The Screening Room

This week's Wednesday release of True Grit has Chris Vognar comparing Jeff Bridges and John Wayne, Coen brothers film against Coen brothers film, and the differences between old English and the older King James English.

For more on True Grit, read the full review.

Do you think Jeff Bridges deserves an Academy Award for this performance?

Everyone say "Hi Lawson!"

DMN theater critic Lawson Taitte joins Chris Vognar in this week's video about Disney's Shakespeare adaptation The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren and a whole bunch of other people.

For more on The Tempest, read the full review.

Bard lovers, is this a film you must see?

In this week's video, Chris discusses how this comedy with "some mainstream appeal, in which the characters are gay" represents progress in Hollywood.

For more on I Love You Phillip Morris, read the full review.

What do you think about Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor playing lovers?

Tomorrow the movie theater opens up a renovated wing where people can get "restaurant cuisine and cocktails with AMC's noted immersive movie theatre experience and hit movies." Kinda like what Studio Movie Grill locations offer, AMC Grapevine will offer two meal-and-a-movie options inside 13 newly renovated auditoriums, a bar and a lounge.

If you want to keep away from the diners while watching your movie, there's still room for you in the 17 traditional auditoriums featuring stadium seating.

Does this sound like an experience you'd try? Keep reading to see the AMC Dine-In Theatre options and pricing.

In this week's video review, Chris gives his take on the dark thriller Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.

For more on Black Swan, read the full review here

And get show times and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Today through Dec. 24 the Angelika Film Center in Plano and Dallas are offering traditional classic holiday favorites and some "not quite Christmas" holiday fair. Which are you most excited to see on the big screen?

All shows start at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $6. There will be prize giveaways at each screening and concession and cafe specials will be available for purchase.

Angelika - Plano
Holiday Inn (1942) - (Not Rated; 100 min.) - Wed., Dec. 1
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - (G; 85 minutes) - Wed. Dec. 8
White Christmas (1954) - (Not Rated; 120 min.) - Wed., Dec. 15
A Christmas Story (1983) - (PG; 94 min.) - Wed., Dec. 22
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - (Not Rated; 130 minutes) - Fri., Dec. 24

Angelika - Dallas
Edward Scissorhands (1990) - (PG-13; 105 min.) - Tues., Dec. 7
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - (PG; 76 min.) - Thurs., Dec. 9
Gremlins (1984) - (PG; 106 min.) - Tues., Dec. 14
Die Hard (1988) - (R; 131 min.) - Thurs., Dec. 16
Home Alone (1990) - (PG; 103 min.) - Tues., Dec 21
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - (Not Rated; 130 min.) - Thurs., Dec. 23

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, the documentary on the young musician, will be in theaters Feb. 14. But if you want to see an advance screening at AMC NorthPark, The Parks at Arlington or one of these other select DFW theaters, order your 6 p.m. Feb. 9 tickets now.

For only $30, you can get:
- VIP 3D Sneak Preview Movie Event (one general admission theater seat)
- Souvenir VIP event laminate and lanyard
- Purple 3D glasses from RealD
- Official JB: Never Say Never movie glo-stick and bracelet

Holidays mean family time, and family time means you're likely planning a group outing to the movie theater. So check out Chris Vognar's Holiday Movie Preview and choose your picks now.

Courtesy

Clockwise from top left: The Green Hornet, True Grit, Tron: Legacy, and The Tourist

What are Johnny and Angelina up to? Could an indie film sneak in to snag the best picture Oscar? Welcome to our annual holiday movie preview, in which we tackle 10 questions you wish you had asked.

More movies: Reviews | News | Blog | Show times | Twitter

You've had all weekend to go check out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and now the numbers are in. Here's the estimated total gross for opening weekend of each of the Harry Potter films, from boxofficemojo.com.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 -- $125,120,000
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- $77,835,727
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix -- $77,108,414
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -- $102,685,961
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban -- $93,687,367
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- $88,357,488
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -- $90,294,621

Any surprises?

The Associated Press reports: In terms of domestic revenue, Deathly Hallows: Part 1" came in ahead of the series' best previous debut of $102.7 million for 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

But factoring in today's higher admission prices, the latest movie had roughly the same size audience as the franchise's best previous draws - Goblet of Fire and 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which launched the series. Deathly Hallows and those two earlier movies each sold around 16 million tickets in their first weekend.

