The Screening Room

The Dallas International Film Festival will honor director-writer Pete Docter with the 2010 Texas Avery Animation Award, which is for lifetime achievement in animation filmmaking. The festival on Thursday also released the names of 12 more official selections, including three world premieres.

Docter's Up has been nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture and best animated feature. The honoree's Oscar-nominated films include Wall-E, Mike's New Car, Monsters, Inc. and Toy Story. The award is presented by REEL FX Entertainment.

(A Surprise in Texas , right, will make its world premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival, April 8-18.)

Today brings this Facebook update:

The Official TWILIGHT SAGA Facebook fan page has reached over 5 million of the best fans in the world! To celebrate, we would like to announce that the first trailer for ECLIPSE will play with REMEMBER ME in theatres on March 12! Stay tuned for more information on where you can see it earlier that week. Thank you so much for your love and support!

For those who've been living in a cave at the bottom of the ocean for the past few years, Eclipse is the upcoming third film of The Twilight Saga, based on author Stephanie Meyer's vampire series. Theatrical release date: June 30. And Remember Me is Robert Pattinson's second attempt to prove his acting chops not as the sought-after Edward Cullen. Anyone remember last year's Little Ashes? So, what good is it doing him as an actor for the studios to premiere the Eclipe trailer with Remember Me?

I can just imagine how that's so not going to help him. Young enthralled girls everywhere want to go see him in a love a story, where he's not a vampire, just to be reminded minutes before the film begins of this fan-crazed role. How can you then watch the film without thinking about the Edward-Bella chemistry the whole time? I guess the absence of sparkles will help.

Once again, we have a movie that's opening to little or no fanfare (and not being screened for critics). But, as usual, we have your back. Here's what all the non-fuss is about "Preacher's Kid," starring LeToya Luckett. Editor's note: Tough still not my cup of tea, I probably will eventually see this movie. Should be interesting to say the least.

By Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star
Rated PG-13
Time: 1:41
What is it? The sheltered daughter (LeToya Luckett) of a small-town widowed preacher (Gregalan Williams) strikes out on her own, joining the cast of a touring gospel musical and falling for the company's charismatic leading man (Durrell "Tank" Babbs). It's a modern update of the parable of the prodigal son.
Why didn't Gener8Xion Entertainment show it to us? The studio did not respond to our request for comment. But it seems to be following the marketing plan laid out by Tyler Perry's recent movies -- no advance reviews, emphasize TV advertising.
Who else is in it? Clifton Powell, one of the movies' more reliable black baddies.
Why we'd see it: First-time director Stan Foster has been getting positive buzz. And you've gotta love gospel music.
Why we wouldn't: Not our cup of tea.

(Photo by Paul Hawthorne/The Associated Press)

Director Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker picked up another best-picture award before the end of last year, this one from the National Society of Film Critics.

The critics association named Bigelow best director and handed an award to Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner, who says he's not playing "Hawkeye" in the upcoming Avengers movie, as best actor. I'm going to keep showing my geek here; remember when Renner played a serial-killer vamp on Angel? (Really, is there any other kind? I'm looking at you Edward Cullen, also coincidentally unleashed upon the world by Summit Entertainment.)

(If you haven't seen it, The Hurt Locker was re-released on Dec. 18 at Cinemark Movies Grand Prairie and the AMC Grapevine Mills Cinema 30.)

Anyway, if this usually contrary outfit is agreeing with the mainstream critics groups, then Oscar had better watch out. He might be going home with Kathryn. Ms. Bigelow, if you're nasty.

(Photo of Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" from Summit Entertainment)

No review? Well, this might be why ...

Armored': No critics allowed
By Sharon Hoffmann
The Kansas City Star

What is it? Guards at an armored truck company coerce a newbie co-worker into stealing $42 million. But of course the plan goes wrong.
Why didn't Screen Gems show it to the press? The studio, a division of Sony, had no comment.
Why we'd see it: That cast! Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno and Matt Dillon.
Why we wouldn't: The studio must know something we aren't picking up from the trailers -- how else to explain the critic shutout?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, FX, with its R- and Eww-rated dramas and its superhero-movie marathons, will start showing Twilight in 2011 after nabbing the rights in a deal with Summit Entertainment.

In the deal, the net also will show The Hurt Locker, Knowing and Push. So, I know what you thinking: "Of course they're going to show Twilight and Underworld in an all-day marathon." And I feel you (remember the Buffy the Vampire "Slay-a-Thon" that FX used to show on Thanksgiving Day? I do, and I miss it). This is one network that knows its packaging. They'll be able to show the films after the pay-cable deal is complete with Showtime.

Stay tuned. I hear they're working on that fourth Underworld movie. A conflicted Michael Sheen (he's a smarmy vamp in one franchise and a heartache-y werewolf in the other, and if you haven't seen him in The Queen, you oughta run out and buy the DVD) will be all over the place!

(Photo of Michael Sheen as Underworld's Lucian from michaelsheen.net)

The Black Academy of Arts and Letters is hosting a 24-hour FilmFeast, starting at 10:30 Saturday morning at the Dallas Convention Center Theatre Complex. The festival features black and white films that showcase the parts of the African-American experience overlooked by Hollywood.

The schedule:

The Devil's Daughter - Muse Café Theatre, 10:30 a.m.
Made in 1939, this film dips into voodoo.
The Big Timers - Room T-314, 10:30
In 1945, a rich man dates a woman that he thinks is as well off as he is. She's not.
Boarding House Blues - Muse Café Theatre, 12:30 p.m.
Landlord, eviction issues in 1948 with "Moms Mabley."
The Black King - Room T-314, 12:30
A shady preacher brings corruption in the church in Mississippi in this film released in 1932.
Warrington Hudlin (House Party, Boomerang) - 2:30
The Girl in Room 20 - Muse Café Theatre, 4
A small-town Texas girl moves to NYC to pursue her (hard) dreams. 1946.
Mark of the Hawk - Room T-314, 4
No, not Avery Brooks, silly. Sidney Poitier is on trial for murder.

Tickets ($5 plus service fees) can be bought at the TBAAL box office or by phone at 214-743-2400.

Texas Frightmare Weekend has steadily announced additions to its appearance roster for their fifth anniversary celebration April 30-May 2.

This week, it's Terry Alexander (right) of Day of the Dead. You remember him: He's the one that's the helicopter pilot.

Earlier, the organizers had announced that George Romero who masterminded The Night of the Living Dead; William Katt (yes, he was the greatest American hero, but he felt bad about duping Carrie a little too late in the game); and Keir Dullea (who will help commemorate the 1974 release of Black Christmas.)

The headliner is John Carpenter, the man, the composer, the filmmaker. Another legend (see Romero above). He's a legend-maker, too, with Halloween's Michael Myers and Escape from New York's Snake Plissken to his credit. Tickets are $20-$65, with a "5th Anniversary Celebration VIP Pass" on sale for $199.

Twilight fans are getting another addition to the empire with news out today that a "family restaurant" called Volterra will open in Forks, Wash., where the vampire book and movie series is set.

So, now there's a TV show, a lounge, several homes on the Web and so on and so forth.

Turns out the folks in charge of opening this restaurant didn't check with another place called Volterra in Seattle. But owners Annette and Tim Root say that "Volterra" is just a working name.

Stay tuned.

(Photo of Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan by Kimberley French for Summit Entertainment)

Michael Jackson's This Is It opens at 11 p.m. Tuesday in area theaters, though the movie's official opening date is Wednesday. Tickets are widely available, including at www.thisisittickets.com and at individual theaters and movie Web sites such as Fandango.

The movie's running time is 1 hour and 51 minutes, for those of you wondering just how much of the reported 120 hours of footage made it onto the screen.

I'm sure the DVD will be ready for purchase during the holiday season. Aren't you?

Want to meet up with some real roller derby vixens before seeing Drew Barrymore's Whip It tonight?

