Mary Elizabeth Winstead looks especially fearful in the new red band trailer for The Thing. Universal Pictures has released the new clip that is sure to strike fear in viewers. If the film The Thing in 2011 is half as scary as the John Carpenter 1982 flick, prepare to be terrified.

The Thing, circa 2011, is meant to be a prequel of sorts to the Carpenter classic film.

The action begins when a paleontologist (Winstead) makes her way to the frozen tundra to join forces with a Norwegian team of scientists who claim to have made a discovery that will make history. It quickly becomes clear that their great find may be what kills them all.

What they discover is an alien life form that takes over the human body which serves as its host. That was the most terrifying aspect of Carpenter’s film. Any one of the souls on that frozen wasteland could be the sealer of your fate.

The Thing Red Band Trailer

The funniest movie of the year, and in some minds the decade, arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD September 20: Bridesmaids!

Movie Fanatic proudly brings you a behind the scenes video from the Bridesmaids Blu-Ray that gets comments from the cast and shows in under three minutes how Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo have crafted a comedic masterpiece.

The Bridesmaids DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack feature the unrated version, which is a must-see if you found the original version directed by Paul Feig to die for. The home video also comes with more than three hours of additional material including the video below.

Soon after its release, Bridesmaids overtook Sex and the City as the highest grossing R-rated female comedy in history. Bridesmaids features an all-star cast of film funny women beyond Wiig, including Maya Rudolph (SNL, Up All Night), Rose Byrne (Get Him to the Greek), recent Emmy winner Melissa McCarthy (Mike and Molly), Ellie Kemper (The Office) and Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911).

Like any great comedy, Bridesmaids is one you can watch again and again. One should not be too surprised the film is executive produced by Judd Apatow.

Toss in the gag reels, alternative scenes, deleted scenes, bonus featurettes and commentary from Feig and Wiig and overall, Bridesmaids is a don’t miss and a must-have for any home video collection.

Bridesmaids Blu-Ray Behind the Scenes

J. Edgar, one of the most anticipated movies of the fall, has finally given us a look at more than just stills as the film’s trailer has premiered.

J. Edgar is from director Clint Eastwood and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the notorious leader of the FBI. J. Edgar Hoover ruled the agency with an iron fist for more years than any other FBI head in history. His tenure was marked with controversy, both in the office and in the personal life of the man that many feared, but few knew.

Eastwood and DiCaprio are looking to change that fact as the filmmaking team lifts the veil to the man that kept secret files on some of the world’s most famous people including John Lennon. DiCaprio is a perfect choice to play Hoover and with Eastwood directing, Oscar buzz has already started, even with only two minutes of a trailer giving audiences any clue as to what we can expect from J. Edgar.

J. Edgar Trailer

Let the awards for The Help start to pile up: The 15th annual Hollywood Film Awards has announced that the film will receive its Ensemble Award. The first award show of the season has got the film’s award buzz getting fierce.

Word is out of the event that the entire cast of The Help including Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Ahna O’Reilly, Chris Lowell and Mary Steenburgen will all be in attendance. Nothing feeds the Oscar buzz fire like a cast reunited to accept an award!

The first of the award season fetes will take place October 24 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Other recipients of the Hollywood Film Awards that have been announced include J. Edgar’s James Murakami (Production Designer), Visual Effects winner Scott Farrar for Transformers: Dark of the Moon and the delightful Rango for the Hollywood Animation Award.

Since being screened at the Toronto Film Festival, Goon has been getting a lot of buzz. The story of a bouncer (Seann William Scott) with professional hockey dreams has fans of the sport eager with excitement over finally having a movie about their sport hitting the big screen.

Goon looks more like Slapshot than Miracle, or Mighty Ducks for that matter, and thank goodness. Movie Fanatic could not be more excited. It's been too long since a good hockey movie hit the big screen.

Scott’s character is a bouncer who has a penchant for extolling beatings. That catches the eye of a local minor league hockey team scout and before you know it, he’s crashing the boards fulfilling his dream.

Liev Schreiber co-stars in Goon along with Jay Baruchel.

Goon Red Band Trailer

With Abduction, Taylor Lautner learned immensely. Not only does Lautner star in the film about a teenager who discovers his entire life is a lie, he serves as the film’s producer. When I spoke with Lautner for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Lautner was all about Abduction. “I’m even more excited now,” Lautner told Movie Fanatic at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills this past week.