Finally, after driving home from the theater, washing the black temporary gunk out of my Bellatrix hair and changing into my pajamas, I am home. But even after the hour it has been since the credits rolled on the midnight screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, I am still in awe of the film I just saw - and the experience that accompanied it.

Did you go to a midnight premiere? Was it fun? Did you like the movie? Let me know in the comments!

In this week's video review, Chris talks about the Austin documentary Boxing Gym, which opens tomorrow at the Angelika Film Center.

For more on Boxing Gym, read the full review here

And get show times and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

BONUS: Read Chris' Why are Frederick Wiseman's films so compelling?, and look for his Top 5 Direct Cinema titles (that genre he mentions in the video above) at dallasnews.com/movies tomorrow.

In this week's video review, Chris talks about Danny Boyle's latest 127 Hours, which opens tomorrow at the Angelika Film Center in both Dallas and Plano.

For more on 127 Hours, read the full review here

And get showtimes and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

So, the movie publicists send us stuff all the time to get our attention -- usually cute little goodies that contribute to the clutter on our desks but don't actually do anything to get the movie any extra publicity. This time, though, we salute you, Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks Animation and Levenson & Hill -- mission accomplished!

These fabulous Megamind hats (heads? hets?) arrived this morning, sending the entire Guide and Guidelive staffs into giggles of hilarity. Here you see Erika Nunez (from left), Ann Pinson and Joy Tipping indulging our Megamind-groupiness (and getting serious hat-hair, but the price must be paid). We are the new coneheads! Thanks to Samantha Urban for the fab photography.

If you're intrigued by the giant blue head, here's our review of the film.

In this week's video review, Chris talks about Due Date, the road trip comedy starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis.

For more on Due Date, read the full review here

And get showtimes and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Studio Movie Grill harbors a concept that a lot of folks enjoy -- watch a movie on a big screen, with Dolby Digital sound and order a meal and/or drinks (as in alcohol) at the same time. Beats the heck out of popcorn and sugary, sticky soda. Taking it one step further, Studio Movie Grill is making its big-screen, big-sound alternative available to Texas Rangers fans starting tonight. It's offering free admission to anyone wanting to see the World Series. They're hoping, of course, that fans order food and drink, and duh, I'm sure they will. Catch the details here via this Web link. Just "choose your location" and go from there. Tonight's telecast starts at 6:30, with the first pitch at 6:57.

Photo: Josh Hamilton waits his turn during batting practice in San Francisco

Three movies are opening this week that didn't screen for area critics: Jackass 3-D, I Want Your Money and N-Secure. N-Secure intrigues because one of its stars is Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show). Jackass 3-D needs no explanation, really. But I Want Your Money left me scratching my head. Aren't documentaries dependent on word of mouth (read: critic)? Here's one explanation.

By Robert W. Butler, The Kansas City Star
I Want Your Money
What is it? Anti-government, anti-tax, anti-Obama documentary employs humor to make its case.
Why didn't Freestyle Releasing screen it for critics? Instead of showing the film to reviewers, the studio has been showing it to movers and shakers on the right -- who apparently love it.
Why we'd see it: Michael Moore has shown that politically-themed documentaries don't have to be earnest, dull and ponderous. We're due for a good one from the right.
Why we wouldn't: Director Ray Griggs' last outing was Super Capers, a virtually unwatchable spoof of superheroes.

(Film still from I Want Your Money courtesy of RG Entertainment)

This week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video talks about Nowhere Boy, a film about John Lennon before he was the famous Beatle.

For more on Nowhere Boy, read the full review here

And get showtimes and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Both the Dallas and Plano Angelika Film Centers have started up their "Hitchcocktober" celebration in honor of the master of mystery himself, Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock.

This file picture taken in 1963 shows the British film director during the shooting of The Birds. Hitckcock directed his first film in 1925 and rose to become the master of suspense, internationally recognized for his intricate plots and novel camera technique.

A classic Hitchcock film will be featured every week throughout October: each Thursday night at Dallas location, and each Tuesday night in Plano.

