Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline have been in Atlanta filming “Last Vegas,” which was was finishing up this week.

Before they split town we received this lovely trinket promoting the movie, due for a December 2013 release. While we’re tempted to hang the four A-listers on our tree, the holiday spirit moves us to offer it to you, cherished reader.

Want it? Simply leave a comment below if you’d like this priceless movie memorabilia. We’ll draw a winner at random and drop it in the mail to you (can’t promise it’ll be there by Christmas though).

The movie, about four lifelong buddies who reunite in Vegas for a wedding, did shoot a few scenes in Las Vegas, then moved to tax-friendly Atlanta.

The movie filmed an exterior scene in the Edgewood area before moving to Mailing Avenue StageWorks in Grant Park for interior work.

The quartet of stars was great for Atlanta’s restaurant community. Douglas and Freeman were spotted at Davio’s a number of times …

Continue reading Giveaway! Win some early “Last Vegas” movie gear »

AP photo

Ludacris, Michael Douglas and Chipper Jones have been spotted here and there in Atlanta over the past few days.

Luda and a group of 20 friends had dinner at Davio’s on Friday night. The Phipps Plaza restaurant, popular with sports and entertainment personalities, just announced its special Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve menus, by the way. Details here.

Douglas, who’s been in Atlanta filming “Last Vegas” with Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, dined at Canoe on Sunday. The movie, about four lifelong buddies who reunite in Vegas for a wedding, wraps this week. Douglas had been spotted earlier dining at Davio’s. (We’re told he was reading the newspaper during his meal: USA Today. Hmmpff.) And Freeman popped in for dinner there on Sunday night. He’s become something of a regular!

Meanwhile Jones, who has transitioned into the role of spectator during sporting events, cheered on the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

Continue reading Star sightings: Ludacris, Michael Douglas, Chipper Jones »

This photo of Morgan Freeman posing next to the Clermont Lounge's "no cameras" sign = real. His statement on the Connecticut tragedy = false.

Morgan Freeman, who has been in Atlanta filming “Last Vegas,” has gone viral with a statement regarding the Connecticut shootings.

The statement, criticizing media coverage of mass shootings, closes with, “You can help by turning off the news.”

It’s been shared more than 1 million times on Facebook and had ranked up more than 600,000 “likes” as of this morning.

Just one problem: Freeman says the statement did not originate with him.

A spokesman for Freeman told On The Red Carpet that the actor did not pen this statement and added that he has not released any statement about the matter.

MSN details how the hoax originated.

It’s of course not the first time a prominent person has been incorrectly linked to commentary. Bill Cosby’s supposed “I’m 76 and I’m tired” essay made the rounds during the political season but was also fiction. …

Continue reading Morgan Freeman statement on Connecticut shootings a hoax »

Atlanta actress Catherine Dyer played the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in "Ten."

We met a woman who had been Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wife this week. She’s blonde, beautiful and lives right here in Atlanta. Although their union didn’t last, she had nothing but kind things to say.

“He was a doll,” said actress Catherine Dyer, who portrayed the wife of Schwarzenegger’s character in “Ten,” a gritty cop drama that filmed here this fall.

“He was lovely. He was chatty. He was very sweet,” Dyer said of her on-screen spouse. “There’s an endearing quality about him that I wasn’t expecting.”

Her film credits include roles in the made-in-Atlanta movies “The Blind Side,” starring Sandra Bullock, and “The Joneses,” starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny, but she had not met or worked with Schwarzenegger before “Ten.”

“I was in the makeup trailer getting my hair done and I heard the voice,” she said of the former California …

Continue reading Meet Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Atlanta “wife” »

Usher and Ellen DeGeneres are going to show us their moves during DeGeneres’ show Thursday afternoon. “The Ellen DeGeneres” show airs at 4 p.m. weekdays on WXIA.

Here’s a sneak preview!

Continue reading Video: Usher teaches Ellen to dance! »

T.I. teams up with the Atlanta Hawks again this month, performing during halftime during the Dec. 22 game against the Chicago Bulls. Tickets are available here.