In Abduction, Lautner’s Nathan discovers his face on a missing person’s website, sending his entire life into a whirlwind of harrowing escapes, CIA intrigue and full throttle action that found the star doing some of his own stunts -- to his utter delight.

Lautner sits down with Movie Fanatic for an Abduction chat that finds the star a picture of exhilaration for his first headlining role minus that Robert Pattinson fellow and Kristen Stewart starlet.

Movie Fanatic: At the Eclipse junket, you were about to start shooting Abduction and you were beyond filled with anticipation. How are you feeling now?

Taylor Lautner: I was excited then. But while filming I was getting more excited about it and then seeing the final product. And now I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for people to see this movie and it’s finally here. So, I’ve never been more excited than I am now. I just can’t wait for people to see it.

Movie Fanatic: Going from Twilight to Abduction it’s sort of like graduation. Do you feel like you’ve grown?

Taylor Lautner: Quite a bit. This movie was very different than anything I’d done before. It was challenging. I knew it would challenge me and that’s why I was attracted to do it. But it was a lot of fun. Breaking Dawn right after that was even more challenging. My character goes through so much in the first installment of the last two movies. So I’m definitely growing and I couldn’t have done it alone.

Movie Fanatic: John Singleton, the director, said that you actually picked him. What did you see in him that you wanted him to helm Abduction?

Taylor Lautner: I wouldn’t say that I picked him. It was a team effort. I attached myself to the project when it was just a script. The biggest thing that we all saw in John was his passion. That’s all we wanted in this movie. I was so passionate about this movie from the very first time I heard the idea that we just wanted people that loved it as much as we did. We all saw that passion in John and I think that’s when we knew he was the right guy for this.

Movie Fanatic: How fun were the stunts you did with the cars?

Taylor Lautner: Oh, they were a lot of fun [laughs]. I definitely made a few people nervous on set but it was worth it.

Movie Fanatic: Were you nervous at all?

Taylor Lautner: No, I wasn’t. There were really no stunts that scared me and that’s probably a scary thought [laughs]. The ones I was most excited about were at the beginning of the movie when I’m riding on the hood of the truck. That was one where they said, “You are absolutely not doing that. There’s no way you’re getting on the hood of that truck.” Somehow I was able to convince them I could do it. They were like, “Okay, fine you can do it but we’re only allowing you to go up to 20 miles per hour.” I’m like, “Are you kidding me? I need to feel the adrenaline.” So, we actually ended up going 50, or 55. It still wasn’t like the 80 on the speedometer but it was fast.

Movie Fanatic: What was it like working with Lily Collins, shifting gears between the love scenes versus the action?

Taylor Lautner: That’s what I love about this movie is it really has everything in it. It has the action, the romance, the thriller and the drama. But Lily was great. She’s so talented. And everyone knew she was the right person for this role. Her role is so important. She’s with Nathan the entire time. She’s on this journey with him and she did such an incredible job. I can’t wait for people to see her in it.

Movie Fanatic: What kind of training did you have from the director, the esteemed John Singleton?

Taylor Lautner: A lot. There was physical training and then there was emotional training. Physically, I started boxing training about three months before we went to film. I did that same thing for wrestling and motorcycle riding. It was important for me. I wanted to show up to set actually looking like I knew what I was doing. Then emotionally, it was helpful to be involved from the project from the ground up, during the script writing and during the creation of this character. So then when you show up to set you already feel like you know the character because you’ve been creating him for the past three, four, five months. So that was really helpful. Emotionally, the biggest thing for me while I was filming was to be able to take a step back and ask myself the simple question: “If I was in this character’s shoes and I found out that my entire life was a lie, what would I do? Where would I go? Where would I start looking for answers? Who would I trust?” The truth is, I could never answer that question. I have no idea. And that’s exactly what this character deals with. He’s on the run just trying to stay alive and also trying to take this all in and think about who he can trust. This movie is really all about trust. I don’t blame Nathan for not really trusting anyone because when you’ve been lied to by your parents, or the people you think are your parents, your entire life, I wouldn’t trust anybody. It’s interesting to see him go through that journey.

Movie Fanatic: Compared to the Twilight films where you have three main characters, was it difficult to be the main character and in practically every scene?

Taylor Lautner: It was different. It was a lot of work definitely. But I enjoyed it. I couldn’t have done it alone. I was surrounded by a ridiculously amazing cast. I definitely couldn’t have done it by myself but it was a lot of work for sure.

