Anthony Michael Hall can hardly wait for the ban to be lifted on discussing "The Dark Knight" plot and his mysterious role in the hugely anticipated "Batman" flick — which, as he told us a year ago, he's legally prohibited to do having signed a confidentiality agreement. However, "I can tell you this: It's the biggest movie of my career. I can't wait for people to see it," says the actor who rose to fame as a Brat Pack teen movie star, put in six seasons starring in "The Dead Zone" — and plays a cult member who masterminds an airline hijacking in this Saturday's (5/24) "Final Approach" thriller on the Hallmark Channel.

He says making the July 18 release feature was an experience of a lifetime.

"Basically, we shot in Chicago and London. Heath Ledger, who obviously isn't with us, sad to say, did a great job. He plays the Joker. I worked with him and with Christian Bale a lot. I had the most fun with Gary Oldman. I really was honored to work with Gary and to spend some time with him. We have a lot of mutual friends. We would joke and talk about everything but show business." As far as filmmaker Chris Nolan goes, Hall feels, "He did a great job reinventing this Batman franchise by making it darker. I think the consensus of the previous films was that the franchise had gotten out of control, that it was a little bit goofy and over the top, especially in the Joel Schumacher versions. But what Chris Nolan did was brilliant. He started by hiring Christian Bale, a British actor who, by the way, according to Chris, was the first actor through the door. Then surrounded him with other great actors — and I just feel so honored to be considered worthy to be part of the company."

MEANWHILE: Dean Cain plays the FBI agent who has to contend with Hall's twisted bad guy and his threatened nuclear destruction in "Final Approach," which also stars Lea Thompson, Ernie Hudson, Tracey Gold and Richard Roundtree. Cain also has the family movie "Ace Of Hearts" newly out on video, and the big screen "Five Dollars a Day" comedy with Chris Walken and Sharon Stone in the can. "I'm one of the folks that Christopher Walken and his son [Alessandro Nivola] encounter along their way. Everyone gets conned," says Dean.

He tells us, "I've been enjoying mixing things up lately. It's been interesting with the writers strike and what projects are going and not going — having everything slow down for awhile, then speed up, then slowing down again with the possible actors strike." He's been making the most of the hurry-up-and-wait pattern in the industry of late. "I've had some nice down time with my son. He goes to school three minutes away," says Dean, referring to his Malibu home. "He visited the "Final Approach" set one day, but he's 6 years old. He's seen enough of my movies shooting. If something's not exploding, it's not that fun."

THE INDUSTRY EYE: The "Reno: 911" police department will be doing their bit for the war effort in an upcoming episode — in their inimitably skewed way, of course. "Clemmy and Deputy Garcia help train some Iraqi soldiers to use weapons and other things they might need to know," reports Wendi McLendon-Covey, who plays promiscuous Deputy Clementine "Clemmy" Johnson on the Comedy Central show returning for its sixth season Thursday (5/22). "We think we're doing some really good training and end up with egg on our face, as per usual."

Meanwhile, McLendon-Covey is the celebrity spokesperson for Cops 4 Causes, a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring together members of the law enforcement community to raise funds to help those in need. This year seven deputies and police officers will ride 545 miles from San Francisco to L.A. to raise money for the AIDS pandemic. "They're having a kickoff party in Los Angeles May 22 at Eleven Nightclub and Restaurant with legendary disco diva Martha Wash performing," says McLendon-Covey, who first began working with Cops 4 Causes a couple of years ago. "I hosted an event for them in Ventura, Calif., for the Special Olympics. They were cops really reaching out to the community. It was really inspiring and I told them 'I'll do whatever you want, whenever you want. I'm totally down with this organization." For tickets or info, go to www.cops4causes.org.

THE SMALL SCREEN SCENE: "Suite Life on Deck" — the upcoming spinoff of The Disney Channel hit "Suite Life of Zack & Cody" — will not just have a new location, but new faces, report stars Cole and Dylan Sprouse.

"Some regulars are leaving, and we have some new regulars coming in," says the irrepressible Cole, whose revamped show debuts in September. "Ashley Tisdale is gone because she is busy doing "High School Musical 3." And our Mom, played by Kim Rhodes, will be gone because we are schooling on a ship now." So we won't see either of Zack and Cody's parents? "Apparently not," quips Cole, adding everything else on the show is "very much the same, except they're really aging Zack and Cody."

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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