Half Blood Prince Trailer Out. Finally

In the sixth book of the Harry Potter series, Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling takes us into the heart of darkness, examines through the memories of Albus Dumbledore the creation of Tom Riddle into the world's darkest wizard.

The ailing headmaster, knowing his death is forthcoming, spends his last months with Harry showing the boy wizard all that he knows, because he believes Harry is the only wizard alive capable of defeating Lord Voldemort; the two are connected like no other two beings living.

Half Blood Prince was one of my favorite of the book series. In November, fans of the books and films will get David Yates' cinematic interpretation of the work. Based on the first trailer for the November release, it seems Yates understands the importance of this central thread to the mythology of Rowling's work.

Certainly, there are numerous important threads in this semi-final chapter of the seven-part series. We see none of the rest in the trailer. But we are pleased nonetheless.

The countdown begins!

No Toy Story: WALL-E

WALL-E, the latest Pixar movie got some decent reviews. But let's be real: Most of this movie is kinda boring. No talking. Just a robot and a roach. But kids may enjoy it, as will adults who are kids at heart with an interest in animated films, you'll enjoy WALL-E.

Trailer News: Half Blood Prince

Mugglenet.com reports this: Warner Brothers has informed us that the teaser will be going live at the same time as the satellite feeds: 9 PM EST.

Check out more stills from the movie at HERE.

The movie will be released November 21.

Upcoming: Red Sonja

So, is it me, or has Hollywood completely run out of original ideas. The latest rehash: a remake of Red Sonja starring Rose McGowan. Let's hope director Douglas Aarnioskoski doesn't ruin one of my favorite barbarian flicks.

Flashback: Penelope is "Funnier than a Disney movie"

I saw Penelope recently with my 11-year-old niece. You know, that movie starring Christina Ricci as the girl born with a pig's nose, and James McAvoy as the man who falls for her. The movie was pretty much panned by the critiques, who, for some reason, expect high moral storytelling whenever they happen to venture to the cineplex with pen and pad in hand.

In any case, I enjoyed this movie. It's another example of what happens when you get strong actors to do their thing. There might be some holes in the plot, but the earnestness of the acting moves you along. Ricci is sweet and endearing as Penelope and McAvoy is her perfect counterpoint. The film, however, belongs to Catherine O'Hara, who plays Penelope's mother.

Upcoming: Mad Men Season Two

Don't forget: The second season of Mad Men, one of the best dramas on TV right now, starts Sunday, July 27, on AMC.

This show is filling the void that Sopranos left when it went off the air. The ensemble is cast perfectly, the acting is intense, visceral, and the emotions are completely raw. Watch an episode. You'll get hooked.

Avoid: Mamma Mia

It doesn't look that bad in the trailer, but apparently, it's worse than that bad.

A friend told me today that Mamma Mia! is quite possibly one of the worst movies she's seen in years. That the plot makes absolutely no sense, and that each scene is put in place only as set up to musical numbers. And Meryl Streep gives her worst theatrical performance.

I have no intention of seeing this movie (okay, to tell the truth, I never did). So I'll let someone who stomached this tell it like it is. "The legal definition of torture has been much aired in recent years, and I take Mamma Mia! to be a useful contribution to that debate." - Anthony Lane for the New Yorker

Flashback: Shoot 'Em Up

There's this scene in Shoot 'Em Up in which Paul Giamatti, playing the bad guy, has barged into the boudoir of a lactating prostitute to inquire the whereabouts of Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) and the baby. He fires his pistol then places the searing metal against her thigh. When he fires off a couple of rounds and makes to put the gun against more sensitive flesh, Smith appears and the two face off, surrounded by colored bottles filled with the hooker's milk.

Yes, Shoot 'Em Up is that kind of movie. The kind of movie you watch without much expectation. You watch for the action, the gore, the cheesy dialogue, the happy ending that you know will come, because in movies like this one, they always come.

For the 87 minutes you devote to watching, you're entertained. You aren't smarter, you aren't touched on an emotional level, you aren't necessarily wowed by awesome cinematography. It's good old fashion B movie entertainment, the stuff you watch on random Saturdays on TNT or Stars when nothing else is on.