Angelika - Dallas
The Birds (1963) - 8 p.m. tonight
Rear Window (1954) - 8 p.m. 10/14
Strangers on a Train (1951) - 8 p.m. 10/21
North by Northwest (1959) - 8 p.m. 10/28

Angelika - Plano
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - 7:30 p.m. 10/12
Notorious (1946) - 7:30 p.m. 10/19
Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) - 7:30 p.m. 10/26

The Dallas screenings will be shown in the outside atrium of Mockingbird Station and are free to the public. There is a special admission fee of only $5 for all films at the Plano location.

What's your favorite Hitchcock film?

Lots of leftover quotes from my interviews with Aaron Sorkin and Jesse Eisenberg, the writer and the star of The Social Network. Keep reading for some of the best stuff from the cutting room floor.

This week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video talks about the not-to-be-talked-about "reality thriller" Catfish.

For more on Catfish, read the full review here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com and get showtimes

For film lovers, one of the best events Dallas offers each year is the Jewish Film Festival, sponsored by the Jewish Community Center. Last year's films were amazing, some of the best I've seen in years. This year's collection is also quite good. The best of the bunch in my view is the Israeli film Seven Minutes in Heaven, a riveting drama that's so poignant and so topical when it comes to what's happening right now in the Middle East. It's a psychological thriller with a memorable, eerily unusual love story running through it. Galla is a young woman struggling to reclaim her memory of the events surrounding a suicide bombing, in which, say the liner notes supplied by the festival, she was left clinically dead for seven minutes. The same attack fatally wounded her fiance. A mysterious stranger appears to be stalking her, and I will tell you no more than that. After Tuesday's 7 p.m. showing of Seven Minutes in Heaven at the Dallas Studio Movie Grill (Royal Lane at North Central Expressway), the festival continues Saturday night at the Angelika Plano, with A Matter of Size, and Sunday night at Angelika Plano with a fantastic German film Among Farmers: Saviors in the Night, before finishing Tuesday, Sept. 28, at Angelika Plano with Nora's Will (a Mexican film). But Seven Minutes in Heaven is one that figures to stay with you for a good long while. Like last year's festival gem, Lemon Tree, which got wider commercial release, this one is easily worthy of the same. For festival details, click here.

Photo: A scene from Seven Minutes in Heaven

This week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video review looks at Ben Affleck and cast in The Town. Are we done making fun of Affleck yet?

For more on The Town, read the full review here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com and get showtimes

This week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video review looks at George Clooney in The American. Note: It's not what it seems. (Read: not an action film.)

For more on The American, read the full review here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com and get showtimes

This week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video review highlights Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 debut film Breathless as it returns to theaters with a 50th anniversary restoration.

For more on Breathless, read the full review here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com and get showtimes

This summer was actually pretty disappointing in terms of movies, but there were a few jewels that stood out. Let me preface this list with the fact that this is only my opinion -- you may have loved or hated all these films. But, here is my list (in no particular order) of the top five movies of this summer.

Last week, I got to sit down with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Brandon Routh, who star in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (which is a beyond excellent movie, you should definitely check it out.) I got to pick their brain about their involvement in the project and what the future holds for them - and, lucky for you, I recorded it all on tape.

To hear the whole interview, you can listen to it here, or you can get the CliffNotes version and read the article here.

Photo by Courtney Perry/The Dallas Morning News

This week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video review highlights Julia Roberts' growing performance, and new acting wrinkles, in the adapted Eat Pray Love.

For more on Eat Pray Love, read the full review here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com and get showtimes

Since its release July 23, the new Angelina Jolie movie Salt has grossed more than $71 million in the U.S. alone. It's even a hit in Russia, which brings us to a rather curious local connection. Less than 15 minutes after its dramatic opening, Salt takes us into an interview room, where a recently apprehended Russian spy is filling us in on some startling Cold War details. He calls it "a plan to destroy America," saying: "It had all started with an American named Lee Harvey Oswald. In 1959, he immigrated to Russia. Three years later, he returned home, but the man who came back to America was, in fact, a Russian spy named Alek. On Nov. 22, 1963, Alek became the first success of the new program and a hero of the Soviet Union" -- for, according to Salt, masterminding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Elm Street in Dallas. Turns out that this is actually a recycled -- and dramatically disproved -- conspiracy theory.

Photo: Angelina Jolie

Movie critic Chris Vognar once again spins The Top Five in Friday's Guide Daily. This time, in honor of buddy-cop movie The Other Guys starring Will Ferrell and "Don't Call Me Marky" Mark Wahlberg, it's The Top Five: Buddy Movies.

