Here are a few pics from the North American premiere of the movie, held in New York on July 9, 2009. The young stars all look beautiful, don’t they? And Emma Watson is gorgeous! She says she wants to take a little break and focus on college in the States.

More pics after the jump!

Photos: Marion Curtis / Startraksphoto.com via TM and (c) 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Post from: Film Gecko

"Surviving Crooked Lake" revolves around four teenage girls on a Canadian canoe-and-camping trip with a slightly older male guide (ok, my first thought is – their parents let them go on this trip?!!!). The guide’s younger sister, Steph (who’s afraid of the water), is one of the campers. When disaster strikes, the girls are faced with a grueling trip back to civilization – hauling a body along with them.

Directed by Sascha Drews, "Surviving Crooked Lake" stars Alysha Aubin, Candice Mausner, Morgan McCunn, Stephannie Richardson, and Guy Yarkoni. It hits theaters in limited release on July 24, 2009. Check out the trailer:

Post from: Film Gecko

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!

Images: Copyright and Trademark, Columbia Tristar Marketing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Photos by SEP, Inc./Eric Charbonneau

Post from: Film Gecko

Movie: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince * Trailer * Official Site	In Theaters: July 15, 2009
Runtime: 153 minutes	Directed by: David Yates
MPAA Rating: PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality	Gecko Rating:

One thing I love about Harry Potter movies is that they appeal to all age groups. We saw "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" last night, and the people in the theater spanned at least eight decades, kids from 8 to 80. Aside from that, it’s just a really great production with beautiful cinematography, stunning locations, and thoughtful performances. And oh yeah, a fantastic storyline that hooks you from beginning to end, even if you’ve never read the books by J.K. Rowling. My only complaint is that at 153 minutes, it’s a little long. But I’ll forgive that one thing, and not even mark it down. 

We catch up with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his pals Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) well on their way to young adulthood. Along with the spells, wands, and broomsticks, we’ve got three kids dealing with hormones and young love (and lust!). It’s been fun watching them grow up on screen, and like seeing old friends again in this latest installment. 

Harry, once a confused young wizard, has grown into a charismatic young man ready to face down evil with a vengeance. He also has a thing for young Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright). Ron is much more than comic relief now, though we still get some of that, thank goodness. And Hermione, who began as a stern young student only interested in obeying the rules and scoring high on tests, is now a lovely young woman with a certain wizard on her mind -– a wizard who’s too dense to see the truth, thus causing Hermione much heartache.

Along with the teenage angst, we have the magical storylines that audiences will undoubtedly eat up with glee. The evil Death Eaters are attacking the Muggle world, and Harry and pals are headed back to Hogwarts. Harry comes into possession of an ancient Potions textbook with all sorts of helpful notes written in the margins and text. It once belonged to "The Half-Blood Prince," as noted in the front of the book.   

Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambone) takes Harry further into his confidence and shows him some memories involving a creepy young Tom Riddle (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin at age 11; Frank Dillane at age 16), whom we know grows up to be the darkest wizard of all, Lord Voldemort.

Dumbledore also asks Harry to befriend the school’s new professor, Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), who holds a particular memory that’s key to saving the world as they know it. The loyalty of Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) continues to be in question, and he finally shows his true colors. And Harry’s arch-nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is more than just a bad, bad boy. He’s truly a tortured soul, torn between good and evil. A tragic figure, really.

Helena Bonham Carter’s Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange is deliciously evil, with her mass of wild hair and dark shenanigans. I’d say she’s soul-less, but she definitely has a soul. It’s just very, very dark.

We also get a good amount of visually fun scenes with stunning special effects: a visit to the elder Weasley boys’ magic shop; a trip to a dark cavern where Harry and Dumbledore fend off Gollum-like creatures creeping out of the murky water; an attack on our friends by Death Eaters in an earthy field of windswept wheat; a wild and wooly game of Quiddich; and plenty of beautiful shots of spires and staircases and dark alleys.