Movie Fanatic: What’s your favorite scene?

Taylor Lautner: I have such a hard time choosing this -- I’m not going to be able to give you just one. I love the scene with me and Maria Bello in my bedroom where she comes in and tells me she’s not my real mother. It was very emotional and it was so great to be able to do a scene like that opposite of Maria. I love the boxing scene. I’m a huge fan of Jason (Isaacs). I think he’s amazing, he’s hilarious. I think that scene is just brilliant. Sorry, but I love the romantic scene in the train, I do. Those are my three.

Movie Fanatic: Did you get hurt at all during the boxing scene?

Taylor Lautner: No. We probably got wacked in the face a couple times with a glove but nothing too serious.

Movie Fanatic: What was it like to work with legends like Maria Bello, Sigourney Weaver and Alfred Molina? What did you take away?

Taylor Lautner: I just remember during the development process, “We got Sigourney! We got Alfred!” It just kept getting better and better and I was freaking out. The biggest thing for me was to be able to be on set with them, acting opposite them, just being able to watch and observe them. That was fine for me. It was less of being able to observe that Sigourney Weaver can act because I knew that. The most important thing for me was seeing how they were as people on set. Not only is everyone in this movie extremely talented but they’re amazing people. You just watch them walking around on set and Sigourney is one of the most caring, affectionate people you’ll every meet. Jason is hilarious. Everybody is super hard-working. To see that kind of hard work still in these people’s careers after 20 to 30 years, it’s absolutely amazing.

Movie Fanatic: What’s next for you as an actor?

Taylor Lautner: My goal is to continue to challenge myself as much as possible as an actor, do a wide variety of roles and genres. There’s a few things that are new that I’m very excited about that are a little too early to tell. But I should be making my mind up soon about what is next and I can guarantee it will be different and it will be challenging for me.

It’s an interesting week on the DVD and Blu-Ray release calendar with new release Tuesday being dominated by the number one comedy of the year -- Bridesmaids. But, that fact is overshadowed by two films that were released on the rare Friday release -- the Star Wars Blu-Ray and X-Men: First Class.

Bridesmaids: Judd Apatow may have produced Bridesmaids, but this film is all the Kristen Wiig show. Wiig co-wrote the film with partner Annie Mumolo, culled from their own experiences of being Bridesmaids and the results are astoundingly hilarious. Movie Fanatic reviewed the release here.

Dumbo Blu-Ray: When Disney goes back to its classics and gives it the Blu-Ray update, the results are always astounding and Dumbo is no different. The 1941 film looks sharper than it ever has and as usual, Disney has filled the Blu-Ray with stunning extras sure to compel children and adults alike. For the Blu-Ray release, Disney went to the Library of Congress where the original nitrate camera negative was stored and brought it crisply to life for 2011 HD viewing -- worth every cent.

The Others Blu-Ray: One of the most underrated horror flicks in the last two decades gets the Blu-Ray treatment. If you haven’t seen this Nicole Kidman masterpiece, do yourself a favor and run, don’t walk, and pick this one up. The story is of a mother of two who lives in what she believes is a haunted house. The truth will astound you and knock you off your seat.

September 16 Releases:

X-Men First Class: X-Men goes back to the beginning in a great origins story starring Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. The two give incredible performances that amazingly can make us almost forget Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in the original. Seriously.

Star Wars Blu-Ray: Now, where to begin with this one? George Lucas got fans excited when he announced he was releasing the entire six-film series on Blu-Ray. Then word got out that Lucas had further tinkered with his classics (and by classics we mean Episodes Four through Six). Cue backlash. In the end, the tinkering really isn’t all that bad when you consider the scope of witnessing the Star Wars saga with crystal clear Blu-Ray visuals and the always incredible sound quality.

Paramount has released the official poster for the third installment in the Paranormal Activity series. Paranormal Activity 3 lands in theaters in time for Halloween, October 21.

When the original Paranormal Activity arrived on screens, it became a cultural phenomenon. The sequel continued the first film’s storyline while the third film in the trilogy takes audiences back to the beginning.

We find out how the Paranormal Activity started and presumably, why these two sisters were singled out for possession and a lifetime of utter hell.

Jonah Hill is certainly not the character you want taking care of your kids on any given day. But, when push comes to shove, sometimes you need a babysitter and in the film The Sitter, that is exactly what happens.

