Movie: Bandslam * Gecko Preview *  Official Site
In Theaters: Aug. 14, 2009

Runtime: 111 minutes
Directed by: Todd Graff; Produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas

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

I take back my earlier thoughts about "Bandslam." If, like me, you were expecting something akin to "High School Musical," you’d be dead wrong!
Yes, there’s a teensy bit of sap in this movie, but nothing like the volume offered up in Disney’s HSM. This is Summit Entertainment, after all, which automatically kicks it to a different level. The soundtrack includes Lou Reed’s "Femme Fatale" and Steve … [Read More]

Plenty of new movies in theaters this weekend. Something for everyone!
District 9 (R). Aliens become refugees in South Africa, where they’re kept isolated from any human contact. Only one guy can activate their weapons, but he becomes hunted and seeks refuge in … District 9. [producer Peter Jackson video] [Official Site]
The Time Traveler’s Wife (PG-13). Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana star in this weep-fest about a guy who suffers from a rare genetic disorder which causes him to drift back and forth through time. Take a box of Kleenex with you. [Official Site]
Bandslam (PG). Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, … [Read More]

Zac Efron may be moving beyond Disney-type movies, but it seems like his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens is sticking with the tried-and-true formula.
Hudgens ("High School Musical") and Alyson Michalka ("Phil of the Future," "Aly and AJ") are starring in "Bandslam," due in theaters Aug. 14, 2009. Michalka plays a gifted singer-songwriter who recruits a new kid in town (Gaelan Connell, "Chocolat") to manage her rock band. Her main motivation? Go up against her egotistical ex-boyfriend (Scott Porter, "Friday Night Lights") and his band at a battle of the bands competition. Meanwhile, Sam (Hudgens) and Will find romance.
My first … [Read More]