The Screening Room

From the "No 'Milk' for Cinemark" Facebook group:

The CEO of Cinemark, Alan Stock, donated $9999 to the Yes on 8 Campaign, but now expects to profit from showing Milk in his theaters.

If 1,000 of us commit to see Milk at a competitor's theater instead of Cinemark, at an average cost of $10 per ticket, that's $10,000 of lost revenue.

Boycotts work. A boycott of a Sacramento theatre company resulted not only in the resignation of a Yes on 8 contributor, but a public apology and donation to Human Rights Campaign! We can do this again.

More information available at "The No Milk for Cinemark" site.

No new movies this Friday. All the new flicks hit the screen today. Here's what's on the marquee:

• Australia (B-)
• Four Christmases (C)
• Transporter 3 (D)
• Milk (A)
• Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom

Okay, for those who saw Bolt this weekend -- is it just me, or is Bolt the Buzz Lightyear story redux? Remember how Buzz in Toy Story thought he was the real-life action hero as portrayed on television, until he finally learns that he's just a toy? And now we have Bolt, who thinks he's a real-life action dog, until he finds out he's just a dog? What do you think? Is it just the monosyllabic name beginning with a B that's throwing me off?

Hellooooo, Twilight fans! Are you going to see it this weekend? Did you already see it at the early screening? Are you just OMG dying to talk about it? SO ARE WE. So join us at 4 p.m. Monday afternoon at DallasNews.com/livechat to talk about just how well the film translated to screen.

Remember: 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at DallasNews.com/livechat.

I've always thought that I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I mean, I get paid to talk about movies and TV shows all day. How awesome is that?

And yet, it pales in comparison to the People.com employee who got to put this little gem together:

100 Sexy Men in 1 Minute

The hottest of the hot, from Matt to Usher, flash before your eyes. Can you name them all?

Enjoy. You're welcome. (And check out the story here.)

We've talked a lot (and I mean a LOT) about Twilight on this blog lately. To you non-teen-vampire fans: Thanks for sticking around. And you'll be pleased to know there are some strong candidates for you time and money this weekend. Not many choices, but good ones all the same from a French twist on the dysfunctional family holiday film (with bonus Catherine Deneuve!) and a Jean Claude Van-Damme film you don't have to be ashamed to enjoy:

• Twilight (C+)
• Bolt (B)
• Slumdog Millionaire (A-)
• A Christmas Tale (B+)
• JCVD (B)

FYI - Next week's new flicks hit theaters on Wednesday, not Friday.

More stats from Fandango:

The Top Ten Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango.com

As of 2 p.m. today: Hundreds of tonight's midnight showtimes are already sold out. Theater owners are adding additional showtimes - some as late as 2:45 a.m. on Friday morning - to meet the demand for tickets.

1. "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" (2005)
2. "The Dark Knight" (2008)
3. "Twilight" (2008)
4. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005)
5. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007)

Dallas-based Film Unit Productions will screen Suitable for Murder at 7 tonight at the Studio Movie Grill on Royal Lane. It's free and open to the public. Check out the synopsis below:

"Could you shoot to kill?" That is the question posed in the crime thriller Suitable for Murder. Veteran actor Jackson Bostwick (Shazam's CAPTAIN MARVEL) plays JOE MONDRAGON, a veteran cop who gets things done, forms an unlikely partnership with Samantha Baines. She is attached to Police Intelligence Division and feels more comfortable handling a computer than a gun. Samantha's computer skills are needed to help hack into and track two serial killers who get their victims from Internet Chat Rooms. Joe pays the ultimate price during a fire fight with the two killers when his partner is unable to fire her weapon. Riddled with guilt, Samantha seeks the help of Mimi, a fiery red-head who knows a thing or two about taking charge. With Mimi's help and some guidance from the Chief of Homicide, Samantha reinvents herself and avenges Joe after a relentless chase of the killers.

