It may have been a disaster on the screen, but the stars shone brightly at the premiere of “2012.” 
Roland Emmerich’s tragi-film centers on a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world as we know it — seriously, check out the trailer. I also have a great 5-minute clip with John Cusack front and center.
Until the Nov. 13 release date, here are a few premiere pictures of Cusack, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Gilmore Girls’ Lauren Graham, and Chin Han (read my “Dark Knight” interview with him).
Also present was Adam Lambert, who sang one of the …read more

Here’s a new featurette for The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” in theaters Nov. 20, 2009 (check out our Twilight Groupie blog!). For those who haven’t read the books by Stephenie Meyer, it tells a little more about the mysterious Volturi.
They’re the oldest coven in the “Twilight” universe, and they’re the closest thing the vampires have to royalty. They also enforce the law and keep things in order. A few more bites:

Aro (Michael Sheen) is the most dangerous and deadly vampire.
Marcus (Christopher Heyerdahl) can sniff out treason.
Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower) is perpetually angry.
Aro, Marcus and Caius are in charge, with Jane …read more

Here’s some fun news for today: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will co-host the Oscars on March 7, 2010 on ABC. The 82nd Academy Awards will be held at the Kodak Theater at Hollywood and Highland Centre.
Producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic had this canned response in the press release that landed in my inbox: “We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars. Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”
The co-hosts had less …read more

Lots of buzz surrounding “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” in theaters Nov. 6, 2009. The movie is based on true events as described in Jon Ronson’s 2004 book by the same name.
Ewan McGregor plays a down-on-his-luck reporter who meets a special forces agent (George Clooney), who says that yes, it’s true. There’s actually a secret military unit whose sole purpose is to use paranormal powers for the greater good.
Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Terry Serpico, and Rebecca Mader also star. No word on whether any goats were harmed in the making of this film (but I’m sure …read more

It’s been known for a while that Dylan Baker will reprise his role as Dr. Curt Connors in “Spider-Man 4,” allowing some of us to hope that The Lizard might emerge as Peter Parker’s newest foe.
But what about the villains we already know and love? Like Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin? Ok, sure he “died” at the end of the first “Spider-Man” movie, but he managed to appear in the two sequels as an apparition in a mirror, seen by his son, Harry.
While Dafoe says that “no one’s called” to ask if he’d be in the upcoming “Spider-Man 4,” he’s …read more

Fans of “Lord of the Rings” have been speculating on who would be back for the two-film “Hobbit” prequel, scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 2011 and Dec. 2012. Will Ian McKellen be back as Gandalf? And what about the creature Gollum? Will the pivotal role once again be played by Andy Serkis?
We’ve got our answer for at least one of the characters. John Rhys-Davies will not be back as the dwarf Gimli or any other dwarf, for that matter. But probably not for the reasons you think.

In an interview with Empire, he talked about the severe allergic …read more

A new clip from “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” has been posted on MTV (and featured on their movie special, “Ulalume: Howling at New Moon”). The scene happens near the beginning of the movie and features the Cullen clan gathered for Bella’s birthday.
Alice (Ashley Greene) is the organizer of the event and the peacekeeper as she tries to smooth over Rosalie’s iciness towards Edward’s human girlfriend. Even so, things don’t go well and turn deadly when Bella cuts her finger, which gets Jasper’s (Jackson Rathbone) hunger up big-time.
The movie hits theaters Nov. 20, 2009; check out all of Film Gecko’s …read more

The second trailer for "Avatar" is out, and it looks pretty cool, especially the gorgeous scenery. I wasn’t all that excited about this movie up to this point, but now that I’ve seen a bit more, I’m looking forward to it.
According to the official “Avatar” site, the story begins on the distant moon Pandora, where “a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization.” The cast includes Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana and CCH Pounder to name a few. It opens in theaters Dec. 18, …read more

A new version of the classic film “A Christmas Carol” is headed to theaters on Nov. 6, 2009. This time, Jim Carrey takes center stage as the iconic Ebenezer Scrooge, as well as all three ghosts!
The CG-animated movie is rated G, and also features the voices of Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Michael J. Fox. Watch the trailer here.
Here are a few photos of Carrey and director-writer Robert Zemeckis on their “train tour” at Grand Central Station to promote the film. Looks like a blast!
By the way, Carrey has gained a few pounds for …read more

“Pee-wee’s Playhouse” used to be a favorite, and I loved the movies that came out of that show — “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and “Big Top Pee-wee.”
Then there was that whole nasty child porn scandal and things sort of when kaput for Paul Reubens’ career. Who really knows what happened, but the charges were eventually dropped.
But there’s no denying that the guy was a creative genius, and he’s hoping to bring back some of that magic. The Emmy-winning, 57-year-old actor is donning that skinny suit again for an elaborate live show and an upcoming movie, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The …read more