Photo by Christa Connelly

Hibbleton Gallery in Downtown Fullerton hosted an opening reception March 12, for its latest art exhibit, “About Face.” The unique element of this particular exhibit was that one of the featured artists was Steve Westbrook, associate professor of English at Cal Sate Fullerton. The other artist, Joseph Chesmore, is a local who has displayed his art in Long Beach and in Los Angeles’ art walks.

Both contemporary artists focus on faces, highlighting different emotions.

As the Hibbleton invite stated, “Steve Westbrook is interested in the darkest of humor … Therefore, he paints portraits of sad men wearing funny hats, attempting to convey both the vulnerability and absurdity that accompany moments of breakdown.”

Joseph Chesmore’s art is described by Hibbleton as striving to “capture the image of someone lost in thought and oblivious to the outside world around them.” Both artists show a glimpse into a part of the soul that is often a private or personal moment in people’s lives.

Showing up in a “funny hat” and mingling among friends and colleagues, Westbrook explained his choice of focusing on faces as, “I just painted two faces, and it started from there.” His goal with his humorous, downdtrodden, oxymoron portraits was to “elevate a moment of vulnerability and fallible men … and the issue of partriarchy of saints and … how men cloak their sandness. … That’s why the silly hats, costuming of hats.”

Among the attendees of the opening reception was Rachel Trillo, 22, an English graduate student.

“I really like (Westbrook’s) self-portrait. He takes something as simple as frowns and stupid hats and makes them worthwhile to look at. There’s a silly element to it,” Trillo said.

Landon Lewis, 27, one of the owners of Hibbleton Gallery, explained that Westbrook came by the gallery one day with a bag of hats.

“I chose the daisy hat because it’s whimsical. I thought it was funny and the most feminine hat,” which goes in line with the theme of the Westbrook’s work: emasculation.

With such titles as, “Jester La Tour and the Toil of Too Much Juggling,” “Officer Constantine and Constancy of Longing” and “Sir Daniel Edward and the Gross Negligence of Reason,” Westbrook said he wants “the titles to be over the top, absurd. I want to celebrate the failure.” His Catholic iconography inspired portraits, done with acrylic on wood, allow viewers to “start to create a narrative. I like that I don’t have control of these narratives,” Westbrook said.

Chuck Oldfield, 27, another Hibbleton owner, said he was at an “ugly sweater party with (Westbrook), and we nailed down then (a time to pose for the portrait). We tried on a few different hats and decided on that (a Mad Hatter-type hat).”

“He doesn’t smooth over (his subjects’) faces. … He shows a part of these men that you normally wouldn’t see, a vulnerability,” Oldfield said, describing Westbrook’s vision.

As an English professor, Westbrook said he does art “as a way to get rid of and be a break from academic writing and poetry.”

When creating, “I always have my iPod on. I listen to a lot of free jazz, electronic style,” Westbrook said. The Bad Plus; Nels Cline, guitarist for Wilco; Ahmad Szabo, “atmospheric guitar music,” as Westbrook described it, are among some of the musicians on his “artist’s playlist.”

“Free jazz gives you a structure and gives you a moment of departure; I like that.” Westbrook said.

While Westbrook chose to focus on showing men’s vulnerability through emasculation, Joseph Chesmore described his work, done with oil on panel, as, “people loss in thought, obvlivious to the outside world around them for a minute.” Capturing this fleeting moment in time of individuals blocking out all white noise and losing themselves in their own thoughts is another take on human vulnerability.

Chesmore’s subjects include friends, most of whom he “met online on Facebook. I see their picture and ask their permission (to use it). However, one is of an old pen pal of mine from when I was 9-years-old.” Utilizing the latest technology around him is what earns Chesmore the title of “contemporary artist” by viewers.

Aside from taking inspiration from photographs of individuals he “friends” on Facebook, Chesmore also turns to artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas. Musical inspiration includes grunge. “I grew up in the ’90s,” Chesmore said.

When asked why his paintings are on the smaller side, the contemporary artist responded, “I work small. I have a small space to work in, and people tend to buy smaller paintings.”

