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 never been what you’d call a renegade –- never broke curfew, never drank alcohol, never got into a fistfight or drove a fast... [Read more]

It would be pretty fun to check out where Edward and Bella had their first date, or stand in the parking lot where he saved her from being crushed by an out-of-control vehicle. I’m sure Forks, Washington is having quite the tourist boon ever since “Twilight” came out last year, and again this year when “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” hits theaters on Nov. 20, 2009. MTV Shows [Read more]

Movie: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs * Trailer * Official Site In Theaters: July 1, 2009 Runtime: 94 minutes Directed by: Carlos Saldanha MPAA Rating: PG for some mild rude humor and peril Gecko Rating:   They’ve really mined everything they can out of these "Ice Age" movies, haven’t they? That’s not to say they’re not cute and fun and all that stuff. Just that maybe they’ve come to the end of the line on these particular characters and stories. Then again, they’ve added a few new characters in this movie, and let’s face it, they’re just at the dawn of the dinosaurs, which means this franchise could go on into infinity. The first movie, 2002’s... [Read more]

Movie: Public Enemies * Trailer * 6 Clips * Images * Official Site In Theaters: July 1, 2009 Runtime: 140 minutes Directed by: Michael Mann MPAA Rating: R for gangster violence and some language Gecko Rating: I wondered if "Public Enemies" would romanticize the gangster life, and it sort of does. But it also gives the other side of the story – the blood, violence, and nastiness. Still, this movie mostly romanticizes it, mainly because Johnny Depp is just so darn cute. What girl could resist his charms, gangster or not? Plus, I think he’s actually getting better looking as he gets older. But enough of my crush… In "Public Enemies," Depp plays notorious gangster John Dillinger in... [Read more]

I’m probably more in love with "Transformers" than "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (read my review here). They’re both rock-em sock-em movies with giant robots, but the first one had more plot and character development, in my view. Well, as much as you can have in a movie about giant robots.  THE DVD: The 2007 action flick directed by Michael Bay centers on an ancient battle between two extraterrestrial robotic clans, the heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons. But the key to who wins this battle is held by a teenage boy, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Also stars Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Jon Voight, and John Turturro. ("Transformers" is also now... [Read more]