A bit late with this, but… Keanu was training for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, which will be in April 18th. Added pictures to our gallery.

Icon Film Distribution Announce June 26th Release Date for The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwire - March 19, 2009) - From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee (ROBIN WRIGHT PENN) leads a charmed existence. An anchor of feminine serenity, she is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher (ALAN ARKIN) thirty years her senior, the proud mother of two grown children, and a trusted friend and confidant to all who cross her path. But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test. Read more →

I know, I know. I need to see Robert Wise’s original 1951 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still, but for whatever reason, I haven’t done it. I even owned it for a period of time, but I just never got around to watching it. It happens. On the other hand, if I had seen it, it would conflict with my rule of thumb that seeing the remake first is better, because then you get to experience both on (mostly) their own terms. Thus, without personal attachment to the original looming, I can say that this big-budget remake is a briefly thoughtful, mostly-quiet and artificially action-packed experience that feels like a car wreck between two movies: a fairly entertaining character piece and the sci-fi action extravaganza that 20th Century Fox obviously expected to get.

The movie’s first act shows the most potential. Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) is swept away from her home by a police escort, manned by flustered agents who inform her that even they don’t know why she’s being picked up. She’s rushed into a room with a crowd of other scientists and engineers and told that not only is something from outer space going to impact Earth in the middle of Manhattan, but it’s going to happen in less than 80 minutes. I always question the way government officials act in movies, but there’s a palpable sense of tension and paranoia, and even a few good character touches (Jon Hamm fans should also know that his brief performance is front-loaded). A better movie would have played out closer to real time; the concept that Earth might be destroyed with such little forewarning is a really great idea (although there’s a shade too much 9/11 imagery here). Sadly, it barely makes up the first twenty minutes. At the end of it, a giant swirling orb touches down in the middle of Central Park, and an alien creature steps out, only to be shot by an overzealous soldier. Not the best first impression. [ Read More ]

An Academy-Award winning actor, a game show host, a male model and a Disney star are just a few of the stars who will get behind the wheel compete in this year’s Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.

Adrien Brody, Alex Trebek, Tyson Beckford and Raven-Symoné will drive Scion tCs in a 10-lap race for charity, as part of the 35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, on April 18. Other participants include Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Luke Wilson, Keanu Reeves, Tim Daly, Eric Close, 24’s Mary Lynn Rajskub, comedian Carlos Mencia and E!’s Ken Baker.

People will sponsor the 12th annual “People Pole Award,” which honors the pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session. A $15,000 donation will be made to the winner’s charity of choice.

Finally I was able to make some gallery updates and added 100+ HQ pictures of “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Berlinale promotion.

Gallery Links
• Berlinale “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Photocall - February 09
• Berlinale “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Press Conference - February 09
• Berlinale “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Premiere - February 09