When it comes to titles of his works, Chesmore took on a minimalist approach, simply titling each “Untitled” and accompanied by the number in his series. “I changed the titles so many times that I finally just did ‘Unititled,’ ” Chesmore said.

“There’s a sort of eeriness about them, like a muted type of presence, like these portraits tell their entire story,” Trillo said of Chesmore’s works.

This featured art exhibit runs until March 28.

Photo courtesy Summit Entertainment

Writer/producer/director Roman Polanski releases his latest film after a five-year hiatus with his political thriller, The Ghost Writer.

Although Polanski has avoided the United States for the past 33 years (he was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 1977), there is no denying he is a talented filmmaker; the Academy Award-winning director is known for his legendary films such as The Pianist (2002), Chinatown (1974) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968).

In The Ghost Writer, actor Ewan McGregor plays the title role of the Ghost, a ghost writer working on the memoir of ex-British Prime Minister, Adam Lang. While writing the memoir, the Ghost begins to dig deeper into Lang’s past and becomes entangled in a web of deceit and lies and the only way out is to discover the truth… or so he thinks.

McGregor has starred in over 39 films, including Trainspotting (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Big Fish (2003) and The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) and has a few projects already lined up for the future.

Recently, McGregor sat down with the Daily Titan to discuss the film, working with legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski and creating his phantom character, the Ghost.

Daily Titan: In Moulin Rouge! you play a “penniless poet.” in The Men Who Stare at Goats you play a journalist and in this film you play a ghost writer. Is there something that attracts you to roles where your character is a writer?

Ewan McGregor: I think the thing is that writers like to write about their writing. They really… like the world to know that it’s a really difficult and exciting profession, don’t you all? So do you all enjoy writing about yourselves and all? It is true; I’ve played a few journalists and writers.

DT: What was it like to work with Polanski?

EM: He’s an iconic man and a legendary director, so for an actor it’s quite nerve-wracking and exciting to meet him. He’s kind of two different men, I think. When you’re off set, he’s making you coffee and making sure everyone’s alright and then when you start working on the text or actually on the set, he becomes quite, um, direct. He’s very direct. His direction is not guarded or sugar-coated in any way; he’s really quit brusque almost with his direction, but the direction is always very interesting.

DT: How does Polanski’s directing style differ from other directors you’ve worked with, such as Tim Burton, George Lucas and Baz Luhrmann?

EM: I went through a process with him… we’re quite sensitive, actors, I think, and when we try something out, if it’s not considered to be good or right… Polanski wouldn’t worry about telling you that it was wrong, he didn’t do it to hurt your feelings, but I have to say, I realized very quickly that he was like that with everybody… I realized that it was not a personal thing, it’s just absolutely about his manner of how he directs.

DT: How did you create your character? Did you read the book The Ghost by Robert Harris or just the screenplay written by Harris and Polanski?

EM: I read the script first. There’s not a great deal of information about (the character) in the script or in the book. I think that’s purposely done on the part of Harris and then on the part of Harris and Polanski when they wrote the script. He’s called the Ghost and there’s kind of a ghostly quality to him; he’s in amongst all these people, but we don’t know very much about him. I didn’t feel like I needed much more than what was on the page and the script because they wrote him really clearly, I felt.

DT: What was it like working with actor Pierce Brosnan?

EM: Pierce is an actor I’ve always watched. There are a handful of actors you wonder if one day you will work with them and Pierce was always one of those. I’ve always enjoyed watching him. When Pierce arrived, we were… up near Poland and we had really bad weather problems in that we had really good weather and we needed really bad weather. So… because we had bad weather we had to shoot the scene in the private jet, which is really a big-long scene, it was a seven-page scene and Roman phoned up Pierce and said, ‘We’re thinking of maybe starting with that (scene) and is that okay?’ And Pierce said, ‘Yes, of course, that’s fine,’ and suddenly you find yourself in that little jet set, that’s quite fun to say, ‘jet set’ (smiles, laughs), and (Pierce) was on the jet set and having to wade through seven pages of dialogue with me and be directed by Polanski for the first time.

