Last week, Sony held a press junket at the Griffith Observatory, here in Los Angeles, to help promote their upcoming animated movie Planet 51.  Since the film takes place on another planet, I think the location was perfect.  Also, almost every press day is held at a hotel, and it’s great to “shake and bake” the junket format.   But while the location was different, that didn’t stop Jessica Biel, Justin Long, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson from making all the journalists laugh during most of their press conference.  While you may be sick of Justin Long and his Mac commercials, the guy is quick on his feet when reacting to questions.  I was very impressed.

Anyway, after the jump to can either read the transcript of the press conference or listen to the audio.  While I always think listening to the audio is better than reading a trancript, for this one, it’s almost mandatory.  There is just no way to get some of the jokes that were being told by reading them.  I promise, if you listen to the conversation, you’ll be laughing as much as we were.  Read or listen after the jump:

Opening this Friday is the animated movie Planet 51.  The film is about an American astronaut who lands on Planet 51 thinking he’s the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds the planet inhabited by little green people who are living in a world reminiscent of a cheerfully innocent 1950s America, and whose only fear is that it will be overrun by alien invaders. With the help of his robot companion “Rover” and his new friend Lem, Chuck must navigate his way through the world to try and get back to his spaceship before it returns home.

While I thought the story was mediocre, I was very impressed with the animation.  Watching the film I was constantly looking at the texture and layers in the frame and was surprised by how great it looked.  If you’re a fan of animation, it’s worth seeing just for what they accomplished.  Just know the story is not going to wow you.  So to help promote the film, we’ve been provided with ten clips and you can check them out after the jump.

Yesterday, we brought you the news that Justin Long would be trying his hand at drama by joining the cast of Robert Redford’s upcoming film “The Conspirator.  The film centers on a reluctant attorney (played by James McAvoy) forced to defend Mary Surratt (Robin Wright Penn), an accomplice in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln and to really ruin the play for everyone especially Abraham Lincoln.  Today, the first set photos from the film have landed online plus the news that Evan Rachel Wood and Toby Kebbell are now in the cast.  Hit the jump for more details and to actually break your leg when you go on stage.

After excelling in comedy, horror, and making Mac users look like smug douchebags, Justin Long will now attempt to try his hand at drama by signing on to Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator” also starring James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn.  The story is about Confederate sympathizer Mary Surratt (Wright Penn) who was tried as a conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  James McAvoy plays the reluctant attorney forced to represent her at a military tribunal (144-year Spoiler Alert: He didn’t do a very good job because Surratt was not only executed, but holds the dubious distinction of being the first woman executed in the United States).  Hit the jump to find out how Long figures into the conspiracy.

Sam Raimi is a sadist. He has to be. Maybe he doesn’t have a whip collection at home, maybe he doesn’t have his own dungeon room, maybe he’s a pacifist in real life. When he gets behind the camera, he believes in torture. The exquisite pain of making both his main characters and his audience suffer. And that’s why Drag Me to Hell is a whole lot of fun. Because Sam Raimi is a master-class sadist, and he knows how to twist the screws in. My review after the jump.

The Weinstein Company has just announced they’re moving “Youth in Revolt” to January 15, 2010 from their previously announced October release date. While moving a release is sometimes the sign of a troubled film or production, I saw a screening a few days ago at the Toronto Film Festival and have to say…it’s a great movie. The film is based on acclaimed novel by C.D. Payne and it’s the story of Nick Twisp -  a teen with a taste for the finer things in life like Sinatra and Fellini - and he’s played by Michael Cera. Actually, I posted a video blog about the movie yesterday where I sang the films praises. For more on the film and why it probably moved, hit the jump:

Once again, with the Toronto Film Festival set to begin in a few weeks, I’ve been provided with a ton of new images from the many films that are premiering at the festival. So rather than waste any time, after the jump take a look at new images “Jennifer’s Body”, “The Road” and “Youth in Revolt”. All three look like they could be really good.

I’m not sure what to make of this one. It’s obvious that Michael Cera needs to branch out if he’s going to keep a steady career going, and he’s certainly doing that with “Youth in Revolt.” Cera plays a 16-year-old who desperately wants his “dream girl,” Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), to notice him. As any sane person would do, he creates a bad-ass alter-ego for himself who can get the job done and secure the girl. Check out the trailer after the jump.