Well, skaters from the Assassination City Roller Derby will be at the Magnolia tonight. They'll be signing autographs and taking pictures.

They will also introduce the film for the 7:15 and the 9:50 shows.

The league is home to three teams -- the Deadly Kennedys, Lone Star Assassins and Bombshell Brigade -- and a travel team. They've named Barrymore "Motley Drew," in honor of the occasion.

(Photo by Darren Michaels/Fox Searchlight)

Critic Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times that The Age of Stupid, screening at 6:30 p.m. Monday as a one-night engagement in the United States and Canada, is a "frightening jeremiad about the effects of climate change."

The film features British actor Pete Postelthwaite (right) and is set in 2055. Postelthwaite plays an old man, an archivist, who's watching footage from 2008 while bemoaning the preventable damage done to the environment. Thus, it's what he calls "The Age of Stupid." You can see this film all over the Metroplex, including three screenings in Dallas: Cinemark 17; UA Galaxy Stadium 10; AMC NorthPark 15.

The filmmakers are doing their part by sending the movie via satellite from a "solar-powered cinema tent" in downtown New York City.

For more information, go to www.ageofstupid.net.

Really? They don't have even one Oscar betwixt the three of them? Lauren Bacall, Roger Corman and Gordon Willis will receive honorary Oscars at a gala to be held Nov. 14. Little Shop of Horrors has always been my favorite play, my favorite movie, with my favorite songs. I figured the Academy wouldn't see the genius there, but, really, you would've thought that with all the films that Bacall and Corman made that they would have at least stumbled on an Oscar. Really.

Bacall, Corman, Willis to get honorary Oscars
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Actress Lauren Bacall, producer-director Roger Corman and cinematographer Gordon Willis are the first Oscar winners of the season.
The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday that the three will receive honorary Oscar statuettes.
Bacall made her screen debut with Humphrey Bogart in "To Have and Have Not" in 1944. She went on to star in more than 30 films, including such classics as "The Big Sleep" and "Key Largo." Corman has directed more than 50 films and produced more than 300 during his five-decade career, including "It Conquered the World" and "The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Willis is a two-time Academy Award nominee for "Zelig" and "The Godfather, Part III."
The board also voted to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producer-executive John Calley. His producing credits include "Postcards from the Edge," "The Remains of the Day," for which he earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination, "Closer" and "The Da Vinci Code."
All four awards will be presented at the Academy's inaugural Governors Awards gala event on Nov. 14 in Hollywood.

Tyler Perry, once again, isn't showing his latest movie to critics. We probably couldn't sway you one way or the other about his film anyway. But the headline on the explanation below says it all. So check Guide Daily and dallasnews.com on Saturday for a review.

I Can Do Bad All By Myself, without any help from critics
By Robert W. Butler
The Kansas City Star

TYLER PERRY'S I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF
Rated PG-13
Time: 1:53
What is it? Madea (writer/director Tyler Perry in full-bosom drag) practices tough love on miscreant kids, putting them in the hands of their aunt (Taraji P. Henson), a nightclub singer struggling to get her own life together.
Why didn't Lionsgate show it to the press? It's been several years since Perry has shown his work in advance.
Why we'd see it: Perry's work is hugely popular, and Bad looks to have his trademark blend of raunch and moral uplift -- with musical numbers, too (Mary J. Blige and Gladys Knight are in the cast).
Why we wouldn't: Seems to some of us that Perry keeps remaking the same movie.

(Photo of Taraji P. Henson from Lionsgate)

Well, well ... we have two offenders this week. Rumer Willis' star turn as a damsel in a bit of distress isn't going to get the critic treatment in time for opening night. Ah, well. We've got you covered until the review hits Guide Daily and dallasnews.com.

Sorority Row doesn't allow critics
By Robert W. Butler
The Kansas City Star
SORORITY ROW
Rated R
Time: 1:41
What is it? After one of them dies in a prank gone wrong, sorority sisters try to keep the death a secret ... but find themselves stalked by a murderous stranger.
Why didn't Summit Entertainment show it to critics? Hollywood has realized even positive reviews can't help exploitation efforts like this one.
What others are saying: "Boasting a welcome sense of tongue-in-cheek humor and girlsploitation heroics (all the product placements get a bit much, though), Sorority Row isn't just another brain-dead and bloodthirsty exercise in macabrely entertaining those who like to watch people die in gruesome, graphic ways," says EmpireOnline.co.uk.
Why we'd see it: There's a big shower scene, right?
Why we wouldn't: No-name director and cast don't inspire confidence.

(Photo by Michael Desmond/Summit Entertainment)

If you hurry, you can catch a wax figure of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine as it hits the Dallas stop on its five-city tour in anticipation of the Sept. 15 release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine on DVD and Blu-ray. The wax figure is at the Blockbuster Video at 3501 McKinney (McKinney and Lemmon) until 7 p.m.

If that's too much information too late, then you can wake up early tomorrow morning and head downtown to WFAA studios in Victory Park (3030 Olive St.). The wax figure will be there at 8:15 a.m. Sharp. (LOL ... I crack myself up!)

Tussauds spokesman Neil Linssen, who is also a sculptor and artist, is riding shotgun withthe statue. He'll talk about the sculpting process. The head of this particular figure took more than six weeks so that they could get an accurate likeness of Jackman.

I'll race you there! (And, um, yeah. That's the wax figure to your right ...)

More often than not, we'll all know a film is opening on a certain date, but we won't get to see it in time to give you a review. That hamstrings us just as much as it does you, dear reader. So, I've found this little feature that we'll try to trot out every time we miss out on the big films.

You can always come back home for the review, though, just not on Friday ... Sigh. This week's hold-out? Gamer, starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall and Ludacris, ahem, Chris Bridges.

By Robert W. Butler
The Kansas City Star
GAMER
Rated R
Time: 95 mins.
What is it? In the future people play video games in which real living humans -- convicts who volunteer hoping for an early release -- become pawns in life-and-death scenarios.
Why didn't Lionsgate show it to the press? The studio has a longstanding policy of not screening most of its exploitation and genre titles for critics.
Why we'd see it: We're big fans of Scottish actor Gerard Butler (as one of the prisoners who gets wrapped up in the game) and Michael C. Hall (TV's Dexter, as a sinister game designer).
Why we wouldn't: Writers-directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor made the high-energy, low-content Crank films. This looks like more of the same ... and we're looking for something more substantial.

(Photo of Gerard Butler by Saeed Adyani/Lionsgate)

If you're looking for a theme for your next party, this week's DVD releases have one (or two) ready and waiting for you. Blaxploitation films probably won't become the rage that they once were, but with Black Lightning on its way to a theater near you, there's no better time for that party. Out this week and fitting snugly into that genre are double features of Blacula/Scream, Blacula, Scream; Black Mama, White Mama/Foxy Brown; Cornbread Earl & Me/Cooley High; Hell Up in Harlem/Cotton Comes to Harlem; Coffee/Friday Foster.

Or go with an animated theme with a lot of Batman , Batman & Robin, Batman Beyond and Scooby Doo on the release schedule, along with Static Shock and Ben 10. Or even a poetry night, with Brave New Voices or Russell Simmons Presents: Def Poetry. Yes, Brave New Voices is also presented by Simmons.

Whichever. It's your choice.

Other releases

Bring it On: Fight to the Finish - Hey, you might as well finish out the series. This time, Christina Milian stars as the fish out of water with mad cheer skills.
Brave New Voices - Queen Latifah narrates and Russell Simmons presents as youth teams from 45 cities compete to see whose voice will be lifted.
Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season - Oh, Sally Field, Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe ... what would TV be without you?
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Ninth Season - Eww. Did you see that time that the eyeball was in the tree?! Eww. Double eww.

