Just when you thought Hollywood had finally run out of old TV shows to recycle into feature films, they came up with another one: Steve Carell as secret agent Maxwell Smart in the remake of “Get Smart.”

Co-starring Anne Hathaway and Duane “The Rock” Johnson, this one looks like it could be the rare remake that does justice to the original.

Here’s Steve Carell talking about following in the late Don Adams’ footsteps…

And here’s Director Peter Segal talking about remaking the classing ‘60s sitcom -- I talked with him over the summer at the San Diego Comic-Con.

Check out the trailer to ‘Get Smart.’ It opens early 2008.

Sure, the Halloween season can be tiring. Just choosing the right costume can be a baffling task. Luckily, Reel Talk has gathered a short list of Halloween films to help with this season tricks and treats.

Instead of sugaring up the local kids, relax at home tonight with our top five horror flicks. Settle in tonight with these movies to ensure a comfortable and perhaps frightening night with friends and family.

1. '28 Weeks Later'
2. 'Hostel II'
3. 'The Descent'
4. 'The Hills Have Eyes'
5. 'The Grudge 2'

Opening this week and to be featured on our next episode of Reel Talk:

1. American Gangster with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe

2. Martian Child with John Cusack

To see more reviews, tune in this weekend to Reel Talk.

It has come to my attention -- as they say in pompous business memos -- that some of our viewers are annoyed by incessant trailers which precede the feature film. Not only that, but they find the R and NC-17 trailers offensive or disturbing.

I do too, but for different reasons. I have to see those films no matter what and I'm especially annoyed when they show them at all media critics' screenings.

I have a solution.

Bring along a Walkman, iPod, or Blackberry (assuming you're not sitting near someone who would be annoyed by the light you’ve created.) When the trailers begin -- and they are necessary---simply tune in and tune out the ones you find offensive. I hope it works.

If you have a better solution, tell me about it below.

Watch a Reel Talk Sneak Peek of our interview with Jude Law and get details on what keeps him focused amid industry challenges and rumors.

Watch the full interview on Reel Talk this weekend and hear more, including details on Law’s latest film, ‘Sleuth.’

For me the scariest movie of all time is "The Exorcist." I usually hate horror movies -- life is too short.

The people who rush to see those "Saw" movies are welcome to them. I really can't recommend other horror movies, unless you haven't seen "Psycho," or any other Hitchcock classic, but those can also be classified as thrillers more than horror movies.

I did like those "Omen" movies, including the recent one with Julia Stiles, among others, but otherwise, the Halloween season and I aren't the best of friends.

So tell us, what’s your favorite scary movie?

It's the first week of Alison’s maternity leave and in her absence; Ben Lyons, E! Entertainment’s movie guy and Jeffrey’s son, joins the Reel Talk cast.

This weekend’s show is filled with lively commentary and reviews of “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” “Mr. Untouchable,” “Music Within,” "Rails & Ties,” Sir Anthony Hopkins’ “Slipstream,” and the Steve Carell comedy, “Dan in Real Life.”

You can also check out Jeffrey’s interview with the “Dan in Real Life” star and hear details one of his next films -- next year's remake of 60's TV classic "Get Smart," what it’s like to work on “The Office,” and his Oval Office aspirations.

With all that AND Final Takes, where our hosts provide industry commentary, this weekend’s episode of Reel Talk is not one to miss!

Let us know what you think of the show, submit your comments, concerns and questions below!

Based on nothing more than cynicism, I suspect "Saw IV," another bloodbath no doubt (they didn't screen it for critics) will win the box office, simply because these movies attract hordes of young male moviegoers who never heard of, say, Steve McQueen, James Cagney, Groucho Marx, or Barbara Stanwyck. They're welcome to it. I also think "Dan in Real Life" will do well, thanks to the popularity of "The Office." Never mind that "Evan Almighty" was an expensive flop, this one's well acted and likable.

It's close to two years away but now we know the official title for the X-Men spinoff project starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Its called - are you ready? Drum roll, please .... "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

Wow. That is one incredibly underwhelming title.

With all the money that 20th Century Fox has probably already spent on developing what they hope is an extension of the blockbuster "X-Men" franchise, couldn't they have thrown a few bucks at someone to come up with a better title than that?!? I'm sure the headline writers at the NY Post would have liked a shot to come up with a snappier topline than "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

Look, I bow to no one in my love for all things comic books, especially the mutants over at Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (FYI, that's the place the X-Men use as a cover). I've been reading Marvel's X-Men comics since I was six years old.

