"Hounddog" includes several scenes that have snakes slithering over Dakota Fanning. During the Q and A, someone asked Fanning how she dealt with them. "That was one of the toughest parts of the film," Fanning said. "Some of those twitches and fidgets were real."

While the Elvis song the movie's title refers to is spelled with two words, director Deborah Kampmeier said he always envisioned the title of her film as one word. Besides, she said wryly after the Monday screening, "I also thought it was my own title and I wouldn't have to pay rights for it. Wrong!"

Robin Wright Penn, one of the producers and stars of the movie, said she didn't understand negative reaction to the film's content. "It's about survival," she said. "Why does the voice get shut down when it's about such a beautiful thing? Survival is a beautiful thing."

Dennis Hopper was among audience members at the screening.

-- Christy Karras