.
Dir. Kenny Ong
Friends come together weekly to ride.


BALORDA
Italy 2007 | DV 8min.
Dir. Luca Bedini and Marco Brandoli
In Northern Italy, 3000 people come together for a slow orgiastic 3-mile ride feasting on Lambrusco, pasta, and song.

THE MAKING OF BOOTLEG SESSIONS V.2
USA 2008 | DV 5min.
Dir. Burd Phillips
A short on the efforts of wayward cyclists proving there's infinite ways to have fun on bicycles.


WAFFLE BIKE
USA 2008 | DV 7min.
Dir. Neistat Brothers and Tom Sachs
Tom Sach's rides his Waffle Bike to Brooklyn.


KEIRIN
Japan/Italy 2008 | HD 5min.
Dir Giovanni Giommi
A beautifully shot portrait of Japanese Track Racers directed by the director of LES NINJA DU JAPON.


MACAFRAMA
USA 2007 | HD 11min.
Dir. Colby Elrick and Colin Arlen
Beautifully shot video showcasing some of the most talented street track riders on the west coast.


LUCAS BRUNELLE WORLDWIDE ADVENTURE
USA 2006 | DV 11min.
Dir. Lucas Brunelle
Lucas gives us a look at riding like no one else. London's underground, the English Countryside, LA's palm tree lined streets and Tokyo's freeways are some of the backdrops for alleycats seen through the helmet cam.


SUNDAY JULY 20
BFF STREET PARTY
12-8
Heliotrope Drive at Melrose Avenue
East Hollywood

This is going to be the party of the year!
Fun bike games, bunnyhop contest, track competitions, free-style competitions. Great Musci too!!

Before we get to the official - and redundant - announcement of the Westwood fest's award-winners, I would just like to thank Film Independent for not sticking entirely to their pandering, "Audience Is King" battle cry.
Much as I enjoyed the indeed audience-pleasing, already in or coming soon to a theater near you fest films "Wanted," "The Wackness," "American Teen" and "Hellboy II," my favorite festival experiences were at difficult, not necessarily great and certainly not mass audience films that may never hit an L.A. screen again. Whatever their flaws, they were all unique, audacious, highly personalized works that emphasized the true artistic value of cinema: i.e., that the director, not the audience, is creative king.
So thanks, LAFF, for showing me:
The fascist Brazilian cop movie "Elite Squad," the stylistically pumped-up, psycho-socially keen-edged and hilariously corrupt success de scandale that won the Berlin Film Festival amid much politically correct hand-wringing;
Nicolas Klotz's demanding, talky "Heartbeat Detector," with its tour-de-force performance from "Diving Bell and Butterfly's" Mathieu Amalric as an HR profiler who discovers the links between his multinational corporation and its buried Nazi past;
"La France," another idea for a movie only the French could come up with involving cross-dressing, dessertion and breaking into impromptu song routines during the darkest days of World War I;
"You, The Living," Roy Andersson's ("Songs from the Second Floor") episodic, outlandishly deadpan and vaguely apocalyptic index of modern Swedish discontents;
And the, um, classic Shaw Brothers martial arts potboiler "Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan." It may not be art, but it's a jaw-dropper from forced porstitution start to limb-hacking finish.

That's what I saw. Now, onto what the judges and "kings" deemed worthy:

LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL HONORS 2008 AWARD WINNERS

AT FESTIVAL AWARDS NIGHT

TARGET FILMMAKER AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT CLOSING NIGHT

BY GUILLERMO DEL TORO

Sean Baker's Prince of Broadway

Winner of the Target Filmmaker Award (for Best Narrative Feature)

-- The award carries with it an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 funded by Target -

Darius Marder's Loot

Winner of the Target Documentary Award (for Best Documentary Feature)

-- The award carries with it an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 funded by Target -

Jonathan Levine's The Wackness

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature

Sacha Gervasi's Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature

James Marsh's Man on Wire

Winner of the Audience Award for Best International Feature

SHORT FILM AND OTHER AWARDS ALSO ANNOUNCED

The Los Angeles Film Festival announced its 2008 award winners at the Festival's Awards Night on Sunday, June 29, where acclaimed actor Don Cheadle was honored with the 2008 Spirit of Independence Award. The awards, presented by Rosanna Arquette, Illeana Douglas, Paul Haggis, Jennifer Beals and Halle Berry, include the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, which went to Jonathan Levine for The Wackness and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, which went to Sacha Gervasi for Anvil! The Story of Anvil. James Marsh's Man on Wire won the Audience Award for Best International Feature.

