But at least one star stayed in the cold northern climate to continue work on her film. Angelina Jolie was seen on the set of “Salt,” where she sported a bangin’ wig and down coat. Now that I can identify with. Well, the down coat anyway.

“Salt” hits theaters July 23, 2010 and tells the story of CIA agent Evelyn Salt, who was accused of being a spy. It also stars Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

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Movie: The Road * Official Site	In Theaters: Nov. 25, 2009
Runtime: 111 minutes	Directed by: John Hillcoat
MPAA Rating: R for some violence, disturbing images and language	Gecko Rating:

I feel bad for Cormac McCarthy, I really do. I don’t know how long it took him to write the book on which "The Road" is based, but any amount of time with all of that death and desperation rolling around inside your head is just tragic.

"The Road" is about a man (Viggo Mortensen) traveling across the country with his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) after an apocalyptic event. I’m guessing it’s a nuclear war, but they don’t really say in the movie and I haven’t read the book. Anyone who’s read the book, feel free to add notes in the comments below.

The boy was born on the night the event occurred, and after a few years, his mother (Charlize Theron) can’t take it anymore and wanders off into the night to die. Meanwhile the dad refuses to give up, and he and his son set off on a journey to "the coast," where they’re sure that things will be better.

More after the jump… 

On the way, every sort of unspeakable thing happens, and even if you don’t have kids, it’s hard to think of a kid seeing all of that horror – cannibalism, scrounging for food, running for their lives, illness, death and destruction. All of this is shown in fairly graphic detail, so if you’re at all squeamish about this stuff, don’t see this movie. And I mean never see this movie, even if you happen across it on TV at some point in the future. It will be hard to erase the images you see in the movie.

And apparently, a nuclear war – or whatever it is – takes out the sun and causes it to rain and be eerie gray all the time. So you’ve got all the aforementioned mayhem amidst a rainy sky and abandoned towns and homes that have been trashed beyond hope. It’s like "Life After People," only there’s still a few people around struggling to survive.

But back to Cormac McCarthy. If you’re writing or making a movie about zombies or aliens or some other thriller-type material, it’s not really likely that we’ll ever see anything like that in our lives. But a nuclear war could, in fact, actually happen. We don’t like to think about it, but let’s face it, the possibility is out there.

That’s why I feel bad for McCarthy. He had to think about what it would be like if such an event happened, and it’s not pretty. It’s dire and bleak.

"The Road" is really well done, and Viggo Mortensen turns in his usual "cut to the core" performance. Clearly, he’s not into taking lighthearted roles, but at some point, I hope he does a romantic comedy or something a little lighter than "The Road," "Eastern Promises," or "A History of Violence."

Then again, maybe Mortensen and McCarthy are like brothers separated at birth. Some artists are just born to do the heavy stuff.

Image: Amazon.com

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Movie: It’s Complicated * Official Site * Trailer	In Theaters: Dec. 25, 2009
Runtime: 118 minutes	Directed by Nancy Meyers
MPAA Rating: R for some drug content and sexuality	Gecko Rating:

I’ve been reading some not-so-good reviews of "It’s Complicated," so they’d already shaded my expectations of the movie. But I saw it last night and found it really funny, entertaining and heartfelt. The impressive talents of the actors don’t hurt a bit.

Meryl Streep plays a divorced 50-something woman who inadvertently strikes up an affair with her ex-husband Jake, played by Alec Baldwin, while they’re attending their son’s college graduation. The reason their marriage broke up was because he cheated on her. Now he’s married to a younger woman (Lake Bell), and they have a son who’s about to enter kindergarten. But he and Jane have three grown kids of their own.

More after the jump…

It’s taken Jane a long time to get over the marriage and divorce, but she seems happy now. She has a lovely home (I mean, really lovely – like House & Garden caliber), and a thriving restaurant business (again, top shelf everything). I wondered how she kept up with her home and garden and business, and decided she must have enough money to hire in help.

In fact, Jane is expanding her home with a new kitchen and bedroom, and in the process, connects with the architect doing the work, Adam (Steve Martin). But as the title suggests, things get really complicated. She’s not sure if she wants to go back to her ex-husband or pursue this new relationship with Adam.

The theater was packed when I saw this movie, and we all laughed uproariously at the funny parts, of which there are many. Meryl Streep can basically do anything, whether it’s comedy, drama and everything in between. And caught between the likes of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, this movie really delivers in the funny department.

Jane and Jake’s kids are played by Hunter Parrish (he plays Silas on "Weeds"), Zoe Kazan, and Caitlin Fitzgerald, with John Krasinski playing the fiance of the oldest girl. Rita Wilson, Mary Kay Place and Alexandra Wentworth play Jane’s friends who are both shocked and awed by her affair.