What a deal! Disney is set to aquire Marvel Entertainment, giving them access to the Marvel vaults and every character Stan Lee ever dreamed of. While it's a boon for Marvel shareholders, what might that mean for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)? Will Disney, notorious for scrubbing clean anything it touches, demand that future representations of Stark and his hard-partying ways be toned down?

Will the Punisher adopt a Mickey Mouse shirt instead of his death skull. Will Wolverine suddenly start playing nice? Will Minnie and Magneto run off together? Stay tuned. This should be fun.

I will say this: Marvel is late to the game as DC has been under Warner Bros. for years. Perhaps that's why the movies made from DC comics seem to have more of a soul and less popcorn. What say you?

(Photo by DAMIAN DOVARGANES/The Associated Press of Stan Lee with one of his creations at Marvel)

Adventureland - Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart working at an amusement park and set in the 1980s? Well, you'd be there, too.
American Son - Don't let the Nick Cannon fool you. He's left behind his antics for grown-man fare as he plays a Marine who faces telling his friends and family that he's being deployed to Iraq amidst problems at home.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - I adore this series and seriously can't quit humming its jazzy theme song. And I'm not the one when you're messing with the Big DC Three: Wonder Woman, Batman or Superman. This series pairs one of the comics titans three, well, titans with other lesser-known DC heroes. Red Tornado has a heart? Awwww. Who knew?
Californication: The Second Season - David Duchovny helped to build the Showtime original programming brand into what you see today with this series about a man with, shall we say, obsessions.
Children of the Corn: 25th Anniversary Edition - 25th Anniversay Edition? It was high camp then and perfect fodder for a remake. And someone finally made my dreams come true with Syfy's version. Love it!
Duplicity - Clive Owen and Julia Roberts play the spies who loved each other but not more than they love the con. The movie wasn't universally loved upon initial release. Give it another try here.
Fighting - Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard talk a whole lot about the title, but don't do enough of it. Come on! That's bait and switch! But, still. Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.
Grindhouse Greats Collection - Cult movies? Check. Horror classics? We'll get back to you. Nevertheless, you know you want to see Madman of Mandoras, also known as They Saved Hitlers' Brain.
House: Season Five - Anyone with a chronic condition wants Dr. House as their doctor. Forget bedside manner; I want results! Seasons one through five are also available today as a set.
Lie to Me: Season One - Tim Roth affects an American accent the best way he knows how (dropped consonants and long vowels) in this series that examines lying.
Life: Season Two - The last season of the NBC show about a man framed and put in prison who gets out and resumes his life as a cop.
San Francisco 49ers: Five Greatest Games - Also out today is The New York Giants: 10 Greatest Games. In what sports fans heads does that make any sense? I guess the Chargers DVD will last five minutes. And, they're of ...
Otis Redding: Respect Otis Live - It's one thing to hear him sing "Respect." It's another to feel him sing it as you will on this DVD.
Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season - Follow the antics of the staff at Mercy as they move to ABC, home of the broad comedy with a ginormous laugh track.
Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season - Lois crushes on Clark while Green Arrow and company save some of the day. Chloe, well, that's her in left field with Doomsday. If you're still reading, good for you. We welcome you, fellow geek.
The Suite Life on Deck: Anchors Away - Now, the boys are living on an oceanliner in, you guessed it, a suite. They're still so very cute! (And how slow is London anyway?)
Sunshine Cleaning - What job would you do in this recession? These girls (Amy Adams and Emily Blunt) decide to go in the cleaning business. As in, I'll clean up that gruesome crime scene, no problem.

You can meet one of the co-stars of The Time Traveler's Wife tonight at Cinemark Allen. Brooklyn Proulx will be at the opening of the movie tonight at Cinemark Allen around 6:30 p.m.

She'll sign autographs, and she won't duck out the side door when the lights go down. Proulx and her family are going to stay to watch the movie. The now 10-year-old actress, who lives in North Texas, plays the 8-year-old version of star Rachel McAdams' character in the movie that also stars Eric Bana (Troy) and is produced by Brad Pitt.

Dakota Fanning-dom, here she comes ...

I caught wind from our Garland blog that a movie called Breaking the Press would be filmed at Lakeview Centennial High School, and all Garland ISD students were allowed to attend and be extras. So, of course I called all my friends and told them this was our big shot at being movie stars.

It was a far-fetched idea.

My friend, Vishal, joined me at 10 a.m. to the Lakeview gymnasium to find a sea of people wearing red and blue. They were filming a basketball state championship game, Wildcats vs. Patriots.

So what was our job?

If it's Tuesday, then it must be DVDs. Here goes:

Fast & Furious - Like the tagline says, it's the same old parts - Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Paul Walker and Michelle Rodriguez. But that adds a certain anticipatory air to the blow-em-up, drive-fast proceedings. (I just don't think they meant that about the story, too, or the absence of the articles in the title.) And most of the women look, well, skanky. But if you're in, you're in. 'Fess up and buy the darn thing.
Dragonball: Evolution - I've often wondered where James Marsters would turn up. Well, he's here in the live adaptation of the days before Dragonball-Z.
An American Affair - A teen witnesses the events of 1963, including JFK's affair and assassination plans.

For more new releases, go to our video and DVD page. You can also find some TV on DVD releases on the TV blog.

I am seriously geeking out today. Bless Comic-Con. And the fine people at io9.com, who provide us with this:

Tim Burton has confirmed that his next project will be remaking ABC's vampire soap Dark Shadows, whose rights are rumored to belong to Johnny Depp. This could mean we'll finally see our Johnny Depp vampire dreams come true.

At the Alice In Wonderland press conference, people cornered Burton about his next rumored movie project Dark Shadows, the vampire soap opera that aired on ABC.

When asked if he had plans to pursue the movie adaptation of Dark Shadows and bring the infamous Barnabas Collins back to life his response was:

Yeah if I ever finish this one here [Alice in Wonderland]. It's hard to think beyond this at the minute but yeah that's the plan.

The rights to the show's rights were optioned by Infinitum-Nihil, which is Johnny Depp's production company. This can only mean one thing: Edward has some gigantic competition. Burton and Depp do everything together lately, there's no reason we shouldn't start assuming the same. Depp as a vampire -- is there anything more ridiculous and wonderful at the same time?

Oh, sign me UP:

From The Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The director of the The Evil Dead film franchise is set to transform World of Warcraft into a movie.

Blizzard Entertainment Inc. and Legendary Pictures says Sam Raimi has signed on to direct Warcraft, a live-action film based on the popular online role-playing game which allows players to become such characters as orcs, trolls, humans and dwarves. Raimi is best known for directing The Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogy.

He most recently wrote and directed Drag Me To Hell.

Here's hoping he focuses more on his Evil Dead roots with this one. I'll admit I've never played a second of WoW. But I can appreciate online obsessions as much as the next fangirl. Video games seldom make a strong jump to the screen (I'm looking at Uwe Boll), so here's hoping Raimi can do the game justice. Or at least make an entertaining film.

Another July nearly gone, another July spent NOT being at San Diego Comic-Con International. Pantheon of all things delightfully geeky io9is there. So is ign, Wired's Underwire, Entertainment Weekly, Kotaku, slashfilm, imdb.com, Rotten Tomatoes, Movie Web and lots and lots of other people who are not me.

Possibly its for the best that I'm still in Dallas. Just looking at the panel line up is enough to my fangirly squee with joy. I'm not entirely sure I'd survive it. But in a perfect world, here's what I'd be lining up for:

Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture -- EW moderates a conversation with Sigourney Weaver (Avatar), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), and Zoe Saldana (Avatar) about the actresses who have redefined the rules, and the female characters that have shattered the glass ceiling for all women.

20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar -- The first public screening of footage in 3D from James Cameron's much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy.

Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus -- Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of both Comic-Con and Monty Python, we welcome the sole American Python, the great animator and director Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, Brazil, 12 Monkeys) to introduce you to his new film.