DT: You’ve sung in some of your films such as A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Down With Love (2003) and Moulin Rouge!(2001). Do you have any plans to do any musicals anytime soon?

EM: Oh maybe, I don’t know, I haven’t been offered one in a little while, but you never know.

Bat Boy’s adventures in the magazine were varied at best, but now you all can see his origination in musical form – “Bat Boy: The Musical” premiered at Cal State Fullerton March 12, and quite successfully at that.

It’s important not to approach this musical in a serious mindset – it’s not a piece that should be taken as anything more than good fun. There are some deeper social commentaries within the story (I can’t count the number of times I was able to make a connection to racism and bigotry), but that’s to be expected from a piece completely surrounding a character searching for acceptance from people who are clearly not used to tolerating anything remotely different.

The play itself surrounds the town of Hope Falls, West Virginia in the mid-1990’s. Something is killing all their cows – they refuse to believe it’s just the fact that they’re attempting to raise cows on a mountain – and when three siblings discover the Bat Boy in a cave within the town, citizens are quick to assume it’s him. The Bat Boy is soon brought to the family of the town veterinarian, the Parkers, so that he can be “taken care of” (aka killed) – but the loving mother is adamant in her wishes to treat him humanely. She names him Edgar and, with the help of her daughter, teaches him to speak and act sophisticated. The members of the town are still not convinced of his civility, however, and so unravels a tale filled with intrigue, mystery, and, of course, acceptance of things outside the norm.

The acting, though overdone to a degree by some, is quite engaging. The fact that some scenes are overacted only seems natural for the piece – it’s not a dramatic play, so there’s no need to drag scenes down by being anything less than enthusiastic. Jill Jacobs shines as Meredith Parker, the caring mother with a dark secret, and Maxwel S. Corpuz is hilarious as Mrs. Taylor.

Musically, the show was very effective. There is no fluff between the lyrics, and no songs drag on past their welcome. In its composition they display emotion, and in their lyrics the storyline, which is pretty much the goal of all tracks for musicals. There isn’t one number that seems out of place or awkward, they just all seem to fit. Don’t let yourself miss any lines from the songs, though, as most of them are absolutely hilarious.

From technical standpoint, the show is brilliant. Lighting effects are pleasantly abound, the sound is perfection, and the set is, in it’s minimalism, quite effective. The same stage was transformed with a few simple props from scene to scene, and the fact that not much actually changed was hardly noticeable.

While it’s a ridiculous concept, it’s an enjoyable one, cemented even further by an overall great production.

“Bat Boy: The Musical” runs through March 28 in the Young Theatre.

A young couple, Lucia Ramirez (America Ferrera, Ugly Betty) and Marcus Boyd (Lance Gross, TV’s House of Payne), become engaged and travel home to tell their families the good news; however, Lucia’s father didn’t even know she was dating anyone and Marcus’s father is a divorcee who cautions his son against taking the plunge. To further complicate the situation, the couple must also tell the family that the wedding must happen within three weeks because they are traveling together to Laos, so Marcus can practice medicine.

Despite the A-list talent and comedians on hand for this film, including comedian Carlos Mencia, Anjelah Johnson and Academy-Award winning actor Forest Whitaker, the film lacks in laughs. There are funny moments, including Charlie Murphy singing a rendition of Babyface’s “Soon as I Get Home.”

A lack of comedy creates a more dramatic or serious tone, which doesn’t feel right for the storyline. The movie ends up being in a state of purgatory between comedy and drama and yet doesn’t have the right balance of both to make it work. The best way to describe the in-between-drama-and-comedy tone of this movie is to think of any Ben Stiller movie and his quirky awkwardness, but take away the quirky awkwardness; it just doesn’t feel right for the plot.

Our Family Wedding needed to either up the ante on the comedy, or ramp up the drama, but it seems this film just couldn’t make up its mind, which makes the movie seem aimless and indecisive.

The year is 2029 and people no longer have to wait on a transplant list to obtain organs because science has created artificial organs. A company called The Union sells the organs, the way that Starbucks sells you a cup of coffee.