The hip hop recording artist/actor/reality show star will give away free digital downloads of his new album, ”Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head,” to the first 7,000 fans to arrive at the game. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Last month T.I. joined SportSouth commentator Bob Rathbun and former Atlanta Hawk Duane Ferrell as contributing sports analyst during the game against the Miami Heat.

Continue reading T.I. teams up with the Atlanta Hawks again »

UPDATE: We have selected a winner by random drawing and the winner has been notified. Thanks all for entering! We’ll do another giveaway soon. Happy holidays everyone!

Mary Kay Andrews’ short story “Fatal Fruitcake” has been re-released this holiday season to raise money for relief efforts following Superstorm Sandy.

Andrews originally penned the piece in 1997, writing as Kathy Hogan Trocheck, and decided to bring it out again after many of her publishing friends were affected by the storm.

We have a copy of the signed, limited edition item, complete with a jazzy cover and a dee-licious fruitcake recipe in the back.

Want it? Simply leave a comment below. We’ll draw one lucky winner at random. Good luck!

(By the way Mary Kay also is giving away a signed copy of “Blue Christmas” via her Facebook page. Click here for details.)

Continue reading Giveaway! Win a copy of Mary Kay Andrews’ “Fatal Fruitcake” »

Madison Lintz and her mom, Kelly Lintz

Madison Lintz’ stint on the AMC series “The Walking Dead” ended with a shuffle and a bang.

Her character, the newly zombified Sophia, lurches toward her former loved ones and gets shot in the head as those who cared for the pre-zombified Sophia sob in misery.

“The makeup was gross,” she told us during an interview this week. “The fake blood and the prosthetics were kind of disgusting.”

As soon as the hair and makeup folks glammed her back up, though, she headed for an audition for the Bette Midler-Billy Crystal comedy “Parental Guidance” and got the part.

“I just had to get out of the mindset of zombie apocalypse and into middle school,” she said.

Quipped her mom, Kelly Lintz: “Actually, they’re very similar.”

The two met the press and local bloggers this week at Dunwoody Bakery & Ice Cream Shoppe to talk up “Parental Guidance,” which hits theaters on Christmas Day. Madison’s character, Ashley, is BFFs …

Continue reading Interview: Madison Lintz of “Walking Dead” fame now in “Parental Guidance” »

"The Watch" made it to many "worst of 2012" lists.

Atlanta’s reputation as a great place to make movies continues to flourish, but not all the movies made here are great. A number of made-in-Atlanta films have been named to various media outlets’ “Worst Movies of 2012″ lists.

Yes, lots of great filming projects happen here. “Flight” with Denzel Washington has been quite critically acclaimed, and “The Walking Dead,” which films here is extraordinarily popular and well done. And, this isn’t an indictment of Atlanta. Many of the projects here just happened to film here; they weren’t necessarily set here.

So, a look at those who made the lists:

Time Magazine named “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” and “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” to its worst list. We disagree, by the way. “Timothy,” a supernatural movie about a boy who sprouts from the garden starring Jennifer Garner, was sort of weird but sweet. ”Expecting,” an ensemble comedy about expectant parents from assorted …

Continue reading Made-in-Atlanta flicks make “worst movies of 2012″ lists »

Can’t wait for the next season of “Downton Abbey” to begin? Don’t.

Georgia Public Broadcasting plans a special advance preview event from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at their studios, located at 260 14th Street in Midtown.

Period dress is encouraged! So do come in your finest frockery.

Tickets to just the screening are free, although seating is not guaranteed. Tickets to a super exclusive VIP reception, complete with a champagne toast and a post-premiere party featuring a jazz combo, sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, high-end silent auction, signature drinks, photos with costumed characters and Downton Abbey cut-outs and an appearance by “The Queen” herself, along with guaranteed seating are $75. Investigate your options here.

Continue reading GPB plans exclusive “Downton Abbey” sneak preview »