Hill stars in the new red band trailer from 20th Century Fox and if first impressions are anything: Prepare for one funny film.

The actor has been getting raves for his dramatic work of late, including the upcoming Moneyball and last year’s Cyrus. It’s nice to see Hill return to his comic roots as The Sitter.

The Sitter is from Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green and as such, expect a few party jokes along the way. Judging by this new trailer, consider it a certainty.

The Sitter opens December 9 and should provide a nice comic diversion to the rest of the family friendly fare hitting theaters that time of year.

The Sitter Red Band Trailer

To say that young actor Nathan Gamble enjoyed his time in the pool with Winter -- the dolphin at the heart of the story Dolphin Tale -- would be an understatement. When I was on the Clearwater, Florida set of Dolphin Tale, I caught up with the young and talented actor to talk about the magic of movie-making and how that fact was never more magical for Gamble than on Dolphin Tale.

Dolphin Tale lands in theaters September 23 and follows the story of Winter, who lost his tail to a fishing contraption. Without their tails, dolphins will die. Winter was moved to an aquarium-hospital in Clearwater where a group of passionate individuals got together to save her life by building a prosthetic tail that the real life Winter wears to this day.

Gamble stars with Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman and found all three astounding to work with and learn from.

Movie Fanatic: So how has it been working with Winter, the star and subject of this true story?

Nathan Gamble: I think all this movie stuff has gone right to her head [laughs].

Movie Fanatic: Has this been the greatest experience of your life?

Nathan Gamble: You know it. When ever in your life do you get to swim with a dolphin? It’s pretty rare. It’s truly one of the best projects I’ve ever been a part of.

Movie Fanatic: Were you nervous on the first day? You’re kind of the anchor of the film!

Nathan Gamble: A little bit [laughs]. I wanted to be cool because dolphins can read people’s auras and I didn’t want to come across too nervous. I was a little nervous, not just with the director, but for the dolphin.

Movie Fanatic: Some kids can be afraid of the water. You weren’t or you couldn't have made this film, right?

Nathan Gamble: Actually, I’m afraid of Harry Connick, Jr.

Movie Fanatic: [Laughs]

Nathan Gamble: He’s a great guy. I think the one fear of this movie, because there’s so much coordination with the dolphin when we’re doing the ballet, that was the one fear with me was that I would do something wrong. I was worried that if I did something wrong, she would flip out.

Movie Fanatic: Tell us about this ballet -- where you dance underwater with Winter -- we’ve heard all about it. 

Nathan Gamble: It’s all underwater! It’s beautiful and great for 3D. There’s one where we hold on to each other’s hands, or fins as it may be, and swim to the surface. There’s a lot of cool stuff.

Movie Fanatic: Was that a real challenge?

Nathan Gamble: It takes a lot of practice, I’ll tell you that [laughs]. Usually though, we take what we get on film -- because, you never know with the dolphin.

Movie Fanatic: Are you holding your breath the whole time?

Nathan Gamble: Yes I am. I once passed out and laid on the bottom of the pool floor for about a minute. Everyone was looking down, “That doesn’t look right.” And they quickly dove in and picked me up. I’m just kidding! [Laughs] You are so gullible!

Movie Fanatic: [Laughs] What made you want to do Dolphin Tale?

Nathan Gamble: Being with a dolphin is unreal. I know I said it before, but being with a dolphin is a once in a lifetime experience. I knew this film was about a dolphin, but I never knew we were using the real Winter. That’s what made me really want to do it was to see and meet the real Winter while we film and see what she actually went through.

Movie Fanatic: What did you learn about her?

Nathan Gamble: I learned that sometimes she is temperamental. I’m not going to lie. But, she is really sweet and really is an amazing creature. That’s why Charles (Martin Smith, director) wanted to make this because it is truly an amazing story. It really shows not to give up. She never gave up when she lost her tail.

Movie Fanatic: What was the biggest challenge in today’s shoot that we’ve been witnessing?

Nathan Gamble: The scene today that you’re seeing is where we put on the first effort at the prosthetic tail. Of course, it goes haywire. The difficulty is that we need to do it with the real Winter and the animatronic Winter because we can’t put the bad tail on Winter. So, we have to use the animatronic. The biggest difficulty is going back and forth between the animatronic dolphin and Winter.

Movie Fanatic: As we saw you filming, Winter seemed to want to be in the shot when the animatronic dolphin was used.

