The Latest in Theaters: Jane, Jesse and Jessica

This week's newest releases are all over the map, from a literary-minded chick flick to a grim biographical western to a high concept romantic comedy to a real life adventure tale to a post-apocalyptic thriller to one for the tweeners:

- The Jane Austen Book Club: Sure, the title is guaranteed to scare away every heterosexual male in existence, but take a look at the cast: Hugh Dancy, Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Marc Blucas, Jimmy Smits, Amy Brenneman, Kevin Zegers and Kathy Baker. (Is it just me, or do the guys out-hot the gals?)
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Brad Pitt is the legendary outlaw, Casey Affleck the young recruit who betrays him. (Is it just me, or do they pretty much give away the whole movie with that title?)
- Good Luck Chuck: Is it just me, or does this movie seem like, if it were made two years ago, it would have starred Vince Vaughn and Cameron Diaz instead of Dane Cook and Jessica Alba?
- Into the Wild: Sean Penn directs this based-on-a-true story drama about a recently graduated college student (Emile Hirsch) who gives up his conventional life to hitchhike to Alaska. This one does star Vince Vaughn, as well as Catherine Keener, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Jena Malone and Hal Holbrook.
- Resident Evil: Extinction: Milla Jovovich returns for the third go-round in this video game-to-movie series.
- Sydney White: We loved her as Penny Pingleton, so Amanda Bynes as a modern day Snow White (complete with seven nerds instead of dwarfs) sounds like harmless fun. Or is it just me?

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Links via Imdb.com, Men.Style.com, Premiere.com and EdgeBoston.com.

The Latest in Theaters: Viggo-A-Go-Go

So much for the dregs of summer: with no less then seven films opening this weekend, the fall movie season looks to be in full swing.

- Eastern Promises: Viggo Mortensen was so great in A History of Violence, it's no wonder he's back with David Cronenberg for another look at the darker sides of human nature. Bonuses include Naomi Watts and, oh yeah ... Mortensen goes full frontal in an extended fight scene.
- The Brave One: Jodie Foster is getting some unlikely early Oscar buzz as yet another woman-in-peril in Neil Jordan's vigilante thriller. Terrence Howard co-stars, as he does in ...
- The Hunting Party: ... where he and Richard Gere play journalists on the trail of a Bosnian war criminal.
- December Boys: Or: Harry Potter Comes of Age. Daniel Radcliffe stars in this orphan drama, rumored to include D-Rad's first onscreen sex scenes.
- Across the Universe: Julie Taymor's psychedelic musical romance mines The Beatles catalog in what is hopefully not another Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. That notorious bomb had a character named "Strawberry Fields", while this one's leads are named "Jude" and "Lucy"; clever, or contrived? Who knows, the film is already infamous for some behind-the-scenes shake-ups between Taymor and studio head Joe Roth. (In related news, be sure to check out Film Babble Blog's excellent rundown of how The Beatles' music has been used in movies over the years.)
- In the Valley of Elah: Paul Haggis' follow-up to Crash has received mixed reactions at the recent festivals, but you can't deny its Oscar pedigree: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon, who also stars in ...
- Mr. Woodcock: ... this less prestigious outing with Billy Bob Thornton and Seann William Scott, who's getting too old for these kind of things.

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Links via Imdb.com, SFBG.com, NYObserver.com, EdgeBoston.com, DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, FilmBabble.blogspot.com and IFC.com.

The Latest in Theaters: Testosterone Time

It's a weekend of threes, with a trio of our favorite leading men headlining two major releases, three smaller films in limited release, and not a threequel in sight.

- Shoot 'Em Up: He's not your typical nanny: Clive Owen stars as "Mr. Smith", charged with protecting a newborn, with the help of a busty prostitute (Monica Bellucci), against a sweaty Paul Giamatti. This gonzo action flick from writer/director Michael Davis already had my attention with its tongue-in-cheek viral marketing, and then this clip showed up. In it, Owen and Bellucci are featured in what can only be described as one of the most unique combinations of sex and violence ever committed to film. Trust me: you'll need to take a cold shower afterwards.
- 3:10 to Yuma: Christian Bale and Russell Crowe star on opposite sides of right and wrong in James Mangold's remake of the Glenn Ford western. Ben Foster co-stars as what is already being labeled a "gay villain role".
- The Bubble: This OutFest winner from acclaimed director Eytan Fox (Walk on Water, Yossi & Jagger) centers on a gay romance in the politically charged city of Tel Aviv. In limited release, visit the film's official site for a list of upcoming engagements.
- Hatchet: Described as an "old school American horror", you have to wonder why they would release this (albeit limited) just one week after Halloween. Genre stars aplenty (Robert "Freddy Krueger" Englund, Mercedes McNab, a.k.a. Buffy's Harmony) evade the title weapon-wielding maniac in New Orleans.
- In the Shadow of the Moon: This award-winning documentary gives a rare look, through awe-inspiring space footage and candid astronaut interviews, of NASA's Apollo missions. A strong contender for this year's doc Oscar.

