Journalist Jeremy Scahill wrote the bestseller "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army." Now his book "Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield," opening June 21 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas, hits theaters as a documentary feature.

Corporations that refuse to be held accountable for their actions are taken to task by an anarchist group in the new indie film, “The East," which opened June 14 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas and AMC La Jolla.

The indie film “Gut” won the Audience Choice Award at last year’s Horrible Imaginings Film Festival last year. Now it’s back for a pair of encore, late night screenings this Friday and Saturday at the Digital Gym Cinema. Check out my review and interview.

Comic-Con badges sold out in less than two hours on February 16 but anyone who registered for passes but failed to get any will have one more chance to get into the largest pop culture convention in America.

When the La Jolla Playhouse decided to stage “His Girl Friday,” they had to ask how could they make a play about reporters in 1939 Chicago connect with an audience in San Diego today? The solution involves a clever set design and plenty of doors.

Over the weekend, The Film Geeks kicked off a late night film series at The Digital Gym Cinema with "American Mary." Here is a video of the post-film Q&A with filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska.

Running The Trails Eatery is tough work but being a finalist in a reality TV show can be even more challenging. Stacey Poon-Kinney prepares for her Sunday debut as one of 12 finalists for Food Network Star.

A new late night film series kicks off this Friday at the Digital Gym’s micro cinema. It’s being presented by a group of programmers and myself and we call ourselves the Film Geeks. The first film is “American Mary” (screening May 31 and June 1 at 10pm) and represents tour dedication to genre films that push the envelope.

FilmOut, San Diego's LGBT Film Festival, kicks off its 15th year tonight with the teen comedy "BGF" at the Birch North Park Theater.

The Frequency Film Festival is living up to its name. It debuted in March and is already back for a second installment. The festival kicks off Thursday May 23 with the U.S. premiere of "Resurrection of a Bastard."

Horror writer Joe Hill's new novel, "NOS4A2," came out April 30. Listen to his full interview with KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando.

“The Iceman” (opened May 17 at Landmark’s Hillcrest Cinemas) is based on real life contract killer Richard Kuklinski. The film is a showcase for actor Michael Shannon.

If the French New Wave ever hooked up with Hammer Horror their bastard offspring might look like “Kiss of the Damned” (opening May 17 at Landmark’s La Jolla Village Theaters).

The South Korean film "Pieta" (opening May 17 at Reading Gaslamp Stadium 15) had its San Diego premiere at Pac-Arts' Spring Showcase earlier this year. It now returns for a theatrical run.

If you’re a street artist and you’re handed a 6000 square foot warehouse, you don’t ask any questions, you just start painting. Warehouse 1425 (Friday, May 17 at 1425 E Street, 6:00 to 10:00pm) is a one-night-only art party.

The new micro cinema inside the Media Arts Center’s Digital Gym on El Cajon Blvd is expanding film choices for San Diego audiences. It's taking a break from its usual documentaries and foreign fare for the indie comedy “The Brass Teapot” (opening May 17).

Adult Puppet Cabaret challenges expectations about what puppetry is. It does this through both the content of the show and the types of puppets it uses.

In an international group exhibition, Space 4 Art will present contemporary artwork that addresses themes concerning the unknown, the occult, and the metaphysical.

Genetic engineering provides the backdrop for the sci-fi thriller "Errors of the Human Body" (opening May 3 at Reading Gaslamp Stadium Theaters for late night screenings only on Friday and Saturday).

"Bert Stern: Original Madman" (opening May 2 at Landmark's Ken Cinema) had its San Diego debut at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival. It's a fascinating portrait of the photographer who helped make Smirnoff popular and shot Marilyn Monroe's last sitting.

Since I covered the opening of the Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders at TheNAT I feel a certain affinity for anything creepy and crawly going on over there, so naturally I attended the Bugs and Beer event last night.

The Film Consortium San Diego launched last year with what it called a Pitchfest and Mixer in October that attracted a couple hundred people. Its February event drew more than 700, and organizers hope tomorrow night’s event will draw even more.

Remake, sequel, prequel, reboot, reimagining – whatever you want to call it, Hollywood does love to return to something familiar. So what makes a good remake? Is it really a bad thing to remake an old film? Is this a new trend or have we always had to deal with remakes? Find out the answers with Midday Movies and The Geek Roundtable.

The International Rescue Committee provides support to refugees forced to flee from war and disaster. One way they raise funds and help spread the word about humanitarian crises is through their Annual International Documentary Film Series.

"Graceland" (opening April 26 at Reading Gaslamp and Varmel Mountain Theaters for one week) has nothing to do with The King. It's a Philippine thriller that mixes melodrama with complex moral questions.

