Lars von Trier

Hands grip seats and shovel in popcorn as the bomb/asteroid/pandemic zeroes in: omens of Armageddon have yet to come true in the real world, but the apocalypse has a rich and varied track record on screen.

Nicole Kidman sizzles as a small-town vamp drawn to a convicted murderer in Lee Daniels' "The Paperboy", marking the US director's return to Cannes Thursday after his harrowing hit "Precious".

"The Hunt", a taut psychological thriller starring Danish heart-throb Mads Mikkelsen as a man falsely accused of molesting a child, emerged Sunday as a hot contender at Cannes.

Arthouse directors and Hollywood royalty will converge on the French Riviera for two weeks from Wednesday as the Cannes Film Festival rolls out the red carpet for the giants and mavericks of the movie galaxy.

James Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen stars in a true story of intrigue and adultery in the Danish royal court, which premiered to cheers at the Berlin film festival on Thursday.

Denmark's Lars Von Trier won the prize for best European film of 2011 for his movie "Melancholia" at a ceremony put on by the European Film Academy.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Hugo," Martin Scorsese's 3D drama about an orphan boy in 1930s Paris, was named best film of 2011 on Thursday by the National Board of Review, which also named Scorsese best director.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Hugo," Martin Scorsese's 3D drama about an orphan boy in 1930s Paris, was named best film of 2011 on Thursday by the National Board of Review, which also named Scorsese best director.

Hugo An exhilarating tale of magic, machines, memories, and dreams. Martin Scorsese marshals the latest movie technology to create a love letter to the earliest movies of all. Yes, it's a family film - and a great one - but the family Scorsese has really made this for is the 100-year-old tribe of watchers in the dark. With Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Sacha Baron Cohen. (127 min., PG) (Ty Burr)

Happy Feet Two A 3-D vision of Antarctic excess, with digitally animated penguins thundering in choreographic lockstep to an unholy fusion of Janet Jackson, Queen, and ``Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow.'' Exuberantly weird and desperately plot-heavy, it'll be a hit with kids and a curio to their parents. With the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Hank Azaria. (100 min., PG) (Ty Burr)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kirsten Dunst steps out of her comfort zone and deep into a paralyzing depression in her latest film "Melancholia."

A festival honouring the New Wave of Romanian filmmakers opens Friday in Bucharest with a focus on their 10-year presence at Cannes.

Danish director Lars von Trier said Wednesday Danish police had questioned him on French charges relating to his controversial remarks at the Cannes Film Festival about Adolf Hitler.

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Director Lars Von Trier said he was questioned on Wednesday by Danish police for possibly breaking French law when he joked about Nazis and Hitler at the Cannes film festival in May.

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Director Lars Von Trier said he was questioned on Wednesday by Danish police for possibly breaking French law when he joked about Nazis and Hitler at the Cannes film festival in May.

North America's largest film festival opens Thursday in Toronto with a spotlight on music, the rise of women directors, illegal immigration and 9/11.

As the ozone layer disintegrates and the world prepares for certain doom in "4:44 Last Day on Earth", man is left with just one question: 'to be or not to be?', to commit suicide or stay and watch?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coming off a robust first half of 2011 for independent films, the Toronto film festival kicks off on Thursday with expectations for a generous amount of business deals, Hollywood star power and Oscar hopefuls.

The Toronto film festival will open this year with a documentary about Irish rockers U2, and will see world premieres of new works by Luc Besson and Francis Ford Coppola, organizers said Tuesday.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Irish rockers U2 and American grunge band Pearl Jam will have the Toronto International Film Festival rocking this year, while George Clooney and Brad Pitt bring some A-List star power to the event that helps launch Hollywood's Oscar season.