AP - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is grateful that actor Sean Penn has defended him against his critics within the U.S. media.

Reuters - "Farewell My Queen", recalling the early days of the French Revolution through the eyes of servants at Versailles, has its world premiere on Thursday at the start of the 2012 Berlin film festival.

Reuters - Apparently, I saw 2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," but remembering anything about it required digging out my old review, in which I noted, "an afternoon spent enjoying jumbo sodas and the 3-D effects of 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' isn't the worst way ...

Reuters - Peter Jackson has chosen Billy Connolly to play a great dwarf warrior in New Line's two "The Hobbit" movies, thus completing the casting of both films, the director said Wednesday.

AP - A judge has granted Katy Perry and Russell Brand a divorce, although the pair won't be legally split up until July.

Reuters - Universal's comedy "Bridesmaids" has become the most-ordered VOD title of all time, the studio said Wednesday.

Reuters - Arnold Schwarzenegger will join fellow muscle man Sylvester Stallone starring in Summit's action thriller "The Tomb," Summit said Wednesday.

AP - "Forgettable" probably isn't a word you'd expect to use to describe a film starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson and Sam Shepard. But unfortunately, that's one of the most apt when pondering "Safe House."