In a failed effort -- again -- I lobbied for First Wives Club.

The ones who made it:
5 Lethal Weapon
4 48 Hrs.
3 Thelma and Louise
2 Midnight Run
1 Some Like It Hot

Tell us if there are others you can think of that maybe, just maybe, should have cracked our list.

(Right: Susan Sarandon, left, and Geena Davis in Thelma and Louise. Photo by The Associated Press)

This week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video review looks at the buddy cop spoof The Other Guys, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

For more on The Other Guys, read the review and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Cue the chase scene music because Angelina Jolie is back with the girl power in this week's release of Salt, an action spy thriller from Columbia Pictures. Watch what our movie critic has to say about it in this week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video.

Watch the video, and post your comments below.

For more on Salt, read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

This week in "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room", new Christopher Nolan dreamy film Inception is looked at.

Watch the video, and post your comments below.

For more on Inception, read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

The man is back, and this week in "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" we hear Chris' thoughts on the lovable, animated Despicable Me.

Watch the video, and post your comments below.

For more on Despicable Me, read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

I loved this movie. Loved it. My brother, however, was not as pleased.

So where are we split? It's the element of The Last Airbender that will have the majority of fans torn, as well: what was and wasn't included from the TV show in the movie.

It was no doubt a challenge for writer, director and producer M. Night Shyamalan, who was a fan of the show (via his daughter) before proposing a feature film, to create the adaptation. How to you capture the essence of an entire 20-episode season?

I confess, Eclipse is, by far, my favorite book from the Twilight series. So after seeing the lukewarm jobs done with the first two movies (Twilight's writing made it hard for non-fans to understand and had horrible special effects, while New Moon had awesome special effects but still had major plot holes,) I was extremely nervous that Eclipse would suffer the same fate.

Well, as they say, third time's a charm: I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

Granted, I re-read the books for both Twilight and New Moon before seeing their movies - the stories were fresh on my mind and, therefore, tainted my movie-watching experience. I didn't do that for Eclipse, and I really think it made the difference. I was able to go in to the theater to watch the movie without comparing every scene, every line with the book.

So, as a fan of the book, here are the points where the movie did the book justice and where it did not.

By Joy Tipping
Published 6-25-2010 in The Dallas Morning News' Guide

As you no doubt are aware -- provided you haven't been on an extended trip to, say, Siberia -- the third Twilight saga movie, Eclipse, opens Wednesday. Leading up to the opening, lots of folks are providing opportunities for you to jump into the game, if you've somehow escaped the madness thus far, or to simply refresh your fond memories of lovelorn teen Bella (Kristen Stewart) and her two supernatural crushes, Edward (Robert Pattinson) the sparkly vampire ("Ooooh, he glitters!") and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) the hunky werewolf ("Real men don't sparkle."). The Twilight films are based on the book series by Stephenie Meyer.

Continue reading for some of the events planned around town, then click here for more.

Photo: Jodelle Ferland (Bree, a newborn vampire and the subject of Stephenie Meyer's novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner) and Tyson Houseman (Quil, a member of the Wolf Pack) will be the cast members attending Twilight Night this Saturday at the AT&T Plaza at American Airlines Center.

This week in "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" Chris shares his thoughts on the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz action/romance Knight and Day.

Watch the video, and post your comments below.

For more on Knight and Day, read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Love her or hate her. This week in "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" we see into the life of Joan Rivers.

Watch the video, and post your comments below.

For more on Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Move over, children: I've been waiting eleven years for Toy Story 3.

Snarky comments aside, I am very excited for this movie to come out - so excited that I am planning on going to the midnight premiere tonight with my friends. While this is partially because I can't wait to see it, there is also the added perk of its timing; with the movie showing so late, there is little to no chance of us having to put up with crying babies and rambunctious children kicking the backs of our seats throughout.

My recommendation: if you want to see this movie but don't want to have the sounds of children as unwanted background music, see the midnight premiere at the nearest theater (not all theaters are doing this) or at least check out a late feature during the week. Remember, there is no shame in staying out late for a G-rated movie.

To watch the trailer, click into this blog post.

AP photo.