The award for Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition went to Jennifer Lawrence for her performance in Lori Petty's The Poker House. Given to an actor or actors from an official selection in the Narrative Competition, this is the fifth year the award has been given out at the Festival.

The award for Best Narrative Short Film went to Alice Winocour's Magic Paris. The award for Best Documentary Short Film went to Eva Weber's City of Cranes. Cam Christiansen's I Have Seen the Future won the award for Best Animated/Experimental Short Film.

The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to Darren Thornton's Frankie. Melanie Mandl's Run won the Audience Award for Best Music Video for Air.

"The audience truly is king, and it shows through their continued enthusiasm for diverse, entertaining, and thought-provoking films," said Los Angeles Film Festival Director Rich Raddon. "The opportunity to see new summer movies and discover new international and independent talent has continued to fuel the growth in attendance at the Festival."

The winners of the Target Filmmaker Awards were announced at Closing Night on Saturday, June 28. Hellboy II director Guillermo del Toro presented the awards to this year's lucky winners. The Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Sean Baker for Prince of Broadway, and the Target Documentary Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Darius Marder for Loot. The Documentary Jury also bestowed a Special Jury Commendation to Pressure Cooker directed by Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker.

In Sean Baker's Prince of Broadway, immigrants from different parts of the world, Lucky and Levon, are trying to carve out their chunk of the American dream, hustling knock-offs in New York City's chaotic Garment District. When an ex-girlfriend leaves a toddler in Lucky's care, his newfound responsibilities send a ripple effect through both men's lives. Working against predictability and melodrama, director Sean Baker's delicately drawn portrait of American life is laced with humor and a deep affection for his characters, expertly brought to life by a near-perfect cast of up-and-comers who grace the screen with truthful and compelling performances.

In awarding Prince of Broadway with the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature, the jury stated the following: "Combining uncommonly quick-witted directorial skill with a lively and humane understanding of how all sorts of new Americans learn to scrape by at the bottom of New York's melting pot, Sean Baker's Prince of Broadway avoids sentimental pitfalls while letting the audience share the complications and private victories of lives that too many movies don't think twice about."

The Narrative Feature Competition jury was comprised of Stephanie Allain, Tom Carson, and Robert M. Young.

Darius Marder's Loot asks the question, what would possess a used-car salesman from Utah to spend months searching through a filthy house piled with years of junk or to trek through the hills of Austria with only the memories of a blind man to guide him? Buried treasure, hidden more than 60 years ago by two World War II veterans. Despite the complications of fading memories and failing health, the lure of untold riches -- no matter how unlikely -- is simply irresistible. But what begins as a fool's errand slowly becomes a journey all three men were destined to take in this quietly devastating documentary.

The Documentary Jury chose Loot as the recipient of the Target Documentary Award "because its elegance and exquisite craft delivers everything you want in a documentary. Its uniquely flawed characters, sublime surprise of verité, and keen cinematic eye come together in a beautiful and riveting film."

The Documentary Feature Competition jury was comprised of Marina Goldovskaya, Esther Robinson, and Morgan Spurlock.

In Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's Pressure Cooker, unorthodox Culinary Arts teacher Mrs. Stephenson isn't sugar and spice; she's a tyrant known throughout her Philly public high school for her hoarse rebukes of her students' "McDonald's palates" and sloppy crêpes. She may be disarmingly blunt, but she cares about the final product: Last year, 11 of her seniors totaled $750,000 in scholarships to top culinary schools across the nation. Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's high-heat documentary follows students Erica, Tyree, and Fatoumata, three dedicated inner-city kids with circumstances stacked against them whose best hope for their futures depends on the perfect Tourne potato.