Nathan Gamble: Told you this Hollywood movie thing is going to her head. She wants to be in every scene [laughs].

Movie Fanatic: How similar are you to your character?

Nathan Gamble: Actually not at all. Sawyer is very nervous, shy, and temperamental -- like Winter -- and he believes everything’s his fault. His dad is leaving. Winter might die, and he just feels it’s all his fault. That’s not me at all [laughs].

Movie Fanatic: What do you want kids to take away from Dolphin Tale?

Nathan Gamble: It’s a really fun story about a kid and a dolphin and all the stuff they go through. Everyone had to work hard to save her life.

After earning an Oscar nomination for directing 2005’s Capote, a film that got star and Moneyball supporting player Philip Seymour Hoffman an Academy Award, director Bennett Miller wanted to choose carefully what would be his next film. The fact that it is Moneyball should not only say something about the story, but also speak volumes about the power and gravity that the film Moneyball exudes.

Miller visited with Movie Fanatic at the Toronto Film Festival for an exclusive video interview. After the film premiered at the fest, the director was quite relaxed and eager to talk about his fine film.

Moneyball stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane. After taking the Oakland A’s to the playoffs in 2001 and losing to the New York Yankees, free agency pillaged his team. Undeterred, Beane sought to field a winning team with one of the smallest payrolls in baseball.

What he did was make Major League Baseball history in the process. In the hands of helmer Miller, Moneyball takes audiences expertly on that journey and now the Oscar nominated director tells us… why Moneyball?

Moneyball Director Exclusive Interview

Just days after word leaked that South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker were working on a big screen version of their Tony Award winning musical Book of Mormon, the two say it’s a no-go.

Stone and Parker did admit that they would one day love to bring Book of Mormon to the silver screen, but at this point a film version isn’t even in the planning stages.

The pair spoke to The Hollywood Reporter to set things straight. “We did a stage show and it worked out way better than we ever thought, and we’d like it to be that for a while, you know, without contaminating it with a movie,” Parker said.

So, how did the news spread like wildfire that Book of Mormon would get the movie treatment allowing the rest of the world who cannot get to Broadway a chance to see this masterpiece? Well, a reporter asked them if they could ever see a film version and Parker’s response set off the firestorm. “We said, ‘Yeah, I think we could do a Book of Mormon movie,’ and they were like, ‘Book of Mormon movie! It’s coming!’”

James Cameron and Walt Disney Parks have agreed to a deal that would put an Avatar theme park in Orlando. And Florida is not the only site planned, as Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, Fox and Disney hope to put Avatar theme parks in several other Disney theme park locales in the coming decade.

The premiere Avatar park will land at the Animal Kingdom Park in Orlando with construction set to commence in 2013. The fact that the highest grossing film of all time is coming to a theme park near you should not surprise. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an enormous success for the Universal Studios Park in Orlando and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 only recently cracked the all-time box office top 10.

As for the Avatar sequels everyone’s anxiously awaiting, Cameron has said that the first will arrive in late 2014 and the second a year later in 2015.

Disney President Robert A. Iger said in a statement that, essentially, building an Avatar park is a no-brainer.

“James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible. With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James’ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney,” Iger said.

Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures have released a trailer to their highly anticipated Blu-Ray release of Captain America: The First Avenger.

Chris Evans became an A-list actor with the summer release of Captain America and when the film lands on home video October 25, fans will be reminded of why that came to be. Evans’ take on Captain America was nothing less than riveting as the actor could not have been a more perfect choice to portray the superhero.

Captain America: The First Avenger is arriving in several formats. Paramount Home Video is releasing a three-disc set that includes not only the Blu-Ray in high definition 3D and high definition 2D, but also the DVD and digital copy. The two-disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo pack will also be released on October 25. Count on countless behind-the-scenes features and a look inside The Avengers!

The best part of the Blu-Ray trailer is a look at how they created Skinny Steve!

Captain America Blu-Ray Trailer

With Cameron Crowe and his music sense, we could think of no better creative mind to tackle the documentary Pearl Jam 20. The Seattle rock band is marking 20 years in the music business with a doc that chronicles their beginnings out of the tragedy that was Mother Love Bone through their triumphs over the next two decades.

