Check It. Dogtooth at the Sunset Laemmle 5.

Last month, the Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre did an unprecedented thing: book one new film to play for one full week. Cinefamily usually sticks to one-off screenings of older and less readily available movies, but they said this one film was just special enough to break the routine. That movie was Dogtooth.

And a special movie it is. As evidenced by the trailer above, this Greek film doesn't easily fit within any regular genre, and it isn't necessarily for the more conservative of minds. Without spoiling anything, a lot of strange and pretty mentally disturbing things happen in the world of Dogtooth. There's a lot of shock value, and viewers aren't expected to necessarily feel comfortable watching. But you also can't take your eyes off the screen, and with the right sense of humor and an open mind, you'll be able to chuckle along for some parts. It's an engaging film, and one to get you thinking. And hey, it's also up for an Academy Award (Best Foreign Language Film).

See what the buzz is all about -- it's sure to become a sort of cult film in the future. Dogtooth will be screening this weekend at the Sunset Laemmle 5, and don't wait, it won't stay there for long.

The Sunset Laemmle 5 is located at 8000 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Check here for showtimes.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Need another vacation already? How about a weekender to Palm Springs? The desert haven is usually reserved for trips to see grandparents or the stop before Coachella, but this weekend's got something special: the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

And this isn't just some locals-only, small film festival. It's a pretty big event, including the "largest selection of foreign language Oscar submissions of any film festival in the world." How about that? Beyond that are a plethora of other critically-acclaimed films, including Mike Leigh's Another Year, the Lance Bangs-directed and Spike Jonze-produced documentary The Lazarus Effect (for free!), and a retrospective on filmmaker Monte Hellman. Also look for a number of cool documentaries, films from up-and-coming filmmakers, and selections from past festivals. And even the stars come out -- Variety will be honoring Mark Wahlberg with its Indie Impact Award at the fest this weekend, and Michael Douglas will be receiving an Icon Award from the fest next Thursday.

It's definitely worth the trek if you're a film fan and can't make it to Sundance, and hey, you can't beat the Palm Springs weather, can you?

The Palm Springs International Film Festival begins today until Jan. 17. Check here for more details.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Visit Palm Springs