However, if you can’t pay for the coffee, baristas don’t come after you in the middle of the night and reclaim it. If payments are four months late, The Union sends repo men to collect the organs, by any bloody means possible.

After a repo-gone-wrong, Remy (Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes), ends up with an artificial heart and no longer has the ‘heart’ to slice people open. Remy’s best friend Jake (Forrest Whitaker, Our Family Wedding) thinks he’s just in a slump and will get back on his feet in no time, but that’s not the case, and Remy falls behind on his payments.

The film is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride and even has some humorous moments. It is also graphic and has plenty of blood and gore to boot, so if you have a queasy stomach, I would advise skipping this film (perhaps see The Bounty Hunter instead).

The movie is pure entertainment and should be viewed as such, because in some parts of the movie the situations seem a bit unrealistic. In one scene, Remy takes on about 10 corporate types in suits armed with knives, using a saw, knives and a hay hook. Unrealistic, yes. But fun and entertaining as hell.

It’s full of emotion, depth and every character has their own story to tell.

Set in 2001, Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) is an introverted young man who has a strained relationship with his father Charles (Pierce Brosnan). Charles is detached from his family and cares more about his career than his relationship with his son and daughter. We first see this when Tyler tells his father, “You have a daughter who thinks you genuinely don’t care about her” and he responds with, “She knows I’ll take care of her. That’s all there is.”

Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin) is Tyler’s love interest and the daughter of Police Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper). The film begins with a flashback from 1991 where we see an 11-year-old Ally witness the murder of her mother. Because of this, Neil becomes extremely protective of her.

Tyler and Neil have their first encounter when he gets arrested after getting into a fight while trying to protect a stranger. Tyler’s roommate comes up with a plan to get even with Neil by having Tyler date Ally with the intention of him dumping her. What follows is an intense, drama-filled ride.

Throughout the film you are pulled into each characters story and go on an emotional journey with them as it unfolds. You are able to sympathize with each character and feel the range of the emotions they experience, be it is anger, pain, happiness or rejection. The ending is unexpected and leaves a lasting impression.

Pattinson delivers a great performance and shows that he’s capable of playing a complex character. He is able to showcase the range of his acting abilities, which is something that is not seen in his previous films, the Twilight saga. While the film can be predictable at times and slow paced in the beginning, it’s worth seeing.

Before watching the movie, I was pretty excited to see Kristen Stewart, who plays Martine, an insecure teenager, once again steal the silver screen, but as the movie progressed I became uninterested and was waiting for it to end. The acting was great, however, the plot didn’t take any drastic twists or turns.

The movie opens with the main characters, William Hurt, Eddie Redmayne and Stewart meeting in a local diner. When their plans don’t go as expected, they make an impromto decision to roadtrip to New Orleans. The film did not give much background on the characters and left the audience guessing until the end, when more of the characters’ background was revealed.

An interesting part of The Yellow Handkerchief were the flashbacks between the characters played by Stewart and Redmayne. Hurt’s character was portrayed as a free spirit who was easy to talk to but seemed disturbed at every sight that he saw when he was in the car such as a yellow flower or the ocean.

The beginning and middle part of The Yellow Handkerchief is slow but gives the viewers a taste of what each character is about and why they came together. Based on a short story by Pete Hamill, The Yellow Handkerchief received its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

This film is obviously a love story that has a happy reuniting of Bret and his wife May. However, I would not recommend this film as a first choice to a younger couple on a first date. If you are a more mature couple and enjoy a slow beginning of a film with a happily ever-after ending, this is your choice. This movie will definitely keep you guessing.

The multiplayer side of BC2 is just as deep as MW2, if not more. If you go in with an MW2 mind frame, you will be creamed over and over again. While it is lacking the variety of game modes from MW2, Bad Company 2 sticks to its roots and requires you to use team based tactics to obtain your objectives. One thing that definitely separates this game is the use of vehicles. Cars, quads, tanks and helicopters are at your disposal.

