PRESS RELEASE – Universal City, California – Three of the big screen’s most infamous horror icons, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Leatherface, join forces for the first time to invade Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Halloween Horror Nights” as The Entertainment Capital of L.A. brings to life New Line Cinema’s legendary horror film franchises, “Friday the 13th,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” in the Southland’s most intense interactive Halloween experience.

This year’s “Halloween Horror Nights” will feature four new mazes and a new edition of the “Terror Tram,” allowing guests to venture on foot through Universal’s legendary back lot. “Halloween Horror Nights” will be held on Friday and Saturday nights, beginning on October 5 and extending to Sunday, October 28, culminating on Halloween, October 31. The event dates are: October 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 26-28 and 31. The event will begin nightly at 7:00 p.m.; closing hours vary by night throughout the event.

Blades of Glory, the comedy starring WIll Ferrell and Jon Heder as ice skating rivals turned partners, is coming to DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD on August, 28, 2007.

In conjunction with the DVD release, Paramount will hold a week-long DVD release party that will take place simultaneously in 12 skating rinks within the Second Life online community, starting on August 24, 2007.

Visitors to the online release party can don virtual replicas of the customs worn in the film as well as ice skates that will allow avatars to perform signature Blades of Glory moves. Users who stake in all 12 rinks from August 24-31 will be entered in a prize drawing.

Check out the press release here after the jump for more information on the DVD release party and prizes as well as a synopsis of the film. You can also check out the Geeks of Doom review of the movie here.

Emmy-award winning actor and star of the Back to the Future film trilogy Christopher Lloyd made an appearance at Universal Studios Hollywood last week to set the official “countdown tower” countdown to the closing of the theme park’s Back To The Future – The Ride attraction.

Lloyd, who was joined by screenwriter and co-creator of the blockbuster film trilogy Bob Gale, arrived at the event with a convoy of stainless steel DeLoreans to a crowd of fans at the park.

The event is part of a month-long countdown celebration leading up to the ride’s closing this Labor Day, to make way for a planned Simpsons ride.

Also part of this celebration is a contest at LiveMansion.com where fans can submit an original 90-second video that showcases their enduring fascination with the Back To The Future ride and film trilogy. Participating contestants will have the chance to win a variety of prizes.

For more details on the LiveMansion contest and prizes, check out the press release here after the jump.

[UPDATE: See images from USH event with Christopher Lloyd below.]

Jul 18, 2007 20:27 ET

‘Valkyrie’ Begins Principal Photography in Berlin

WWII thriller marks first re-teaming of director Bryan Singer and Oscar(R)-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie since their 1995 hit “The Usual Suspects”

Tom Cruise heads a cast of international stars including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard, Christian Berkel, Thomas Kretschmann, and Carice van Houten

Production releases first photographs of Cruise as Stauffenberg

LOS ANGELES, July 18 — United Artists Entertainment LLC announced the start of principal photography today in Berlin on the international production of “Valkyrie,” a suspense thriller based on the true story of the daring German officers’ plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944.

Directed by Bryan Singer (“The Usual Suspects,” “Superman Returns,” “X-Men,” “X2: X-Men: United”) and written by Academy Award(R)-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie (“The Usual Suspects,” “The Way of the Gun”) and Nathan Alexander, “Valkyrie” reunites Singer and McQuarrie for the first time since their ground-breaking 1995 thriller “The Usual Suspects.”