The Documentary Jury bestowed a Special Jury Commendation on Pressure Cooker "for passionately demonstrating the beauty and artfulness of food, the miracle of education, and the difference tough love can make in the lives of many."

Awards were given out in the following categories:

Target Filmmaker Award (for Best Narrative Feature)

Winner: Prince of Broadway written by Sean Baker and Darren Dean, and directed by Sean Baker

Credits: Producer Darren Dean

Cast: Prince Adu, Karren Karagulian, Aiden Noesi

Film Description: Immigrants from different parts of the world, Lucky and Levon are trying to carve out their chunk of the American dream, hustling knock-offs in New York City's chaotic Garment District. When an ex-girlfriend leaves a toddler in Lucky's care, his newfound responsibilities send a ripple effect through both men's lives. Working against predictability and melodrama, director Sean Baker's delicately drawn portrait of American life is laced with humor and a deep affection for his characters, expertly brought to life by a near-perfect cast of up-and-comers who grace the screen with truthful and compelling performances.

The Target Filmmaker Award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 funded by Target, offering the financial means to help filmmakers transfer their vision to the screen. The award recognizes the finest American narrative film in competition. The award is given to the winning director of the Narrative Feature Competition. A special jury selects the winner. All narrative feature-length films screening in the Narrative Competition section were eligible.

The Narrative Feature Competition jury was comprised of Stephanie Allain, Tom Carson, and Robert M. Young.

****

Target Documentary Award (for Best Documentary Feature)

Winner: Loot written/directed by Darius Marder

Credits: Producer Darius Marder

Film Description: What would possess a used-car salesman from Utah to spend months searching through a filthy house piled with years of junk or to trek through the hills of Austria with only the memories of a blind man to guide him? Buried treasure, hidden more than 60 years ago by two World War II veterans. Despite the complications of fading memories and failing health, the lure of untold riches -- no matter how unlikely -- is simply irresistible. But what begins as a fool's errand slowly becomes a journey all three men were destined to take in this quietly devastating documentary.

The Target Documentary Award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 funded by Target, offering the financial means to help filmmakers transfer their vision to the screen. The award recognizes the finest American documentary film in competition. The award is given to the winning director of the Documentary Feature Competition. A special jury selects the winner. All documentary feature-length films screening in the Documentary Competition section were eligible.

The Documentary Feature Competition jury was comprised of Marina Goldovskaya, Esther Robinson, and Morgan Spurlock.

Special Documentary Jury Commendation

Title: Pressure Cooker, directed by Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker

Credits: Producer Jennifer Grausman

Film Description: Unorthodox Culinary Arts teacher Mrs. Stephenson isn't sugar and spice; she's a tyrant known throughout her Philly public high school for her hoarse rebukes of her students' "McDonald's palates" and sloppy crêpes. She may be disarmingly blunt, but she cares about the final product: Last year, 11 of her seniors totaled $750,000 in scholarships to top culinary schools across the nation. Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's high-heat documentary follows students Erica, Tyree, and Fatoumata, three dedicated inner-city kids with circumstances stacked against them whose best hope for their futures depends on the perfect Tourne potato.

****

Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition

Winner: Jennifer Lawrence of Lori Petty's The Poker House

Film Description: An ordinary day in young Agnes' life is anything but. With a strung-out mother, a pimp father figure, and a home overrun by gamblers, thieves, and johns, Agnes is simply trying to survive, along with her two younger sisters. Beautifully crafted and featuring breakout performances by a trio of young actresses, Lori Petty's directorial debut is at once frank and heartbreaking, lithe and hopeful. Eschewing predictability and indie tropes, Petty's film has at its heart the candid assertion that while the world can be cruel, good things can happen to people who need them.

In bestowing Jennifer Lawrence with Oustanding Performance recognition, the Jury stated: "Everything in The Poker House is riding on Jennifer Lawrence's performance, but we never once catch her looking like she knows it. Her ability to convince us that the victimized teenager she plays has never known any other life but this one -- and has no idea if it's unusual or not -- is screen acting at its very best."

The Narrative Feature Competition jury was comprised of Stephanie Allain, Tom Carson, and Robert M. Young.

