WWW- LOS Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan loves George Clooney movies lately – and some West Coasters say it may be because he has to, due to a trick Clooney played on him three years ago.

Clooney had been extremely upset with Turan for several years, accusing him privately of harboring an unfair bias against him. But the final straw for Clooney was in 2002, when Turan panned “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” as “tedious” while saying Clooney’s performance was “robotic.”

After Turan panned “Confessions,” Clooney, known for his love of pranks, was drinking with several pals and persuaded them to join him in throwing eggs at Turan’s house. Said one insider, “Kenneth’s house was egged pretty badly.”

Turan awoke the next day to a smelly mess and was “agitated.”

Our spy continues: “Clooney and his pals told several people about what they did, and word got around. Kenneth heard about it.” Turan later revealed in a radio interview that Clooney was behind the vandalism of his house.

Upon hearing Turan’s accusation, Clooney allegedly sent a letter to the managing editor of the Los Angeles Times.

According to the insider, the letter said: “If Kenneth Turan insists on repeating gossip about me and telling people I egged his house, with absolutely no proof whatsoever, he should not be reviewing my movies.”

A rep for Clooney said: “I remember this incident. George did talk about writing a letter to the managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, but I am not sure if he did. But [Turan] loves his movies now. He gives them rave reviews.”

Indeed, Turan called “Syriana” a “breathless oil-intrigue saga [which] tackles real-world issues under its guise as Hollywood genre entertainment.”

Of “Good Night, and Good Luck,” Turan wrote: “Above the cacophony, one courageous voice; Edward R. Murrow once took a stand, and ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ stands tall in his honor.”

Turan didn’t return calls.