From the "I TOTALLY Wish I Had Thought of That" files:

By Martha Brockenbrough / MSN Movies:

We don't know at this point what the "Twilight" movie is going to be like. But we've wondered. Oh yes, we've WONDERED.

Will Edward the vampire have sparkly skin like he does in the book?

Will Bella the high school ingénue come across as pathologically needy and insecure on screen? Will she trip on the carpet and break lamps and things? How many times will she have to make dinner for her dad?

Most of all, will all the vampires be as gorgeous as author Stephenie Meyer describes them? Will we drool, weep and rashly break up with our normal looking significant others?

Oh, the sweet agony of waiting. It's worse the weeks before Christmas because, aside from the trailers, there's no way for us to peek at our presents.

And so, bravely, we make this foray into the "Twilight Zone," where we take photos from the movie and reveal what the characters are really thinking, based entirely on their over-the-top behavior in the books and our own fertile imagination.

Enjoy.

Catch the brilliance here. Then come back and share your favorite quote. Mine?

... my dad is, like, the police chief and even though he can't cook his own dinner, he will totally OWN your undead badonkadonk if he catches you.

No, really. We've been talking about this today. Such a swoon-worthy young man. Such a reckless disregard for hygiene. Seriously, in his own words to Baltimore's Metromix:

That's amazing. So, how long does it take to get your hair perfectly coiffed like that? It's the funniest thing. I just wear a hat a lot. I have so much residue crap in my hair from years and years and years of not washing it and not having any sense of personal hygiene whatsoever. Even today, I go into these things where I'm supposed to be this sexy guy or whatever, and I'm literally asking [the studio rep] if I get plumes of dandruff on me, can you just brush it off.

Never fear, Mr. Pattinson. The hilariously geeky peeps over at io9 prove that Edward is just the latest in a long line of poorly coifed undead. (Although I always liked Spike's bleached blond look.)

No, SERIOUSLY. Buy your tickets:

More from Fandango.com, as of 2 p.m. Wednesday:

Twilight has joined the list of Top Ten Advance Ticket-Sellers, covering all theatrical releases in Fandango's eight-year history. Twilight currently occupies the seventh spot (see full list below); the film may break into the top five before its opening.

Nearly 600 of the film's Thursday midnight show times are already sold out.

• 94% of Fandango's daily ticket sales are for this one film;
• 83% of respondents to a Fandango Twilight survey claim they will see the movie more than once.
• 25% of respondents claim they will see Twilight with their moms or daughters.

The Top Ten Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango.com:

1. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
6. Hannah Montana 3D (2008)
7. Twilight (2008)
8. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
9. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
10. Sex and the City (2008)

Looking for a cheap (read: free) way to expand your mind? Check out a free screening of the documentary Albert Alcalay: Self Portraits. The high-definition screening starts at 7 tonight at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Seating is limited so call 214-740-9377 for reservations.

Alcalay, who taught at Harvard for more than twenty years, was a survivor of the Holocaust. The one-hour documentary was created by three of his former students - Rob Eustis, Allen Moore and KERA's Rob Tranchin.

From KERA:

Nearly seventy years ago, Albert Alcalay was living in Belgrade, Yugoslavia when World War II broke out. Like many Yugoslavian Jews, Alcalay was forced by the Nazis into hiding and eventually fled to Italy, where he lived on the run as a refugee hunted by fascist sympathizers. Eventually, Alcalay was captured and sent to a concentration camp, where he was inspired by a fellow prisoner to study painting. Liberated by the Allies in 1945, Alcalay emigrated to the United States where he lived and worked in the Boston area for nearly 60 years.

Albert Alcalay: Self Portraits looks at Alcalay's artistic development and examines how his painting has been shaped by his experiences as a refugee, his fascination with the American landscape, and by his efforts as an older man to come to terms with his past. Among the paintings featured is a series that Alcalay created from memory of the mountainous villages in Italy where he and his family were hidden by peasants who risked their lives to save them from the Gestapo.

