The Screening Room

The final pieces are falling into place for the Harry Potter saga. Fans know that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is coming out July 17 and that part one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is due out Nov. 19, 2010. Now People reports that the date for part two is fixed: July 15, 2011. Which is not to say that dates can't change. But it does bring an air of finality to the end of the Potter era. An era I will sorely miss.

Kathy Goolsby just shared this sweet story she found in the HPISD newsletter about the unusual and lovely red dress that 1988 Highland Park grad Megan Mylan wore when she accepted the Oscar for her documentary Smile Pinki, about a young Indian girl whose life was changed when her cleft lip was repaired.

Her grandmother, Julia Principe, designed the dress back when she was a fashion illustration student at the Pratt Institute in the 1930s. Megan had promised that if she were ever nominated for an Oscar, she'd have that dress made. And she did. Her grandma died five months before at age 95. Kathy writes that before she knew the story, when she and her daughter were watching the Oscars, her daughter said, "I like the dress, but what's up with those wings on the back?"

But now, knowing who designed it, and who was watching the telecast from a higher place, it all makes beautiful sense.

Now we know the Jonas Brothers are getting a lot of love lately, but this item from Common Sense Media really caught our attention. Not only have they given the Jonas Brothers a 2008 Common Sense Media "Onnie" Award for serving as "strong positive role models for kids and teens," they're working on a 25 Things We love About the Jonas Brothers list. (They've got five reasons posted, they're looking for 20 more).

So, what say you Jonas fans, big and small? Can you tell us 25 things you love about the Jonas Brothers before the Common Sense list is complete?

• Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience (C)
• Two Lovers (C+)
• Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
• Echelon Conspiracy

Who's heading out to see the JoBros on the big screen at midnight?

Oh, no, say it ain't so. It's bad enough when you mess with supposed classics like The Stepford Wives or Friday the 13th. But Clue? CLUE!? That 1980s greatness of Leslie Ann Warren, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, etc etc etc? You, Mr. Gore Verbinski, want to mess with the comic brilliance that is CLUE?

You, sir, are dead to me.

But since this is apparently a foregone conclusion, I leave it to you, gentle readers: Who would be your dream re-make cast? What's your favorite scene/quote from the original?

Here's mine:

(Props to EW's Popwatch for bringing this to our attention.)

Major development on the Jonas Brothers' weekend plans: Contrary to a previous announcement, there will NOT be a public red-carpet event locally to mark the opening of their new film, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.

On Tuesday, a publicist had said that fans were encouraged to watch Kevin, Nick and Joe walk the red carpet after a private screening of the movie in Grapevine. Today, however, Disney let it be known that it's absolutely NOT open to the public. So, fans, our advice is to head to your local theater for your JoBros fix this weekend and be content with that.

Breaking Bad: Season 1 - Bryan Cranston, so scattered and great as the dad on Malcolm in the Middle, pulls out his dramatic chops to play a terminally ill man who becomes a crystal meth dealer. Hey, times are hard ...
Girlfriends: Season 6 - Sex in the City? Not really. This Kelsey Grammer-produced series follows the lives of four friends in L.A., seen mostly through the eyes of Joan (played by Tracee Ellis Ross).
The Haunting of Molly Hartley - OMG! It's Nate from Gossip Girl! Yes, that's Chace Crawford in this tale of a young girl haunted, natch, by her past and what seems to be an even scarier future.
Hounddog - Dakota Fanning stars as a girl who puts her faith in Elvis in this movie set in 1950s Alabama. Fanning's Lewellen tries her best to overcome her surroundings and problems, including being raped.
Just Shoot Me: Complete Third Season - Don't be ashamed. Admit that this NBC sitcom makes you laugh. The gang's all here as Enrico Colantoni, Laura San Giacomo, George Segal, Wendie Malick and David Spade run a fashion magazine.
New Edition: Last House on the Left - Before you fall prey to the remake coming to screens soon, take a look at this offering from horror master Wes Craven.
The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalis - This shameless ripoff of the Indiana Jones-The Mummy franchises, themselves shameless ripoffs of old movie serials, is shameless fun, too. Noah Wyle stars as the librarian who harbors a jet-setting adventurer in this third movie in the TNT movie trilogy. And, yes, this time vampires are involved.
My Wife & Kids: Season 1 - Damon Wayans' hit ABC series gets the DVD treatment. As always, it's nice to see Tisha Campbell Martin, who plays his wife, still getting work. And in true sitcom tradition, watch as one of the children is mysteriously replaced by another actress.
What Just Happened - Starring Robert De Niro, John Turturro, Sean Penn and wife Robin Wright Penn, you have to expect an R rating ( for profanity, violent images, sexual content and drugs). The movie's set over two weeks as a Hollywood producer tries his best to get a film made.