And once the credits roll, you're satisfied.

Upcoming: Brideshead Revisited

The summer ain't all about big bangs and side-splitting laughs. Sometimes we want intrigue, family drama, deep sentiment. Emma Thompson gives us this and more in Brideshead Revisited, a period drama in which she reminds us a little of Dame Judie Dench at her best. Let's hope there's enough buzz to get her a much-deserved Oscar nod when the time comes. The movie gets a limited run starting July 25. Trailer at the official Web site.

Upcoming: Step Brothers

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are the funniest duo in Hollywood right now. Sony Pictures released a restricted trailer for Step Brothers that brought me to tears. Let's hope the trailer isn't false advertisement (think Knocked Up, for example). The movie comes out July 25.

Upcoming: The House Bunny

Anna Faris has a knack for taking the most played out story premise and making it funny. In her new movie, The House Bunny, she plays Shelley, a former Playboy Bunny who lands on a college campus as house mother to Zeta Alpha Zeta (ala Lambda Lambda Lambda in Revenge of the Nerds). The trailer had me rolling. The release is Aug. 22.

Must See: The Dark Knight

Believe the hype. While the horribly staffed Muvico Paradise 24 prevented me from seeing the entirety of The Dark Knight, I can tell you this: The 2 hours that I saw was wholly entertaining, well acted, cohesive, tension-filled and utterly engrossing drama. Heath Ledger is absolutely transcendent as the maniacal Joker; Christian Bale is the perfect Batman/Bruce Wayne; Maggie Gyllenhaal was an absolute upgrade from Kate Holmes as Rachel Dawes; and Gary Oldman kicks major ass as Lt. James Gordon. If you enjoyed Batman Begins, The Departed, the Godfather, or any crime/action movie of note in the last 30 years, you'll definitely enjoy The Dark Knight.

Avoid: Muvico Paradise 24 in Davie, Fla.

After having driven 27.76 miles from my home in Miami, waiting in line for 20 minutes and sitting in a theater for nearly 2 hours for The Dark Knight to begin, I was forced to leave the theater when the house lights were turned on and the sound cut off two hours into the film (this after the 12:01 a.m. film didn't begin until closer to 12:30, and the first trailer commenced without sound).

The shift manager had no idea why the house lights were turned on in the theater and could not explain why the audio had gone off. Further, when confronted for an answer, he offered snide comments to customers, and demanded that I show stubs for my entire party before providing a refund to my credit card, even though I had provided him with a credit card receipt. He claimed this was an impossibility, that the "system" didn't allow him to provide refunds without stubs. However, 15 minutes later, he was able to give me a refund on the card even though I provided him with only 3 of 4 stubs. He also refused to provide vouchers for my party and I to return later to watch the film.

This is the second time that my film-going experience was ruined at this Muvico. The last time was during There Will Be Blood when the first 10 minutes of film went on without sound. When the manager was notified, it took him 10 minutes to respond. Then, when the film was rewound, the image that was projected was wholly distorted. I had to go to another theater to watch the film.

Early Buzz: The Dark Knight Delivers

The early critical buzz for Christopher Nolan's Batman movie is overwhelmingly positive. At the time of publication, a whopping 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Variety calls it "an ambitious, full-bodied crime epic of gratifying scope and moral complexity ... that satisfies every expectation raised by its hit predecessor and then some."

Rolling Stone gave the film 3 1/2 of 4 stars, saying there is "something raw and elemental at work in this artfully imagined universe." And Heath Ledger's interpretation of The Joker is not the comic relief that Jack Nicholson offered in the 1989 film, but "mad-crazy-blazing brilliant."

The Hollywood Reporter says the movie is "pure adrenaline."

If your plan is to see the movie on opening night, you may want to get your tickets ASAP. The Los Angeles Times is reporting all-night sell-outs in some major cities. According to reporter Michael Cieply: "In a frenzy, fans have bought so many late-night tickets for the July 18 opening of the next Batman movie that theaters in places like San Diego, Chicago, and even Eagan, Minn., are scheduling 6 a.m. screenings for those who can’t get in at midnight or 3 in the morning."

