This was my thirteenth year covering The Sundance Film Festival. Would thirteen be an unlucky number? Well, yes and no. This year, due to some evil technical snafu I was unable to acquire press credentials. Although in reality, Press Creds aren't really such a big deal, but there's something comforting about wearing a picture of yourself around your neck. Plus it's fun to watch people quickly sneak a peak at your badge to see if you're somebody famous and then just as quickly dismiss you as some insignificant peasant. Having been wronged by the press people must have put some sort of positive spin on my Karma, because all things considered it was a charmed trip, lady luck was smiling.

I wanted to see in the neighborhood of thirty films, but I knew without credentials, (roughing it like back in the day) that was unrealistic. I narrowed my list down to twelve films. Of the twelve, I managed to pre-buy tickets to six of those. Astonishingly, I got into everything else through wait-listing or by begging attendees for extra tickets. The only film I got turned away from was a movie called A Very British Gangster. With that one, I actually did get a ticket from a lovely Dominon 3 rep named Emily Froelich,(the company representing the film) (and yes – I would've licked her Fro) but as I was making my way to the screening room, I was told the theater had just filled up. I was the first attendee to be turned away from that particular screening. Amazingly, however, the rest of the festival went smoothly.

This years fest was extremely edgy and I'd have to disagree with the plethora of vocal sourpusses calling this the worst Sundance in years. As far as I'm concerned, it was one of the best. It pays to do your homework and scout out the safe bet-films, I saw at least a half dozen strong films and of all the screenings I attended, there were only a couple I wasn't particularly fond of, but I didn't hate anything.

The big controversy this year revolved around Hounddog, a movie in which Dakota Fanning plays a young girl who gets raped. I find it funny that all the controversy seemed to be aimed at this film when Sundance also offered up Zoo, a documentary about men having sex with horses, and Teeth, a movie about a young girl with and extra set of molars - conveniently located in her vagina. (More to come on the casualties of casual sex.)

My biggest disappointment wouldn't be at the hands of a bad film, but rather the fact that that I failed to locate U2's Bono (on hand to view a documentary about The Clash's Joe Strummer) and director Steven Spielberg (on hand to...well...he's Steven Spielberg–he can do whatever the hell he wants). Both were in attendance, and given my enormous admiration for these two industry heavyweights, it would have been a dream come true to talk to these guys. Oh well, I wasn't really here to stargaze anyway. I was here to seek out snacking snatches.

GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB (Not Rated)

The first film I saw at Sundance 2007 ended up being one of the very best. Ghosts of Abu Ghraib documents the torturing of the Iraqi prisoners that lead to infamous photos which appeared in various newspapers, magazines and websites the world over - back in 2003. Through prisoner interviews, guard interviews, and startling photos, director Rory Kennedy offers a disturbing examination of torture and cruelty. And while the movie is a harsh and straight-forward indictment of the U.S. government (one has to wonder why the soldiers who carried out these inhumane orders were punished, while those who handed down the orders were not?), it's also a compelling exploration into the human psyche. What makes people do horrible things. What are our limitations when it comes to inflicting pain on our fellow man. These are just a couple of the questions explored in this haunting film. Ghosts of Abu Ghraib is a tough movie to sit through, particularly given the world's political climate, but it couldn't be any more relevant. This is powerful stuff.

Grade: B+

ROCKET SCIENCE (R)

Rocket Science was, without question, my favorite film at Sundance 2007. While this wonderfully offbeat high school movie will draw comparisons to Napoleon Dynamite (one of my favorite flicks at the 2005 festival), it isn't nearly as goofy. Featuring terrific newcomer Reece Daniel Thompson as Hal, a quiet, underachieving student with a stutter, and Anna Kendrick as the busybody overachiever who takes Hal under her wing, Rocket Science feels more like the love child of Alexander Payne's (Election) and Wes Anderson's (Rushmore). The film is charming and honest and deserves extra props for avoiding the cliched ending I was expecting. This flick won Jeffrey Blitz the Director's Award (deservedly so) and will be released by HBO Films later this year.