Focus Features: Thirst -- Focus Features and Comic-Con present a rare U.S. appearance by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, whose "scandalous vampire melodrama" Thirst just won the Prix du Jury (Jury Prize) at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog -- The California Browncoats host a screening of the original three acts, followed immediately by Commentary! The Musical.

I came across the trailer for Alice in Wonderland (creepy) and thought I would share it on the blog. Alas, when I went to do that, Disney had filed a copyright claim for it on YouTube. Go ahead, click on it. It says "This video is not available in your country due to copyright restrictions."

So, I noticed that my friend Sandi Jo found another trailer embedded in another place. But here's the rub. If Disney is stalking the Web, trying to keep people from seeing this trailer, I'm not setting us up like that.

It's all over the Web, though, in Disney-approved places which doesn't include some of my usual haunts. And it's a sight to behold. There's Facebook groups devoted to the Red Queen, the White Queen and the Mad Hatter. The group who has the most members at 4 p.m. Pacific will get the first look at the trailer that Tim Burton was supposed to present at Comic-Con tomorrow. Run, children, and press play.

(Photo of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter courtesy of Disney via the Associated Press)

This week (and next with Battlestar Galactica DVDs, Dragonball: Evolution and Torchwood: Children of Earth) is prime time for the geek contingent. Come with us on a fantastic voyage as we recount the ways that your movie-watching nights can be happy.

Coraline --Neil Gaiman's work gets the stop-motion treatment from Henry Selick. Dakota Fanning voices the tyke who finds out her dream world can be a nightmare.
Watchmen: Director's Cut -- Director Zack Snyder's vision of the seminal graphic novel. You know you want to.
The Great Buck Howard -- It's worth it just to see John Malkovich play a "washed-up" mentalist. Fun, funny, heartbreaking, all that.
Hotel: The First Season -- Remember the theme music? I do. I remember being fascinated by Harry Belafonte Jr.'s daughter with her close-cropped hair. And getting the sheet music for the theme song. I've been a geek for a loooooong time.
The Lucy Show: The Official First Season -- All by herself, well with her friend Vivian, Lucy keeps the shenanigans going. Still golden after all these years.
The Mighty Boosh: Seasons 1-3 -- You either get this far-out, trippy series on Adult Swim. Or you don't. For those who do, these individual two-disc sets are where it's at.
Prison Break: The Final Break -- Got some questions about Michael and the gang that are still bothering you? Well, this wraps things up in a messy little bow.
Pushing Daisies: The Complete Series -- This is another one of those series that's better served by DVD than episodic television. You can turn the quirk up to 11 and spend time wondering why Chi McBride, Kristen Chenoweth and Ellen Greene (what a voice on that one) aren't on your TV every night. Or not. Your choice.
Robot Chicken Star Wards: Episode 2 -- LOL ... wait, I can't even write about it, I'm laughing so hard. LOL ... OK. If you've ever chafed at the sheer seriousness of the saga that was Star Wars and how seriously the saga takes itself, you must watch this. Darth Vader does what? Luke, really? I don't want to give any of the gags away. But the item is a must-have for fans and detractors alike. Equally funny for both groups. Trust me.

For more DVD releases this week, go to our DVDs page.

So, DC Comics is going all movie again and this time the casting's for Green Lantern. Rumor (and the Hollywood Reporter and Wired.com) has it that the casting is down to three, ahem, stars to play Hal Jordan. You know, he's the straight-arrow pilot picked by a dying alien to join the Green Lantern Corps, protecting that sector of the Universe that contains Earth.

Anyway, the three finalists are: Justin Timberlake (Alpha Dog, numerous Saturday Night Live appearances); Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Wedding Crashers); and Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Proposal).

Either way, I don't know if I like any of them for Hal Jordan and it seems that the producers, writers and director all have a different favorite. Just squash it, I say, and go with the John Stewart Green Lantern. And for that? Well, I'm all about some Henry Simmons.

Until then, "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight."

(Photo from atomicpopcorn.net)

The good people at Austin360.com have put together a cool look at Johnny Depp's roles through the years. Starting in 1984, the slideshow includes all the goodies from his start in Nightmare on Elm Street to this week's Public Enemies.

While I am *always* happy to look Mr. Depp, I'm struck by both how very timeless he is (he looks like only a few years pass in the past 25) as well as the broad range of his roles: from romance (Chocolat) to weird indie (Ed Wood) to crowd-pleasing Hollywood blockbuster (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy).

(Click the image to view.)

Big props to Comingsoon.net for being the latest place on the Internet to scar me for life.

The guilty party? Promo shots from Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland, including pictures of Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter in a type of creepy that I suspect will turn up in my dreams soon.

Iron Man 2 won't be out until May 2010, but that doesn't stop fangirls (and boys) from salivating over every scrap we get out of Marvel and anywhere else.

Jon Favreau is back as director, and Robert Downey Jr. (perfect casting, right?) is back as Tony Stark. This time, though, we get Mickey Rourke joining in on the fun.

What'll he look like as Whiplash? Well, I got you. Always. Look up.

(Photo from Marvel.com)

FYI: The almost warmly received remake of Wes Craven's '70s film is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Aug. 18.

If you remember, the story of a mother and father seeking a bit of revenge (not nearly served cold) for the injuries done to their daughter came to theaters not so long ago. (If you were like me, you were saying, "Don't do that to Aquamarine!" through a good portion of the film.) If you weren't, you were probably tickled pink by the violence. Or tickled sick. Or just creeped out. (I could go on ...)

Either way, there you go. The Last House on the Left, out Aug. 18.

(Photo by Lacey Terrell/Rogue Pictures)

Aw, Fridays. That blissful week day where new movies hit the screens and the work week ends. So to keep you entertained until the school bell rings, I bring you this week's entertainment time waster.

Once again, YouTube makes life worth living. Liquid Generation put together this clip fest of great movie lines in a compact, enjoyable 3 minutes and 41 seconds.

Christmas has come in June.

The Norman Lear Collection is a television lover's dream. And that's not only because it features the first seasons of seven of the producer's greatest groundbreaking creations: All in the Family, which begat The Jeffersons; Maude which begat Good Times; Sanford and Son; One Day at a Time; and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Lear literally changed the face of television with feminists, black actors and single mothers, along with hot-button issues of the day, taking the spotlight.

The 19-disc set also includes the pilot for All in the Family, then called Those Were the Days. There are tons of special features, including "The Birth of All in the Family" and "Ain't We Lucky We Got 'Em: Good Times," with Norman Lear and Jimmie Walker talking about the show and black audiences.

Lear, who's now 87 years old, hasn't rested on those laurels; he pens a blog for the Hufftington Post and has a record label (!) and an interest in Village Roadshow Pictures.

I can't imagine his trademark shows being produced today. Those shows still can make a viewer flinch sometimes with the brutal honesty of everyday life.

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music The Director's Cut 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition - The Oscar-winning documentary gets the director's cut treatment. And on this DVD, you can make your own playlist. Want Hendrix to lead off instead of batting cleanup? Yes, you can.
The Jack Lemmon Film Collection - Comedy -- "with a twist of Lemmon." And that's how we like it. There's five films in this collections, all comedies from Columbia Pictures: Phffft!, Operation Mad Ball, The Notorious Landlady, Under the Yum Yum Tree and Good Neighbor Sam.
Crossing Over - Harrison Ford and immigrants in a Crash-like tale that focuses on immigration.
Gran Torino - The neighborhood changes around a flinty, crusty (read: angry) Korean War veteran (Clint Eastwood), who is forced to face his own prejudices.
The International - Clive Owen and Naomi Watts trace murder and intrigue across the world and back to the world's largest bank.
Spinning Into Butter - Sarah Jessica Parker confronts her own ideas about race in this movie based on the play.

For more DVDs, click here.

Well, I don't think founder Dan Florio meant his Web site to be an aid for all of us trying to avoid a recurrence of kidney stones, but it's sure going to help.