The documentary also airs at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 on Channel 13.

Heading out to Twilight this weekend? Not so fast! Do you have your tickets yet? From the good people at Fandango:

More than 500 of Thursday's Twilight midnight showtimes are sold-out in advance online - from Poulsbo, Washington to New York's Staten Island; 86% of daily ticket sales on Fandango.com are for this single film.

And from MovieTickets.com, by way of Variety.com:

SELLOUTS As of 12 p.m. ET today, "Twilight" has already sold out 389 performances at MovieTickets.com, including more than 140 this past weekend alone.

TOP-20 PRESELLERS
Four days prior to its release, "Twilight" is already No. 20 on MovieTickets.com's Top-20 Pre-Sale List of All-Time.

TICKET SALES
As of 12 p.m. ET, "Twilight" accounted for 85 percent of tickets sold at MovieTickets.com on Monday.

Given the popularity and the utter fangirliness of the film, it might be worth your while to go get tickets now. Find your theater and buy your tickets now. And while you wait, check out two videos from ET!Online. Just scroll down.

According to Yahoo! News:

Los Angeles (E! Online) - What fanggirls want, fanggirls get.

While there's still a week to go before Twilight opens in theaters, producer Summit Entertainment is already sinking its teeth into more installments of the vampire romance, acquiring the rights to the next three novels in Stephanie Meyer's series.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the studio has also secured the services of Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg to pen New Moon and Eclipse, the second and third installments of the would-be blockbuster franchise.

Further ensuring squeals from the masses: Lead bloodsucker Robert Pattinson is also on board for the first three films.

The principals have not yet signed for the fourth installment, Breaking Dawn (SPOILER ALERT--the one where regular teen Bella and her vampire love, Edward, finally tie the knot), but presumably that fact is still a significant number of years away from being a worry.

Twilight opens--as if you needed reminding--Nov. 21.

LIEK OMG! It's almost time for TWILIGHT! But if waiting for the movie's release is like waiting for your very own sparkly vampire to sweep you off your clumsy feet, take comfort. Participating Borders book stores are hosting pre-release parties this Saturday, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Here's what you can expect (besides flailing fangirls):

7-7:30: Twilight Movie Discussion Watch trailers, cast interviews, and Borders-exclusive behind-the-scenes video.

7:30-8 pm: Twilight Quote Contest How well do you know Stephenie Meyer's characters? See how you stack up against other fans.

7:30-8 pm: Twilight Soundtrack Listening Party and Discussion Listen to cuts from the Twilight soundtrack.

8-8:30 pm: Twilight Charades See how well you and your friends can act out the parts.

You can also enter for a chance to win free tickets to the film. Find out more at the Borders Web site.

And if waiting for Saturday is too much for you, why not watch our video of Robert Pattinson signing autographs at Galleria Dallas or the trailer?

• Quantum of Solace (C)

• Let the Right One In (B+)

• Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer (B+)

• I've Loved You So Long (B)

• Morning Light (C+)

From the fine people at Criterion:

We've got some big news. We're launching a new website on November 25, and we're moving warehouses in the process. To clear the way for the new site, we're selling everything on our current site at 40% off the retail price. That includes clothing, posters, mugs, totebags, and of course every Criterion DVD in stock! You'll still get free shipping on orders over $50, and your purchases will still count toward our loyalty program if you create an account on our new site. We won't be taking new preorders or back orders--this sale is strictly "while supplies last," so shop early and often. Come on down, browse around, and stock up on holiday gifts at unbeatable prices, while you also help us move to our new digs! Sale ends Monday, November 24, at midnight.

