Every second counts at Hollyshorts festival

THINK today’s movies are far too long and outstay their welcome? Believe a film is sweeter the shorter it is?

Then the Hollyshorts Film Festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday at Nacional in L.A. and Cinespace in Hollywood, is just the ticket. Though a few of the films are more than 20 minutes apiece, several are less than five minutes. The third annual festival opens with “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier’s 17-minute horror comedy “Euthanasia,” which he also wrote.

Hollyshorts received 500 submissions this year, of which 60 were selected, including films from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, Romania, Spain and Singapore. Thirteen of the films are in competition in the best student short film category and were chosen from such local schools as the American Film Institute and Art Center College of Design.

Definitely neither short -- nor short-lived -- is “Flesh and the Devil,” the Greta Garbo-John Gilbert romance screening tonight at the Silent Movie Theatre. Though it was made more than eight decades ago, the film still smolders with passion and eroticism. In fact, Gilbert and Garbo became lovers during the production and moved in together before filming was complete. The two, who made several other films together, were also supposed to be married, but Garbo, who never was hitched, backed out.

From the so-bad-it’s-good file: 1990’s “Troll 2” will have a special screening midnight Saturday at the Nuart Theatre. The film, which recalls the gloriously dreadful turkeys of Ed Wood, was the No. 1 lowest-rated movie on IMDB.com for two years. The horror flick, which doesn’t feature a single troll, revolves around a traveling family terrorized by vegetarian goblins that transform their victims into plants and then have them for dinner. After the screening will be a Q&A; with cast members Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Jason Steadman and Darren Ewing, as well as director/co-writer Claudio Fragasso and co-writer Rossella Drudi. “Troll 2” recently had sold-out special engagements in New York and Austin.

American Cinematheque’s Fantasy, Horror and Sci-Fi Weekend at the Aero kicks off tonight with an evening with writer Harlan Ellison that includes a screening of the work-in-progress documentary “Dreams With Sharp Teeth.” Twenty-five years in production, the film explores his personality and work, and features appearances by Robin Williams and author Neil Gaiman (“Stardust”). Erik Nelson, producer of “Grizzly Man,” is the director. Ellison and Nelson will discuss the film afterward.

Director Richard Donner is scheduled to appear Saturday evening at a double feature of his two 1985 adventures: the fantasy romance “Ladyhawke,” with Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick, and “The Goonies,” penned by Chris Columbus and starring Sean Astin, Martha Plimpton, Corey Feldman and Josh Brolin.

On Sunday afternoon, the Cinematheque at the Egyptian pays tribute to experimental-filmmaker-turned-horrormeister Curtis Harrington with a new 35-millimeter print of 1967’s “Games,” a mouthwatering thriller starring a young James Caan and a pre-”The Graduate” Katharine Ross. They play a couple living in a town house in New York who are into mind games, but the games turn dangerous when a mysterious woman (Simone Signoret) enters their lives. Harrington, a Cinematheque favorite, died earlier this year at age 80.

susan.king@latimes.com

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Screenings

Hollyshorts Film Festival

“Euthanasia”: 7 p.m. Friday, Nacional; festival continues Saturday and Sunday at Cinespace, www.hollyshorts.com

Silent Movie Theatre

“Flesh and the Devil”: 8 tonight, www.silentmovietheatre.com

Nuart Theatre

“Troll 2”: midnight Friday, landmarktheatres.com/market/

LosAngeles/NuartTheatre.htm

Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror Weekend

“Dreams With Sharp Teeth”: 7:30 tonight, Aero Theatre

“Ladyhawke” and “The Goonies”: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aero Theatre

“Games”: 2 p.m. Sunday, Egyptian Theatre, www.american cinematheque.com