Pearl Jam grew out of Mother Love Bone, a Seattle band on the cusp of superstardom when their lead singer, Andy Wood, overdosed and died. From those ashes, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard began playing together again a few months after Wood’s passing. When an acoustic tape of the group landed in the hands of San Diego singer Eddie Vedder, history was made.

Crowe turns his camera on the band as well as pulling visuals from over 1,200 hours of tape from the band’s history. His music sense, displayed in films such as Almost Famous and Singles (in which Pearl Jam cameoed) -- not to mention his background as a rock journalist -- provides Pearl Jam 20 the even-handedness musically and visually that it so needs and deserves.

Pearl Jam 20 is an astounding piece of work, whether documentary or feature. Simply, it is a riveting film. Pearl Jam is much more than its history and hits. Crowe lays out their impact on culture, not just popular culture, from a fan’s perspective that appreciates everything the band stands for and is musically and personally.

Crowe’s cameras interview all the band’s members, as well as good friend and Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell. Crowe also uses those hours of video footage from the band’s collective lives and as a package, it is top notch.

The film begins by introducing the Mother Love Bone element to Pearl Jam and how the group rose from the tragedy of Wood’s death to become one of the most relevant rock groups of our time. Wood wanted so badly to be a rock star and Crowe captures that impeccably. Vedder even says late in the film after the group’s success has been more than documented that Wood would have loved to play Madison Garden as Pearl Jam has and the glimmer in his eyes and his smile is as infectious as the entire film Pearl Jam 20.

Any documentary worth its weight has to have several elements: A firm grasp of the history of the subject, a voice that narrates it (and not necessarily a voice over narration, simply through the telling of the story) and an ability to place the doc’s subject in a bigger context of its impact on society as a whole. Cameron achieves this in droves. This isn’t simply a film of the band’s greatest hits and live shows that are legendary. There are highs, as well as lows. The doc follows Pearl Jam through their troubles with Ticketmaster -- that landed Gossard and Ament in front of Congress. There’s the death of several people at a concert in Denmark and its affect on the band. Then, there’s the well documented whirlwind of “overnight” success that almost destroyed them.

Above the fanfare of a fantastic film that Pearl Jam 20 is, there is the music. Pearl Jam’s music has always been at the core of their entity. Even Flow, Alive, Not for You, Daughter and Do the Evolution may be highlights in the film, but Cameron doesn’t shy away from songs that spurred controversy, such as one powerful scene at the Nassau Coliseum when the band rocked Bushleaguer in 2004. Major boos ensued and that piece of video shows the dangerous time that the country went through during that period and how Pearl Jam didn’t shy away from ridicule, regardless of the price.

It is that passion for doing what’s right and what’s right for them that has allowed Pearl Jam to persevere for two decades. After witnessing Crowe’s Pearl Jam 20, we are ready for 20 more.

The magic of Harry Potter is coming home as Warner Bros Home Entertainment announced that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will arrive on home video November 11. Why so long, you may ask? Considering the legions of extras on the Blu-Ray and DVD, that’s got to take a little bit of time to compile!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released theatrically both in 3D and in 2D and thus, the home video release will be as well. Some of the bonus features announced that grab our attention include the conversation with J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe that is sure to provide never-before-heard insight. We’re also excited about the feature When Harry Left Hogwarts that gives fans unparalleled access to the film’s creative team and how they sought to close out the most popular cinematic series of all time.

Also definitely worth noting is the documentary short that will be on the home video release, The Women of Harry Potter. Given Rowling’s penchant for creating strong female characters, this featurette could be the one, above all else, to watch.

Gerard Butler rose from humble beginnings in Scotland and truly landed on the public’s consciousness with starring turns in Phantom of the Opera, 300 and P.S. I Love You. He has since made quite a career for himself. Now, Butler is back on screen with his first true passion project, the true story of the Machine Gun Preacher. Machine Gun Preacher is the life of Sam Childers, a former drug addict who became a preacher, then went to Africa on a mission -- only to discover the horrors happening to children with the civil war in the Sudan. Childers was then compelled to drop everything and help.

Butler is visiting with Movie Fanatic in Toronto at the city’s film festival to chat about Machine Gun Preacher -- also starring Michael Shannon and Michelle Monaghan -- and how obsessions, when they’re positive ones such as Butler’s unrelenting effort to get the film made, can not only change the person who is obsessed, but also change the world in the process.

The actor talks with us about meeting the real Sam Childers and how for a man who knows great success, Butler felt his triumphs were pale in comparison to a man who had risked so much to save so many.