****

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature

Winner: The Wackness written/directed by Jonathan Levine

Credits: Producers Keith Calder, Felipe Marino, Joe Neurauter, Brian Udovich

Cast: Josh Peck, Sir Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen, Method Man, Jane Adams

Film Description: Where were you in the summer of 1994? Writer and director Jonathan Levine brings those days of mixtapes and mad flavor back to life in this story of a New York City teenager who copes with the usual problems of girls and growing up while also slinging weed and trying to keep his family from getting evicted. Add an outrageous dope-smoking therapist played by Ben Kingsley alongside the central performances of Josh Peck and Juno's Olivia Thirlby, and this freewheeling farce plays as anything but wack.

This award is given to the narrative feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Narrative feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Narrative Competition, International Showcase, Summer Previews, Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre, Dark Wave, Guilty Pleasures, and Special Screenings.

****

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature

Winner: Anvil! The Story of Anvil directed by Sacha Gervasi

Credits: Producer Rebecca Yeldham

Film Description: A totally uncool twist of fate left pioneering Canadian metal band Anvil foundering in obscurity, despite the impact of its second album, 1982's Metal on Metal, on the then-burgeoning metal scene. Covering two years of tireless touring and the recording of Anvil's 13th album, former roadie Sacha Gervasi perfectly captures the humor and pathos of two middle-aged guys who still just want to rock and who never stopped believing that stardom could be just another gig away. Part comedy, part cautionary tale, Anvil! The Story of Anvil is an anthem to people who can't give up on their dreams without one last fight.

This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system. Documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: Documentary Competition, International Showcase, Summer Previews, Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre, Dark Wave, Guilty Pleasures, and Special Screenings.

****

Audience Award for Best International Feature

Winner: Man On Wire directed by James Marsh

Credits: Producer Simon Chinn

Cast: Featuring Philippe Petit

Country: England

Film Description: An unexpectedly moving tale of Philippe Petit, the French acrobat who in 1974 realized his fantasy to walk a tight-rope between the newly erected twin towers of the World Trade Center, Man on Wire is in many ways a tribute to the art of dreaming big, as footage of the construction of the WTC is intercut with interviews with Petit and his oddball collection of collaborators/co-conspirators. His walk is part art project, part performance, part act of rebellion, and James Marsh's film celebrates the seemingly impossible task and the man who dared dream it.

This award is given to the international feature audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system. All international feature-length films, both narrative and documentary, in the International Showcase, Summer Previews, Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre, Dark Wave, Guilty Pleasures, and Special Screenings were eligible for the Audience Award for Best International Feature.

****

Audience Award for Best Music Video

Winner: Run by Melanie Mandl

Music: Air

Description: A couple is forced to face their fears of spiders and loneliness.

This award is given to the music video audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system.

****

Best Narrative Short Film

Winner: Magic Paris by Alice Winocour

Credits: Producer Dharamsala

Description: Oh Paris! What a perfect setting for meeting the man of one's life...and his dog.

"Our choice for Best Narrative Short starts with the seemingly familiar setting of a woman adventuring into an unfamiliar city and finding romance, but with a humorously unexpected turn of events reminds us how life is truly an undefined map, marked by paths of sweet reward and bittersweet compromise," said the Shorts Competition Jury.

The Shorts Competition Jury was comprised of Robert Abele, Jessica Sanders, and Sean Shodahl.

****

Best Documentary Short Film

Winner: City of Cranes by Eva Weber

Credits: Producer Samantha Zarzosa

Description: Hidden in plain sight, a graceful and profound world is revealed in this documentary about the cranes that quietly shape our urban landscape.

"Best Documentary Short goes to Eva Weber's beautifully made film that gives us insight into the stories and perspectives of crane workers who operate their powerful machinery in birds'-eye solitude. Taking the short form into places new and unexpected, she's crafted a quietly artful piece that is thoughtful, touching, and funny," said the Shorts Competition Jury.

Best Animated/Experimental Short Film

Winner: I Have Seen the Future by Cam Christiansen

Credits: Written by Kris Demeanor, animated by Cam Christiansen and Scott Underhill

Description: On a hot summer afternoon, a father and son play tennis until their game is interrupted by a group of foul-mouthed hooligans.