Florio's Web site, wonderfully titled Runpee.com, tells you when it's OK to leave during a film because you have to, well, you know ... He came up with it while watching Peter Jackson's King Kong (at least it was an inspiration for something besides my S.O. yelling at the screen, "Leave the monkey alone!").

I sure could have used it when I saw every film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy in one sitting. No matter; it's here now, with the tagline of "Helping your bladder enjoy going to the movies as much as you do." With even comedies heading into the three-hour ring, now every moviegoer's bladder (bless your heart, pregnant women; the Web site even has a maternity T-shirt) can breathe a sigh of relief.

Watch. Boggle. Comment. Discuss.

The Hollywood Reporter, uh, reports: A new incarnation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer could be coming to the big screen. Buffy creator Joss Whedon isn't involved and it's not set up at a studio, but Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui, on what is being labeled a remake or relaunch, but not a sequel or prequel.

My gut reaction as a Buffy fan is to emphatically declare "Uh-uh, no way, VETO." I mean, why mess with a good thing? The movie has a cult following. The TV show's fans are still in love. Why on Earth would this need a reboot? And I'm not alone.

But then I realize that I'm pretty much making the same argument that Star Trek fans made about the new film and even old school Battlestar Galactica fans made about the new series. Oh. So *that's* what it feels like on the other side.

io9 disagrees with me. So does Fear Net.

So I ask you, movie fans, when does a beloved franchise need a reboot?

The final film starring Heath Ledger, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, had its premiere at Cannes.

Director Terry Gilliam, if you remember, thought of canceling the production when his star was found dead from an accidental prescription pill overdose. But three other A-list stars stepped in to play Ledger's character in three different incarnations during the fantastical sequences in the film: Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell. The actors played for peanuts, as the money they would have been making was set aside for Ledger's daughter with actress Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy), Matilda.

Awwww. Right? Well, reviews have been circulating and they're killing the movie softly.

One would have hoped for better as an epitaph for Heath Ledger, one of Hollywood's rising stars but it's early yet. We'll see.

(Photo of Terry Gilliam by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)

Well, every once in a while, we get an exclusive. And, Twilight fans, we've got your back.

Here's some facts about your favorite movie. Of. All. Time.

1. It was the biggest opening of all-time for a female director.
2. It was the second-biggest opening for a non-sequel. Spider-Man's at No. 1.
3. It was the fourth-biggest opening of the year.
4. To date, Twilight has a box-office total of $375 million.
5. Twilight sold 3 million home videos in its first 24 hours of release.

And your exclusive, besides all of those facts that you probably knew already because you're such a good fan base? Why, it's the first poster image from The Twilight Saga: New Moon. You know you love me. And you're welcome.

So, I've been gone for a bit tending to other things under my hat. But I'm back with more and more and more DVDs. Here goes:

Friday Night Lights: The Third Season - Well-acted, well-written and generally underlooked (yeah, I made up a word; what of it?). Discover it here and then go back to the beginning.
My Bloody Valentine 3-D - The deluxe edition comes with four pairs of 3-D glasses, the better to see the few tricks that this dud of a remake has up its sleeve. But, hey, there's Jensen Ackles!
Outlander - Jim Caviziel crash-lands in early A.D. Norway. And then the movie gets heavy. It wasn't as bad as some have said, but it takes some stick-to-it-iveness.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop - Kevin James had a blockbuster hit with his take on security officers in a mall. The kids will like it. You? You tell me ...
True Blood: The Complete First Season - If you read the books by Charlaine Harris, HBO's first season of True Blood was almost too faithful. That said, I watched every episode. And now, so can you. And you should. One can only hope the humor of the books is etched more definitively into the series about a girl who can hear thoughts, Sookie Stackhouse, and her vampire lover, Bill Compton, in a world where vampires have come out of the closet. It's only 12 episodes but there are those extras (hmmmm, Bill, and Lafayette dishing dirt on the residents of Bon Temps? Hee).
Valkyrie - It's action-figure Tom Cruise, playing a German officer in a group of military types that are trying to kill Hitler. The accents are all over the place, and Tom looks like he's play-acting, not the real thing.

For other DVDs released today, click here.

So, the Cannes International Film Festival got an uplifting start yesterday with Disney-Pixar's Up. There's always a first time, and this first was all animated. And 3-D.

Big names crowd the competition at this year's edition of the festival, including Jane Campion, Quentin Tarantino, Lars von Trier, Pedro Almodovar, Ang Lee and Ken Loach. Don't hate them because they're talented. Check out the list.

(Photo of Jane Campion by James Bridges)

It's ... 9:26 on Thursday night. You die-hard fans should be back from the 7 pm show! Alright, fans and newbies: What did you think of the new Star Trek? Did J.J. Abrams serve the franchise well? What did you love what did you hate?

I went in to this movie hoping to be wowed, but prepared to be disappointed. I mean, there was just so much that could go wrong. For where there is potential for greatness, there is such potential for suckage. There wasn't much middle ground. And yet?

Greatness.

Everything, from the sound to the lighting to the sheer scope of the sets, just blew me away. Abrams and the cast nailed the right balance: funny but not campy, dramatic but not taking itself too seriously, either.

While I'll admit to being a big Trek fan from TNG and beyond, I've never seen more than a few minutes of an episode from the original series. (And as for the movies? I have two words for you: Ear. Worm.) But I never felt lost or let out of the inside joke. I mean, c'mon: Trek fan or no, it's nearly impossible to have no cultural reference for the show or films.

Oh, yeah, and there are some other movies out this week, too.

• Star Trek (A) | IMAX
• Next Day Air (C-)
• Tyson (A)
• Valentino: The Last Emperor (A-)
• Skills Like This (B-)
• The Limits of Control (C-)

Muscle-bound Hugh Jackman swarthed into theaters last week, raking in a cool $85 million for the fourth flick in the X-Men comic book series. And starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, the ridiculously attractive cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboots the franchise.

And TV has embraced its dorkier side from Chuck and The Big Bang Theory to Heroes and Lost.

As CNN.com tells it:

If the world of entertainment is any indication, the geeks shall inherit the Earth. Programs like CBS' The Big Bang Theory" are indicative of the coolness of geeks and nerds in pop culture.

The nerd herd is everywhere these days it seems: in books, on television and at the movies. ... In the 25 years since Revenge of the Nerds debuted at movie theaters, geek chic has grabbed hold and catapulted the brilliant, yet often socially inept, into the realm of -- dare it be said -- the hip and the cool.

And from the Associated Press:

It took just a few seconds of footage - a single trailer, dropped from the heavens with great fanfare - for the hue and cry to rise on Trekmovie.com, the top fan site for J.J. Abrams' new "Star Trek" movie. By the hundreds they weighed in, a contentious cacophony that would have jammed even Lt. Uhura's comms system.

Admittedly, this trend isn't as new as recent stories would have you believe. Heroes and Lost have both been going strong for some time. The big screen has embraced its nerd cred during the past few summer. I'm looking at you, Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and 300. But the interesting thing is it's still happening. It hasn't fizzled out yet, and (if Mr. Abrams has anything to say about it) it won't be any time soon.

There's also the question of why. Why now, why so popular, why why why? Ultimately, it comes down to the dollar. If one comic book or graphic novel film does well, the studio throws even more money at the next one. So did all the '90s honor students score the high-paying jobs that lead to lots of disposable income? Or has the mainstream audience finally learned that "speculative fiction" actually just means "really cool story?"

Battlestar Galactica fans won't have to wait long to dissect their favorite diversion. Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 will be released on July 28 on Blu-ray and DVD. Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series, all 25 disks of it, will also be released in both formats that day.

That's a whole lot of Starbuck (pssst -- I saw Gaeta on Smallville Thursday night). But fans of this show, including some of us on this staff (me! me!), can't wait to press pause, then rewind, then zoom in on all the little things we might have missed the first (or second or third) time around.