I watched the classic 90s X-Men cartoon every Saturday morning even when i was in college. I was so psyched to see the first X-flick in 1999 that I ditched work to see the first showing (I'd like to point out I was not working for NBC at the time), and I even liked last year's Brett Ratner mishmash "X-Men: The Last Stand" that almost no one else did. So trust me. I like my mutants.

That's why I'm so bent outta shape over the title. I know its exposing my ultra-geekiness but there has to be a better name for a movie starring one of the coolest super heroes ever. Logan is the Steve McQueen of capes and Hugh Jackman has the character nailed. On the surface, the film looks primed to be a hit -- and a good one, too. Besides Jackman, the screenplay is being written by David Benioff, who wrote "25th Hour" and the superb adaptation of "The Kite Runner" which is due out later this year.

Now it just needs a title with a bit more oomph.

Just Wolverine would've been fine. I've got a few other title suggestions, so if anyone at Fox is reading this, drop me a note and we'll do lunch.

Anyone else out there have a better title suggestion? Let us know.

I’ve been religiously watching the World Series and loving the fact that my Red Sox, a team I've rooted for all my life, is back where they belong. But between innings of last night's game, I began to think of my favorite baseball movies of all time -- after all, there's only a week at most left of baseball. When Rogers Hornsby, arguably the greatest right-handed hitter of all time, was asked what he does all winter, he replied: "I sit by the window and wait for spring." So baseball movies -- good ones -- are the next best thing, besides the plethora (good Scrabble word) of MLB DVDs.

Among those worth seeing or watching again is "Field Of Dreams" (more than a baseball movie and the best film of the '80s for my money, though my friend James Earl Jones HATES baseball, ironically). I talked with Kevin Costner about it during a REEL TALK interview with him a few months back. Take a listen...

Other great baseball movies include "Pride of the Yankees" (but you knew that), "It Happens Every Spring," "Big Leaguer" with Edward G. Robinson, of all people, as the manager of the N.Y. Giants and the ONLY movie featuring a cameo by "King" Carl Hubbell, one of the greatest pitchers of the 1930's, with that sensational screwball.
Most recently there was "The Rookie," with Dennis Quaid as real-life high school coach Jim Morris, who made a near-impossible comeback and made it to the big leagues with the Devil Rays. Finally, "Talent For the Game" stars Edward James Olmos as a scout who goes into a coal mine, among other places, in pursuit of a pitching prospect.
So there you go. At least your first week of November with no baseball is covered.

My son is now 6 days old. I haven’t seen a film in seven. Usually I see between five and 10 films a week so I’m in withdrawal.

I spend hours just gazing into his face as he sleeps on my chest. But the rest of the time I’m wondering what’s going on in the outside world. How many films am I missing? Can I really live without catching up on “Martian Child?” And how will I concentrate on “Fred Claus” which I’m intending to see tomorrow. (Funny that we named our son Frederick). It’s hard to think of much else besides his funny little face and his feeding schedule.

One thing I was prepared for this time round was the emotions that come with birth. When I had my daughter in 2005 I realized that I was not the same person after and could no longer be as detached watching films. For example I saw “Tsotsi” shortly after her birth and was a trembling, quivering wreck for the whole film. It’s about a carjacker in the slums of South Africa who steals a car, not aware there is a newborn in the backseat. He decides to try and raise it, despite the chaos and violence in his life. Ultimately it is a story of redemption and the power of love…but sitting through it was torture for me.

So this time around, I forced myself to see as many ‘tough’ films as I could before little Freddie came into the world. Last week I watched “Holly”…the story of a young Vietnamese girl destined for a life of prostitution. I also forced myself to watch “War/Dance” a fantastic documentary about children in a refugee camp in Uganda who have been through the most atrocious horrors. Again, tears blurred most of this…but it is powerfully hopeful and I recommend it. I am happy that I saw “Gone Baby Gone” a while ago…the little girl who was abducted in it reminded me of my daughter…I also struggled with “Reservation Road,” as I’m sure any parent would.