For more releases, please see our DVD page.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Howard Zieff, a film and television commercial director whose works included "Private Benjamin" and "My Girl," has died. He was 81.

Zieff died Sunday of Parkinson's disease in Los Angeles, said his wife Ronda Gomez-Quinones.

They certainly look angelic, but this photo of some of the younger Slumdog Millionaire cast members shows there's at least one prankster in the bunch.

Photo: At the Governor's Ball after Sunday's Oscars ceremony. (Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images)

Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony wasn't the only excitement this weekend for the young cast members of Slumdog Millionaire. Some of them got to go Saturday to California's Universal Studios Hollywood.

Photo: (from left) Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Madhur Mittal, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Tanay Hemant Chheda pose with Woody Woodpecker. (AP Photo/Universal Studios Hollywood)

Who would have thought that one impact of the Slumdog sweep would be to increase the popularity of BollyArobix classes? Local instructor Kavitha Victor tells us Slumdog fans are filling her intense -- and very fun -- classes in Plano and Lewisville. Read about it in Fitness.

The little movie that could took home 8 of the 9 Oscars it was nominated for.

Now that the show is over, we have to ask: Who got robbed? It seems to us no onr really did. Everyone who won was expected to win. (I would have liked for Mickey Rourke to win. But at least he's back.)

A humbled Sean Penn for his role as Harvey Milk.

(He's wearing reading glasses and his hands are shaking during his acceptance speech. That makes him a bit more endearing.)

Kate Winslet finally gets her Oscar -- and a whistle for her dad -- for her performance in The Reader.

What do you think? Did she deserve it? Or would you rather she had won for Revolutionary Road?

Danny Boyle takes home the seventh Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire.

So says Holly:

"Well played: Queen Latifah sings "I'll Be Seeing You" to accompany the "In Memorium" montage."

I agree. I'll also say the best thing Queen Latifah ever did was become a bona fide singer.

I'm not sure if its fair to call Slumdog Millionaire a little movie anymore. It's in the top 10 at the box office and it's spreading out to theaters all over the place. AND? It just took its SIXTH award of the night, winning with one of two nominated songs (out of only three nominations).

Thoughts?

Highland Park High alum Megan Mylan accepted the award for best documentary short for her film Smile Pinki, a 39-minute film "telling the story of a young Indian girl born into poverty who receives surgery to repair her cleft palate through the efforts of the charity, The Smile Train."

Mylan previously won an Independent Spirit Award as co-director of the film, Lost Boys of Sudan.

Big surprise: Heath Ledger wins a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. The award was accepted by his father, mother and sister.

Again with five presenters: Alan Arkin, Joel Grey, Cuba Gooding Jr., Christopher Walken and Kevin Kline.

Okay, it's a little cool, but this sort of thing? Might have been a good place to cut back time on the show. As fellow blogger Bridgette pointed out earlier: "This is the Oscars. Not the Tonys."

The funny man goes all Joaquin Phoenix to present the award best cinematography.

There seems to be some changes to this year's show.

I'm loving how they sort of packaged together the awards for the art direction, costume design and make-up. And the stage set just adds to the magic. Plus, who better to present those categories than style-maven Sarah Jessica Parker?