One of the finest documentaries I've seen in years is Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, which had an enthusiastic reception last March at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin. The filmmaker is Kurt Kuenne, whom local audiences may remember as the director of the heavily Texas-flavored Drive-In Movie Memories, produced by Don and Susan Sanders of Grapevine. Mr. Kuenne informs me in an e-mail that Dear Zachary, now being shown theatrically in various cities (thus making it eligible for consideration in the upcoming Academy Awards), will make its national television debut on MSNBC on Dec. 7. No dates yet for any theatrical showings in Dallas, so don't miss the showing on MSNBC. The story is nothing short of amazing.

Photo: The late Andrew Bagby, left, with filmmaker Kurt Kuenne

To watch a trailer of Dear Zachary, click the play button below:

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lindsay Lohan referred to President-elect Barack Obama as the country's "first colored president" in an interview on Access Hollywood." Describing her experience on Election Day, Lohan said: "It was really exciting. It's an amazing feeling. It's our first colored president." A spokeswoman for Lohan didn't immediately return messages left Wednesday.

Interviewer Maria Menounos didn't question the 22-year-old actress on her use of the term. "Access Hollywood" also didn't cite her remark in its online story, but did post an "extended interview" video on its Web site that included the remark.

Lohan blogged about her support of Obama during the presidential campaign.

I know you're all counting down the minutes until the year's biggest vampire flick hits the screens.

Nope, not that one. Let the Right One In opens Friday at the Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station, and the reviews around the country are already raving.

I caught the screening last night, and for now, all I can say is that this is the kind of film that deserves multiple viewings to really wrap your head around.

But to tide you over until the film actually opens, catch this interview from MovieWeb.com with the film's director, Tomas Alfredson.

The Hot Topic at Dallas Galleria opened its doors at 6 this morning for the raving fangirls (and exhausted parents) who wanted a chance to meet Twilight's own Edward Cullen. Were you one of the lucky 500 to score a wristband? Tell us about this morning, and what you expect tonight.

And watch Channel 8's video from this morning newscast to see if you were caught on film.

You'll have to get up mighty early to catch this vampire...Robert Pattinson, who stars as vampire Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, will be at Galleria Dallas on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The first 500 people who buy a $30 Twilight tour T-shirt at the mall's Hot Topic store (it opens at 6 a.m.) will get a a chance to meet Mr. Pattinson at the store and get his autograph on a Twilight movie poster during an event that starts at 6 p.m.
No cameras allowed; one signature per person; limit two wristbands per person. The store's been fielding calls from out-of-state, and the fans of the series are dedicated, so you might want to get there early.
(That's an AP photo by Chris Polk.)

Angelika Dallas and Mockingbird Station continue the Hot Holiday Happenings film series tonight at 7 with a free outdoor screening of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The series continues every Monday and Friday through mid-December. Patio heaters and chairs will be available or you can bring blankets and seat picnic style. Concessions and hot drinks available, but make sure to visti the ATM first: Cash only.

• Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (C)

• Soul Men (B+)

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (A)

• Role Models (C-)

• Synecdoche, New York (B-)

• House (D)

• Midnight Movie

From the Associated Press:

First it was Indiana Jones. Now it's James Bond's latest lady friend.

The Communist Party in St. Petersburg says Olga Kurylenko, the Ukrainian-born model who plays a Bolivian agent in the latest Bond film, Quantum of Solace, has betrayed her roots.

"In the name of all communists we appeal to you, prodigal daughter of poor Ukraine and deserter of Slavic world," the party said in an open letter dated Oct. 21 and posted on their Web site Friday.

Continue reading the story and comment below.

Ah, Election Day! The leaves are changing, the Democratic process is moving, and you can be guaranteed that your favorite shows will get pre-empted for elections coverage.

So in that spirit, let's talk about our favorite fictional presidents. For my money, it's Kevin Kline as Dave, the ordinary shmuck who gets a chance to run the country while the real Commander in Chief is hospitalized.

I've also got to give an honorable mention to Dan Hedaya's Richard Nixon in Dick.

Now it's your turn: Which fictional president gets your vote today? Or, which one makes you glad that he or she could NEVER actually make it in to office?