My point is, I suppose, that we all bring our own bags of emotions to films…and movies that affect some people will wash right over others. For me, anything to do with young children, or even helpless animals (the baby jaguar in “Apocalypto” caused me much distress!) Has me on a knife-edge of emotion. I’m just hoping that there aren’t too many big weepies in the coming weeks. What I need is to see Patrick Dempsey get the princess in “Enchanted” or Will Smith battle for his life in “I Am Legend.” I just hope the dog survives.

So tell me, what type of films bring out your emotional baggage? Lets compare lists!

Here's the first pinup shot of the newest member of the REEL TALK family -- Frederick Bailes Ryan was born at 2:30pm last Thursday here in NYC. He weighed 6 lbs, 14 oz. upon arrival. Freddie is the second child for Alison & Keith Ryan. She gave birth to Agatha in 2005, right around the time REEL TALK was launched, actually (Hi, Aggie!).

Everyone's doing fine, and while Alison's recuperating at home for a bit (hopefully trying to catch up on all the TV shows she watches), we'll have a few FORTs (Friends Of Reel Talk) filling in for her.

This weekend, Ben Lyons, the movie guy on E!'s "The Daily 10" and Jeffrey's Hip-Hop loving son, will step in to help review the week's new movies. The lineup includes Steve Carell's "Dan in Real Life," Director Sidney Lumet's "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead," Sir Anthony Hopkins' directorial effort, "Slipstream" and the documentary "Mr. Untouchable," about the rise and fall of Harlem drug lord Nicky Barnes.

On our Nov. 3rd show, Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger drops by to co-host the show with Jeffrey. You may recognize Dave from one of the 7855 appearances he's made on the TODAY show. That week features an interesting slate of films, including "American Gangster" (which I expect to do big box-office and earn serious Oscar consideration), "Bee Movie," "Martian Child," and two interesting documentaries, "Darfur Now" about the genocide happening in the Sudan; and "Joe Strummer: The Future in Unwritten" about one of the truly great and influential musicians of the past 30 years, the late founder of The Clash.

We've got a bunch of trailers for these upcoming movies. Just click on the Movie Trailers tab to check 'em out.

Watch a Reel Talk Sneak Peek of our interview with Steve Carell and hear him discuss details about the production of his latest movie, 'Dan In Real Life.'

Watch the full interview on Reel Talk this weekend and hear which position Carell would like to fill should close friend Stephen Colbert be elected our next president.

"Gone Baby Gone" didn't perform as well as I hoped this past weekend. It grossed six million dollars, a respectable total for a film that opened in just 1700 theaters, but well behind "30 Days of Night' a decidedly run-of-the-mill vampire movie with no 'special' visual effects and nobody more exciting than stoic Josh Hartnett. This despite rave reviews for the Ben Affleck-directed "GBG," one of the best movies of the year. What happened??

Perhaps horror flick fans rule…at least for one week. Other reasons could be that Casey Affleck, despite his superb work in "GBG" and his fine performance sharing the title roles with Brad Pitt in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' has yet to emerge as a bankable star.

Then there's the fact that in "GBG’s" setting and the Afflecks' hometown, the movie had to compete with the Red Sox playing two playoff home games at Fenway to earn a spot in the World Series.

And don't forget the competition from a number of other films courting the same adult audience. "Michael Clayton", for instance, grossed 7 million in its second week in wide release. "Rendition" and "Things We Lost in the Fire" actually had much worse debuts than "GBG." Perhaps the glut of serious movies is pushing audiences to lighter fare. How else to explain how "The Game Plan", also on the list above "GBG," is enjoying bewildering success, staying in the top three, four weeks after its release. And "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married" had a $12 million second weekend, a strong effort.

Who knows? Maybe the word will spread that "Gone Baby Gone" has Oscar-caliber work, especially from supporting stars Ed Harris and Amy Ryan, and from director Affleck.

I hope so.

"30 Days of Night" carved a bloody path to the weekend box-office title. The vampire horror flick easily dispatched Reese Witherspoon's politically-tinged "Rendition," "Gone Baby Gone" and Halle Berry & Benicio Del Toro's "Things We Lost in the Fire." In fact, out of those three new movies, Ben Affleck's directing debut GBG was the only one that didn't outright flop (it had the 3rd highest per-screen avg. in the Top 10). And notice which films finished #2 and #3 ... "Why Did I Get Married?" and "The Game Plan." Both movies are holdovers that are lighter in tone than the rest of the downbeat Top 10, a slate of movies that includes kidnapped kids, dead kids and vampire blood-infected kids. Yeesh.