Also great was the presentation of best supporting actress by five former winners. While that sort of presentation can *seriously* add to the length of an already looong show, it's great to see such great actresses back on the stage. And what brilliance in having Whoopi Goldberg present for Doubt-nominee Amy Adams.

The movie about the lovable robot takes home the Oscar best animated film. Holly, you saw Wall-E. Deserving or no?

Dustin Lance Black, from San Antonio, gives an emotional acceptance speech for best original screenplay for Milk.

Penelope Cruz takes the first award of the night, winning best supporting actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The nominees were announced by five former best supporting actress winners, including Whoopi Goldberg and Tilda Swinton.

Is it just me or did cutey Hugh going overly informal? It doesn't quite seem like the style of past shows. I miss the ceremony. I'm all for the fun, but this seems too ... chipper.

I would like to point out that Hugh Jackman is not naked and drunk as he promised.

Hugh Jackman takes the stage for his first shot at hosting the Oscars. So far, so good, even if he is singing. We're already chuckling. And there's dancing!

Is there anything the Project Runway sage can't do? It took him all of five minutes to prove himself a better celebrity interviewer than any of his ostensibly professional counterparts. Talking to Amy Adams, he asked the best question of the evening: For your role in Doubt, you were enshrouded in your nun'[s outfit while Marisa Tomei played a topless stripper -- Is that fair?" Amy thought a moment and said, "no, it's not."

Oh Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind, hey Mickey, hey Mickey. He rambled up to Ryan Seacrest, sporting an open collar. No bowtie, no tie, no ascot. Just a leather strap necklace with a picture of his beloved Chihuahua, Loki, who died a few days ago. "This is my version of a tux," he said.

Ryan gets all urban with John Legend, greeting him as "my brother."

Here's the breaking-news, "big reveal" that E!'s crack investigative team just announced. The big secret of tonight's Oscars telecast -- one of them, anyway -- is that big stars, not announced and not appearing on the red carpet, will be appearing throughout the evening, unannounced, to present some of the big awards. They will be previous winners presenting this year's winner. Wow. This is what passes for revolutionary on Oscar night.

Emile Hirsch is making his way down the red carpet, the early bird getting his flash-bulb popping moment

E! opened its two-hour red carpet special with this news-bulletin scoop: Nicole Richie is pregnant, with her second child. Woo-hoo. Then came some fawning over Miley Cyrus' arrival on the red carpet. Before viewers could ask themselves: what does Miley Cyrus have to do with the Academy Awards, the answer was provided. It's going to be a "big Disney night" with Disney stars like Miley and Zac Effron. One of the synergizing benefits of ABC hosting the Oscar telecast. They don't call the Disney-owned network ABC-D for nothing.

You now have another way to keep up to date on GuideLive.com's movies news, reviews and events.

Be our friend on Facebook.

Follow GuideLiveMovies on Twitter.

Follow GuideLiveMusic on Twitter.

And sign up for our newsletters sent straight to your inbox.

Join us Sunday night during the 81st annual Academy Awards. Chime in on our posts, join the discussion and share your thoughts on Hollywood's golden night.

Kick off the night on the red carpet with Christopher Wynn and Jason Sheeler at the Shopping Blog. Then head back here at 7 p.m. and join the party with Media Critic Tom Maurstad, Pop Arts Editor Dawn Burkes, and GuideLive.com editors Holly Warren and Bridgette Williams.

Until then, catch up on Tom's analysis of the big races:

Best picture

Best Director

Best actor and actress

Best supporting actor and actress

This just in from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:
Faheem Ahmed and Anish Patel from Rice University have been selected as the Grand Prize winners for the first-ever "Oscar Correspondent Contest," a joint promotion by the Academy and mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network. They have earned a spot on the red carpet for the 81st Academy Awards® arrivals this Sunday, Feb. 22, and will also have access to the backstage press rooms and the Governors Ball. The winning team's Oscar coverage will be posted on www.Oscars.mtvU.com the week of Feb. 23.
The duo beat out teams of college journalists from around the country to win this opportunity. Runners-up were Megan Telles and Andrew Huse of San Diego State University and Justin Shackil and Garry Van Genderen of Fordham University.