Upcoming: The Dark Knight

We've all seen the trailers, and we all agree: The Dark Knight looks like it is going to be a kick-ass movie. One of those rare sequels ala X-Men 2: X-Men United that completely dwarfs the original.

We recognize, even from those quick cuts, that Christian Bale and Heath Ledger are magnificent in their roles, and that the leading lady is Maggie Gyllenhaal, an actress with enough chops to match her leading man. That on film No. 2, this newest Batman franchise makes us forget about the earlier Batman movies.

While we wait around for the July 18 release, we can at least devour every bit of information about the new action-thriller out there, including a story that appears in the Los Angeles Times that tells us all about Christopher Nolan's "Knight" vision.

Must See: Hancock

If ever the critics were wrong about a movie, that movie is Hancock. Before seeing this movie, I read many a review; many of them were negative. But in the heap were gems, like the Chicago Sun-Times, Rolling Stone, The New York Times.

I agree with this latter group. Hancock is no ordinary superhero flick. It's packed with the action that you come to expect, but there's a level of depth here - and sheer acting force - that elevates this movie.

So here it is. John Hancock (Will Smith) is a layabout louse, cussing at children, destroying public and private property on his way to crimes-in-progress, being more of a hindrance than help to the city of Los Angeles. Then he meets Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), a PR guy down on his luck. Embrey offers to give Hancock a free image make-over. He introduces Hancock to his stunning wife , Mary (Charlize Theron), and his son Aaron (Jae Head), Hancock's biggest fan, it seems.

Embrey convinces Hancock to accept responsibility for his actions, to submit to an arrest warrant for causing more than $7 million in damage to public property. In prison, Hancock literally shoves one guy's head up another's ass. But here, Hancock also goes through a kind of transformation, and the film transcends the set-up that we're shown in the trailers.

I won' t reveal what happens next, because the surprise is half the fun. But I will tell you this: Theron and Smith bring the same depth of raw emotion that they do to their most affecting dramatic works. We start asking ourselves questions about the origin of superheros, the meaning of sacrifice, and the nature of love, even while marveling at the effects or the action on the screen.

I'll close with The New Yorker: "We are watching genuine actors at work ... For the first time in his life, Will Smith doesn’t flirt with the audience. He doesn’t smile and tease and drawl; he stays in character as a self-hating lonely guy, and, in Berg’s closeups, the planes of his face seem massive, almost sculpted. Charlize Theron ... isn’t running away from her good looks anymore. Wearing a simple sleeveless red shift, her blond hair hanging around her shoulders, she’s a knockout in “Hancock,” and she gives the sexiest performance of her career."

Hancock is quite possibly the most enjoyable and heartfelt summer blockbuster!

Still Waiting: Big Love Season 3

The release of HBO's Big Love couldn't have been more perfectly timed. The show debuted on the cable network just as the FBI named Warren Jeffs as the No. 1 fugitive in America. I assumed the show would be campy, maybe a bit salacious. Turns out is quite possibly the most affecting drama on TV. It sucks you in from the very first episode. The new season starts January 2009.

Flashback: The Great Debaters

A movie about black folk with no gangs. Besides that, little Eva (Jurnee Smollett from Eve's Bayou) done all grow'd up, and she reminds us of a cross between Tisha Campbell during the Martin years and Anna Popplewell from the Narnia movies.

Ok, seriously, The Great Debaters got tepid reviews, but it's a solid dramatic bet. The acting is always on point, and though the ending is predictable by the nature of the film (historical drama), we enjoy what we experience along the way.

Highly recommended for the DVD collection.

Also stars Oscar winners Denzel Washington (who directs) and Forest Whitaker.

Must See: Wanted

Confession: We still have not seen this movie, but we want to, and will, eventually. The early word is positive - 76 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Entertainment Weekly says: "Wanted is kind of unintelligible and idiotic. Also kind of nasty and brutish. And also undeniably kind of fun." Our kind of movie.

