Keepin’ it confidential

In theaters Friday: The Dead Girl and The Hitcher.

New on DVD: Gridiron Gang and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.

Celebrity birthday: Zooey Deschanel turns 27 today. Happy birthday, Zooey! I really like you—even when you had the curly sideburns thing going on in Almost Famous—so, it’s hard to make fun. Now you’re going to be playing Janis Joplin in the upcoming Gospel According to Janis. Aside from that brief shower song in Elf, I was worried you couldn’t handle the vocals. But as soon as I begin to doubt, here you go singing “Stormy Weather” with Samantha Shelton, and you bring the house down at the Upright Cabaret. This a cappella number is nice, but it’s really more of a croon. So, Zooey, you have got to work on your reckless, throaty scream, Janis style, y’heard? “You know you got it, if it makes you feel good…Oh, yes indeed.”

January and February are pretty much the Siberia of movies. While I’m not keen on anything new out this week, Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men looks pretty good and is still showing on one screen at the new Rave theater. It stars Clive Owen as a freedom fighter in a near-future world that has gone to hell in a hand basket after a mysterious plague causing all women to be infertile sweeps the globe. Unfortunately Children of Men lost out to Babel for Best Drama at the Golden Globes. In case you missed the Globes—or were watching the season premier of 24 like I was—here are the winners. Sasha Baron Cohen walked away with a trophy, big surprise. And so did Eddie Murphy! Even bigger surprise…unless I actually fell into a time machine that spit me out in 1984. But I doubt that. If it was 1984, a Wendy’s Frosty would be my favorite food and Kelly LeBrock would be hot.

At first I thought this would be a list of celebrities that Rex Reed had pissed off too much. Turns out it’s his farewell to stars of stage and screen who passed away in 2006. I can’t say I always agree with Reed, or as George Clooney who is often the subject of his ruthless barbs, calls him “good old Rex.” If you didn’t know, the New York Observer columnist and savage film critic is a graduate of LSU. I usually take time every couple of weeks to read up on what he thinks about the latest movies. Turns out he hates most of them.

So, there’s going to be an LA Confidential 2? How did I miss that one? And, not a direct-to-video version, either. Director Joe Carnahan is basing it on another James Ellroy novel and has cast George Clooney, Jason Bateman and Peter Berg to star. This whole thing really has me curious. I loved the original film, and seeing Jason Bateman in a serious role could be very cool, or it could backfire miserably. We’ll see…

Finally, here is the blazing new trailer for Blades of Glory. The goofball comedy stars Will Ferrell and Jon Heder doing their best “Brian Boitano” as a couple of male figure skaters, banned from individual competition the pair circumvent the rules and enter as a same-sex pair to go for the gold. Co-starring is Jenna Fischer, my favorite receptionist and winner of the “whitest shoes Dundy award,” Pam Beesly on The Office.