If you're heading to the movies this week I recommend skipping the '80s flashback brigade (The A- Team, Karate Kid) and checking out Best Worst Movie at the Inwood (Here's my video review). I'm not usually one to buy the "so bad it's good argument"; I sort of prefer movies that are so good they're good. But Best Worst Movie, which tackles the cult bomb Troll 2 , isn't just about making a fetish of the horrible. It's about the double-edged sword of fringe cult fame, or knowing you're loved because your film is so fascinatingly abominable.

So what's your favorite bad movie? Why do you like it? At one point does a bad movie go far enough to become good? If you like it can it still be bad? These are some of the questions raised by Best Worst Movie. Which, by the way, is good. In a good way.

Here's a fun one for you. This week in "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" Chris reviews a movie that's about a movie. To be more specific, he looks at Best Worst Movie, a documentary about the 1990 cult phenomenon Troll 2. Ever heard of it? Me neither. But after watching the screener Chris loaned me I feel like I have to. :P

Watch the video, and post your comments below.

For more on Best Worst Movie, read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

ALSO: George Hardy will attend the 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. showings of Best Worst Movie tonight and Saturday at the Inwood Theatre, 5458 W. Lovers Lane at Inwood, Dallas. 214-764-9106. And, Troll 2 screens as the Inwood's midnight movie tonight and Saturday. It's also on Hulu!

"Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" is back this week, and Chris shares his thoughts on the stupid-funny Get Him to the Greek starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand.

Does he recommend this big summer comedy?

Watch the video to find out, then post your comments below.

For more on Get Him to the Greek, read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes here

Or leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Dallas Moms Blogger Ashley Cooley explains why she and her girlfriends (and a movie theater full of women) flocked to screenings of Sex and the City 2 this weekend. It's all about friendship and love and yes, well, okay, the shoes. Check it out on on the Dallas Moms Blog here.

Alright ladies, get your best girlfriends and get down to the Angelika Film Center and Cafe (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane), where they're celebrating this week's release of Sex and the City 2 with cosmopolitans and pink champagne drink specials. Sounds tasty.

Cafe hours are 10:45am to 10:45pm. Perfect for glass-clinking before AND after the movie.

And check out Tom Maurstad's review of the latest Carrie and Co. film, get showtimes, watch the trailer, and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

Chris Vognar is in New York this week covering the BookExpo America with Michael Merschel, so the weekly "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video review series will be back next week. In the meantime, catch up on his previous on-camera reviews:

Iron Man 2 | Harry Brown | MacGruber

Dallas Moms Blogger Destiny DeLaRosa, mother of three, says the film Babies should come with a warning: Don't watch unless your tubes are tied. You can check out her full post (with video and cute pix!) on the Dallas Moms Blog here.

In this week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video, Chris speaks to moviegoers interested in the Saturday Night Live skit-turned-movie MacGruber, in theaters today.

Watch the video and post your comments below.

Read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes

Leave your own review on GuideLive.com

In this week's "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room" video, the man takes a look at the dark Michael Caine flick Harry Brown, in theaters Friday, May 14.

Watch the video and post your comments below.

Read the review, watch the trailer, and get showtimes

Leave your own review on GuideLive.com

With the beginning of the blockbuster summer movies season, we're launching "Chris Vognar in The Screening Room," weekly videos of the DMN movie critic's takes on some of the week's new releases.

Today we bring you his first: A look at Tony Star, his alter ego Robert Downey Jr., and Iron Man 2. Click here to watch it, and post your comments below.

This week's big movie, or at least Lions Gate Entertainment's, will open at several theaters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area tonight starting at 10.

Kick-Ass, a violent superhero story based on a comic book, stars Nicolas Cage and a host of youngsters. It's beating the crowd by opening a few hours ahead of its regularly scheduled release date of Friday.

Lucky Dallas: "There were a few select markets with these approved show times," says local studio representative Chet Whitmore in an e-mail.

Dawn M. Burkes

The waiting is over. It's here. The "TV Spots" and "Clips" section are still coming soon, but you can still check out the trailers, character bios, photos, downloads, the full soundtrack, links to buy the first film, and more.

But even cooler is the sister site that launched today too. StarkExpo2010.com. All the flashy things you need to know about Stark Industries' International Technology Exhibition.

The film opens May 7.