• Wendy and Lucy (A)
• Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail
• The Class (B+)
• The Betrayal (B+)
• Fired Up (C-)

OK, this is not exactly Oscar chatter, since the film in question isn't nominated for anything. But something has been bothering me since I saw the Holocaust movie, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, whose DVD release is March 10. I saw it in West Texas soon after it opened. The theater was packed. But when we got to the ending -- which I won't give away for those who have yet to see it -- the crowd reacted with such shock and horror that ... it left me cold, as though nothing having to do with concentration camps had bothered anyone up to that point. I'm not saying the crowd reaction was anti-Semitic, but have we as a culture grown so accustomed (jaded?) to stories of the Holocaust that the evil business of concentration camps no longer provokes a strong reaction? (Please click below to read on.)

Tickets go on sale at noon Friday for AMC Theatres Best Picture Showcase of the 2009 Oscar Nominees. Blogger Mary Gladstone fills you in on the details:

Oscar night (Feb. 22) will soon be upon us, and if you haven't had a chance yet to see this year's nominees for best picture, AMC Theatres has a deal for you.

On Feb. 21, the chain is offering a $30 all-day pass ($25 if you're an AMC MovieWatcher member), with back-to-back screenings of the five nominees: Milk, The Reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon.

That's a lot o' sittin'. But AMC is sweetening the deal with a large popcorn (and free refills!) for each pass holder.

And no, you don't have to watch them all if you don't want to. The souvenir lanyard will give you the right to come and go as you like.

Click here for locations and schedules.

From The Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Mickey Rourke is headed to the Academy Awards both as a nominee and a grieving pet owner after the death of his 17-year-old Chihuahua, Loki.

A representative for Rourke, Judy Woloshen, said the actor's beloved dog died Monday night.

Says Rourke: "Loki is deeply missed but with me in spirit. I feel very blessed that she fell asleep peacefully in my arms."

Rourke, who's having a career comeback with his acclaimed performance in The Wrestler, was especially close to Loki and is a longtime owner of chihuahuas.

He thanked all his dogs -- living and dead -- after winning the Golden Globe for best actor last month, saying "sometimes when a man's alone, all you got is your dog."

Photo: Mickey Rourke and Loki with director Darren Aronofsky on Sept. 6, just before the awards presentation at the Venice Film Festival in Italy. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Tyler's Perry's Madea Goes to Jail opens Friday. As if there wasn't enough talk surrounding the film, Lionsgate and 97.9 The Beat are sponsoring rallies around the country to free Madea. Dallasites can join with the Friends of Madea Foundation on Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. at the Colbert Ball Tax Service location at 3936 Polk Street to protest the very active grandmother's "wrongful incarceration." To quote Madea, "Hallelujer."

Bonus: The first 100 people will get a free T-shirt and complimentary membership in the foundation.

Among the Hollywood bold-face names of this year's Academy Award nominations is one that deserves special mention: Megan Mylan.

O.K., not all all the offerings from the SMU Japan Club's Film Festival 2009 are for kids, but this weekend's films are, and they're all free and in Japanese, with English subtitles. Here's the line-up:

Love Com The Movie (2006) Friday. Based on the comic by Aya Nakahara, it's the story of Risa Koizumi, the tallest girl in class, who develops an unexpected friendship with Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy.
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) Saturday. Episodes about the life of the Yamadas, a middle class Japanese family in Tokyo.

Next weekend, the films are aimed at adults:
Zatoichi (2003) Feb. 27. An R-rated move about a 19th century blind master swordsman who travels the country as a gambler and masseur.
Densha Otoko (2005). Feb. 28. A date movie about a geeky computer engineer who saves a young woman and falls for her, then seeks out Internet dating advice on how to pursue her.

