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

Movie: The Invention of Lying * Premiere Pics * Official Site
In Theaters: Oct. 2, 2009

Runtime: 99 minutes
Directed by: Ricky Gervais

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, including some sexual material and a drug reference
Gecko Rating:

“The Invention of Lying” is a sweet little movie – not particularly funny, but sweet with a nice message: we need to look beyond the surface of people to see what they’re really like inside.
It stars Ricky Gervais, the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC series "The Office" and HBO’s "Extras," as Mark, a down-on-his-luck loser who lives in an alternate reality …read more

New in theaters today is a fun family movie, a fun romantic comedy, and an edgy comedy about a school for girls. Here’s the rundown:
Couples Retreat (PG-13). Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell and a cast of stars populate this romantic comedy about a group of couples who go on a retreat to a lush tropical island. [Trailer] [Film Gecko Links] [Official Site]
St. Trinian’s (PG-13). The tagline for this edgy flick is "School for Bad Girls," and it stars Mischa Barton, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, and Lena Headey in a story about a girls’ school suffering with financial problems. Rated …read more

Woody Harrelson’s “Zombieland” ruled the box office this weekend, with “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” coming in second. Here’s the weekend estimates from Box Office Mojo:

Zombieland, $25M
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, $16.7M
Toy Story / Toy Story 2 (3D), $12.5M
The Invention of Lying, $7.35M
Surrogates, $7.34M
Capitalism: A Love Story, $4.85M
Whip It, $4.85M
Fame, $4.75M
The Informant!, $3.8M
Love Happens, $2.77M
Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself, $2.67M
Pandorum, $1.92M

Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Some old favorites (Woody, Buzz Lightyear and pals) hit screens in 3D today, as well as some new zombietastic characters. Here’s the rundown on what’s new in theaters this weekend:
Zombieland (R ). Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg battle zombies and each other in this horror comedy. [Film Gecko Preview & Trailer] [Official Site]
Whip It (PG-13). Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page have some roller derby fun in this flick about a girl who finds her tribe. [Film Gecko Preview & Trailer] [Official Site]
The Invention of Lying (PG-13). Ricky Gervais actually CAN tell a lie. It’s the rest of …read more

This week at the movies, Megan Fox has a guy complex, Anna Faris goes food crazy, and Matt Damon gets goofy. Take a look at what’s new in theaters this weekend:
Jennifer’s Body (R). A sexy horror film starring Megan Fox as a demon-possessed teenager out to kill all those pesky guys. Also stars Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, and J.K. Simmons. [Images] [Official Site]
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (PG). The classic children’s book comes to animated life with Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, Bill Hader and Andy Samberg voicing the characters. [Preview & Trailer] [Red Carpet Premiere] [Official Site]
The …read more

Elijah Wood, Tyler Perry, Rumer Willis and Kate Beckinsale are heading to theaters today. No, not them in person, but the next best thing – their movies! Here’s the rundown:
9 (PG-13). It’s a post-apocalyptic world with ragdoll muppets. Ok, not really muppets, more like burlap bag castoffs. Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer and Martin Landau (who’s still going strong at 78) star in this dark animated film. [Clips] [Official Site]
Whiteout (R). Kate Beckinsale plays a U.S. marshal tracking a serial killer in Antarctica. [Trailer and Red Carpet Video] [Official Site]
Sorority Row (R). It’s a sorority prank gone …read more

Labor Day is never a good weekend to release a movie, and the top two movies brought in the usual small numbers. “The Final Destination” grossed $12.4 million, while “All About Steve” brought in $11.2 million.
Here’s the thing, though. Apparently, Fox is still pretty happy with those “All About Steve” numbers. According to Yahoo Movies, some Fox official said they were "thrilled with that number.” Apparently, they were expecting a lot less.
I expected more from the movie, awarding it only 2.5 out of 5 Geckos. It was interesting, but the trailer made it seem like it’d be …read more

New in theaters over the Labor Day weekend are four movies – a romantic comedy, a workplace comedy, a sci-fi thriller, and a horror movie. Here’s the scoop:
All About Steve (PG-13). Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper star in this romantic comedy about an eccentric crossword puzzle writer who falls hard for a handsome news cameraman and starts stalking him. [Film Gecko Preview] [Official Site]
Extract (R ). Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, and Mila Kunis star in this Mike Judge comedy about the goings-on in a flavor extract company. [Trailer] [Characters] [Official Site]
Gamer (R). Sometimes it’s hard to know …read more

I loved “Duplicity,” because it’s like a throwback to all of those great film noir flicks of the 1940’s, 50s and 60s, with the sexual tension and rat-a-tat banter between Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.
The story is all about corporate intrigue, spies and secrets, but it’s more light-hearted than you might think at first glance. Instead of missiles and terrorists, we’re dealing with something more benign, along the lines of body lotion, hair gel and pizza crust. The great Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti also star in this fun caper, written and directed by Tony Gilroy.
Read my …read more