But the solid box-office performance of both pictures should also be a signal to Hollywood that there is a healthy audience for movies with black actors/actresses that aren't violent or exploitative. Tyler Perry's been successful for a few years now, but "Why Did I Get Married?" is his first film without his Madea alter-ego .. and it shows he has the range and the charisma as an actor to lure audiences. The numbers speak for themselves. Perry's movie had a better per-screen avg. than any movie except for the 3-D re-release of Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.'

FYI - here's Jeffrey & Alison's review:

Same goes for The Rock and "The Game Plan." I posted a few weeks ago about how this comedy could do for his career what "The Pacifier" did for Vin Diesel's flagging career. Four weeks after its debut, its still in the Top 3.

And yes, I know Halle Berry's movie tanked this weekend, but considering its received mostly positive reviews (though Jeffrey & Alison disagreed), "Things We Lost in the Fire's" biggest problem this weekend is that are simply too many adult dramas in the marketplace right now. That's the studio's fault, not hers.

Anyway, let's see if studio chiefs wise up and start sending some of the top-shelf scripts out there to a more diverse group of actors. Looks like it would make sound business sense.

Here's exclusive footage of an impromptu Q and A session with Steve Niles, half of the creative force behind the hit graphic novel ’30 Days of Night,’ and also the co-screenwriter of the movie adaptation, which hits theaters this weekend. Niles is also partners with actor Thomas Jane in Raw Entertainment, a company that produces horror comics and films. Niles talks about working with Jane and also explains how Sam Raimi, the director of the blockbuster 'Spider-Man' franchise and producer of '30 Days of Night,' helped get the movie made.

1. Why have you developed a partnership with Thomas Jane?

2. Your relationship with Jane - a one-time thing or can we expect more from your pairing?

3. How instrumental was Sam Raimi in getting '30 Days' made?

Here's Jeffrey & Alison's review of '30 Days of Night'...

Since quality often does not go hand-in-hand with box-office success, I suspect "30 Days Of Night" might just beat out two far superior movies, "Gone Baby Gone" and "Rendition."

Fans of vampire movies don't care, I'll wager, that this one has lackluster special effects and isn't scary. It's a cuddle-up date movie and those often do well...for a week, at least, though the other two are among the better ones of the year.

Last week, Tyler Perry, the producer, star, screenwriter and director of "Why Did I Get Married?" refused to screen his movie in advance for critics.

Nevertheless, it opened at #1. Usually, a movie that opens with no advance screenings means it's terrible and they hope for a quick return over its opening weekend. So we had to trek to the theater to see it for the upcoming Reel Talk episode. But overall, it turned out to be an interesting, absorbing movie with well drawn characters.

So memo to Mr. Perry: Please step up to the plate next time and let us do our jobs and see the movie in advance. Maybe we'll like it. The same memo goes out to the producers of "The Comebacks."

Come on, let us do our job!

I know this is a website about movies that's an extension of a show about movies, but if you're like me, then that means you watch a lot of television as well. And if you're not watching Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks on Cartoon Network, you are missing out on one of the most outrageously entertaining 30 minutes in the pop culture universe.

McGruder's animated spinoff of his celebrated comic strip of the same name skewers everyone from self-serving politicians to hypocritical celebrities, often in a profane manner.

Here's a clip from the 2nd episode of The Boondocks:

This is the show that during its debut season two years ago had an episode called "The Return of the King," where the late Dr. Martin Luther King, awakened from a coma, launches into a foul-mouthed tirade after seeing the pervasive influence of gangsta rap and the bling lifestyle on urban youths. That episode put the show on the mainstream radar -- mainly because a lot of buttoned-up observers were horrified by an animated Dr. King saying the N-word -- and it won a Peabody Award for distinguished achievement.

Expect more take-no-prisoners satire in season two from the main characters, a militant 10-year-old named Huey and his little brother Riley. McGruder reluctantly gave up the newspaper strip to focus on the TV show, saying the workload was too much to handle. I discovered The Boondocks on TV so I'm happy about his choice. You will be too, if you give the show a chance.

