Widescreen

Whenever you see a rock concert in a movie, the entire place is going absolutely nuts the entire time. The screaming never stops, everyone's jumping up and down, and all the performers on stage are running all over the place, putting on the most energetic show imaginable.

That's more or less what happened Friday night at the Demi Lovato concert.

Yes, frequent commenter Sean T and I -- two single, 30-year-old men -- attended the Allstate Arena show, unaccompanied, because we think the young Miss Lovato is the real deal. Scooped up by the Disney machine and given a starring role in the cable movie "Camp Rock," Lovato is the Mouse House's next big thing. As she demonstrated Friday, she can play the piano and the guitar, and can actually sing. She had a hand in writing most of the songs on her two albums, and has lots of enthusiasm on stage.

I found some good videos from the musical performances this weekend at the DuPage County Fair. Looks like I missed out on a good time ... although I did go to the Demi Lovato show Friday at Allstate Arena. (Yes, it's true. More on that later.)

I posted the full "Lost" panel yesterday, but there are more goodies from Comic-Con International to share:

Courtesy of YouTube user Tostie14, here is the entire live presentation from the "Lost" panel at Comic-Con International hosted by writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. ABC won't allow the pre-taped portions to be legally posted online, so they are omitted. This is a highly entertaining presentation for hardcore Losties and includes appearances from some of our favorite people -- including a huge surprise at the end.

Here it is, in four parts. The last pre-taped segment that is omitted is a tribute to "Lost's" deceased characters -- and it ends with Charlie Pace. (Scroll down for highlights if you don't have time to watch.)

Disney pulled out all the stops last night in promoting "TRON: Legacy" at the 40th annual Comic-Con International. They re-created Flynn's Arcade -- the original haven of gaming where Jeff Bridges' hero is seen playing Space Paranoids, the game that TRON "lives" in -- and had a big surprise waiting for its patrons behind a secret wall:

The organizers of Comic-Con International didn't waste any time in trotting out the big names. Day 1 of the 40th annual celebration of all things nerd began with the principal cast members of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and a Disney presentation that boasted Johnny Depp and Tim Burton plugging the new "Alice in Wonderland" flick (click here for a high-res trailer), as well as the formal announcement of "TRON Legacy," starring Jeff Bridges and Olivia Wilde.

Star power aside, the big attraction of the day for this homebound blogger was the first public presentation of footage from James Cameron's "Avatar," the long-gestating 3D science-fiction project that will be the director's first big movie since "Titanic" in 1997. (And we all remember just how big that one was.) Cameron has apparently been using this 12-year absence to perfect his 3D technology, which he put to use in the undersea documentaries "Ghosts From the Abyss" and "Aliens of the Deep." This wave of 3D movies is getting awfully tiresome -- "Alice" and "TRON" will be 3D as well -- but if anyone can make the technology live up to its promise, it's Cameron. Say what you will about the man's skills as a writer; he is unmatched as a technical innovator. Next time "True Lies" is on cable (which is just about every day), take a good look at the effects in that movie, and remember that they were achieved in 1994.

Overnight video from Comic-Con International in San Diego: "Twilight" moms cut in front of teen fans who have been waiting hours and hours and hours for today's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" presentation. Funny? Sad? Both?

The 40th annual Comic-Con International begins tonight in San Diego with preview programming, and you can expect roundups with videos and links galore from me each day of the event. (After all, me not writing about Comic-Con would be like ESPN not reporting the Ben Roethlisberger story. Oh, wait ...)

The event started as a convention for comic book enthusiasts, but has pretty much become the Nerd Super Bowl: a weekend-long meeting of costumed fans, Hollywood celebs, comic book artists, voiceover talent, video game developers, Browncoats, Trekkers, Jedis, furries and G4 hosts.

What can we expect to see this year at Comic-Con?

I have many a celebrity crush, but none quite as strange or unique as Stefani Germanotta.

Typically, I fall for uber-classy actresses: Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Zooey Deschanel and, I must confess, even Meryl Streep, who seems so funny and down-to-earth despite the fact that everyone in Hollywood treats her like she's Acting Jesus. (No, I didn't think she was hawt in the habit in "Doubt." But I defy you to not be delighted by her in the otherwise terrible "Mamma Mia!")

But then there's Miss Germanotta, whom the world knows better as Lady Gaga. She's not very classy, she's not an actress, and she's not even pretty. But that's why I like her.

SPOILERS, OF COURSE.

• The performances are spot-on. Aside from the usual exception of Emma Watson as Hermione, the acting in "HP6" is tremendous, especially from elder statesmen Jim Broadbent (making his "Potter" debut as potions teacher Horace Slughorn), Michael Gambon (who owns as Dumbledore) and of course Alan Rickman, who has done huge things with tiny amounts of screen-time in all the "Potter" flicks as Severus Snape. Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint get their strongest outings too, thanks to their big comedic moments. Best of all might be Helena Bonham Carter, who also does so much with so little as Bellatrix Lestrange. (Forgive me, Albus, for I have impure thoughts about this Deatheater ...)

• It's absolutely gorgeous. None of these films are ugly, mind you, but this new one has some truly haunting images. Many are obvious -- the majesty of Hogwarts, the fiery confrontation in the cave, the jaw-dropping opening sequence -- but the film also impresses when you don't expect it. The Weasley Twins' magic shop is a feast for the eyes, but the image that will stay with me is that of Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange walking among those narrow, rain-soaked passages en route to their meeting with Snape early in the film.