Clint Eastwood continues to knock me out with his heartfelt performances, this time in "Gran Torino," in which he plays Korean War vet Walt Kowalski. It’s a racially charged story that’s also violent and disturbing, with Eastwood’s classic humor thrown in for good measure.
Read my review of "Gran Torino," and buy the DVD on Film Gecko’s DVD Store on Amazon.
Bonus Features include some of the filmmakers reminiscing about their first cars or dream cars. We also get to see a Detroit rally of classic cars along Woodward Avenue, which is bittersweet considering Detroit’s altered auto scene in recent …read more

Moviegoers flocked to see “He’s Just Not That Into You” this weekend, as well as the action-thriller ”Taken.” “The Pink Panther 2,” which my kids and I thought was pretty funny, came in fourth. Here are the numbers from IMDB.com:

He’s Just Not That Into You, $27.78M
Taken, $20.54M
Coraline, $16.84M
The Pink Panther 2, $11.58M
Paul Blart: Mall Cop, $10.88M
Push, $10.07M
Slumdog Millionaire, $7.17M
Gran Torino, $7.15M
The Uninvited, $6.26M
Hotel for Dogs, $5.71M

Image: New Line Cinema, 2009

“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” is still holding strong at the box office, smack dab in between two horror flicks, “Taken” and “The Uninvited.” Here’s the rundown from Box Office Mojo. What did YOU see this weekend?

Taken, $24.71M
Paul Blart: Mall Cop, $13.87M
The Uninvited, $10.32M
Hotel for Dogs, $8.63M
Gran Torino, $8.23M
Slumdog Millionaire, $7.62M
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, $7.58M
New in Town, $6.74M
My Bloody Valentine 3D, $4.47M
Inkheart, $3.72M

Image: Taken, TM and copyright, 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved.

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop" is still tops at the box office! I guess other moviegoers liked the funny Kevin James as much as I did. Here’s the roundup from Box Office Mojo:

Paul Blart: Mall Cop, $21.62M
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, $20.82M
Gran Torino, $16.24M
Hotel for Dogs, $12.86M
Slumdog Millionaire, $10.69M
My Bloody Valentine 3D, $10.01M
Inkheart, $7.60M
Bride Wars, $6.86M
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, $6.08M
Notorious, $5.77M

Image: Sony Pictures, 2009

My kids and I thought "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" was goofy fun, and so did a lot of other people, apparently. It grabbed first place at the box office last weekend. Here’s the roundup from Box Office Mojo:

Paul Blart: Mall Cop, $39.23M
Gran Torino, $25.60M
My Bloody Valentine 3D, $24.10M
Notorious, $23.39M
Hotel for Dogs, $22.86M
Bride Wars, $13.87M
The Unborn, $10.54M
Defiance, $10.51M
Marley & Me, $7.51M
Slumdog Millionaire, $7.02M

Image: Sony Pictures, 2009

Movie: Gran Torino * Official Site
In Theaters: Jan. 9, 2009

Runtime: 116 minutes
Directed by: Clint Eastwood

MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, and some violence
Gecko Rating:

Clint Eastwood surely must be one of the great filmmakers of this era. As far as directors go, you hear a lot about Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson … but Clint Eastwood is definitely the best of the best.
Think about the intense, dramatic films he’s done: "Changeling," "Letters from Iwo Jima," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Million Dollar Baby," and "Mystic River." These are movies that stay with you for a long time, and it’s …read more

Clint Eastwood is a master at making thoughtful, interesting movies, and "Gran Torino" is no exception. It sailed into first place at the box office this weekend, with "Bride Wars" placing second. Here’s the rundown from Box Office Mojo:
Gran Torino, $29.48M
Bride Wars, $21.05M
The Unborn, $19.81M
Marley & Me, $11.39M
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, $9.21M
Bedtime Stories, $8.80M
Valkyrie, $6.61M
Yes Man, $6.03M
Not Easily Broken, $5.31M
Seven Pounds, $3.81M
Image: Tran Torino, Warner Bros., 2009

Here’s the Warner Bros. 2009 Film Preview. And woohoo that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will finally hit theaters on July 17, 2009. "The Dark Knight" hits theaters — AGAIN! Zac Efron gets a chance to be young again in "17 Again" (uh, haven’t we seen that plotline in about 20 movies?), John Connor comes back in "Terminator: Salvation," Robert Downey, Jr. plays Sherlock Holmes, and Clint Eastwood is nowhere near retiring. He begins AND ends 2009 with new movies. Check out the lineup:
GRAN TORINO In theatres on December 12 (NY & LA) …read more

This time of year, most of us look back to what we did right, what we could have done better, and just life, in general. The American Film Institute has compiled their own list; specifically, their Top 10 Movies of 2008. Here it is below. I’ll be posting my own list shortly, and I definitely agree with "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," and "Wall*E." Any thoughts on the AFI list?
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Frozen River"
"Gran Torino"
"Iron Man"
"Milk"
"Wall*E"
"Wendy and Lucy"
"The Wrestler"
After the jump, a little compilation video from AFI:

Yes Man. Jim Carrey plays a guy who’s said “no” to everything his whole life. And wow, do things get crazy when he starts saying “yes”! Gecko Review Official Site
Seven Pounds. Will Smith decides to change the lives of seven strangers, but not without consequences, of course. [Gecko Preview & Trailer] [Official Site]
The Tale of Despereaux. A little mouse with big ears helps a kingdom to see the light. [Gecko Preview & Trailer] [Official Site]
The Wrestler (opens limited Dec. 17). Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), a washed-up wrestler (Mickey Rourke) tries to make a comeback and look as …read more