All of this is intermixed with slower-paced scenes of the characters talking things out, and that’s ok. We see that they’re maturing and growing, and their lives involve more than just magical hijinks.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is my favorite movie in the series so far, and I can’t wait to see the battle between good and evil play out in the final two movies. Two installments of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" are scheduled for release in 2010 and 2011.

Did you see the movie? And is it your favorite so far?

Images: TM and (c) 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Post from: Film Gecko

The set includes “Dirty Harry,” “Magnum Force,” “The Enforcer,” “Sudden Impact,” and “The Dead Pool,” all in a handsome box set. Click through the links below to order your preferred format:

Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector’s Edition – Blu-ray ($56.99 – originally priced $129.95)

Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector’s Edition – DVD ($31.99 – originally priced $74.98)

Images: Amazon.com

Post from: Film Gecko

"When you have three kids, you’ve got to take your opportunities when they come," Jada said. "In a limo, on the way to the Academy Awards this year, Will started looking at me in this way that drives me wild. We started kissing passionately, and the next thing I knew, well, let’s just say we missed the red carpet and I ended up with almost no makeup on."

Hey, more power to them! Will Smith is currently producing "The Karate Kid" (featuring their son, Jaden Smith), and you can catch Jada in TNT’s "Hawthorne." (I know she’s got a great body, but that Shape cover’s gotta be airbrushed, right?)

Image: splashnewsonline.com

Post from: Film Gecko

She’ll also be seen in the upcoming "Iron Man 2," along with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Pots, and Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

Mara is currently in Lower Manhattan shooting scenes for "Happy Thank You More Please," a bittersweet story "about six New Yorkers trying to figure out their lives," according to this Web site.

Here’s a pic of Kate out and about in Soho recently:

Image: splashnewsonline.com

Post from: Film Gecko

To see everything in Film Gecko’s Amazon Store, click here!

• Mad Men, Season 2 (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• The State: The Complete Series
• Leverage: Season One
• Grey Gardens
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Season 1.1
• ER: The Complete Eleventh Season
• Michael Jackson: The Trial and Triumph of the King of Pop
• Bleach Uncut Box Set, Vol. 3: The Rescue
• The Towering Inferno (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Wire in the Blood: The Complete Sixth Season
• The Haunting in Connecticut (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• The Edge of Love
• Van Wilder: Freshman Year (unrated)
• I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (Blu-ray)

Image: Amazon.com

Post from: Film Gecko

One of his last performances is available on DVD right now. "Break" follows an introverted hit man named Frank (Frank Krueger), who gets an unusual assignment: assassinate a crime boss known only as The Man (Chad Everett) who discovers he’s terminally ill. Yes, it’s the same Chad Everett who played Dr. Joe Gannon on "Medical Center" back in the 1970s.

But The Man doesn’t want to die alone. He wants to take along the woman he loves (Sarah Thompson), whom Frank discovers is his own long lost lover! Talk about a twisty-turny story.

Carradine plays a character called The Bishop, and the movie also features Michael Madsen, Mackenzie Firgens, Matthew Jones and James Russo. 

Buy it on Amazon right now, and check out the trailer:

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Film Gecko

It stars Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich as Cliff and Cydney, an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking on one of the most beautiful and remote beaches in Hawaii. Yeah, you know that’s not going to go well.

While hiking the secluded trails in paradise, they come across a group of frightened hikers who tell them about the murder of another newlywed couple. Cliff and Cydney join the other couples and things immediately start to go horribly wrong.

"A Perfect Getaway" is directed by David Twohy, who’s written and or directed a number of films, including "Waterworld," "G.I. Jane," "Pitch Black," and "The Chronicles of Riddick." It’s rated R for graphic violence, language, including sexual references, and some drug use, and also stars Chris Hemsworth and Timothy Olyphant.

Check out the trailer, and view movie stills after the jump!

Images: TM and (c) 2009 Rogue Pictures

Post from: Film Gecko