Grade: B+

WEAPONS (R)

If Rocket Science represents the best of Sundance 2007, then I suppose Weapons represents the worst (I don't count It's Fine! Everything is Fine, for reasons you'll read about shortly). Not that Weapons is all out terrible. It's just never nearly as gripping or profound as it thinks it is. As Weapons delves into it's tale of teen angst (and teen stupidity), it does so out of chronological order (ala Pulp Fiction) and exposes the audience to spontaneous bursts of shocking violence (none more so than the opening frames). In the end, this flick plays like a low rent version of Larry Clark's disturbing Kids.

Grade: C

ZOO (Not Rated)

How's this for bizarre subject matter. Zoo (derived from the word "zoophilia") is a documentary about a man who died of internal injuries sustained while being anally penetrated by a horse. In actuality, this movie isn't exploitive in any way (although the poster for the film would have you believe otherwise–look it up on line), but rather an exploration into the minds of some truly warped individuals. Through recreations and minimal interviews, Zoo attempts to become a haunting portrait of a most unconventional love story. Sadly, though, it comes up short. There's a lot going on in this film. It's an expose on zoophilia, it's about animal rights, and it delves into one's perception of what's right and what's wrong. Unfortunately, it doesn't tread deep enough into any of these various topics to be fully effective. Furthermore, the recreations are distracting. I understand that getting interviews with the actual men who took part in this strange love affair was virtually impossible, but then maybe that's why this film might have been more interesting had it been shot as a narrative. Great cinematography, amazing Phillip Glass inspired score, mediocre movie. (Read a full Zoo review on our "Movie Review" page.)

Grade: C+

IT'S FINE! EVERYTHING IS FINE. (Not Rated)

Crispin Glover's latest film (it's the second in a trilogy that started with What is It?) is one fry short of a happy meal. Glover (you may remember him as George McFly from the original Back to the Future) could be best described as a fusion of Ed Wood, John Waters, and Russ Meyer with a bit of David Lynch thrown in for good measure. His latest cinematic oddity is the brain child of Steven C. Stewart, a sixty- two year old man with cerebral palsy (he died shortly after the film was finished). Throughout the movie we are witness to strange characters and odd sexual situations. The film itself is poorly made (that would explain the C- rating) but the experience (made all the more entertaining by the giggling pot heads sitting directly behind us) and the Q & A following the film, made this a four star evening.

Grade: C-

TRADE (R)

Trade is a startling and provocative look into the sex trade operation. It shows, in unflinching fashion, how young girls and boys are plucked from their familiar surroundings and sold on the internet. In an odd way, Trade sort of plays like a dramatic version of Hostel. It's a nightmarish business that actually exists and by the end of the movie, it had my stomach in knots. Trade follows a police officer (played by Kevin Kline) who assists Mexican teenager Jorge (Cesar Ramos) in finding his missing sister, but the most effective portions of the movie involve the young, kidnaped victims themselves. Paulina Gaitan is sensational as Adriana, Jorge's little sister, but the movie really belongs to the lovely Alicja Bachleda-Curus as a twenty-something whom, after also being kidnaped, serves as a sort of mother figure to these scared children. I had issues with certain elements as depicted in this movie. The fashion in which these kids are sold on the internet seemed a little too easy, but there's no denying the over all effectiveness of this powerfully unsettling film. The ending in particular, leaves a long lasting impression. On a side note, there's one scene set to a new Rufus Wainwright song that simply gave me chills.

