"The Proposal” hits DVD today! I put the exclamation mark, because my daughter and I really loved this movie, and actually ended up seeing it twice in the theater. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry, but the real scene stealer is Betty White, who plays Reynolds’ grandmother.
The story follows an uptight corporate staffer, Margaret (Bullock), who needs to get married in order to avoid being deported back to Canada. So she ropes her assistant Andrew (Reynolds) into getting married, but things go awry when they travel to Alaska to visit his family, who decides that the …read more

Somehow, I totally missed “Management” when it was in theaters. But it hit DVD and Blu-ray last week, so maybe some nice publicist will send me a copy to review.
I’m kind of hoping it’s better than Jennifer Aniston’s other movies lately. “Love Happens” and “He’s Just Not That Into You” were ok, but nothing to write home about.
In “Management,” she plays Sue Claussen, a women who has a chance meeting with Mike Cranshaw (Steve Zahn) when she checks into the roadside motel owned by his parents in Arizona. Mike’s an aimless dreamer; Sue lives in a carefully ordered …read more

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

Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: Vicky Jenson

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual situations and brief strong language
Gecko Rating:

"Post Grad" is one of those movies that’s fun while you’re watching it, but you probably won’t remember it the next day. Or even 10 minutes after you leave the theater.
It stars the adorable Alexis Bledel as Ryden Malby, a girl who’s just graduated from college and is ready to go out and conquer the world. Or at least her own little corner of it.
Ever since she was a little girl, …read more

Holy cow, I can’t wait for this movie. The cast alone is enough to make me happy, but the story by Nancy Meyers looks fun, too. “It’s Complicated” stars Meryl Streep as Jane, a woman whose husband, Jake (Alec Baldwin), leaves her for a younger woman. Turns out he’s not all that hip on having a younger wife. He wants Jane back.
Things get even more complicated when Jane learns that her architect, Adam (Steve Martin), is interested in her, too. The stellar cast also includes John Krasinski (“The Office”), Hunter Parrish (“Weeds”), and Lake Bell. See what I mean …read more

Opening in theaters on July 24, 2009 is "The Ugly Truth," an adorable romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. It’s about a chauvinistic reporter who gets involved with a romantically challenged morning show producer.
Robert Luketic is the director; he’s also directed "21," "Monster-in-Law," "Legally Blonde," and "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton." So he’s definitely got the romantic comedy chops to produce a great movie.
"The Ugly Truth" premiered in Hollywood on July 16, 2009. Watch the trailer here, and check out a few pics from the red carpet below!

Movie: I Love You, Beth Cooper * Official Site * Preview & Trailer

In Theaters: July 10, 2009

Runtime: 102 minutes
Directed by: Chris Columbus

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language, some teen drinking and drug references, and brief violence
Gecko Rating:

Just because a movie is teen-oriented doesn’t mean it has to be a crappy movie. Just think about some of the great teen movies from the past: “The Breakfast Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and “Sixteen Candles” come to mind. Maybe this generation needs another John Hughes.
At any rate, “I Love You, Beth Cooper” is not one of those good …read more

I interviewed Hayden Panettiere in 2007 for Latitudes Magazine, right about the time she was becoming a household name as “the cheerleader on Heroes.” She was such a sweetie to talk with, and she even said hi to my then 9-year-old daughter. You can read my interview with Hayden here.
It’s still a thrill to see her on the big or small screen. In “I Love You, Beth Cooper,” Hayden plays a popular teenager at Buffalo Grove High School who’s mortified to learn that the valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) has had a thing for her for years. In fact, he’s …read more

Whenever I think of Gerard Butler, I automatically think of him being all intense and toga-ish as King Leonidas in "300," but he can hold his own in a romantic movie, as evidenced in "P.S. I Love You" and "Nim’s Island."
He’s the perfect foil for Katherine Heigl in “The Ugly Truth,” a romantic comedy about a chauvinistic reporter who gets involved with a romantically challenged morning show producer.
Directed by Robert Luketic, the movie is rated R for sexual content and language, and hits theaters July 24, 2009. Check out the trailers here and here, and watch the latest …read more

I’ve heard people say that the timing of “Confessions of a Shopaholic” isn’t great, what with all of our personal and national economics woes. But as Val Kilmer said in “Tombstone,” I beg to diffah.
“Confessions” is the perfect movie right now, because a lot of us … ahem, not me, of course … are shopaholics, but this movie shows that you can overcome it and learn to curb your spending. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” says the movie is perfect for our current times.
“It’s a tale of redemption,” he says. “It’s a …read more

Movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic * Trailer * Official Site * BuyIt
In Theaters: Feb. 13, 2009; On DVD & Blu-ray: June 23, 2009

Runtime: 112 minutes
Directed by: P. J. Hogan

MPAA Rating: PG for some mild language and thematic elements
Gecko Rating:

I’m a huge fan of all the Sophie Kinsella books, and "Confessions of a Shopaholic" is based on her book by the same name. It’s about a woman named Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher – pronounced "I-la")) who LOVES to shop.
There are more books in the series, including "Shopaholic Ties the Knot," "Shopaholic & Sister," "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan," and "Shopaholic & …read more