All films are held in the Theater of Huggs-Trigg Student Center basement at SMU at 6:30 p.m.

Looks like Jared Padalecki wins the Battle of the Supernatural Stars. His horror-film remake, Friday the 13th, opened with $42.2 million, setting a record for the horror genre, topping the $39.1 million debut for 2004's The Grudge.

Poor Jensen Ackles turn in My Bloody Valentine 3-D raked in $21.2 million in its opening weekend and has only doubled that during its month-long run so far.

So what did you see this weekend?

Body of Lies - Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in a spy thriller. We probably can't handle the truth in this movie based on David Ignatius' novel.
Changeling - Oscar nominee Angelina Jolie stars as a mother looking for her son in this Clint Eastwood film inspired by events in Los Angeles in the 1920s.
Feast III - For the completist only, Feast III is just as bloody as the other two. The first Feast was the winner of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's Project Greenlight, the reality TV competition for nascent filmmakers.
Flash of Genius - Greg Kinnear stars in this true-life movie about college professor Robert Kearns, who was in a long fight with the auto industry about receiving credit for his invention.
Hard Country - Kim Basinger's screen debut.
High School Musical 3 - Didn't you produce a musical to express your feelings about the changes that come with graduating from high school? These kids did. The gang's all here as Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) and Troy (Zac Efron) continue the love story.
Law & Order SVU: Season 8 - Olivia goes AWOL for much of the season, and Det. Stabler breaks in a new, temporary partner who is almost as gung-ho as he is about violating criminals' rights.
Murder, She Wrote: Season 9 - Guest stars that include David Soul, Harvey Fierstein and Neil Patrick Harris as writer and detective Jessica Fletcher continues to solve crimes in Cabot Cove and beyond through five discs and 22 episodes.
Real Adventures of Jonny Quest: Season 1 - First thought: Race has a daughter?! Second thought: Jumping the children into teendom wasn't a bad idea at all. This two-disc collection contains the 1996 TBS series' first 13 episodes.
Religulous - Bill Maher takes a hard look at the practice of religion in the USA in this documentary.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Fifth Season - Sabrina continues her never-dull existence as an undercover witch in this cute, cute, cute series.
Quarantine - This remake of a foreign horror film (aren't they all?) follows a TV reporter and her trusty cameraman (aren't they all?) into an apartment building, that before they can blink an eye, is quarantined. Deadly goings-on ensue.

For more DVD releases, see our DVD page.

• Confessions of a Shopaholic (C-)
• The International (C)
• Friday the 13th (D)
• Under the Sea 3-D (A-)

Prognosticate with pros Monday at Magnolia Theatre's annual Oscar Critics' Panel event.

Former Dallas Morning News film critic Philip Wuntch (right), syndicated columnist and radio commentator Candy Havens and Scott Churchill will give their Academy Award predictions and will hear you out, too, since the program encourages audience participation.

Magnolia's general manager, Shawn Mahan, reports there'll be trivia questions and door prizes, as well as a grand prize for the person who ends up having the most correct predictions.

The fun starts at 7 p.m. Monday at the Magnolia Theatre, 3699 N. McKinney Ave. in the West Village. Admission is free, but seating is limited; tickets will be available starting at noon Monday at the theater.

South Oak Cliff High School's varsity cheerleading squad has a shot at fame -- and $5,000 -- in a promotional contest for Sony Pictures' new film Fired Up, which opens Feb. 20. To win, though, the girls need your help.
The team already earned $300 in the first phase of the contest, when it performed a one-minute routine incorporating the phrase "Fired up!" on Jan. 31 at Kidd Springs Park Rec Center. Now the Bears' cheerleaders have advanced to the online phase, where the winner will be chosen by Internet voters.
Two dozen teams nationwide made the cut, and videos of their routines have been posted at www.firedup.mtv.com. Go online to watch and cast your ballot (you can vote once a day). The contest ends Monday, so check it out soon. The winning squad will get a cool 5 grand.

