Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is an average high school student and comic book nerd who one day decides to don a suit and mask and become a superhero, even though he has no powers, no training, and no meaningful reason to be a superhero.
So goes the plot of “Kick-Ass,” the high-octane movie from director Matthew Vaughn. But even though Kick-Ass (Dave’s new superhero name) has no powers, he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Chloë …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

“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” hits DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow, Nov. 3, 2009, and I’ve got a great prize pack for you below, offered on behalf of Paramount Home Entertainment.
The movie tells the story of an elite military unit of special operatives known as G.I. Joe, who take on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.
Directed by Stephen Sommers, it stars Sienna Miller, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayons, Dennis Quaid, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Check out the trailer and the G.I. Joe Faceoff Game on Facebook.
THE GIVEAWAY: I have one prize pack ($80+ value) that includes …read more

Movie: Astro Boy * Official Site * Film Gecko links * Trailer
In Theaters: Oct. 23, 2009

Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: David Bowers

MPAA Rating: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language
Gecko Rating:

 
“Astro Boy” is one of those movies that’s cute, but that you’ll probably forget about a day or two after you see it. It’s also a little violent and sad for a kids’ movie. Not as sad as “Up” or “Marley and Me,” but still sad in its own way.
The concept began as a Japanese manga series and TV show first broadcast in Japan from …read more

The premiere of “Astro Boy” took place at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, and Kristen Bell was on hand to pose with Astro Boy himself! (Hmmm … who IS that under there?!)
In theaters Oct. 23, 2009, the CG-animated film is set in futuristic Metro City, where Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie Highmore) is a young robot created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy has super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed, and the ability to fly.
It also features the voices of Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, and Eugene …read more

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” hits DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 20, 2009, and I’ve got some fun stuff to give away on behalf of Paramount Home Entertainment:

Two-disc Special Edition DVD (read my review here)
Poster
T-shirt

THE GIVEAWAY: Two (2) Prize Packs that include the above DVD, poster and T-shirt.
HOW TO ENTER: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winners will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winners for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!
Check out …read more

I regularly troll Digg for fun movie stuff, and sometimes I get lucky, as I did today with this story. Apparently, a guy named Paz got drunk, acted like an idiot, and ended up in a Seth Rogen movie. Those are his words, not mine.
Personally, I think he’s a genius! The movie turned out to “The Green Hornet,” which hits theaters Dec. 22, 2010. Here’s Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz filming a scene:
 
And here’s an excerpt from Paz’s experience:
Seth has been observing my slowly developing epiphany, chuckling. I don’t blame him. I must look like a …read more

Columbia’s “Venom,” the spin-off of the “Spider-Man” franchise has snagged a writer in Gary Ross, who may also direct. He’s already writing “Spider-Man 4,” so that’s a bonus. He’s probably really familiar with the characters.
In 2007’s “Spider-Man 3,” Topher Grace played the gooey alien parasite that bonded with Peter Parker and caused all kinds of havoc.
As for Ross, he certainly has a diverse roster of films on his IMDB page, including:

“Big” – Co-producer and writer
“Mr. Baseball” – Writer
“Dave” – Writer
“Pleasantville” – Producer, Writer and Director
“Seabiscuit” – Producer, Writer and Director
“The Tale of Despereaux” – Producer and Writer

You …read more

The cast and crew of “Iron Man 2” are hard at work on the movie, scheduled for release in theaters on May 7, 2010.
Luckily for us, Entertainment Tonight recently got a chance to visit the set and nabbed some great behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and fun buzz.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the sequel stars Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg and Olivia Munn.
Sure hope the movie lives up to its hype!

Things haven’t gone well for our favorite spidey superhero the past few years. Fans weren’t particularly excited about 2007’s “Spider-Man 3,” and the franchise lost a little steam. 
But his arch-nemesis Venom is moving closer to having his very own movie. This could be good or bad. Good if the black-oozed one is evil to the core. Bad if he’s lackluster.
I’ve got faith, though, because “Zombieland” writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are writing the screenplay. Hopefully, that means it’ll be edgy and dark, and not in a commercial way.
“We’ve written two drafts of ‘Venom,’ and the …read more