While the premise of “Going the Distance”, a romantic comedy about a long-distance relationship starring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore, doesn’t seem appealing to me in any way, I can no longer completely dismiss it as it has now cast “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star and co-creator Charlie Day and Christina Applegate aboard.  While I think Applegate is terrific (she really held her own against her four male co-stars in “Anchorman”), I’m really psyched about Day co-starring in the film.  He’ll play Long’s best friend while Applegate will play Barrymore’s sister.  No word yet if Day’s character will be addicted to huffing spray paint and doing impressions of Serpico.

I’ll admit it.  My fiancée made me do it.  She squealed with joy as I presented the possible things I could review.  I absolutely had to get this because I am *that* into her.  (One should note, she’d read the book and she’s already watched this DVD twice.)

Me, on the other hand… I came to the property cold.  I found a series of interlocking vignettes, some better than others, in the vein of Love Actually.  This film shares many traits with that one - a powerful and recognizable cast being the most prevalent.  However, this film is often on the opposite side of the coin because the title says it all He’s Just Not That Into You.

More after the jump:

George Simmons (played by Adam Sandler), the main character in Judd Apatow’s “Funny People”, is a successful comedian…much like Adam Sandler.  I’m really looking forward to the film but I am curious as to how much Simmons’ career will mirror Sandler’s.  Will he start off doing low-brow, borderline-subversive comedies and then become more vanilla as he goes mainstream, throwing in an occasional dramatic role from time to time?

I do know there’s nothing quite like “Re-Do” in Sandler’s filmography, but there is for Simmons and FunnyOrDie has a clip from the fake film where Craig (Simmons (Sandler)) has been transformed from a hard-working business man into a baby.  With the help of his brother (played by Justin Long), he’s gonna get changed and show those Japanese execs who’s boss!

I know that “Funny People” is going to be on the dramatic side but I’m also excited to see how much may be parody of a Hollywood comedian’s career.

Check out the clip after the jump.  “Funny People” hits theatres on July 31st.

“Drag Me to Hell” is a film that only Sam Raimi could make.  After spending almost a decade devoted to “Spider-Man”, Raimi has finally come home to his singular brand of horror/comedy that manages scares and laughs through B-movie schlock and gross-out visuals that will both shock and tickle the audience like only his films can.

Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) isn’t a bad person.  She’s got a nice psychology professor boyfriend (Justin Long), an inoffensive demeanor, and she’s desperately trying to put her past as an overweight farm girl behind her as she fights for an assistant manager position at the bank where she works as a loan officer.  And then some damn evil gypsy woman (Lorna Raver) has to come along and mess it all up.  By denying the old crone a third extension on her mortgage payments (in order to prove to her boss that she can make the “tough decisions” like an assistant manager), she is cursed with the “Lamia” which will torment her for three days before (wait for it), dragging her to hell.

Opening this Friday is director Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me To Hell”. As I’ve said many times, it’s an awesome movie and one that you should absolutely go and see - especially if you’re a fan of old school Sam Raimi. While you might have been nervous that the “Spider-Man” movies made him forget how to scare an audience, “Drag Me To Hell” shows he’s still got it. I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this movie.

So to help promote the film, I recently got to interview Mr. Raimi and the interview is after the jump. During my time we discussed all the press you have to do when you release a movie, how he worked with the same crew from “Evil Dead II” on “Drag Me To Hell”, his directing process, and is he going to make another Ghost House picture. If you’re a fan, I promise you’ll like the interview.

Opening this Friday is director Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me To Hell”. As I’ve said a few times on the site, it’s an awesome movie and one that you should absolutely go and see - especially if you’re a fan of old school Sam Raimi. While you might have been nervous that the “Spider-Man” movies made him forget how to scare an audience, “Drag Me To Hell” shows he’s still got it. I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this movie.

So to help promote the film, I recently got to interview the cast and Mr. Raimi himself. My plan is to post an interview everyday and up next is Justin Long.

In the film, Justin plays’s Alison Lohman’s boyfriend. What’s great about his character is that he’s not the typical boyfriend with tons of issues. Instead, Justin plays someone really in love and he’s willing to do anything to help when things start to go wrong.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to report that director Sam Raimi has made a great horror movie and it’s called “Drag Me to Hell”. If you are a fan of his earlier movies like “Evil Dead” and “Evil Dead II”, you are going to LOVE this film. And even if you have never seen those movies, “Drag Me to Hell” is leaps and bounds better than any of the horror/thriller movies released this year and ig you like those kinds of films…I cannot recommend this film enough.

Anyway, to help promote it, we’ve just been given 5 clips and they’re after the jump. The only thing to know is, the first clip is almost 2 minutes and it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie. If you’re planning on seeing the film, don’t watch it. Trust me, it’s much better to save and watch it with an audience. “Drag Me to Hell” opens May 29^th.