You've been part of our live chat series the past month, and now the big day is almost here! We know you're totally stoked, so here are some fun local events to help you celebrate:

The Angelika Film Center presents Oscars on the Big Screen

Studio Movie Grill's Oscar Night America

The Magnolia features the Best Animated Short Films

The Magnolia features the Best Live Action Short Films at the Magnolia

AMC Theaters showcase the 10 Best Picture nominations

Attend an Oscars watching party

View interactive videos of the nominees and learn Oscar facts

Re-create red-carpet fashions with these expert tips

Having 10 Best Picture nominations is already making a difference. As the writer who reviewed The Blind Side (which won nominations for Best Actress and, amazingly, Best Picture), I gave it an A-minus -- though some have complained (correctly) that it's too commercial, even too corny. (To read my review, click here.) It is, however, an enduring crowd-pleaser and a remarkable true story, involving the life of Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher, which may account for its box-office tally of more than $238 million. It proved to be the perfect vehicle for Best Actress candidate Sandra Bullock, who has undermined her talent over the years by saying yes to so many bad movies. Bullock, who spends much of her time these days in Austin, has already won Best Actress from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes and deservingly so. At the Oscars, of course, she will have serious competition from the ever-popular Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia), Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) and Carey Mulligan (An Education). She was aided by Texan John Lee Hancock, who wrote and directed The Blind Side. (To read my feature on Hancock, click here.) I was thrilled to see that Jeff Bridges, whose first major role came in The Last Picture Show in 1971, was nominated for Best Actor for Crazy Heart. No less an authority than Jackson Browne was raving about Crazy Heart before his recent sold-out performance at Music City Texas Theater in Linden. So far, Bridges has copied Bullock's success, winning Best Actor from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.

Photo: A scene from The Blind Side

When I chose to review 35 Shots of Rum and write about Paris, Texas for the Couch Potato column I didn't immediately see the connection - at least not consciously. Rum director Claire Denis (an acquired taste that I long ago acquired) cut her teeth with fellow minimalists including Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders. She was an assistant director on Wenders' indelible Paris, Texas. That's not all - Rum's cinematographer, the great Agnes Godard, was first assistant camera on Wenders' film.

Watching Rum and Paris back to back was quite the immersive experience. They are both, by any objective measure, slow. But they're also very assured; they absolutely nail a dreamlike mood of wandering and uncertainty. I'm thrilled that Denis' films still get distribution in a mid-size market like Dallas (thanks to The Cinema Guild and the Angelika for making that happen). The big Oscar contenders are all well and good but it's always a pleasure to have the option of something different.

No one has taken more pleasure in skewering the Disney empire than Robert Smigel (and believe me, he's got plenty of competition). As The Princess and the Frog rolls out today we thought we'd bring you back to TV Funhouse's entirely inappropriate journey to the Disney Vault. Enjoy.

The National Board of Review has picked Up in the Air as its best film of the year. The past three winners - The Departed, No Country For Old Men and Slumdog Millionaire - all went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

I'm not doing a Top Ten this year (missed the first half of the year; I'll do a Top 25 of the decade instead). But Up in the Air was my favorite of what I saw. Why? Check here tomorrow for my review. Yes, that's a tease.

Our panel of bloggers discussed more than just Team Edward vs. Team Jacob (although it appears Jacob is the hot new crush). We talked about how Bella's actions affect young girls, what guys are thinking of the tween craze, what worked and what didn't in the film and book, and more. Just click Play to revisit the conversation.

New Moon actor Charlie Bewley was at a Dallas screening last night, and we got video!

Also, in case you haven't read it yet, read the movie review.

Here are some more tidbits from Drew Barrymore's visit to Dallas. Her film Whip It opens today.

On Austin, the city where much of Whip It is set (though most of was it was shot in Michigan): "When I go to Austin I hang out on South Congress and go to the Alamo Draft House. I live for Waterloo Records. We did this thing at the bat bridge that got cut out. When we scouted it the bats came out but when we got there to shoot it was too late in the season and it was night time and then it became a night scene instead of a day scene and everything got screwed up. I have a real love and affinity for Texas in general but I'm, madly in love with Austin."

On roller derby: "The sport went through a lot of evolutions. It was fake and then it was staged, and then it became a competitive sport again. They started forming leagues, and the legend is that it re-ignited in Austin. A lot of the girls in the movie came from the roller derby world, including the doubles because we had to do second unit. I put the actresses through an intensive training camp because I think it's important that actors do their own stunts. The real players trained the actresses. We Worked a lot with the LA Derby Girls, and the Austin girls, and the Detroit girls. I've gotten to know a lot of derby girls."