Our friends over at Neighborsgo.com are curious: What's your favorite bad movie?

Blogger Tommy swears by Semi-Pro, which I might argue isn't really a great movie, but certainly isn't what I'd consider a BAD movie. I mean, c'mon! Showgirls was a BAD movie, on something like an epic scale.

Miracle at St. Anna - Inspired by real-life events, director Spike Lee tells the story of four black soldiers who find themselves trapped in a Tuscan village after one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy during World War II.
W. - Josh Brolin stars in the biopic about former President George W. Bush that follows him from his college days through his first term.
Blindness - There's nothing hysterical about the blindness that affects people around a sighted Julianne Moore.
The Sam Elliot Western Collection - Cowboys' cowboy Sam Elliott gets the box-set treatment as viewers are treated to Desperate Trail, Rough Riders and You Know My Name. Sorry, no Virgil Earp in sight.
Backyardigans: Robin Hood the Clean - Nick Jr. takes us to Ye Old Rottingham and the annual festival of dirt in Filthville with this animated musical creation that includes three music videos. Of course, Robin Hood the Clean saves the day after the mayor gets rid of the last bar of soap.
Nights in Rodanthe - Richard Gere and Diane Lane get to meet cute in this romantic tale from author Nicholas Sparks.
Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job: Season 2 - Yes, it might have taken you the entire first season to find the fun in this irreverent show from Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. But now you've got it. And you can't stop watching.

For more releases, see our DVD page.

Kate Winslet, Mickey Rourke (right) and Slumdog Millionaire continued their gallops toward the Oscars as each won big at the British Academy Film Awards. Slumdog won seven awards, including best picture and best director for Danny Boyle, who thanked the folks who helped get his father's cable back on. Winslet (The Reader) and Rourke (The Wrestler) took home best-acting honors.

Heath Ledger won the award for best supporting actor for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

(Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

Friends and relatives have been telling me for months how much they like the on-demand feature on their cable outlets. Well, I'm a DirecTV (satellite television) subscriber, and it too offers an on-demand feature. I hadn't really explored it until recently and was amazed at what it offers. We watched Witness for the Prosecution, the 1957 film starring Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich and directed by Billy Wilder, who was nominated for an Oscar. (Laughton was nominated for Best Actor, and his wife, Lanchester, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.) We also watched The Fortune Cookie, the 1966 film starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. I was amazed to learn that Wilder directed both. Both great movies, and I wasn't charged a penny for either one. There's so much out there nowadays, when it comes to computer-related downloads of movies, it's amazing. And Apple TV, which allows you to watch what's on your iPod or iTunes in high-def, is also amazing -- the envy of every teenager, I've come to find out.

Photo: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Christian Bale says he acted like a "punk" and that his profane tongue-lashing on the set of "Terminator Salvation" was inexcusable.

In Friday remarks on a Los Angeles morning radio show, Bale said he never intended to get physical with cinematographer Shane Hurlbut. He also said he was likely channeling too much of his character, John Conner.

Bale also told the "Kevin and Bean" show on KROQ 106.7 that he and Hurlbut reconciled and worked together for another month following the tirade.

The outburst, which occurred last year on the set in New Mexico, was posted this week on the celebrity gossip site TMZ. It has become an Internet sensation, inspiring a music remix, spoofs, and punch lines for the "Kevin and Bean" show.

• Coraline 3-D (A-) | 2-D showtimes
• He's Just Not That Into You (B-)
• The Pink Panther 2 (C-)
• Push (D+)

Really!? I'm a fan of the women and the shoes and the whatnot, but c'mon! As much as I enjoyed this summer's flick, it felt very much like a much delayed (and much needed) swan song. This just strikes me as last desperate guests who just won't leave the party.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- There's still sex to be had in the city, even though Carrie Bradshaw has settled down with one man.