Director Nancy Meyers is the perfect person to helm this movie. Her other credits include "Something’s Gotta Give" and "What Women Want," and "It’s Complicated" ranks right up there with those films. I love that the lead is played by a woman with a few years under her belt who’s caught smack between two dashing men!

If you like romantic comedies or any of the actors in this film, I highly recommend it!

Image: Universal Pictures

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Directed by Darren Aronofsky, who became a household name after helming “The Wrestler,” the movie also stars Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, and Barbara Hershey. it’s set for a 2010 release date.

By the way, I love the little gray boots she’s wearing.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

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Shia LaBeouf stars as Jacob Moore, a young Wall Street trader who partners with disgraced former Wall Street corporate raider Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). They’re on a mission: alert the financial community of a global economic disaster and find out who’s responsible for the death of the young trader’s mentor. My take: Donald Trump did it!

Charlie Sheen returns as Bud Fox, and other stars include Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, and Frank Langella. Oliver Stone directs the movie scheduled for an April 23, 2010 release date. Here are a few images from the filming…

Michael Douglas and Donald Trump:

More after the jump…

Oliver Stone and Donald Trump:

Donald Trump:

Images: Bauer-Griffin

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The premiere is for a film called “Heart of the Desert,” which appears to star Samantha’s boyfriend, Smith (Jason Lewis). “Sex and the City” designer Patricia Field said the dresses were by Matthew Williamson.

I can’t say I’m all that thrilled about the dresses – they look a little slutty – but I’m loving those boots! And Miley is tall, isn’t she? All grown up…

Image: Pacific Coast News

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In addition to exclusive on-set photos, interviews, and previews of the second installment of the “Twilight” series, the special edition also includes an exclusive shot of “Eclipse,” the third chapter (pictured, right).  

“Twilight” earned nearly $200 million last year, and “New Moon” will continue the story of vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

‘Twilight’ is about first love; ‘New Moon’ is about heartbreak,” says director Chris Weitz. “That requires the actors to go to some very dark places.”

For Taylor Lautner, “New Moon” represents a big responsibility. “I get nervous trying to represent Team Jacob in the right way. This guy is some pretty good competition,” he says, referring to Pattinson’s Edward. “The fans would love anybody who played Jacob. I’m just lucky to be the one who got the chance.”

More after the jump…

The special collector’s edition also delves into the chemistry between Kristen and Robert in both their professional and personal lives. It’s no secret that the couple has been letting the sparks fly both on and off-screen.

Says Pattinson, “When I read ‘Twilight,’ and there are these moony descriptions of Edward as a godlike figure, I thought there was no way I could play him. But when I got in the room with Kristen, there was a certain chemistry. She’s basically the reason I did the movie.”

Catherine Hardwicke, director of “Twilight,” recalls one scene when things got a little steamy and Pattinson ended up falling off the bed. And co-star Ashley Green, who plays Alice Cullen, says their off-screen romance is the real deal. “They’re genuine, and they’re very talented. It’s like a secret potion that you can’t really pinpoint, but they both have it.”

The cast is already filming “Eclipse,” with the fourth installment, “Breaking Dawn,” on tap for the near future. “We’re all crossing our fingers, and we all want to finish the series,” says Kellen Lutz, who plays vampire Emmett Cullen. “And we want Stephenie Meyer to write more books if she could!”

Images and Source: People Magazine

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The movie also stars Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian (of course, she’ll be perfect, even though at one time I thought they might be too old for the characters), Kevin Durand as Little John, William Hurt as William Marshall, and Matthew Macfadyen as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

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The movie is set for a May 28, 2010 release, and brings back all of the girls, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Kim Cattrall, and Cynthia Nixon. See all of Film Gecko’s coverage here.

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When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice.

Fast forward ten years. The man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde Shelton admits that he killed him. He also issues a warning to Nick: Fix the flawed justice system or key players in the trial will die.  And that’s exactly what starts happening, with the jailed Shelton orchestrating a string of assassinations that can be neither predicted nor prevented. Philadelphia is gripped with fear as Shelton’s high-profile targets are slain one after another and the authorities are powerless to halt the murders.

It’s a different sort of role for Gerard Butler, whose been in a few romantic comedies lately – including “The Ugly Truth” and the upcoming “The Bounty” — and of course, he’ll always be known as King Leonidas in “300.” It’ll be interesting to see him as more of a diabolical killer. “Law Abiding Citizen” hits theaters Oct. 16, 2009, and it’s rated R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language. Check out the trailer:

Image: Overture Films

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