Clooney Goes Down A Storm

George Clooney may have looked slightly bemused at first when he arrived on the outskirts of Birmingham to the UK premiere of his movie The Perfect Storm, but the consummate professional in him soon took to his Brummie audience. The backdrop of Star City - Birmingham's newest and biggest retail park - may not have been as glamorous as the usual London venues, but it what it lacked in style it more than made up for in the warmth of reception. Having been flown up to Birmingham from London by helicopter, Clooney was met with a rapturous welcome by the hundreds of fans that had waited for hours to see him. Following the lead of Tom Cruise's walkabout a few weeks ago, Clooney - and co-star Mark Wahlberg - spent 20 minutes shaking hands, signing autographs and posing for pictures. All pretty impressive when you know that the star was dying of flu; 'I've never felt so sick in my life,' Clooney had told reporters earlier in the day at a press conference for the film in London. The reason for the unusual Birmingham venue was to celebrate the official opening of Warner Bros' huge new cinema at Star City - the 30m screen, 5,800-seater that's now the biggest in the UK. After the premiere, 2,000 guests partied till the small hours at a lavish