"Visually interpreting Kris Demeanor's witty spoken-sung tune about pint-sized brats spoiling a young man's tennis match with his father, filmmaker Cam Christiansen uses primitive yet lyrical computer renderings to create an offbeat rumination on maturity and generation gaps," said the Shorts Competition Jury.

The Shorts Competition Jury was comprised of Robert Abele, Jessica Sanders, and Sean Shodahl.

****

Audience Award for Best Short Film

Winner: Frankie by Darren Thornton

Credits: Producer Collette Farrell

Description: Frankie is 15 and becoming a dad. He wants to do everything right but soon discovers that his determination may not be enough.

Awarded to the short film audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Shorts Programs or before Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, or International Showcase feature-length screenings were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Short Film.

The Shorts Competition Jury was comprised of Robert Abele, Jessica Sanders, and Sean Shodahl.

If you're into the stylized Japanese cartoon format, you'll be spending your Fourth of July Downtown.
Here's the press release:

ANIME EXPO® 2008 PREVIEW

Excitement Builds for Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention

Los Angeles, California (July 1, 2008) — With a huge colorful 200 foot long
banner proudly facing major L.A. freeways, a fantastic list of talent from
the U.S. and Japan, 2 huge concerts, Convention favorites like the
Masquerade and AX Idol, 11 major hotels in the Downtown Los Angeles area,
free 24 hour shuttle services, almost 200 exhibitors (with many of the major
industry players) and a state of the art registration system, Anime Expo®
2008 is looking to be, once again, the nation¹s premiere anime and manga
convention of the year. Anime Expo® 2008 will be held from July 3-6, 2008
at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More information
can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

Attendee numbers continue to grow by the hour in anticipation of one of the
most colorful conventions in the nation. "Our current pre-registration
numbers are amazing and surpass that of last year, we are really excited
that so many fans are coming to celebrate the popularity of anime and manga
in the U.S. To those who have yet to register, come and join us for one of
the most memorable experiences ever" states Liyin Liang Anime Expo® 2008's
Convention Chairwoman.

"With such huge support from the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police
Department, the Los Angeles Convention Center, Experient and LA Inc. we are
very excited and are sure that our attendees will have one of the most
enjoyable and fantastic convention experiences to date," states Trulee
Karahashi SPJA CEO.

The two new sneak peeks will introduce some of this year's AXBackstage
hosts as well as some tips on obtaining "good and cheap eats" for con-goers.

AXBackstage offers visitors an insider's look at the hottest anime/manga
titles, exclusive interviews with Guests attending this year's hottest
convention, video coverage of convention activities, attendee and convention
photos/images, news and related peripherals. In addition, visitors can
download up to date information and change/corrections in scheduled events,
activities and much more. AXBackstage will launch July 2, 2008 on the world
wide web at www.axbackstage.org.

The full list of official Anime Expo® 2008 Guests of Honor include up and
coming director Masahiro Ando, legendary American voice actor David Hayter,
famed POKEMON director Masamitsu Hidaka, the dynamic duo known as Jyukai,
renowned animator Hiromi Kato, celebrated veteran voice actor Toshihiko
Seki, the new Japanese "It-Girl" Shokotan and the legendary character
designer Takada Akemi.

Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add
on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online
Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org.

Free shuttle services for all hotel attendees will be provided. Regular
non-hotel attendees will have access to utilize the free shuttle services
during designated hours as well. All schedules and routes will be posted in
the lobby of each shuttle hotel. Frequency of service is pending local
traffic, road conditions and can change without notice. Also, no shuttle
service provided to the Holiday Inn City Center and the Figueroa Hotel (both
are within walking distance of the Los Angeles Convention Center).

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.

This year's Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television.
Platinum Sponsor is Imagi Studios. Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga
Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online. Patron Sponsors are Central
Park Media and COPIC Markers.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation¹s largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as
a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 ­ July 6, 2008 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public
about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate
communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more
popularly known by its entertainment property ­ Anime Expo®. More
information can be found at its website www.spja.org.