So, if you want big explosions, over-the-top-action, some funny as hell exchanges between some lovable characters and if you’re sick and tired of that other shooter, then Bad Company 2 is a no-brainer. Is it going to pass up the 25 million plus units of MW2? Probably not. But numbers should not be a selling point for a gamer looking for an enjoyable experience. If you’re looking for a roller coaster ride in the comfort of your own home, then Battlefield: Bad Company 2 should be in your game console by the time you finish reading this.

Daily Titan: Do you think that the film has a potential to be a classic of our generation?

Jay Baruchel: Wow, oh my gosh. Well that’s like, if it isn’t we’ll eat these words. I think that it can hit a nerve. I’ll just be psyched if kids dig it at all. But I definitely think that there’s potential, that it’s the kind of movie that people will tell their friends that they should maybe watch it. You know? And I think that it’ll be a DVD thing that kind of gets passed around a lot. Maybe a cult classic.

DT: Director Jean Field Smith has directed sketch comedy and this is his first big feature film. So how did Smith bring that kind of experience  to directing this particular movie?

JB: Well, he was also a sketch performer himself in his own right. He is just kind of wired comedicly. He kind of always knew what was funny and I think he had pretty good instinct.

Nate Torrence: I think that he did a great job as far as just not only letting us play but just being able to control the tone of it all. I think he did an amazing job for a first timer. I was never worried, really. He’s a funny guy.

DT: I was wondering what personal touches you added to your characters to make them relateable?

NT: I think that all of us really tried as hard as we can, not just with characters but with the whole movie. Our director wanted to make this not caricatures, but reality … I think a great sense of what we were trying to do is even with our lunch scene. We all got to choose what we thought our character would eat. That was one of the funniest things. TJ, if you look on his plate he had a plate of pizza and chicken McNuggets and then I have everything Zip-Locked.

JB: I was the smart one, I chose not to eat, because I know how gross it is to eat on camera … I think you got to make them sympathetic and accessible. I guess it’s a question of inserting yourself a bit more into it at certain points.

DT: Jay, this is your first leading role, with the exception of Undeclared. What was it like taking over that leading role?

JB: I have to say that I was kind of groomed for it, in that fortunately the whole time that I’ve had a career in the States doing supporting stuff, I’ve been making some pretty cool independent movies back home in Canada and I’ve been the lead in most of those. That coupled with Undeclared and plus when I started when I was 12, I was the lead in two different TV shows. So if nothing else, I knew what it was to … carry a movie on my shoulders. I guess it’s all about longevity.

DT: Was there a lot of improving while you guys were filming and did any of it make it to the final cut of the film?

NT: Yeah, that’s what was cool. We got to play around and there are definitely a bunch of jokes where you just make up as many funny things as you can. There’s also a couple of scenes where they flat out just weren’t in the script and they made it in the movie somehow.

JB: You put the four of us in a room together and no matter what it’s gonna be an improv festival.

Ewan McGregor (The Men Who Stare at Goats, Moulin Rouge) plays ‘The Ghost,’ a ghost writer hired by former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia!) to help him finish his memoirs. The Ghost doesn’t quite know what he gets himself into when he finds out his predecessor ended up dead, and the Prime Minister is accused of illegally seizing suspected terrorists in Pakistan and handing them over for torture by the CIA. After doing some research of his own, The Ghost comes to find that not everything is as it seems, putting his life in danger. The clock is ticking and only The Ghost can find the truth, but can he do it before he ends up like his predecessor?

This film is not simple and mindless – it is a tangled web of politics, lies and intrigue. The film keeps the audience on their toes and requires their full attention to completely understand the plot, otherwise the ending becomes anti-climatic and leaves audience members scratching their heads wondering what the hell just happened.

The film has one talented cast, including McGregor, Brosnan, Kim Cattral (Sex and the City: The Movie), Tom Wilkinson (Duplicity) and Olivia Williams (An Education). The cast are the heart and driving force behind the film, so even if you leave the theater thoroughly confused by the plot, at least the acting was superb.

Despite the controversy of Polanski’s personal life, he proves that his films are still a tour de force and The Ghost Writer is no exception.

The Cove is an inspiring documentary that unfurls like a thriller. Equipped with camouflage clothing, hidden cameras and deep sea divers, the crew is determined to slip past aggressive guards to capture images of the rampant dolphin slaughters, all while being chased by what might be Japanese cops, or the mafia.