New Line Cinema spokeswoman Candice McDonough confirms that "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, her three co-stars and writer-director Michael Patrick King are signed for a sequel to last year's hit movie.

The film will reunite Parker and gal pals Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon.

In a statement, King says: "I'm very excited to work with these amazing actresses again and would love to give everyone more information about the sequel ... but I'm busy with my 'Sex' life."

New Line parent Warner Bros. plans to have the sequel out in summer 2010.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The film isn't even in theaters yet, but "Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire" has already spawned dueling lawsuits.

Lionsgate Films and The Weinstein Co. on Wednesday filed lawsuits in Los Angeles and New York, both claiming they had an agreement with producers to distribute the film.

"Push," based on the 1996 novel by the poet Sapphire and directed by Lee Daniels, was a darling at the recent Sundance Film Festival, picking up grand jury and audience awards.

BERLIN (AP) -- Kate Winslet says she is prepared to leave this year's Oscar ceremony as she has five times in the past - without a golden statue.

"I'm so used to it, having gone through it before and having lost so many times," Winslet says. "Being in that losing state is something I'm much more comfortable in, in a funny kind of a way."

Winslet was at the Berlin Film Festival Thursday for a screening of "The Reader," the Holocaust-themed drama that earned her a best-actress nomination.

In January, she won best supporting actress for that performance at the Golden Globes, as well as best dramatic actress for her role in "Revolutionary Road."

"I've been lucky so far, and if that's it, then that's fine," Winslet said. "I think that's the attitude you have to take."

February is the best month of the year for movie lovers. Forget summer blockbusters, holiday epics or fall awards contenders.

No, February marks Turner Classic Movies annual 31 Days of Oscar.

Yeah, it's exactly what it sounds like: From Feb. 1 through March 3, TCM showcases Oscar-winning films, actors and actresses. Each day covers a different topic in the TCM University, from agriculture and journalism to criminology and psychology.

Today's line up tackles music with two loosely-based-on-reality biopics of legendary musicians:

Tonight at 7, revel in the magic of Cole Porter's music and Cary Grant's charming good looks with Night and Day, which "professes to give us the true story of Cole Porter; but in reality, it's just a grand showcase for Cole Porter's most famous tunes."

Hey, who needs reality when you've got a crooning Cary Grant?

Next up is one of my favorite films at 9:30: Rhapsody in Blue, a biopic on legendary American composer George Gershwin. According to TCM, the film veered pretty far from reality in order to create a "compelling" storyline. No matter. Just revel in 2-1/2 hours of Gershwin's music. But don't expect to win your next Trivial Pursuit game with anything gleaned from the film.

Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga wrote the harrowing story of fate connecting disparate people in the film Babel. He's been nominated for Golden Globe and Academy awards, and received recognition from the Cannes Film Festival and the British Academy of Film and Television. He makes his directorial debut in his latest film, The Burning Plain, which stars Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.
Arriaga comes to Texas to talk about his craft Feb. 12 to 14 at the University of North Texas. He will present three lectures as follows: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in Room 184 of UNT's Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Lyceum of UNT's University Union; and for master's class from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 14 in the ballroom of the Gateway Center. All lectures are free; registration is required for the master's class. Call 940-565-2197.

The DVD of Twilight is at the top of the current bestseller list on the Barnes & Noble Web site. That's expected, right? What's notable, though, is that the DVD isn't scheduled for release until March 21. And it's not even discounted.

Boys and girls, we hear you. Bella's scent is powerful. You can't resist. Vampires are hot. You have some discretionary income. Your parents are under your power. This DVD release will be bigger than big, ginormous even! Sequel, stat!

Oscar night (Feb. 22) will soon be upon us, and if you haven't had a chance yet to see this year's nominees for best picture, AMC Theatres has a deal for you.

On Feb. 21, the chain is offering a $30 all-day pass ($25 if you're an AMC MovieWatcher member), with back-to-back screenings of the five nominees: Milk, The Reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon.