Movie Fanatic: When did you first meet Sam and what were your first impressions of him immediately?

Gerard Butler: My first meeting with Sam was at 9 p.m. on the 21st of September in Johnstown, Pennsylvania [laughs]. No, seriously, it was in Johnstown and a crew of us went up there including Marc (Forster, director). We arrived at his house and he was surrounded by his family, a couple of preacher friends of his. He was very much in his own domain and element. He was enjoying the space and the attention, and quite rightly so. His movie was about to be made. A Hollywood actor was kissing his ass coming up to see him [laughs] in his den. He had this cocky smile that kind of said, “What you got for me?” I sat down and he said, “Take this.” And he gives me a gun. I knew it was a bit of a test, so I just started playing with it. I brandished it, and everyone ducked! Sam yelled, “That’s a loaded gun!” So I’m like, “Why are you giving me a loaded gun?” There went the first test. Immediately I saw a man with incredible charisma. He’s very dangerous as well, a powerhouse of a man, with a great passion in his eye. That’s what I really wanted to grab on to. He’s a real colorful character with a great sense of humor.

Movie Fanatic: Is meeting real people when you’re crafting a character a double-edged sword? You’re playing a version of the character and playing him without hindsight that he now has -- do you have to temper what you learn from him?

Gerard Butler: It’s a good point. I spent quite a lot of time with Sam to get a feel for him. I’m not playing JFK. I don’t have to get every hair right on my head. It’s not like a lot of people know who Sam is; it’s more about the story than the man. It’s about the essence of the man. That’s what I wanted to do. As you say, for him, most of the story happened a long time ago. I’m thinking this is a guy who is used to telling his story. There’s a book about the story. He’s told the story many times. Then, you have to go back to where those stories came from, that’s my job. I need to bring it life. What created those stories to begin with -- where was the emotion? That’s where I’m coming from, the script. The script gets into his story. In that respect, you pay too much heed to somebody coming in in hindsight and saying, “Hey, maybe I wasn’t that bad.” [Laughs] “I didn’t shoot that many people.”

Movie Fanatic: There was some decent news coverage of Sam’s story, were you aware of it at all before tackling this project?

Gerard Butler: No. I had never heard of Sam Childers. I just had been told about this movie Machine Gun Preacher. Marc didn’t even want me to read the script until he knew we were closer to getting the movie made and I was definitely the right guy for this. He knew I was going to pounce on it once I came across this story, as we all did in the cast. You read this story and it is so captivating, and full of adventure, and yet it’s inspiring. You think, “I think they’re all fantastic characters to play.” I wanted to tell the story because I don’t think a lot of people have heard of him.

Movie Fanatic: How did you do the research for the film and was it even possible to process the horrors of the Sudan?

Gerard Butler: There’s a lot of source material when you’re playing a role like this. There’s hours of TV and radio interviews with Sam. Then, I broke down everything he did. Sam was a biker, so I watched a lot of biker documentaries [laughs]. I knew he was a preacher, so I watched hours of YouTube footage of preachers on religious fervor and preaching. More than anything, I watched footage and documentaries and photographic material from Sudan. That’s what helped me more than anything to climb into this character. Sam’s journey was really a journey into hell and him trying to help these kids and this dissension into madness. I wanted to know what he witnessed while having the constant pressures of family and finances of war, and death and abuse and hopelessness, really. There was a lot of great documentary footage, but it was especially the photographs of the Sudan that I would use on a daily basis. That could take me into a dark and emotional place. I spent a long time thinking about getting into those spaces in Sam’s heart in terms of what he felt after seeing what he saw in the Sudan.

Movie Fanatic: One could argue that Sam is obsessed. He was obsessed with drugs. He became obsessed with helping these kids in the Sudan. Do you have any obsessions that drive you?

Gerard Butler: I have many obsessions that many years of therapy haven’t gotten rid of [laughs]. I’m not going to go into too many details. But, one has three letters that begins with ‘S’ and ends with ‘X.’ I’m joking [laughs]! Seriously, I get obsessed with many things that have led me down some widening dark roads. Many that have brought me to the place that I’m at today because I really grab onto them with both hands. That’s me, I’m gone. This movie was one of them. I get obsessed with roles, especially when that role is impactful and has a message. When it’s something that gets you, like this did, then it’s easy to let it take over your life. Then, all the work that you do for it is truly a joy.