Of course, SciFi (I think I'll always call it that no matter what NBC Universal says; they're changing the name to Syfy in July) has already blessed us with Caprica (already out on DVD). But Caprica is a much different animal in look and tone, which I guess it should be seeing that's it's pre-fleeing for their lives from the very machines that they built.

Anyway, I really just have one thing to say: "I love you Bill!"

(Photo from Universal Home Entertainment)

Our friends over at MovieTickets.com say that tickets for the latest X-Men film are being scooped up quickly:

MovieTickets.com is reporting over 150 sold out performances for Wolverine, which kicks off the summer blockbuster season Friday (May 1). Wolverine is accounting for more than one third (35%) of all tickets sold this week at MovieTickets.com.

I've actually never bought movie tickets in pre-sale. As much as I want to see Mr. Jackman in full-screen, Technicolor glory as soon as possible, I tend toward waiting until after the thronging masses have had their chance. I mean, that movie is not going anywhere any time soon.

However, I may change my tune come May 8. (I'm looking at you, J.J. Abrams...)

What about you, faithful readers? Do you already have tickets? Do you rush to be the first person at the midnight screenings? Or do you take a "second weekend or later" approach?

Well, we've got your first look at the Wolf Pack right here.

Alex Meraz (Paul), Chaske Spencer (Sam Uley), Bronson Pelletier (Jared), and Kiowa Gordon (Embry) star in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, in theaters Nov. 20.

(Photo courtesy of Timothy White)

Filmmakers Channing Godfrey-Peoples and Reginald T. Dorsey will be at the Black Academy of Arts & Letters' 24-Hour FilmFeast on Saturday from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Clarence Muse Cafe Theater (corner of Canton and Akard streets). The best part: It costs only $5 for the screenings and the panel discussion.

The "feast" starts with a screening of Jeanette McDuffie's short, Darkness, and ends with Dorsey's King of the Evening.

San Francisco Chronicle writer Mick LaSalle's best movies of the decade

1. The New World

2. 25th Hour

3. The Lives of Others

4. The Best of Youth

5. Before Sunset

6. Downfall

7. The Pianist

8. Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days

9. After the Wedding

10. (A tie) Almost Famous; Bridget Jones's Diary; The Dreamers; In the Cut; Match Point; and V for Vendetta

I've seen most of these, and as much of a comics geek as I am, I have yet to make it all the way through V for Vendetta. And I have to prod myself to see Spike Lee (right) creations (25th Hour). What do you think of his list? He also names best performance by an actor or actress for the decade. Read on for that.

The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Grammy winners Gladys Knight and Marvin Winans have joined the cast of Tyler Perry's next film, I Can Do Bad By Myself. (Every time I see that title, I think of the song by Jesse James and finish the lyrics, "and I don't need no help to starve to death.")

Already attached to the film are Mary J. Blige, Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Adam Rodriguez (CSI: Miami).

There's obviously going to be a lot of singing going on, with Knight playing a choir-singing matriarch in the film about teens sent to live with their hard-living, nightclub-singing aunt (Henson). Knight, Blige and Winans will sing in the film. And, yes, Madea will be in attendance.

This just in: Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke (right) will be ringside for Wrestlemania XXIV, this Sunday at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

Rourke received several awards nominations for his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler, putting the actor back in the limelight decades after he first came onto the scene in Hollywood. Never one these days to turn up his nose at a good thing, Rourke will continue his feud with WWE Superstar Chris Jericho during the event celebrating Wrestlemania's 25th anniversary. Rourke called Jericho out from the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January, challenging him to a fight. Jericho rose to the challenge, confronting Rourke on Larry King Live.

Who knows? Maybe Rourke will channel "Randy" and climb into the ring. For now, though, he'll be ringside in support of some of my favorites, including Ric "Nature Boy" Flair, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (remember the cartoon Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling with Roddy, Junkyard Dog, Iron Sheik, etc.?) and Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, all Hall of Famers. The legends will all fight Jericho, and according to a press release, "Jericho will not only be looking to defeat the Legends, but also to show Rourke the difference between being a movie actor and a real WWE Superstar."

You can watch the whole thing live on pay-per-view. Or you can wait for the inevitable blog report.

(Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP)

So, people are now getting off their sofas and headed to the places depicted in movies. Case in point: The family who lives in the house depicted in The Haunting in Connecticut is complaining of obtrusive, and sometimes scary, visitors.

I get it. You've done the research, or you've watched the special on the Discovery Channel. You figure, "What harm can it do if I just drive by the house? Maybe I'll see a curtain move and get a chilly thrill?" Um, no. Real people trying to carry on real lives now live in the house.

So, if you must, ride by. But don't knock on the door and frighten the children that now live there.

(Photo by Jessica Hill/The Associated Press)

South by Southwest Film festival had its closing ceremonies Tuesday, right before the hordes descended for the music portion of the fest. While the music festival is the loudest, the film festival has quietly become a place for innovative filmmakers to gather. Here are the prizes:

Film prizes go to eclectic set
By Susan King
(c) 2009, Los Angeles Times

HOLLYWOOD - Award winners for the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival were announced Tuesday evening at the Austin est's closing ceremonies. The prizes were divided into jury awards and audience awards.

Judi Krant's "Made in China," about an inventor lost in Shanghai, won the jury award for best narrative feature and also took home the SXSW / Chicken & Egg Emergent Woman Award.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that MacGyver is in the works to become a feature film for New Line Cinema. Maybe this is another sign of the apocalypse, or maybe it's just a sign that Hollywood is only betting on bankable projects.

Richard Dean Anderson, lately of Stargate SG-1, starred as a jack-of-all-trades secret agent that you wouldn't want to leave tied up next to some peanut butter, a paper clip and a headache powder - you'd be in for one big bomb.

(1994 Photo by Peter Kernot)

This is an especially strong release date, with several films in the buy-right-now category:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Mark Herman (Little Voice) adapts the novel by John Boyne. An 8-year-old unwittingly makes friends with a man in a Nazi work camp.
Cadillac Records - Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def and Beyonce try on the clothes of music pioneers Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Etta James in this biopic of Chess Records. The film, which plays fast and loose with the facts, also stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess.
New editions of Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain - Twins Tony and Tia race to Witch Mountain in this Disney classic (and its sequel) released just in time for moviegoers to relish the original before going off to see the reimagining, Race to Witch Mountain, which will be released Friday.
Family Ties: Season 5 - All together now: "Sha-la-la-laaa." Michael J. Fox became a household name as Alex P. Keaton in this sitcom.
Happy-Go-Lucky - Sally Hawkins won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of an eternally optimistic teacher in this Mike Leigh film.
Howard the Duck - I know, I know. But this was a childhood favorite of mine, this sci-fi tale of an extraterrestrial duck. And, besides, it's from George Lucas. And, look, it's Lea Thompson and Tim Robbins!
Let the Right One In - A young boy befriends the new girl next door, and discovers she's the vampire responsible for several murders in this Swedish film.
Milk - Sean Penn turned in an Oscar-winning performance as trailblazing San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. Co-star Josh Brolin also received an Oscar nomination.
Pinocchio - It's the 70th anniversary edition of Pinocchio learning lessons that lead him to become a real boy. Also on Blu-ray
Rachel Getting Married - Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway was a revelation in Jonathan Demme's family drama as Kym, the troubled sister of the bride-to-be.
Role Models - Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott become court-ordered mentors to a group of kids, including whip-fast Bobb'e J. Thompson.
South Park: Season 12 - Three discs include fourteen uncensored episodes of the sometimes foul-mouthed tykes.
Transporter 3 - Jason Statham has to transport, natch, a kidnapped, feisty young thing while her father's men come at them from all sides in the lastest in Luc Besson's series. In Blu-Ray.

For more releases, see our DVD page.