The 8th Annual San Diego Student Shakespeare Festival (April 27 at noon in Balboa Park) proves the international appeal of the Bard with a school from Moscow joining the lineup.

The Oceanside Theater Company offers a world premiere, a kid’s musical, and a sketch comedy in its second season of productions. The company’s creative team as well as a pair of supreme beings talk about how they are redefining community theater.

When "Aida" closes this weekend it not only marks the end of the San Diego Opera’s 2013 season but also the end of their property master’s 25-year career. Ned W. Krumrey provides a behind the scenes glimpse of what a property master is responsible for -- everything from human sacrifices to taking out the trash.

Rob Zombie makes me so mad. He teased me with “The Devil’s Rejects” but has failed to live up to the potential of that film with anything since. “The Lords of Salem” (opened April 19 throughout San Diego) is his latest. Horro

Filmmaker David Cronenberg once told me he’s not interested in "comfortable cinema." Well he's apparently passed that onto his son Brandon Cronenberg whose debut film is "Antiviral" (playing April 26 and 27 at 10pm only at Reading Gaslamp Stadium Theaters).

The opera "Aida" (opening tomorrow night at the Civic Theater and running through April 28) gets a vibrant staging thanks in part to Del Mar resident and designer Zandra Rhodes. I'll take you backstage for the first rehearsal of San Diego Opera’s production.

The wild diversity of Asian cinema is once again highlighted in Pac-Arts Spring Showcase (April 18 through 25 at the Digiplex Mission Valley) with films ranging from “Linsanity” to werewolf children.

Rob Zombie's film career has been a rollercoaster in terms of the quality of work. His latest film, "The Lords of Salem," opens Friday and I am wondering which Rob Zombie will be showing up behind the camera.

It's a good week if you love Stanley Kubrick. You can catch both a documentary about "The Shining," called "Room 237" (opened April 12 at Reading Gaslamp Stadium Theatres) and see "The Shining" on the big screen (as FilmOut's monthly screening at the Birch Theatre in North Park on April 17).

Filmmaker Rodrigo Gudiño was born in San Diego, grew up in Tijuana, and now lives in Canada where he publishes a cult favorite horror magazine called Rue Morgue. His new film, “The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh,” reflects the influence of both borders.

The San Diego Derby Dolls provide the inspiration for the new play "Derbywise" (running through April 27 at the 10th Avenue Theater) from Circle Circle dot dot. Take a visit with us to the Dollhouse to get to know the real players before checking out the play.

Apparently, you cannot have too much of a good thing. So by popular demand Spike and Mike's 30th Festival Of Animation Extravaganza has been extended to April 13 with new shorts added.

The independent film “I Am Not A Hipster” was shot in San Diego, traveled to Sundance, and now returns home for a week run at the new Digital Gym Cinema starting today.

As any “Evil Dead” fan will tell you, when plans for a remake were announced we all shuddered and screamed, “NO!” But as the project eventually shaped up our anger started to subside and our interest grew about this new “Evil Dead” (opening April 5 throughout San Diego).

"A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs!" They don't write taglines like that any more, and they don't make sci-fi like they did in the 1950s. That's why TheNAT's screening of "Them!" this Wednesday night at 7:00pm on the big screen is such a delight.

Hasbro created the G.I. Joe action figure in 1964, a multiple cartoon series and movies followed. The latest entry in the franchise is “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (opened March 29 throughout San Diego), a follow up to the 2009 “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.”

The murder of archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 has been the subject of both the stage and screen. It’s also the basis of the rarely performed opera, “Murder in the Cathedral.”

The film “K11” was a hit at the San Diego Latino Film Festival earlier this month. Now it returns to San Diego for a week’s run at the Digital Gym Cinema at 29th and El Cajon Boulevard. Both the film and the venue are exciting news for filmgoers.

If you were unable to buy tickets for this summer's Comic-Con then you might want to consider WonderCon, Comic-Con's little sister. But don’t wait too long because WonderCon tickets are selling out as well.

"Olympus Has Fallen" (opened March 22 throughout San Diego) serves up "Die Hard" at the White House but without the sense of fun.

The Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad is sponsored by NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants. This weekend they open The Harp: A Global Story Of Man, Music, And Medicine.

The Master of Suspense returns to the big screen on Saturday with a marathon of 4 classic Hitchcock films at the Birch North Park Theater. The event is sponsored by FilmOut.

The San Diego Opera is hosting a first this Saturday. Join me for a rehearsal of “Cruzar La Cara De La Luna," the first mariachi opera.

South Korean director Park Chan Wook makes his American debut with “Stoker" (opening March 15 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas and Arclight La Jolla).

This Friday the Alzheimer’s Association of San Diego will hold its Memories in the Making Art Auction. See how art created by patients with Alzheimer’s is helping to raise awareness and money.