I thought when I moved to Hollywood that, at the very least, I'd be able to see any movie that came out and possibly discover some hidden gems. Unfortunately, that's not so. Indie features are nowhere to be found in Hollywood. Case in point, the highly anticipated "JCVD" is nowhere to be found. Like most independent films, it's pushed out to the outskirts of town, playing in one screen theaters in West L.A. or the Valley. The film "Assassination of a High School President" found a similar fate; I'm not sure it's playing anywhere despite opening this weekend.

What's even worse is that there are no shortage of theaters in Hollywood. The Arclight has 14 theaters but in the era of Simulplexes (as Peter Bart called them) they only have 9 movies showing (and in some cases, the films are only showing during the day). The old theaters of Hollywood hey day are rundown; most of been renovated to clubs or gyms. Some are rented out as churches. The one that is still going, The Vine, is a second run theater that also shows the occassional porn.

The only option for most indie films is The Sunset Five which is in a dying little mall, has lousy theaters, and one of the worst parking structures known to man. It's one of the few movies theaters that makes you wish you'd seen the movie at home.

I guess it shouldn't be a surprise then that one of the most popular film-centric events in Hollywood is held in a cemetary.