It's been buzzed about for a while now, but Dakota Fanning has signed on to The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the fast-tracked sequel to Twilight.

The Hollywood Reporter, People.com, MTV.com and various other sources says it's now official that she'll play the vampire Jane, who is "sweet but sneaky" and "sinister." Really, are there any other kind of vampires?

Back in January, when the scuttlebutt was at full scuttle, Fanning told MTV News that "I'm glad that people are excited about me possibly being in it. That's so nice! We're both pale. ... I don't think they'd have to put a lot of makeup on me if it works out. I'm pretty pale as it is."

It'll be interesting to see Dakota take on a character such as this one. Her acting chops are undeniable. But are her fans ready to see her vamp out?

(Photo by MARIO ANZUONI/Reuters)

AFI announced The Brothers Bloom as the opening-night gala presentation. The film, directed by Rian Johnson and starring Adrien Brody (right) and Rachel Weisz, will kick off the Dallas film festival, which is scheduled to run from March 26-April 2.

(Find the complete schedule here.)

Brody will be honored with the AFI Dallas Star Award before the opening-night screening of Bloom. Other honorees include Kathryn Bigelow, Robert Towne and a posthumous award to Rita Hayworth. Hayworth's daughter, Princess Aga Khan, will receive her mother's award before a special screening of Gilda.

Henry Selick, the director behind The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, will receive the Texas Avery Animation Award.

The opening-night screening will be at AMC NorthPark 15 on Thursday, March 26. The festival will feature 173 films and shorts with 150 screenings.

(Photo by Lucas Jackson)

Australia - Aussies Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman romance each other in what amounts to a postcard from their home country.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua - Pampered pooch voiced by Drew Barrymore has to curb her appetite for bling. To quote Forrest Gump: "And that's all I have to say about that."
East of Eden - John Steinbeck's novel became a miniseries in 1981 starring Jane Seymour, Timothy Bottoms and Bruce Boxleitner.
ER: Season 10 - Father-to-be Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) returns to Chicago after a stint with Doctors Without Borders in Africa; Reports of Luka's (Goran Visnjic) death in Africa have been greatly exaggerated; Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane, aka Montgomery from Fame) has a run-in with another helicopter, this time fatal; Parminder Nagra joins the cast; and Weaver and her partner, Sandy, give birth to little Henry. Unfortunately, Sandy dies, leaving Weaver in a bitter custody battle. There's more, but who has the room?
In the Electric Mist - Tommy Lee Jones (natch) plays a lawman investigating the dirty dealings of John Goodman's bayou mobster.
I've Loved You So Long - Two sisters rediscover each other after one of them is released after serving 15 years in prison.
My Two Dads: The Complete First Season - Odd-couple friends Greg Evigan and Paul Reiser find themselves the parents of Staci Keanan in this '80s sitcom.
Nash Bridges: The Second Season - Don Johnson plays another police detective, this time in San Francisco. This time, he partners with Cheech Marin in five discs.
Spongebob vs. the Big One - Johnny Depp voices Jack Kahuna Laguna. The DVD features seven episodes, including a new one.
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic - The graphic novel gets the digital treatment: The DVD adds motion, voices and sound effects to all twelve chapters of the very necessary comic book, and it lets illustrator Dave Gibbons talk about the faithfulness of the film to the source material. This isn't recommended for children. Please believe me.
Wonder Woman - The latest in the line of DC Comics' animated movies, Wonder Woman follows one of the comics giants' big three as Diana leaves the Amazonian island of Themyscira to join the outside world.

Okay, this? Is cool. My geeky little fangirl heart just went all a'flutter.

The cool kids at UTA's Planetarium are showing science fiction movies on their big screen, er, dome. And? It's only $2! Of course, you'll probably make up for that cheapness with the long haul from whatever parking lot you can find. (Seriously, it's been a while since I was a UTA student, but parking was a nightmare even then.)

Wednesday and Friday screenings are at 6 p.m. Saturday show is at 2:30 p.m.

The Fifth Element! Hitchhiker's Guide! (Can I cast my vote now for Flash Gordon and Sunshine? Seriously - how cool would Sunshine be at the planetarium?)

The Fifth Element
Wednesday, March 4
Friday, March 6
Saturday, March 7

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Wednesday, March 11
Friday, March 13
Saturday, March 14

Men in Black
Wednesday, March 18
Friday, March 20
Saturday, March 21 - No show due to a scheduled private event

Official site is here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Blossom: Seasons One and Two - The NBC series that introduced "a very special" (insert show title here) gets the DVD treatment. "Whoa."
Cheers: The Final Season - Oh, Sam. Never waning, and with the Emmy wins to attest to that, the series' 11th season featured the return of Shelley Long as Diane Chambers and the breakup of Frasier and Lilith Crane's marriage. Of course, that breakup would spawn another longtime NBC hit, Frasier.
Fireproof - Kirk Cameron stars as a fireman in this "faith-based marriage drama."
Lakeview Terrace - All menace, all the time. Sam Jackson stars as a cop with some boundary issues when it comes to the interracial couple next door, Kerry Washington (Ray) and Patrick Wilson.
The Sidney Poitier Collection - Four movies, including the poetic A Patch of Blue, from the great movie idol. Sadly, you'll have to find Uptown Saturday Night elsewhere.
Vicky Christina Barcelona - Penelope Cruz received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for her portrayal of a hot and bothered ex-wife in this Woody Allen film.
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown - Poor Charlie Brown. This 1957 special won an Emmy. Of course, Charlie is saddled with the number 13 as he competes in motocross with the gang. The DVD also includes You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown and Dust Yourself Off and Pick Yourself Up, Charlie Brown.

P.S. Get your Bourne on as the series is released on Blu-Ray. The Bourne Trilogy includes Matt Damon as amnesiac-spy-on-the-run Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

So if you're all caught up on your Oscar-nominee watching, you might enjoy one of these new releases this week. (Or if you're not caught up, maybe Waltz with Bashir is all you're waiting for.)

• Inkheart (B)
• Outlander (B-)
• Waltz With Bashir (A-)
• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (C)

The Underword prequel was not screened for critics, which is seldom a good sign for a film. Sometimes the strength of the director's reputation (see: Tyler Perry) can carry a film without a review; other times, we are oddly surprised with how good a film is and just why on Earth did Paramount not want to screen Aeon Flux.

So really, Underworld could go either a way. As a fan, I'm interested in another film. But as a fan, all I can think is "Didn't we see all of this in Michael's flashbacks? And where IS Scott Speedman? I know it's a prequel, but c'mon!"

But I digress. Also speaking as a fangirl, I am all about Outlander. It's science fiction! With Vikings! And Jesus, I mean, Jim Caviezel! And fangirl favorites Sophia Myles (Doctor Who, Moonlight), Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army) and John Hurt (of the "John Hurt Moment" in Aliens). Considering that it's Starman meets Beowulf, there was/is a LOT of room for badness. I was full prepared for disappointment. We'll see if Cary Darling's review holds up.

Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger - This HBO special was compiled from shows in South Africa, London and New York's
Apollo Theater. Rock proves, not that he has to, that he has the sharpest commentary about the times in which we live. Also available in a deluxe edition.
The Express: The Ernie Davis Story - The the first black Heisman Trophy winner gets the star treatment in this biopic starring Rob Brown (Finding Forrester). If you watch, tears might not be far behind.
Igor - One ambitious Igor trying his best to become a scientist makes for a fine animated film, with a good lesson to boot.
Max Payne - Mark Wahlberg shoots up, well, everything in this movie based on a video game.
Moonlight: The Complete Series - Dreamy Mick St. John, a sensitive vampire, lives forever, falls in love, solves crimes, hangs out with vampire friends. Forever Knight, anyone? Maybe it'll make the brilliant but cancelled category. I mean, it won the 2008 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. Why did CBS cancel it again?
Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition - Find the episode that's shown backward. Then you'll truly understand the genius that is the Powerpuff Girls. Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, made from sugar, spice and everything nice (along with Chemical X), saved the day for six seasons in a town overrun with super villains. Whee!
Repo! The Genetic Opera - A musical about a repo man who recovers organs from those who don't pay. Trust me. It's funny, bloody and it stars Anthony Stewart Head (Little Britain, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Saw V - If you're a completist, go for it. Just don't expect anything new. Fair warning: The twists are telegraphed so broadly that your interest will wane, well, a quarter of the way through.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

AFI Dallas announced that its third film festival will go from March 26-April 2 and announced a new presenting sponsor, NorthPark Center.