Puncture, although a true story, is really the Chris Evans show. Evans stars as Mike Weiss, a Houston lawyer with uncanny debate abilities that are only hampered by his drug addiction. He and his partner, Paul Danziger (played by co-director, co-writer and star Mark Kassen), are enlisted by an ER nurse who has been punctured by a patient’s needle and contracted HIV.

At its heart, Puncture is not about the ER nurse seeking retribution against the hospital. The film is a corporate greed story with the medical equipment business square in the filmmaker’s cross-hairs. Vicky (Vinessa Shaw) is passionate about fellow nurses not contracting diseases as she has and knows of an inventor who has created a needle that may only be used once and therefore, will never re-prick anyone. Its use has far-reaching impact as audiences learn that large amounts of the spread of HIV in Africa have to do with the re-using of needles.

Evans and Kassen form a great duo in the acting department. Where Evans plays his character as wild and brilliant, Kassen’s Danziger is a family man who has passion, but still has one eye firmly on the firm’s bottom line. He is willing to take this case, but only so far as the duo’s firm can afford it.

When the pair first get push-back from one of the largest law firms in Houston, Evans knows they have struck a chord. Yet, Kassen sees it as a sign that they are in a fight they cannot win.

This is where Puncture evolves into the Chris Evans show. The actor, fresh off his star-making role in Captain America: The First Avenger, shows how much range and power he possesses in a role that is equally reckless, riveting and ultimately, deeply tragic.

Puncture is powerful. It lays its story out methodically with an ever-building crescendo towards a finish that has the audience always asking, “How will this resolve?” The questions will, in fact, linger long after the credits roll.

Since it is a true story, audiences aren’t necessarily given a happy ending. And like a corporate greed movie, particularly one that rings true with facts, the audience should be compelled to action. That is what a movie like Puncture does best: Motivate passive moviegoers to not accept the status quo that the movie’s heroes have championed.

Yes, Evans in Puncture is a hero. But where in Captain America he is a hero that wields a shield covered in red, white and blue, in Puncture, he is still wielding the red, white and blue -- but in the form of the U.S. legal system. He has a clear vision of what’s right and what’s wrong and mirrors Captain America's will to help all who need it.

There is something inherently off about Puncture, but that is exactly as it should be. The film doesn’t leave you with that rosy feeling of justice being served. In fact, the film feels as if the fight is simply beginning. With more attorneys possessing the passion of Evans’ Weiss, we may just get there someday.

Back when Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture in 1999, filmmaker Steven Spielberg let it be known that he thought the tide had turned against his film Saving Private Ryan winning Best Picture because of relentless campaigning done by Miramax. Over a decade later, it appears the Academy is listening as Oscar has changed how films may campaign for the top awards in film.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new regulations September 21 that they hope will restrain the commercial campaigning of Oscar voters for votes.

Among the biggest new rules is a prohibition of paid-for by the studio receptions featuring the considered film’s stars and filmmakers. Of course, these events may still take place prior to the nominations being announced on January 24, 2012.

Prior to that January 24 date, screenings and panel sessions with stars and filmmakers will still be permitted, but after the nominations are announced, nominated stars and films may only participate in two events before the big night.

Reflective of the advent of social media, the Oscars have also included a no social media campaigning clause in the new rules for after the nominees have been announced.

Do you think this will change anything?

Jonah Hill truly comes into his own as a dramatic actor in Moneyball. The star is sitting with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive video interview at the Ritz in Toronto as part of the Toronto Film Festival. In Moneyball, Hill plays an assistant to Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane, General Manager of the Oakland A’s. The true story plays out onscreen courtesy of stellar performances by Pitt, Hill, Chris Pratt and the direction of Bennett Miller.

Hill rose through the Hollywood ranks known as a go-to comic actor who could nail the part, regardless of what was required of him. Bringing the funny in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Superbad, Knocked Up and Get Him to the Greek and began expanding his drama wings with a scene-stealing turn in Cyrus while adding voice work with smash hits How to Train Your Dragon and Megamind.

Through our exclusive Moneyball chat, Hill talks about his dramatic roles and he treasures the opportunities that he’s been given. He likens his career to the players on the field in Moneyball. Looked over by many, appreciated by somebody and in turn, triumph because of a crossroads of talent, faith and fortitude.

Jonah Hill Exclusive Moneyball Video Interview