Upcoming: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The next Harry Potter film is set for release in November, and we're all still waiting for a trailer to give us some hint about whether or not this movie will stay true to J.K. Rowling's novel (unlike, let's say, the last Potter film). Well, Mugglenet.com is reporting the trailer for the new film will be released in front of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Mugglenet is also saying the teaser poster will come a week afterward. The site had previously reported the trailer was supposed to front the new Batman film, The Dark Knight.

Must See: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The thing about this latest George Lucas - Steven Spielberg romp is it doesn't pretend to be what it is not. It ain't philosophy. It ain't deep drama. It's simply a good time. Old fashioned entertainment to be had with a Coke and buttered popcorn. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is movie-making nostalgia at it's finest, a homage to the old, Harrison Ford, and a passing of the torch to the new and young, Shia LeBeouf, who upstages the marquee star in every scene they share.

Underrated: Married Life

Poor Harry Allen (Chris Cooper). He's married to a classy, beautiful woman (Patricia Clarkson) but doesn't want to be with her anymore. His eyes and heart have fallen on a delectable young woman (Rachel McAdams). To save his wife from the humiliation that comes with divorce, Harry decides he must kill his wife. But unbeknownst to him, his pretty girlfriend has fallen for his best friend (Pierce Brosnan). Married Life, from director Ira Sachs, is a funny, sexy, suspenseful and, ultimately, satisfying movie-going experience. It only got a limited run in the the States, so you may have to check it out on DVD.

Not Bad: Sex and the City

Carrie Bradshaw and the ladies return to us for a last hurrah in Sex and the City: The Movie. I watched this not in the megaplex, but in the comfort of my home, which is how Sex and the City is supposed to be enjoyed. There aren't enough high events (you know, car chases, shooting, death, actual danger) to warrant a showing on the big screen. And besides, the movie looks, feels and sounds like its small-screen precursor. There is one marked difference. This time, the white ladies of the city (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis) share screen-time with Oscar-winning diva extraordinaire Jennifer Hudson (not white).

Don't See: The Happening

The perfect review was published in the Reno News and Review: "Oh Mother of God ... this is aweful." Basically, this movie sucks. You don't want to see this. It's about grass killing people. Yeah, that's what I said, grass kills people. There was some interesting special effects, but other than that the whole plot is whack. M. Night Shyamalan directs this "thriller," which falls waaaay short of the quirky Lady in the Water and the interesting Village. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo.

Spoiler: At the end of the movie, the neurotoxin (exactly, the neurotoxin! we did say this movie sucks) travels with the wind to Europe and the credits roll.

Flashback: Closer

Natalie Portman and Clive Owen at their absolute best. If you haven't seen this one yet, you must. Closer, which also starred Jude Law and Julia Roberts, told the twisted story of four people who absolutely crush each other with truth and lies. Put this one at the top of your Netflix queue. Better yet, go to Amazon.com and buy a copy.

Curious: A Rotten Hancock?

A friend and I have been talking about seeing Hancock since the trailer was released. We'd planned to see it on opening night. Then the reviews started to come in. And it seems the reviewers were not feeling Will Smith in his role as antihero. The movie got a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. But individual reviewers have praised it -- including the New York Times, The New Yorker and the Chicago Sun-Times (which gave it 3 stars). I'm checking it out this weekend and will add my own opinion to the mix.

Must See: Iron Man

This post comes a little late, I know. And I also know that by now, I'm preaching to the choir. But Iron Man is a must see film for any lover of action/adventure/sci-fi. It packs the same kind of punch as the second in the X-Men series. And its funny-as-all-get-out. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark (perfectly cast), and Gwyneth Paltrow is actually good here as his assistant, Pepper Pots. The man who steals the show, however, is Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane. Also appearing is Terrance Howard, who's in every other movie out in the last two years.

Must See: The Incredible Hulk

Finally, they got it right. The newest Incredible Hulk erases the horribly misguided Ang Lee cartoon of 2003. Starring Ed Norton and Liv Tyler in lead roles, the movie is action-packed but not lacking in heart. It skips the backstory that any self-respecting Hulk fan already knows and dives into the action of the day. There are a couple of interesting twists and cliffhanger enough to set up for a sequal.