NorthPark Center has hosted several central films in the first two years of the festival. Now, as a presenting sponsor, they will hold more screenings and it's also where you will find the the AFI DALLAS box office, a film festival lounge, galas. NorthPark will also host some red-carpet and other events.

Victory Park will again serve as the "epicenter" of the festival, with some screenings shown on its big screens.

In stores:

Swing Vote: Thank Goodness that this is a fantasy. Kevin Costner is the regular Joe (not to be confused with the plumber) who has the fate of the country in his hands when voting irregularities leave him with the decisive vote in the presidential election.
Appaloosa: A moody-looking Viggo Mortensen (is there another kind?) plays to form in a good old Western. Ed Harris and Renee Zellweger co-star. And, look, there's Jeremy Irons!
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys - When will the multi-hyphenate take his name off the title of his movies? No matter, he pulled in some big-name stars for this one, namely Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard as two friendly matriarchs with some not-so-friend family problems. The tagline: "Follow your heart. But watch your back."
Little Britain USA - You know how some things can make you laugh so much you hurt? Try the other way around when you watch this HBO version of a British import. I can't even write about it without giggling.
Dallas: The Complete 10th Season: I don't really need to sell you on this, do I? It's the next-to-last season for J.R. and his homies. Relive the big 80s, why don't you?
Mirrors: One more reason to fear a mirror. First, there was Bloody Mary. Then there was Candyman. And now, some evil force is using mirrors as a gateway into our world. Good thing Jack Bauer, I mean Kiefer Sutherland, is there to help.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

Fresh on the heels of its nomination for Best Picture from the Producers Guild, The Dark Knight received a nomination for best adapted screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.

The film was snubbed by the Golden Globes for any type of non-actor nomination, though Heath Ledger received a well-deserved supporting nod. And the movie did receive a nod for the stunts from the Screen Actors Guild. A note to the Academy: Just because a film has ears, a cape and a Joker doesn't mean it's not worthy of flying high.

(Photo by Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Pictures)

In stores today:

An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong -- The books and cafes move to the screen again as Chrissa deals with bullies in American Girl fashion.
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0 -- This comes out just in time for viewers to catch up; the second part of the series' last season begins Jan. 16 on SciFi. The set also includes the unrated, extended version and the broadcast version of the Battlestar movie, Razor.
Bangkok Dangerous -- If you must add to your Nicolas Cage collection (he gets a pass in my book for taking his stage name from Marvel Comics' Luke Cage, aka Power Man), well, try this. If your collection stopped at Con Air, well, don't. Mr. Cage is a tough assassin (natch) who lets down his guard.
Mamma Mia! -- Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan warble their way through the movie version of the hit musical.
Mannix: Season 2 -- Back when our TV detectives had less angst and, well, detected, Joe Mannix was the man.
Pineapple Express -- Seth Rogen and James Franco star in an action-stoner film, if there can be such a thing, for the aughts. Judd Apatow, of course, produces.
Righteous Kill -- Al Pacino and Robert De Niro star as a pair of New York cops. Donnie Wahlberg and 50 Cent co-star.
The Tudors: Season 2 -- Anne Boleyn becomes King Henry VIII's new queen in Showtime's royal steamer. Yes, we know how it ends. The fun is watching actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers get there as Henry. The set includes the first two episodes of new Showtime drama The United States of Tara.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

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.)

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.

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?

Apple.com has the new trailer for the third film in the Underworld series, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, which opens Jan. 23. Here's the synopsis:

The third film in the franchise delves into the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires, known as Death Dealers, and the barbaric Lycans (werewolves). A young Lycan, Lucian (Michael Sheen), emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has persecuted them for hundreds of years. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, the beautiful vampire Sonja (Rhona Mitra), in his battle to free the Lycans from their brutal enslavement.

So... basically, it's a prequel? With how the feud started? I'm all in, but really: If you've seen the first two films, don't you already know how this is going to end? Didn't we see it all in Michael's visions in Underworld: Evolution?

But more importantly, this brings me to a topic we were tossing around last week: How often is the trailer better than the film? Seriously, there is an ART to creating a good trailer. I blame good editing and Blur's "Song 2" for getting me to pay $8 for Starship Troopers. How many times have you been disappointed when the movie you came to see wasn't as good as the trailers that preceded it?

So tell me: What film do you think failed to live up to the promise of its trailer?

Mark Caro at the Chicago Times points out:

When the economy goes to the dogs, moviegoers follow. That's the apparent message of Beverly Hills Chihuahua's weekend box office triumph over the explosive, topical thriller Body of Lies.

I haven't seen either film, but I will (abashedly) admit: I saw the trailer for Chihuahua before The Women, and it looked really funny/cute. I don't expect it to win any awards, but sometimes, all you want is to be entertained for 90 minutes. And after its second week at the top, I've got to think the Drew Barrymore-voiced puppy achieves that.

So what do you think: When the going gets tough, which films get you going? With the economy tight, and that $8 admission looking like a movie ticket vs. 2 gallons of gas, what's going to get you to a movie theater? Or what films do you turn to from your home collection?

You've got to see this. If you missed Street Kings in theaters, it's your chance to see Keanu Reeves (!) go all punisher on screen. Yep, the same Keanu Reeves that isn't known for any kind of explosiveness as an actor. But he has no choice when surrounded by a fiery, mustached Forest Whitaker and a scary, barely recognizable John Corbett in "Street Kings," released Tuesday.

From the moment the film starts, you know something's very wrong with every character in the movie. And you'll also be a little distracted by playing a game of "Hey, it's that guy!" as each cop is introduced. These cops consider themselves judge, jury and executioner. (The movie doesn't do a thing to help The Los Angeles Police Department's reputation.) Internal Affairs is snooping around, of course, but the investigation is rapidly going nowhere because as Forest Whitaker's character says late in the film, "We're all bad." And, by that time, you'll have to agree.

(Photo of Keanu Reeves by Merrick Morton)

After getting over my fear of a let-down from the tastiness that is Hellboy, a great comic-booky film based on a comic book (if you follow me down that road), me and mine finally decided to gird our loins and walk into the theater to watch Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The movie wasn't that long, we figured, so we wouldn't rue the day that it might have taken to watch it. But it was important to watch, as we do invest an inordinate amount of time in watching the first one.

All I can say is, "My bad." Too many sights in that film for these sore eyes. Me and mine silently agreed to never speak of it again, mostly by avoiding eye contact for a bit of the ride home and then finding other things to talk about. Ah, well. Room was left for a third installment of the franchise ... and third time's the charm, or so they say.

Aside from the greatness that is The Dark Knight, I was distracted by a couple of things. Maggie Gyllenhaal is far better in the role of Rachel than Katie Holmes was. And, did you notice that a lot of the actors already have iconic characters in their pockets?

Christian Bale plays John Connor in the upcoming Terminator: Salvation; Gary Oldman played Bram Stoker's Dracula; Michael Jai White was Spawn; and Tommy Tiny Lister played "Debo" in the Friday series. (Guilty pleasure alert: He was also the wrestler "Zeus.") How's that for random?

(Spawn © 1997 New Line Cinema Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Spawn, its logo and symbol are registered trademarks of Todd McFarlane Productions. All Rights Reserved.)