On getting older and wiser: "When I was in my 20s I was obsessed with happy endings. Now, in my 30s, I just like a good day. I know life goes on. There is no ending except when we pass on to the other side. It's an ongoing process. Life is a beautiful 'dot dot dot' if you're lucky."

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.

It Might Get Loud

Extract

My One and Only

Soul Power

Séraphine

World's Greatest Dad

All About Steve

Thirst

Afghan Star

Taking Woodstock

Jerichow

Shorts

The studios declined to screen this films in advance for critics:

Halloween II

The Final Destination 3D

Inglourious Basterds

Shorts

Cold Souls

Post Grad

Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love

X Games 3D: The Movie

District 9

The Time Traveler's Wife

Bandslam

Adam

Ponyo

Spread

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra The studio declined to screen this film in advance for critics.

A Perfect Getaway

Tetro

Julie & Julia

$9.99

The Cove

Paper Heart

Funny People

In the Loop

Shrink

Aliens in the Attic The studio declined to screen this film in advance for critics.

The Collector The studio declined to screen this film in advance for critics.

G-Force

The Ugly Truth

Orphan

Humpday

The Song of Sparrows

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

(500) Days of Summer

The Stoning of Soraya M.

I got a text message from a friend that was driving past AMC Firewheel 18 at 8:30 pm telling me that people have already began forming lines anxiously awaiting the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I rushed to the theater and arrived at 9 pm to find the place already packed with excited fans all geared up in their Harry Potter attire.

The Callahan brothers, Kyle, 16, and Tommy, 17, dressed up as Harry Potter and Hagrid. "It's Harry Potter, baby! We're most excited to see the complex, magical battle ending." Though their excitement was cut short as Tommy, who was Hagrid, was told to take off his beard by AMC employees due to security purposes.

Two 14 year-olds, Emily Yount and Ashley Mattingly, dyed their hair orange in honor of their favorite character, Ron Weasley. "We're expecting pure awesomeness and hope there's a scene where Ron takes off his shirt!"

Could it be that Brüno had a killer first round only to be knocked out in the second? TIME magazine has a fascinating story about Brüno losing major box-office share from the moment it opened at 12:01 a.m. Friday through the rest of last weekend. Brüno did finish first in the weekend sweepstakes, but the experts are calling it a defeat, of sorts, because the dropoff was so substantial from the end of Friday to the end of Sunday. And why? TIME blames it on Twitter, saying it may become the first movie casualty of the Twitter age.

Photo: Sacha Baron Cohen as Brüno

Brüno made its way into theaters today, so now we can see whether it passes the box office test. Sacha Baron Cohen's previous guerilla effort, Borat, earned $260 million worldwide. Having seen the new movie, I'm amazed by his utter fearlessness in going after such targets as a real terrorist, not to mention incting a near riot in Fort Smith, Ark. Baron Cohen uses Brüno to make a bold statement about homophobia, as Borat attempted to pull the mask off racism. But already, Brüno has its critics. Salon suggests in its review that gay-rights groups may be less than thrilled with the movie, and Newsweek quotes sources in Arkansas who question the authenticity of scenes filmed there. I wrote this story last Sunday that quoted two women who attended the taping of a fake Brüno talk show in Carrollton about a year ago and who were less than thrilled with what went down.

Photo: Sacha Baron Cohen as a gay Austrian fashionista in the new movie Brüno.

Brace yourself is right. Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen's latest entry in guerilla filmmaking, arrives in theaters July 10. As I have written about before (in this story), Baron Cohen came here a year ago and filmed scenes at an office park in Carrollton. He lured in the unsuspecting by having his production team recruit audience members for a new TV talk show on family values. What ensued was pretty wild. You can read more about it on Sunday, when I offer my latest on Bruno's escapades (and how he offended a whole bunch of local people). I just got back from Baron Cohen's native London, where he is wildly popular. Mention his name at a pub and they start telling their favorite stories from Da Ali G Show, especially the one where he duped soccer star David Beckham and his wife, ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. As Mike Bell, the colorful owner of Portobello Gold in Notting Hill, London's best pub-hotel, told me, he thinks Baron Cohen is "brilliant." My own favorites were his Da Ali G Show interviews with former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Bruno is apparently so wild that in England, it got an 18 rating, meaning that no one under 18 can get in to see it. Period. You can read about that in this story.