Because dolphins are not protected by the ban on commercial whaling, the annual killing of the 23,000 animals is perfectly legal, however scenes in the movie show the brutal, stomach-churning massacre in the secluded lagoon – scenes that the locals are completely unaware of. Other secrets are exposed, revealing the disreputable business that supports the city’s economy and the possible “buying” of votes in the International Whaling Commission.

The exceptionally well-put-together documentary, which debuted in July 2009, earned an Oscar at the 2010 Academy Awards.

During the film, we see Psihoyos recruit his dream team in order to capture the powerful images they need in hopes to shut the operation down. With state-of-the-art equipment hidden in trees and rocks surrounding the kill zone, they capture sights and sounds of the cruelty that rouse you to shred your SeaWorld pass.

The movie features heroes of the movement, including two Japanese councilmen who were responsible for prohibiting the mercury-infected dolphin meat from the school lunch system.

Richard O’Barry, who captured and trained the five dolphins used for the family-favorite Flipper, feels responsible for the billion dollar swim-with-dolphins and show-whale industries. The fatigue is ever noticeable, showing the exhaustion of the 35 years attempting to undo what he created.

Along with the Oceanic Preservation Society, Psihoyos, O’Barry and the crew embark on this mission to expose the sinful procedures in the hidden lagoon and why it matters to everyone else in the world.

In typical Burton fashion, this isn’t simply a remake of the Walt Disney 1951 classic; it has been revamped to illustrate Alice’s return to “Underland,” (as the denizens call their fantastical home) after 13 years.

Now a young woman, Alice (Mia Wasikowska, Amelia) returns to the world of wonderland, convinced that she is stuck in a dream. Alice’s friends and citizens of Wonderland, White Rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen, New Moon), twins Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas) and Dormouse (voiced by Barbara Windsor) must convince Alice that she isn’t dreaming and that she is the “champion;” the chosen one to defeat the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham-Carter) fearsome creature, the Jabberwocky.

The film is visually stunning. Burton brings the world of Underland, a place of imagination, vibrancy and charm, to life, especially in dazzling 3-D.

The cast of live actors, Wasikowska, Bonham-Carter, Anne Hathaway, Johnny Depp and Crispin Glover are a titanic force in this film, acting within an imaginary world, talking to imaginary creatures and interacting convincingly with things that aren’t really there.

In a distinct departure from the Disney classic, every time Alice shrank or grew, her clothing didn’t shrink or grow with her. This served as a distraction in anticipating her next costume and critiquing the outfit as if it were a dress at the Oscars.

There’s no reason not to like this film: the plot is exciting, the film is visually beautiful and there couldn’t be a better cast. Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is a rabbit hole worth falling into.

Cinemassacre.com is a Web site created, produced, and edited by the same creative mind, James Rolfe. He is widely known across the Internet as the “Angry Video Game Nerd” and he does harsh reviews on games for the classic Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis gaming consoles.

What started out as just a joke seen only by his friends turned into an Internet phenomenon among gamers. He doesn’t just point out visual and story flaws, he makes them known. He isn’t called the “Angry Video Game Nerd” without reason. He verbally butchers these retro games while he plays them as you watch. Much like the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 series, it makes you laugh because you realize you were thinking the same thing.

I remember playing some of the games from his extensive list during my childhood and thinking to myself, is this game really making me do that? Is that a glitch? Will I ever figure this out?

Some of the things he says are absolutely hilarious. His obsessive use of profanity and violence only adds to the experience. Rolfe’s witty (and sometimes repulsive) humor is nothing short of entertaining.

While he mainly reviews old school video games, he also reviews board games (weird, I know), movies, has mini rants called “You Know What’s Bullshit?” and makes his own short movies.

His movie reviews are not only from classic movies, but newer movies as well. This section also contains top 10 lists from TV shows and movies where he doesn’t just sit in front of his webcam and ramble, he includes clips from the actual TV shows and movies with his comedic voice over.

