2008 Starz Film Fest - Opening Night

I've covered the Starz Film Festival for four years now and the one thing that stays constant is the excitement on opening night. There's always an electricity in the air as film patrons fill the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to kick off the cavalcade of movies.

Last night was no different as the festival launched with the latest film from Director Rian Johnson (who was also a former Dry Creek Elementary student – go Dolphins), "The Brothers Bloom." It's about two con-artist brothers, played by Mark Ruffalo and Adrian Brody, and their adventures. It's a fun, lighthearted film filled with many laugh-out-loud moments. Shameless plug: see my full review next month at www.aurorasentinel.com.

I was a little disappointed by the Denver Film Society's in-house short to kick off the festival. Last year's was fun with Mayor Hickenlooper and Ron Henderson. This year featured local comedian Magic Cyclops in a lackluster bit.

"Dog," the 90-second short that opened the show, was a cute animation about one boy's reaction to his brother's dog dying. (It can be seen at http://www.hermannkarlsson.co.uk)

Now that the festival's underway, there are a number of flicks that I'm planning to catch:

• "Chocolate" (Thailand) - Saturday at midnight
  Think Tony Jaa if he were a female. The latest movie from the director of "Ong Bak" is sure to be filled with as much action as his previous two.
  
• "Slumdog Millionaire" (UK) - Saturday at 7:30 - $30
  Awesome flick. Check out my review at http://www.aurorasentinel.com/articles/2008/11/14/living/reviews/doc491d36fccbb9d136330687.txt.
• "Waltz With Bashir" (Israel) - Sunday at 1 p.m.
  It's an animated movie about a veteran of the 1982 Lebanon War.
  
• An Evening with Don Hertzfeldt - Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m.
  Hertzfeldt has been one of my favorite animators since I discovered him in college. His pieces are off the wall, a little crazy, but always hilarious.