Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton at the world premiere of "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" in Los Angeles. AP photo

This may seem rude, given the huge economic impact of Georgia’s burgeoning film industry, but so many of the projects shot here are just sort of … eh. “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” which hits theaters Wednesday, is more like, ah!

Unlike so much of Hollywood’s locally produced fare since the 2008 tax incentives that began luring productions, it is not a sequel, like “Fast Five,” the fifth in the “Fast and Furious” series; or a remake, like “Footloose” and “The Three Stooges.” It doesn’t lean hard on bathroom humor, like “The Change Up” or “Hall Pass” and unlike “The Watch,” it does not pair a talented cast with scene after ridiculous scene involving various bodily fluids.

No.

This Disney movie, filmed largely in the Decatur and Newnan areas, is refreshingly charming, and its appeal happily owes nothing to explosions, raunchy sex scenes, dance numbers, pratfalls …

Continue reading “Odd Life of Timothy Green” a rare charmer »

Do not ask Spike Lee about Tyler Perry.

“No more Tyler Perry questions, please,” Lee said during a Thursday visit with KISS 104.1 host Art Terrell, after listeners called in asking about past dust-ups between the two filmmakers.

In the past, Lee has criticized Perry’s work, and Perry has responded suggesting that Lee travel south — way south — in search of warmer temperatures, if you get our meaning.

But enough of that.

“Peace and love, leave it at that,” Lee said Thursday. He was in town promoting his latest movie, “Red Hook Summer,” which opens in Atlanta on Aug. 24.

Click here for a link to a video of Lee’s visit.

The film, which opened Friday in New York, concerns young Flik Royale (Jules Brown), who leaves his middle-class Atlanta home for a summer with his grandfather Bishop Enoch Rouse (Clarke Peters) in Brooklyn’s Red Hook housing projects. Flik holds up his iPad 2 as a sort of shield against the world; the Bishop does the same thing with the Bible. (The two wireless …

Continue reading Spike Lee: “No more Tyler Perry questions” »

Standing 5 feet 7 and wearing a size 16, Venessa De La Rosa says she more closely represents the average woman than the stick figures tottering down so many couture runways.

“The media tries to portray women in a certain way,” she said. “To me, the average woman is a 14 or 16 and above.”

Her dimensions haven’t held her back. In addition to modeling, she has landed parts in movies including “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and television shows including “Teen Wolf.” She was recently named winner of the 2012 “Face of Full Figured Fashion Week” cover model search.

“We’ve progressed a long way,” said De La Rosa. “There’s so many more barriers to break down.”

The mom of three will appear at 2 p.m. today at the grand opening of Ashley Stewart at Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville and hopes the visit will offer a message of empowerment.

“I really want to be an advocate,” she said. “I have a daughter who is 16. She knows girls in her high school who are taking diet pills, not …

Continue reading Full-figured model/actress takes the runway this weekend »

He'll be back: Arnold Schwarzenegger, shown here in 2010 with the Woodruff Foundation's Russ Hardin, left, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, will shoot a movie in Atlanta later this year. Photo by Denis Reggie

Arnold Schwarzenegger will film a movie called “Breacher” in Atlanta later this year. The Hollywood Reporter describes the project as a thriller about “10 DEA agents who pull off a heist during an enforcement operation, then start dying one by one” and notes that Terrence Howard and Dawn Olivieri have been in talks about signing on.

The former California governor turned tabloid sensation following his very messy divorce will be shooting here from October to mid-December, according to the Georgia Film, Music, and Digital Entertainment Office. He’s spent time in Atlanta in the past, speaking at Emory University’s 2010 commencement, for example. During that trip he visited with some of Atlanta’s business and political leaders including Atlanta Mayor Kasim …

Continue reading Arnold Schwarzenegger movie to film in Atlanta »

AP photo

Could Olympic golden girl Gabby Douglas come to Atlanta for college?

We’re working on finding out more after TMZ posted a short item saying Spelman College made sure Douglas received a bag of congratulatory gear from the school following her triumphs in London.

A number of celebrities, including some with Atlanta connections, are among the throngs offering their well wishes via Twitter.