Photo: The one and only Sacha Baron Cohen

Johnny Depp returns to the big screen today as larger-then-life gangster, John Dillinger. Rounding out the cast: Academy Award winning actress Marion Cotillard and Christian Bale.

Read the review and get showtimes for Public Enemies.

Also hitting theaters today is Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 3D and plain old fashioned 2D. The animated gang is back with the voices of Denis Leary, Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah.

Read the review and get showtimes for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. | Get 3D showtimes.

Shia and the Autobots are back for another go against the Deceptacons. Are you going to see the Michael Bay's Big Summer Movie tonight? If you are, you are not alone.

(Read Media Critic Tom Maurstad's review.)

MovieTickets.com reports that it has already broken into their list of the Top-25 Pre-sellers of All-Time, with 600 sold out performances nationwide including 274 midnight showings. It gained its spot by bumping its predecessor (2007's Transformers) off the list.

Update: MovieTickets.com is reporting over 1,000 sellouts as of 5 p.m., including 600 midnight showings

But never fear. Midnight is for wimps What about a 3 a.m.? Two Cinemark theaters -- Cinemark Megaplex 17 and Tinseltown Plano -- will be showing Revenge of the Fallen for 24 hours straight. In Dallas, it will be in the IMAX theater; in Plano, it will be in the XD auditorium.

Or if you're really in the mood for a dose of "firsties," be part of the first audience at Garland's newest IMAX theater at AMC Firewheel 18.

The Proposal

Year One

Food, Inc.

Enlighten Up!

Sleep Dealer

The Merry Gentleman

Am I the only one who couldn't stop crying after seeing Up? I know that the point of this exquisite Pixar film was not to make me weep but to show how life must move on after death (and disappointment). But I found it so sad! While Disney has a grand tradition of killing off a beloved figure in the film, usually, with the exception of Bambi's mother, it happens before you get TOO attached. Here Carl spends a lifetime with his beloved Ellie. And I don't know, maybe it's because I just had a wonderful visit with my parents who have been married 66 years and can't conceive of being without each other, but this was a scenario I struggled with emotionally. Which is not to say that struggle is a bad thing, but still -- any thoughts?

The Taking of Pelham 123

Away We Go

Imagine That

O'Horten

Outrage

Little Ashes

Up

Drag Me to Hell

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Lemon Tree

Treeless Mountain

Community activist Jason Roberts is doing some cool things at the storied Texas Theatre, and Saturday night promises to be one of the coolest. At 7 p.m. Saturday, he and the Oak Cliff Foundation are showing the legendary movie Bonnie and Clyde at the Jefferson Boulevard theater, where, of course, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested in 1963. The Oak Cliff Foundation has renovated the Texas Theatre and is trying to do more. They have shown the movies Oswald's Ghost and JFK, and the Dallas Summer Musicals would eventually love to use it as one of its venues. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker hailed from West Dallas and undoubtedly spent plenty of time in Oak Cliff, maybe even at the Texas Theatre, which opened in 1931. Saturday marks the 75th anniversary of the ambush that killed the lawbreaking pair, whose exploits are chronicled in the 1967 movie, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. (Please click below to read on.)

Photo: Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Terminator Salvation

Dance Flick

Summer Hours

Every Little Step

The Girlfriend Experience

The Brothers Bloom

The 13th Annual International Jewish Film Festival of Dallas is coming to a close, and for aficionados of alternative cinema, it has been a venture worth celebrating. Its best offerings were Lemon Tree, which chronicles the struggles in the Middle East as well as any film I've seen; The Debt, a Holocaust thriller that may soon morph into an American version starring Tom Wilkinson and Helen Mirren; and A Touch Away, a terrific serial produced by Israeli television that may soon land on HBO in its own Americanized version, in the same way an Israeli television success story became the HBO hit In Treatment. The crowd loved Beau Jest, a light comedy that could have been called Surely You Jest but which managed to generate a whole bunch of belly laughs. (The other films veered toward the very heavy; Beau Jest was like the whipped cream on top of dessert.) And now the festival closes with Letters for Jenny. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: A scene from Letters for Jenny