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Links via Imdb.com, BulletProofBaby.net, IESB.net, AfterElton.com, eBAR.com and StrandReleasing.com.

The Latest in Theaters: Ryan x 3

This week's new releases run the gamut from the metaphysical to the moronic to Michael Myers.

- The abtastic Ryan Reynolds plays three different characters whose lives are inexplicably intertwined in The Nines. One of the trio of roles Reynolds plays is gay, reportedly based on the film's director John August. Hope Davis and little Elle Fanning co-star.
- For what it's worth, Balls of Fury has already been dubbed "not quite the best Will Ferrell movie he never made" by one critic. Tony Award-winning Spelling Bee-er Dan Fogler makes the jump to the big leagues with this comedic attempt to mix ping-pong and kung fu. And what the hell is Christopher Walken (as an Asian mystic, no less) doing here?
- If you are unsure whether of not you want to see Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, the San Francisco Bay Guardian gives you several reasons why you should go for the gore. Or, if your tastes hew toward old school scares, Moviefone takes a look back at the original cast and asks, "where are they now?"
- Itching for a Death Wish-style vigilante flick but can't wait for Jodie Foster's The Brave One? Then Death Sentence is the one for you (or maybe not). Kevin Bacon is a dad who seeks revenge on the thugs who have murdered his son. John Goodman and Kelly Preston also star.

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Links via Imdb.com, NYDailyNews.com, EW.com, SFBG.com, Movies.AOL.com and Premiere.com.

The Latest in Theaters: The Boys of Summer

Summer is winding down, but this week's new releases have plenty of hot leading men to keep you warm:

- The Nanny Diaries: "It" girl (Scarlett Johansson), meet "It" boy (Chris Evans). From the creators of American Splendor, this romantic comedy co-stars Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti and Alicia Keyes.

- War: I don't know how this actioner -- starring Jason Statham vs. Jet Li -- slipped by my radar. Perhaps it was that totally nondescript title? Co-stars John Lone and Six Feet Under's Matthew St. Patrick.

- The 11th Hour: A.k.a: Leonardo DiCaprio in An Inconvenient Truth, Part II.

- Resurrecting the Champ: Josh Hartnett is a green newspaper reporter who stumbles upon his "big story" in the form of Samuel L. Jackson's homeless man.

- Dedication: Ah, a romantic comedy about mismatched straight people ... never seen one of those. Mandy Moore and the prettier Billy Crudup star in the feature directing debut of Justin Theroux, another Six Feet Under alum.

- And finally: If you grow tired of all these hunks on display, you can always check out Rowan Atkinson and Willem Dafoe in Mr. Bean's Holiday.

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Links via Imdb.com and InsideSoCal.com.

The Latest in Theaters: Bring Out Yer Dead

This weekend's pitiful slate of new releases is further proof why August is considered the dead of summer by Hollywood.

- The outlook is pretty grim for the pseudo-Invasion of the Body Snatchers remake The Invasion. No less then four (yes, four) directors took a crack at it, which can't be good (but hey, it worked for Gone With the Wind). Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Jeremy Northam star.

- Don't ask me why Frank Oz directed the broad British comedy Death at a Funeral, starring Peter Dinklage as a gay blackmailer, just head over to AfterElton.com for Alonso Duralde's review.

- Colin Firth in a loincloth? How did I miss this? Alas, The Last Legion (pictured) may indeed be the last, as in Gladiator rip-offs, considering its unfavorable -- actually, make that nonexistent -- buzz.

- And you gotta have some big ones to name your movie Superbad, the latest teen/sex/beer romp from the Knocked Up team, which should nevertheless draw the crowd this weekend.

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Links via Imdb.com and AfterElton.com.

The Latest in Theaters: Twinkle, Twinkle

You know the summer movie season is dying down when the week's new offerings are a PG-13 werewolf movie (Skinwalkers) and two sequels no one in their right mind asked for (Rush Hour 3, Daddy Day Care). (How bad could a movie be if even Eddie Murphy turned down a paycheck?)

Truly, the only new film remotely interesting is Stardust, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and directed by Matthew Vaughn. The fantasy/romance (which looks all Princess Bridey, see poster) stars Claire Daines as a "fallen star" (an actual star from space, not like, say, Lindsay Lohan), Michelle Pfeiffer as a bitchy witch and Robert De Niro as a pirate who likes to wear tutus.

You read that right: Travis Bickle in a tutu. You gotta problem with that?

UPDATE: Rush Hour 3 director Brett Ratner proves just how big a tool he is in this recent interview with The Advocate.

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Click here to buy Stardustposters from Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com, NYTimes.com, SuperHeroHype.com and Advocate.com.

The Latest in Theaters: Bourne To Be Wild

This week in theaters - Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and a flying dog:

- Damon returns for a third time as the forgetful super spy Jason Bourne in The Bourne Ultimatum. Join Premiere.com as they give an overview of the series.

