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

The only big new movie this week is Michael Jackson’s “This Is It,” which actually hit theaters on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009.
It’s the documentary about Michael Jackson’s big concert tour, which abruptly screamed to a halt upon his death. Fortunately, there’s plenty of film of the rehearsals and his creative process putting the tour together. 
Check out the official site, the trailer, and all of Film Gecko’s coverage.
Also released today are several films in limited release, including:
“The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” – Sequel to “The Boondock Saints” about  bloody murders in the underworld of …read more

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. The gang comes back and finds a paradise world underneath their ice. Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, John Leguizamo, and Denis Leary star in this fun animated tale. [Film Gecko Review] [Buy It]
Orphan. Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard star in this creepy thriller about a malevolent orphan who lands in the home of adoptive parents. [Buy It]
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Two Disc + BD Live) [Blu-ray]. Raven Symone and Jesse McCartney star in this cute sequel that finds Tinkerbell saving the day. [Buy It]

Image: Amazon.com

Our household has been watching some great Halloween-type movies on Turner Classic Movies this weekend, including two Fay Wray movies: “Doctor X,” a classic 1932 flick about a reporter investigating a series of cannibalistic murders at a medical college (that’s Lionel Atwill pictured), and “Mystery of the Wax Museum,” a 1933 movie about a disfigured sculptor who turns murder victims into wax statues. Great stuff.
It’s easy to forget that this great archive of classic movies is available on TCM 24/7. Check their schedule for all the great scary movies. A few coming up this week:
Tuesday, Oct. 27: 
8 p.m. …read more

Years ago, I interviewed Bud Hopkins, author of several alien abduction books, including “Missing Time,” and head of the Intruders Foundation. After talking with him, even the most skeptical person would at least start to believe in the phenomenon of alien abduction. It’s absolutely amazing, and that’s what “The Fourth Kind” is about.
In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters. When a UFO is sighted, it’s called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it’s known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it’s the third …read more

Remember when Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire were on the TV show “Parenthood”? Yeah, me neither. But apparently, they were. There’s proof in the photo, courtesy of NBC.
Now they might be teaming again, because rumor has it they’re in talks to star in a remake of the 1949 classic “The Third Man.”
Here’s the plot: After arriving in post-WWII Vienna, Holly Martins learns that his friend Harry Lime, who invited him, was involved in a car accident. When Martin starts investigating the death, he finds out more than he bargained for.
“Eastern Promises” writer Steven Knight is rumored …read more

“Wrong Turn at Tahoe” hits DVD on Nov. 16, 2009, and I’ve got the DVD trailer below. Harvey Keitel, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Miguel Ferrer star in this crime drama about a small-time crime boss who kills a drug dealer without realizing that the drug dealer works for the biggest crime boss in the country.
Directed by Franck Khalfoun, it’s rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some drug use and sexual content. All of these actors are top-notch, and I’ve missed Harvey Keitel, since “Life on Mars” was canceled. Check out the trailer…
p>Wrong Turn at Tahoe Trailer from Jane …read more

When Christian Bale was creating the character of homicidal Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho,” you might think he’d have studied Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer. You know, some real psychos.
But no, it was Tom Cruise that Bale looked to for inspiration. According to director Mary Herron, Bale based his character on Cruise’s “intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes.”
Hmmm … I wonder what that says about Tom Cruise. That he’s really a psycho inside? That his maniacal laugh comes from a deep-seated psychosis involving aliens and spirit guides?
In an interview with BlackBook, Herron talked about how …read more