Be warned, though. The Boondocks an animated show, not a cartoon. But adults who like a little social commentary embedded in laugh-out-loud scenarios should tune in Monday nights @ 11:30pm during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Watch a Reel Talk Sneak Peek on Eva Mendes describing how she picks her roles, including how her 'No' reflex almost kept her from starring in 'We Own The Night.'

Watch Reel Talk this weekend to see more of Jeffrey Lyons’ interview with Eva.

Just to the right of this post you will find a most unsettling headline. At least to me and many other comic book fans. You see the one that says 'Young Hollywood lines up to join Justice League'? Yep, that's the one. So why should this headline cause fanboys like me to break out in a cold sweat, disturbing images of Dolph Lundgren and Matt Salinger running through our minds?

The past few years, the comics community has been basking in the CGI-provided glow of Hollywood's long-overdue infatuation with our four-color heroes as sources for cinematic extravaganza. But many of us still remember the dark ages, before the Spider-Man & X-men trilogies ... when comic book heroes couldn't do any better than a Roger Corman no-budget adaptation.

But I would bet most comic book fans - if asked what they thought was the most annoying, frustrating and embarrassing comic book adaptation to date - would point to 1997's "Batman & Robin" as the worst of the bunch. I mean, Corman's "Fantastic Four" movie was a disaster in its own right, but it was made for like a million bucks. Just to make a movie for that amount deserves some credit. The 4th Batfilm had a huge budget, top-drawer stars like George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell and Uma Thurman, not to mention Arnold Schwarzenegger as the main villain. And it is one of the WORST movies EVER.

Don't believe me? Try to endure it the next time TNT or TBS needs a time-slot filler on a Tue. or Wed. morning. You won't be able to stay 'til the end, its THAT BAD!! If the terrible one-liners ("You're not putting me into the cooler!") don't drive you nuts, then the overstuffed storyline featuring way too many heroes & villains and the campy, 'Starlight Express in Gotham City' set design will definitely finish you off.

There's a special place in Hollywood Hell reserved for director Joel Schumacher for orchestrating this desecration of such a great character, and don't think that Best Screenplay Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind" gets you off the hook for writing the abominable script, Akiva Goldsman!

So what does this have to do with the apparently fast-tracked "Justice League" movie? Well, first off, a movie about the JLA (that's Justice League of America for you non-comic readers) will be jam-packed with characters ... as many as 7 members. How are you going to possibly give enough screen time to each character so as not to make them throwaways? The history of comic book films suggests that director George Miller has a tough task in front of him.

The best comic movies have been the ones that limited the number of super-types running around. The first 2 Spidey movies were great, with 1 and 2 villains respectively. But when Sam Raimi decided to throw in 3 villains in the most recent Spider installment, the results were mixed. Alot of people (myself included) felt it was too much having Venom, the New Goblin AND Sandman fighting for screen time.

Same thing with the X-films. The first two were outstanding, with a clear villain in each picture. The 3rd one was a mess (albeit a spectacular one) because there was mutant overload. Poor Cyclops was killed and it barely registered because the audience was overwhelmed with a lot of characters most people didn't care about.

Trying to do too much is a time-honored sports cliche used by too many players and coaches. But it applies well to comic book moviemakers who don't know how to streamline their screenplays.
2003's "Daredevil" had the Kingpin, Bullseye & Elektra + the origin story all crammed into a movie that was less than 2 hours long. It was a disservice to a great character with some great storylines. Don't even get me started on Ben Affleck in red leather running around Hells Kitchen.

Then there's the fact that the two most important Justice League characters, Batman & Superman, will be played by different actors than we've just seen in their franchise relaunches.

Ten years after the Batman movie franchise was left for dead by Schumacher, they're going to do a Justice League movie without the two guys who resurrected The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale. HUH??? Which executive in the Warner Bros. executive suites thought that would be a good idea???

Nolan and Bale are hard at work on their 2nd Bat-pic, "The Dark Knight", and all signs indicate it will be a worthy follow-up to the superb "Batman Begins." Bale's already said he has no desire to do a "Justice League" movie - and why should he? His franchise is in great shape.

Why should he share the limelight with other characters? Ask most fans out there and they will tell you that no one but Bale should be wearing the Cape & Cowl.