- Hathaway takes on Austen in Becoming Jane. (In select cities, opens nationwide next week.)

- "There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!" Or at least an unconvincingly CGI'ed facsimile thereof.

- Speaking of dogs, Marc Anthony co-stars in wife Jennifer Lopez's vanity project, El Cantante.

- As if it needed to be spelled out, Bratz: The Movie is just one big toy commercial.

- Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg hopes to follow in the doofy = rich footsteps of Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell with yet another comedy of arrested adolescence, Hot Rod.

- David Wain and Ken Marino's take an irreverent look at the commandments with The Ten. The cast includes a who's who of today's hip and happenin' actors, including Paul Rudd, Liev Schreiber, Famke Janssen, Gretchen Mol, Bobby Cannavale and an animated rhino. Head over to Cinematical for an interview with the creators.

- And lastly, Hairspray goes "Sing-A-Long". Go on, you know you want to see it again.

UPDATE: Broadway.com has pictures from the New York City Hairspray "Sing-A-Long" launch event hosted by stars Nikki Blonsky and Elijah Kelly.

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Links via Imdb.com, Premiere.com, Cinematical.com and Broadway.com.

The Latest in Theaters: Eat My Shorts

Sorry about that headline, I was just channeling a little Bart to get ready for The Simpsons Movie, opening tomorrow. After 18 years (d'oh!), the animated television comedy finally makes the jump to the big screen. Honestly, I haven't watched the show in years, but it is always nice to know that it is there. And I'm sure I'm not the only one, so to get you in the mood for the big movie, here are some links to a few articles and other fun stuff:

• Visit the official movie site to create your own Springfieldian avatar (yes, that's me above) and more.
• LA Weekly interviews Simpsons creator/very rich guy Matt Groening.
• For more behind-the-scenes info, visit Premiere.com and Entertainment Weekly.
• Test your knowledge of Homer and the gang with Movies.com's Simpsons Quiz.
• Study up on a list of Simpsons-created words, courtesy of Cracked.com.
• And relive the best moments of the greatest (and longest) unconsummated love story of all time, the Burns and Smithers (non-)affair, at Out.com.

I'll have my full "Toon Talk" review of The Simpsons Movie early next week.

Also opening this week is No Reservations. I am so glad this movie is finally coming out, not because I want to see it, but so they stop showing those "Raw enough for ya?" commercials all the time. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a top chef who gets Baby Boomed and ends up with Little Miss Sunshine Abigail Breslin. Aaron Eckhart (recently interviewed by The Advocate) co-stars as the love interest, which he really should be past at this point in his career. Click here for more dish (ouch) on the movie from EW.

As if she isn't in the headlines enough lately, Lindsay Lohan also has a new movie this week. I Know Who Killed Me is another serial killer thriller, with Lindsay as a student-by-day/stripper-by-night that has the gals at AfterEllen.com claiming it the "next Showgirls". We'll see about that...

Also opening (in limited release) is Arctic Tale, a nature documentary (narrated by - Queen Latifah?!) that I'm sure has nothing to do with March of the Penguins or An Inconvenient Truth.

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Links via Imdb.com, SimpsonsMovie.com, LAWeekly.com, Premiere.com, EW.com, Movies.com, CRACKED.com, Out.com, Advocate.com, AfterEllen.com and MoviesBlog.MTV.com.

The Latest in Theaters: When Chuck Met Larry

The other "gay but not really gay" movie that opens this week is I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

Despite a clever title and the GLADD seal of approval, this so-called comedy about two New York City firemen who pose as a gay couple to receive "special benefits" (only available in movieland) has a lot going against it.

First off, it stars Adam Sandler.

And if that isn't enough, the trailers promoting it are laced with cringe-inducing gags that makes one long for the subtler days of, say, Andrew Dice Clay.

The worst thing? Per The Advocate's Kyle Buchanan, it isn't even funny. Over at AfterElton.com, Alonso Duralde likens Chuck and Larry to such deservedly long-forgotten films as Norman, Is That You? and The Gay Deceivers (and if you haven't seen these two, trust me, that is not a good thing).

But hey, real gay firemen liked it.

Also, check out Duralde's insightful piece on how Chuck and Larry fits into a pattern of how Hollywood handles equal rights stories with kid gloves and a pat on the head, as well as MSNBC's Dave White's bitingly witty jaunt through the history of gay film stereotypes.

UPDATE: Aaron Hillis at Premiere.com kicked this movie's ass.

Links via Imdb.com, AfterElton.com, Advocate.com, MSNBC.MSN.com and Premiere.com.

The Latest ...: An Introduction

Nikki Blonsky in Hairspray

"The Latest ..." will bring you, well, the latest news on:

• Movies of note "in Theaters" (posts on Thursdays for the weekend's new movies).
• All the scoop on classic and current releases "on DVD" (posts on Tuesdays for the week's new releases).
• And movie-related specials, documentaries and other programs to watch "on TV", including those hard-to-find films not available on DVD (posts on Sundays for the following week).

Link via Imdb.com.