MOVIES AND CELEBS

The latest local and national television, movie and celebrity news from New Orleans and beyond

Five things rattling around in the head of one movie buff:

'The Dark Knight' is among three films in contention for the People's Choice Award for best movie.

5. People's Choice Awards -- Why should industry insiders have all the fun? Balloting is open on audiences' faves of '08. Have your say ("Dark Knight," "Indiana Jones" or "Iron Man"?) at the link above

In the never-ending quest for cinematic gems hidden in the weekly TV listings, here's what I'll be watching (or at least recording) this week:

What: "The Transporter" (2002) and "Transporter 2" (2005), the Jason Statham action flicks.

When: Sunday, 6 and 8 p.m., respectively.

Opens Nov. 21.

Leader of the pack: Daniel Craig (shown with Olga Kurylenko) as James Bond in 'Quantum of Solace.'

No surprise here. The new James Bond flick, "Quantum of Solace," lorded over the box office this weekend. But then, it was really the only major release, with all of Hollywood's major studios recognizing the force of the sequel to 2006's franchise reboot "Casino Royale."

Even with often lukewarm reviews, "Quantum" still rang up north of $67million in business -- more than any other 007 film has made in its opening weekend.

AP Photo

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hundreds of shrieking fans -- mostly teenage girls -- lined the streets outside the Mann Village and Bruin Theatres for a chance to peek at the stars attending the Los Angeles premiere of "Twilight."

Some enthusiasts of the popular vampire literary series-turned-movie camped out overnight, while many arrived at dawn Monday to secure a place in line.

PHOTO COURTESY SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS Nicole Beharie, left, and Alfre Woodard co-star in the locally shot civil-rights drama American Violet, which has been picked up for theatrical distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

With a new title and the backing of a new distributor, the civil-rights drama "American Violet" --which filmed for five weeks in New Orleans last year under the name "American Inquisition" -- is going national, with a March release targeted by L.A.-based Samuel Goldwyn Films.

The film, which bowed at the Telluride (Col.) Film Festival over the Labor Day weekend, stars Alfre Woodard, Charles Dutton, Xzibit, Tim Blake Nelson and rising star Nicole Beharie.

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson star in 'Twilight,' which promises to draw young audiences to theaters in droves.

It's a something-for-everyone weekend at the box office, but as far as generating eager anticipation, one title stands out: "Twilight," the vampire romance based on the wildly popular book series.

The film, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, is targeted squarely at the teen market -- that unique market segment that tends toward repeated viewings of their favorite movies -- and judging by the amount of swooning I've witnessed in discussions with various people about the film, you can expect the film to enjoy a brisk opening.