That's a lot o' sittin'. But AMC is sweetening the deal with a large popcorn (and free refills!) for each pass holder.

And no, you don't have to watch them all if you don't want to. The souvenir lanyard will give you the right to come and go as you like.

Find out more, including locations and schedules, at AMC's Web site (click on Best Picture Showcase).

AFI Dallas announced today 15 of the films that will screen at this year's festival, which runs March 26 through April 2. Passes (on sale Feb. 6) and tickets (on sale March 2) will be available at www.afidallas.com, by calling 214-720-0663 and at the AFI Dallas box offices at NorthPark Center and Victory Park.

The fifteen announced selections are:

ART & COPY (USA)
Director: Doug Pray
Documentary explores the creation of the modern advertising industry, the people behind it, and its influence on popular culture.

THE BURNING PLAIN (USA)
Director: Guillermo Arriaga
Cast: Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger
A drama with employs multiple storylines featuring a mother and daughter who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood.

CHILDREN OF INVENTION (USA)
Director: Tze Chun
Cast: Cindy Chung, Michael Chen, Crystal Chiu
Drama follows a Chinese American family as they struggle to achieve the American Dream in suburban Boston.

FOOD, INC. (Canada)
Director: Robert Kenner
Documentary takes a look at food preparation, industrialized and otherwise for the mass population.

GIGANTIC (USA)
Director: Matt Aselton
Cast: Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman, Jane Alexander, Ed Asner
Comedy is centered around a mattress salesman and a young woman he meets at his store.

Bewitched: The Complete Seventh Season - Samantha, Darrin and their two children pay an extended visit to Salem, Mass. to kick off a season in which Tom Bosley and Imogene Coca guest-starred.
Coming to America - Why is this movie, long out on DVD, listed here? Well, this time it comes with the music CD. If you've heard any marching band in the last 20 years, you've heard the theme that played any time the King of Zamunda (James Earl Jones, natch) was on the move. Eddie Murphy played the African prince who ran from an arranged marriage by looking for his lady love in Queens.
Friday the 13th: Deluxe Edition; Part Two: Widescreen Deluxe; Part Three Deluxe Edition - Of course, any good marketer knows to remind people of the past while preparing them for the future. To that end, here's the story of Jason Voorhees, released a couple of weeks before the franchise's bloody reboot in theaters on Feb. 13.
A Good Day to be Black and Sexy - Six vignettes set in Los Angeles, all concerned with the topic of sexuality in the black community. It tries really hard to provide food for thought and "shatter stereotypes about black sexuality."
Gym Teacher: The Movie - NIckelodeon's made-for-TV movie gets the DVD treatment. I watched it for Christopher Meloni, who plays an ex-Olympian (failed) turned gym teacher. Amy Sedaris also stars.
Night Court: Seasons One and Two - Doop, doop. Doo doo doo doo doop. With a few notes of its theme song, Night Court explored the antics of a wacky judge and the colorful characters who made up his courtroom. Look how skinny John Larroquette is! And why did I have a crush on comedian and magician Harry Anderson (Judge Harry T. Stone)?
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Prowling Manhattan in a yellow Yugo never looked so inviting as when Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad) and Kat Dennings do it to the tune of their favorite bands, falling for each other along the way.
The Secret Life of Bees - Dakota Fanning learns about life and bees from a trio of sisters -- Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo, and Alicia Keys -- and her housekeeper, Jennifer Hudson.
Space Buddies - Golden retrievers go on a mission to the moon, learning about teamwork and friendship on the way there and back. Disney? Check. The cutest marketing you've ever seen? Check.
Yentl: 25th Anniversary Edition and Director's Extended Edition - Barbra Streisand stars in and directs this story about a young Jewish woman who poses as a man to further her studies. Extras include rehearsals and an introduction by Streisand.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - Available today in three flavors (conservative box art, two-disc and regular). Money's tight, so a young couple decides to get into making porn films with hilarious results.

For more released, see our DVD page.