Oh, and the Justice League Superman apparently won't be Brandon Routh, either. So after spending millions and millions of dollars in relaunching the Man of Steel's movie career with the vastly underrated "Superman Returns" Warners has decided to find ANOTHER guy to wear the 'S' on his chest.

Note to studio execs - it took you nearly 15 years to find someone to replace the late Christopher Reeve. What makes you think it will be any easier this time?

Look, George Miller is an excellent and versatile filmmaker. He made "Mad Max" and "Happy Feet" and also wrote "Babe." But this has 'Colossal Flop' written all over it.

And the names I'm hearing in connection with the auditions aren't exactly inspiring confidence in this project, either. Adam Brody? Scott Porter?? Common???

Sounds like the "Justice League" by way of "One Tree Hill" or "The O.C." Are we going to see Clark and Diana spending time as civilians walking through a mall, with lattes in hand? Is Batman going to be lying on the floor of the Batcave, moaning to Alfred about how unfair his life is? Kill me now.

Lots of news regarding J.J. Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek movie franchise this week -- the new Sulu & Scotty have been cast.

John Cho, one of the stars of "Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle," (seen recently in the Tribeca Film Festival indie "West 32nd St.") will take over for George Takei as Sulu.

Meanwhile, Simon Pegg will follow in the footsteps of the late great James Doohan as the Enterprise's trusted engineer, Scotty.

Anyone who's seen him "Shaun of the Dead" or "Hot Fuzz" should be thrilled about this. Pegg is perfect for this role. I'm hoping he gets lots of chances to steal scenes with his dry wit.

The final bit of news involves the movie's bad guy, Nero. Eric Bana has inked a deal to play the part. Let's hope Bana's second turn in a fanboy-friendly franchise turns out better than his first effort, Ang Lee's sublimely lame "Hulk."

Few filmmakers know their intended audience better than Abrams, so if anyone can revive the Trek universe in theaters, it's him. And the fact that he's setting the film during the Starfleet Academy days is a good sign, at least for Trekkies (um, that would include me).

The 11th Trek movie is due out Christmas 2008.

One of the best things about going to the movies in October is seeing the trailers for the great movies being released in Nov/Dec, Hollywood's 'Prestige' season.

Today the wife and I caught 'We Own The Night' (very entertaining crime drama. Joaquin Phoenix was excellent) and it had some great trailers, including this one for Tom Hanks & Julia Roberts' upcoming picture, "Charlie Wilson's War." Excellent teaser for a movie that tells a tale so outlandish, it could only be based a real story. It comes out in December .. take a look and see what you think.

“Elizabeth: The Golden Age” is the prestige product opening in theaters this weekend. But mixed advanced reviews (including from us) might hurt this sweeping historical melodrama. It doesn’t have the mass appeal of a mainstream blockbuster and Cate Blanchett can only go so far in packing people into theaters.


“We Own The Night” should do reasonably well this weekend on the strength of Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix and the sexy Eva Mendes. But its gritty, noirish quality will limit its audience.

But the film that should maximize on its costs will be “Why Did I Get Married?” Written and directed by Tyler Perry. He’s a proven box office draw, and even though this film was not screened for critics, the buzz on it is good. Supposedly it’s less broad than his previous ‘Medea’ efforts and has something to say about relationships. (At this time, I have not seen it). As far as per-screen intake, I can’t imagine any other film making as much money.

I went to see a horror movie the other day we'll be reviewing on the show next week, "30 Days of Night." I'm always careful to say I'm not a fan of the genre. Life's too short for that, but I realize they wouldn't keep making slasher movies if there weren't a large audience for them and they must be addressed. We'll see how that one does next week.

On another note, I suspect this week's big box office movie will be "Why Did I Get Married?", the newest Tyler Perry movie which he refused once again to screen for critics. That annoys me.

Not that it'll find a big audience, but why a filmmaker will not let us do our job and see the film before it opens, the way the overwhelming number of movies are viewed, makes me wonder what he has to hide.

Perhaps he doesn't need critics' reviews - he does has a large and loyal fanbase - but it's just bad form. Regardless, it'll be tops, I suspect, only to be pushed aside next week by "Gone, Baby Gone."

