I saw "The Wrestler" with my 14-year-old son (I don’t recommend it, though – too much sex), and without knowing anything about the storyline, he thought it was a documentary. That’s how good Mickey Rourke is in this role. He’s not just playing a broken down shell of a man who’s all alone. He actually IS that man. So I’m guessing when he thanked his dogs in his Golden Globe speech — "sometimes all a man’s got is his dogs" — he knew what he was talking about.

And watching the movie, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in this role. They couldn’t have cast some pretty boy who’s at the top of his game. It just wouldn’t have been authentic. So … kudos to whomever cast Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler." Well done.

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If you’ve visited Film Gecko’s "New Moon" casting threads here and here, you know there are some truly dedicated folks on there!

Four of them – Tiffany McFadden, Paula Placido, Doree Seay and Britanni Johnson – have put together a cool YouTube video showcasing their efforts to be cast in the upcoming "Twilight" sequels: "New Moon," "Eclipse," and "Breaking Dawn."

Check out the video below, and help support these young actresses by running this video on your Web site or blog, or going to http://www.myspace.com/star_struck21 to request a banner of the actress(es) you’d like to support, or request a Support Code of your own to advertise. Good luck, girls! And I call first dibs on interviews when you’re cast in the movies!

For a while there, it looked like there might not be a third installment of the popular "Chronicles of Narnia" franchise. Disney took a pass on it last month, citing "budgetary considerations."

Disney and Walden Media worked together on 2005’s "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which grossed $745 million worldwide, and 2008’s "Prince Caspian," which clocked in at only $420 million.

Though both movies did well in DVD sales, it’s clear (to me anyway) that Disney dropped the franchise when the second movie tanked. These aren’t cheap movies to make. There’s a lot of special effects involved here.

At any rate, now it looks like the "Narnia" story is back on track, because 20th Century Fox has stepped in to work with Walden Media on the third movie based on the C.S. Lewis book series, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." They’re looking at a holiday release in 2010.

I liked the first movie, but the second one didn’t really grab me. What about you? Are you liking the "Narnia" movies so far? Looking forward to the third one?

Image: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Walt Disney Pictures, 2005; Source: The Hollywood Reporter

I’m starting a new feature called “Film Gecko Five” – Top Five Movies in various categories. Feel free to email me at [email protected] with your ideas! Today’s list is my Top Five Sexiest Movies. See if you agree, and if not, what are YOUR favorite sexy movies? Tell me in the comments section below!

5. Gone With the Wind. What could be sexier than stepping over bodies strewn about the streets of Atlanta? Ok, maybe that’s not the sexiest scene of this classic 1939 film, but the banter between Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable more than makes up for it. Sexiest Scene: When Rhett says to Scarlett, “No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.” [Official Site]

More after the jump…

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An "Arrested Development" movie has been brewing for some time now, and it looks like forces may be rallying to actually make it happen.

At a recent Uprights Citizens Brigade show, Jeffrey Tambor – who played George Bluth, Sr. in the Fox TV series – said Michael Cera will be in the big-screen movie, even if he has to call him on the phone and order him to be on that set!

My son and I just started watching "Arrested Development" recently, and have to say it’s easy to get sucked into the crazy scenarios of the Bluth family. Having Ron Howard’s voiceover doesn’t hurt either.

In fact, Ron Howard is onboard as director of the Fox Searchlight movie, with Mitchell Hurwitz (who also exec-produced and wrote the TV series) as writer and Jennifer Dana and Brian Grazer as producers (both of whom produced the TV series). They’re looking at a 2010 release date. Maybe.

What are your thoughts on this? Think it’ll actually happen? With Ron Howard and Brian Grazer involved, I’m sure it will happen one way or another. Maybe.

Image: Amazon.com; Source: TVSquad.com

Andi (Emma Roberts) and Bruce (Jake T. Austin) are two orphaned siblings living with a self-absorbed, hippie foster couple (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon). They’re the worst foster parents in the world – locking up their food in the cupboard and feeding the kids icky frozen dinners. But worst of all, they hate dogs. And that’s not good news for the kids, who’ve been secretly harboring their beloved dog, Friday.

Fearing it won’t be long before their secret is discovered, the kids set off to find a new home for their pup. Along the way, Friday ducks into an old hotel where the kids discover a few other stray dogs who’ve been hanging out there. The abandoned hotel is amazingly complete — all the furniture is still there, including exercise equipment, dishes, everything.

More after the jump…

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"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:

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

Image: Sony Pictures, 2009

Here’s a new trailer for "Adventureland," the comedy starring Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg, in theaters March 27, 2009.

I’m way overdue for a lighthearted romantic comedy, and I really hope "New in Town" delivers. I like Renee Zellweger, and while I’m not totally sure about Harry Connick, Jr., hopefully those two will have some chemistry.

Zellweger plays a high-powered consultant who’s forced away from her upscale Miami lifestyle to oversee the restructuring of a blue collar manufacturing plant in Minnesota. After enduring a frosty reception from the locals, icy roads and freezing weather, she warms up to the small town’s charm, and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community. But when she’s ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she’s forced to reconsider her goals and priorities.

More after the jump, including a trailer…

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ReelzChannel caught up with a few fans of “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.” See what they had to say about the movie, which revolves around the centuries-old feud between a race of aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In theaters Jan. 23, 2009. [Official Site]