Grade: B

HOUNDDOG (R)

Hounddog was the most talked about film at Sundance 2007. In fact, attendees were so caught up in discussing the films controversial rape scene, that lost in all the hoopla was the sad fact that Hounddog isn't a particularly good movie. That stated, I want to make it clear that I found Dakota Fanning's performance here nothing short of astonishing. She brings depth and complexity to the role of a young girl from a broken home, who must endure the unthinkable. This is her finest hour as an actress, and it's a shame that the writing and direction aren't worthy of her considerable talent. In fact, the same could be said for most of the cast. David Morse is stellar as Fanning's oddball father, while Robin Wright Penn lends a healthy dose of vulnerability to the role of a woman who always runs away from her problems. The flipside is veteran Piper Laurie going way over the top as an insufferably overbearing southern Matriarch. Essentially, she's playing the same part that she played in Carrie back in the 70's. Only here, it doesn't work. The first half of Hounddog starts off strong then quickly loses its way.

Grade: C+

BLACK SNAKE MOAN (R)

Craig Brewer's entertaining follow up to Hustle and Flow proves that this exciting film maker is the real deal. Black Snake Moan features Samuel L. Jackson as a God fearing old timer who takes it upon himself to purge a promiscuous young woman (played by Christina Ricci) of her "wicked ways." He does so by chaining the licentious spitfire to a water heater and refusing to let her out of his sight. On paper, that probably sounds weird. Who am I kidding? It is weird. Still, the movie works like an absolute charm - fusing elements of drama, comedy and exploitation with a healthy dose of southern mysticism. Jackson gives his strongest performance since Pulp Fiction while the uninhibited Ricci gives a fiery turn as a sexually charged temptress. Further adding to Black Snake Moan's effectiveness is a stellar blues soundtrack.

Grade: B+

FIDO (R)

Just when you thought the zombie genre had gone as far as it could go (it doesn't get any better than Shaun of the Dead), in walks Fido, a wonderfully inventive meshing of zombie horror and comedy. Taking place in the 50's, Fido imagines a world where zombies have become servants in a kind of strange metaphor for racial prejudice. Young Timmy has always wanted a zombie, but his stern father (played by Dylan Baker) refuses to bring one into the home due to a horrible mishap that occurred when he was younger. Against dad's wishes, mom (played by The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss) brings a zombie home to Timmy anyway. Shortly thereafter, all hell breaks lose. Where this extraordinarily entertaining movie goes, is beyond description. The biggest stroke of genius this film has up it's sleeve is veteran actor Billy Connolly who playfully livens up the proceedings as a zombie called Fido.

Grade: B

DEDICATION (R)

Dedication is an odd but charming little gem about a neurotic children's book writer (Billy Crudup) whose penchant for saying the wrong thing drives away those he cares about most. His strange life becomes uber- chaotic when he's ordered to work with a new illustrator (Mandy Moore). Crudup is endlessly fascinating in this movie and Mandy Moore comes into her own in what is easily her strongest work to date. As a duet, these two actors prove to have real chemistry and while at the surface Dedication's love story seems to be something of a sitcom type scenario, Crudup and Moore make it anything but that. Quirky can be great when done properly, and Dedication does it right. On a final note, a special shout out to the wonderful Tom Wilkinson who soars as Crudup's aging (and somewhat grizzled) mentor. By the way, Deerhoof's oddly infectious soundtrack is perfectly fitting.

Grade: B

THE SIGNAL (R)

There was much buzz surrounding The Signal at this year's festival. It was being hailed a new milestone in the world of low budget horror. Needless to say, I was very excited as I'm a huge fan of the genre. Did the movie live up to the hype? Not quite, but I still found it extremely entertaining, particularly the first half. The film showcases a world gone mad after strange signals start affecting those watching television and talking on cell phones. After being infected by the signal, folks simply start killing one another. The first fifteen minutes or so of this movie reminded me of the opening minutes of Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake. Right out of the gate, it's sheer chaotic madness on a horrific scale. As the film progresses, a lighter tone surfaces and eventually, the movie becomes a horror/comedy. The Signal is told in three acts, each shot by a different director, and while I enjoyed a lot of it, the shifting of tone becomes a bit jarring. I really had a fun time during this movie, but the second and third acts don't live up to the first. Conceptually, The Signal is quite inventive, and I for one, would like to see this concept explored further.

Grade: B-