Movie: Shorts * Official Site
In Theaters: Aug. 21, 2009

Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

MPAA Rating: PG for mild action and some rude humor
Gecko Rating:

 
I became a major fan of Robert Rodriguez after seeing one of his first films, “El Mariachi,” a violent, funny, uh, violent movie about a guitar player who finds a world of trouble while passing through a Mexican town. The movie gained notoriety for being extremely low-budget (he funded it by subjecting himself to experimental drug studies), and Rodriguez went on to become a great filmmaker with films like “Sin City” and “Grindhouse.”
Intermixed among …read more

Apparently, the rift between Catherine Hardwicke and Summit Entertainment has been healed. The "Twilight" directed has signed to direct Summit’s fantasy-drama "If I Stay." That’s interesting, because I heard last week that she was tapped to direct a teen series by James Patterson.
Even though "Twilight" was massively successful and grossed more than $380 million worldwide, Summit and Hardwicke parted ways in December. Chris Weitz was chosen to direct the sequel "New Moon." 
Based on Gayle Forman’s novel to be published this spring, "If I Stay" centers on a gifted classical musician and her indie rockstar boyfriend. She’s forced …read more

Got a note from CullenBoysAnonymous tonight (thank you!) that "New Moon" will NOT be shooting in Volterra, as previously thought, but in Montepulciano (pictured).
A report on Twilighters Italia via Piera Detassis – the director of Ciak, an Italian movie magazine – notes that the info was revealed at lunch in Los Angeles with one of the producers of Summit Entertainment, which helmed "Twilight" and now "New Moon." 
"Despite ads, previews and generous offers of all sorts from the Mayor and the City, the sequel vampiresco is not running in Volterra in the places of the novel, but in …read more

When I heard about a movie called "Phoebe in Wonderland," I figured it would either be a fun kids’ flick or a dramatic movie. This one sounds more like the latter, with some fantasy thrown into the mix.
Elle Fanning (Dakota’s younger sister) plays Phoebe, a girl who really wants to be in her school’s production of "Alice in Wonderland." Patricia Clarkson (one of my favorites) casts her in the play, but Phoebe’s got some problems and starts acting out and causing problems for her parents (Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman).
Before you know it, Phoebe is retreating into a …read more

"Twilight" fans have been eagerly waiting to see if Taylor Lautner would reprise his character of Jacob Black in the sequel, "New Moon." Rumors have been swirling that he might be replaced, because the character changes quite a bit from the first movie to the second.
Well, wait no more, because director Chris Weitz confirmed on author Stephenie Meyer’s Web site today that Lautner would indeed be coming back in the role. Weitz says:
I’m very happy to announce that Taylor Lautner will be playing Jacob Black in "New Moon" and that he’s doing so with the enthusiastic support …read more

In the popular children’s book-turned-movie “Coraline,” Dakota Fanning voices the role of a young girl who unlocks a mysterious door in her home, only to discover a parallel reality. Sounds a little scary, doesn’t it? My daughter thought so when she read it in school a few years ago. Check out this clip with the voices of Fanning and Desperate Housewives’ Teri Hatcher. The movie hits theaters Feb. 6, 2009. 

Check out the official trailer for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” in theaters July 17, 2009 (unless they move it around again, which they’d better not). It looks just as awesome as the previous movies.