“Dreams do come true, Gabby!!! Congrats ‘All Around’” tweeted actress Raven-Symone while actress Gabrielle Union, who will be spending time here working on a new BET show “Being Mary Jane” tweeted, “GOLDEN GIRL!!! I’m in awe.”

“Vampire Diaries” actress Nina Dobrev upped the ante, tweeting, “I hear you’ll be coming to Atlanta soon I promise to personally show you around the set if you show me your gold metal!”

Added her “Vampire Diaries” co-shar Ian Somerhalder: “We’d like to congratulate you and the U.S. Women’s team on your gold medal! Go Team USA! Love, Ian.”

She’s also gotten …

Continue reading Gabby Douglas coming to Spelman? »

On what would have been Whitney Houston’s 49th  birthday, TriStar Pictures is honoring her memory by encouraging folks to check out the trailer for her final film. “Sparkle” comes out Aug. 17. (By the way here’s a link to the story about BeBe Winans’ book about her).

The trailer, which has actually been out for a while, includes a few moments that seem eerily prophetic.

“Was my life not enough a cautionary tale for you?” Houston’s character asks at one point. She stars as the mom of three daughters who start a Motown girls’ group.

Houston’s character is a former singer wary of the perils of showbiz. She sings “His Eye is On the Sparrow,” which is sure to be a moving moment on the big screen and seems destined for an iTunes release as a single.

Here is the trailer:

Continue reading On Whitney Houston’s birthday, a look at her last movie »

Here’s the trailer for “Trouble With the Curve,” starring Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams.

It’s about an aging baseball scout who mends fences with his estranged daughter while out on a final scouting trip. You’ll be able to spot a number of locations, including Turner Field and smaller ball fields in Dahlonega and Dunwoody in this trailer.

This movie, due to be released in September, looks like it’ll be great. Check it out:

Continue reading Trailer for “Trouble With the Curve” »

TMZ

Is there a Gold Medal for celebrity mug shots? If so country singer Randy Travis wins, forever and ever, Amen. He stuck the landing with this gem, posted on TMZ.

It seems Travis and members of the Grayson County (Tex.) Sheriff’s Office got acquainted following a 911 call.

“They noticed Travis’ 1998 Pontiac Trans Am had driven off the road and slammed into several barricades in a construction zone,” TMZ reported.

It actually goes downhill from there. (Hint: the cops had to lend Travis this T-shirt for this memorable photo shoot). Read more here.

This seems like the right time to highlight Travis’ superb cover of “Mama Tried.” It appeared on the also superb “Tribute to Tradition” CD where various artists recorded versions of country classics.

Check it out:

Continue reading Randy Travis’ memorable mug shot »

“The Internship,” starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, has been filming at Georgia Tech, where part of the campus has been rendered to look like a Google office.

The scenes filming there need lots of extras.

“Calling all nerds ages 25-40,” the casting notice reads. “We want all ethnicities, male and female.”

Email Internsatl@gmail.com for information on how you and your dorky self can get involved.

By the way Will Ferrell just signed on for a cameo role.

In other casting news, “Necessary Roughness” needs young women ages 18 and older with ballet experience. Email CLCAvailCheck@gmail.com.

Continue reading Casting call: “Nerds” needed for “Internship” »

"Cupcake Wars" contender Patty Katopes with some of her creations.

Could Cobb County confections claim a consecutive “Cupcake Wars” clinch?

You may recall that Mamie Doyle of Miss Mamie’s on the Marietta Square took top honors on the Food Network reality show this spring. On Sunday night, a crowd of friends packed the west Cobb home of Patty Katopes of Patty Cakes Cupcakes to find out if there was another winner in their midst.

“I’m so proud of her,” said Katopes’ daughter Katherine, 15, as friends milled around sampling some of the 700 cupcakes her mom prepared for the party.

Patty Katopes' friends Leslie Magarian, left, and Wanda Clancy, seated, came to cheer her on during the "Cupcake Wars" episode that aired Sunday.

“She deserves this,” said Amanda Smith-Vogel, a friend Katopes met when both were competing in the Miss Georgia pageant. (Amanda was Miss Georgia 1985; Patty was Miss Atlanta 1989).

Katopes’ sister, Emily Theriot, served as her assistant during the “Cupcake …

Continue reading Another Cobb County “Cupcake Wars” win? »