The “You Know What’s Bullshit?” section is a list of mini-rants about everyday life, much like the “What Grinds My Gears” skits for those of you who watch Family Guy. My favorites include his rant on pay toilets, followed by the rant on pennies, which actually made its way to CNN Headline News.

So whether you want to have a laugh at some of the games you may have played during the ’80s or ’90s, or just watch some creative films he has made starting when he was just 9 years old, it is all at Cinemassacre.com.

The annual festival was held at Hillcrest Congregational Church, with festivities happening inside and outside of the church.

For some, it has become a tradition to return each year to see the new artwork on display. Laura Lee, 51, and her mother, Martha, both West Covina residents, have attended the past three festivals.

“We originally came with a friend who was from around here, but we enjoyed it so much we keep driving back out here,” Lee said.

With parking in high demand, the festival offered a free shuttle service that picked attendees up down the street from the festival and dropped them off at the main entrance.

A booth for children to make their own creations was available on Saturday and Sunday.

It was busy outside the church, with people checking out booths selling handmade jewelry, colorful clothing, paintings and photographs; something for everyone to enjoy.

One booth had beautiful wind-chimes that filled the festival with soft sounds.

One of the artists used a lathe, which is a machine used in woodworking that holds a material and rotates it, to demonstrate his wood working skills. By spinning the wood on the lathe and pressing different tools against the wood, he shaved the block into a beautiful chair leg.

The inside of the church was crowded with people looking at the original creations of different artists. There were sculptures, oil paintings, ceramics and watercolors on display in different rooms.

Tim Cantrell, a 23-year-old football coach from Pasadena, was there checking out the 2010 festival’s featured artist, Ernest Lacy.

“I am so impressed with his works, it’s the way the colors hit you. My favorite is ‘Boy with Maroon Jacket,’ ” said Cantrell who was attending the festival for the first time.

Lacy was the featured artist for the 2010 festival. He was born in Los Angeles and studied at Chovinard Art Institute, Kann Art Institute, Otis Art Institute, UCLA and Universita’ per Stranieri in Italy.

Lacy is known for his watercolors and oil paintings and can be found in exhibitions throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe. He has some of his work on display at the Library of Congress, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Long Beach Museum of Art and the city of Los Angeles .

Celebrating the arts for 50 years, the Hillcrest Congregational Church still believes in the idea of a free festival to honor the arts. Originally this festival attracted only the local community, but now art lovers from all over California travel to attend one of the premier art shows in the west.

This magazine isn’t written as an elitist textbook, but instead smashes down information into easily-digestible tidbits that won’t threaten the maximum capacity of your spongy brain. Interested in how America convinced the world to use toilet paper? Want to know which legendary children’s authors hated children? The eager pages of mental_floss are ready to unscrew your skull and pour it all in.

My main beef with the average grocery store magazine, like Cosmopolitan or People, is one of my favorite parts of mental_floss: the advertisements. Instead of littering pages with pushes for lipstick and luxury sedans, mental_floss encourages you to join Mensa. Instead of bombarding you with claims that “diamonds are forever,” mental_floss lays down the facts: due to above-ground temperature and pressure, that diamond is slowly transforming into graphite.

Now you’re faced with a new problem – mental_floss is a monthly magazine. Where will you get your juicy intellectual stimulation for those agonizing weeks between printed copies? I recommend Mentalfloss.com, the handy Web site dedicated to everything floss-worthy. The same writers filling your noggin with knowledge on paper also write weekly blogs, quizzes, and topics for discussion on your new favorite magazine’s homepage. The quizzes aren’t your typical “Is your man cheating?” drivel, but stimulating word puzzles, queer comparison queries and timed list-making challenges. Can you name the 12 parts removed in the game Operation? Would you know the difference between a Bed Bath and Beyond gadget and a medieval torture device – I’ll give you a hint, the “chile twister” isn’t what you think it is.

The Web site also offers an “amazing fact generator” that cranks out fortune cookie-size bits of trivia in time-honored “Snapple cap” fashion.

Did you know that the little dot over an “i” is called a tittle? You do now. Learn more in the pages of mental_floss, and feel a little less useless the next time you watch Jeopardy.