Today was a brutal day at the movies. At 10am I saw “Lions for lambs”…the new Robert Redford directed polemic about the Global War On Terror. There’s some smart arguments here about America’s missteps since 9/11 and a fine performance from Tom Cruise, who’s in his best “Magnolia” form. Meryl Streep as always gives a committed, intelligent performance. But Redford plays a college professor trying to inspire one of his students to ‘act’…and here’s where the film got bogged down in intellectual pontificating. I felt like I was watching a piece of political theater. The attempt to jazz up the action quotient, with a weakly conceived storyline set in Afghanistan seemed like it was just tacked on to satisfy the powers that be. I was happy it was only 88 minutes…although it was at least 88 minutes where I engaged my brain, unlike during “The Game Plan.”

Then on to “Taxi to the Dark Side”…a conventional “talking heads” documentary about America’s policy of detention and interrogation since 9/11. This was directed by Alex Gibney, who did “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and is equally well-thought out, well executed….and seemingly impartial (although you can never tell with films). This doesn’t come out till January ’08…which I think is a shame as it’s a great companion piece to the fictional “Rendition”…the more glossy Hollywood approach to a similar theme. (“Rendition” comes out October 19th).

Watching soldiers and military police talk about how they were not trained in interrogation techniques…led to believe all kinds of inhumanities were ‘options’ and then hung out to dry by the higher-ups….was fascinating, but hard to watch. We see the Abu Ghraib photos and are told how these ‘techniques’ were adopted from similar techniques at Guantanamo… and how these policies were well known to the government as they happened. The main focus of the doc. is a taxi driver who died at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan after being repeatedly beaten and shackled. Despite a death certificate that ruled ‘homicide’ as cause of death….the media all reported at the time that he died of natural causes.

Lastly I sat through Brian De Palma’s “Redacted”…. a rather manipulative but shocking fake documentary based on a real incident that took place in Iraq in 2006. The gimmick here is that the film is itself a video diary made by one of the soldiers…so we are treated to lots of shaky camera and grainy footage. The acting seemed deliberately forced…at least I hope it was deliberate. It was off-putting at times, but I’m hoping De Palma was going for a kind of theatrical effect. The result was that I felt detached from the characters…. never believing they were real…but the story can’t help but affect the viewer. It does not paint the US in a good light. The most disturbing part of the film….and one I literally had to turn my eyes away from…was the last few minutes, where the fake doc. gives way to a montage of gruesome photos…the real ‘collateral damage’ of the war on terror. Showing wounded, bloody children is powerful….but also an easy way to get an audience riled up. I would rather that the film had been that powerful.

We’ll be reviewing all these movies on upcoming episodes of Reel Talk so keep an eye out.

We recently passed the 40th anniversary of the capture and swift death of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, one of the most enigmatic figures of the 20th century.

The political theorist of the Cuban revolution and for a time Fidel Castro’s right-hand man, he was captured and killed by Bolivian soldiers deep inside that country, where he was forming another revolutionary movement.

Through the years, he has been the subject of many movies; Egyptian Omar Sharif played him in one movie called “Che,” Antonio Banderas was the narrator and Che himself in “Evita” opposite Madonna, and most recently Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal played the young, idealistic Che in “The Motorcycle Diaries.”

But as long as college students wear Guevarra’s picture on t-shirts, they’ll probably keep making movies about him. The next one is due out next year. It’s called “The Argentine” and will feature Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro as Che.

Watching Joba Chamberlain, who looks like a young Jonathan Winters, flicking away those "Canadian Soldiers," as those gnats are called by Clevelanders, the other night at Friday's game, I thought of something I asked Richard Chamberlain one time: "Why did you, the first actor to star in Shakespeare in London's West End, star in 'The Swarm,' about flying insects, which looked like raisins?"

"Simple," he replied. "I worked two weeks and now I own a home in Hawaii."

Actors, you see, often do dumb or forgettable movies simply for a fat paycheck and the chance to go do smaller, independent movies.

George Clooney, for example, does those tiresome "Oceans" movies, but then does "Syriana" or "Good Night, and Good Luck” and now "Michael Clayton." Nobody says just because you've won an Oscar, every film you do afterward must be for the Ages.

Of course Cuba Gooding, Jr. has made mostly awful movies since his Oscar turn in "Jerry Maguire." "Daddy Day Camp"? Please. And that was only because Eddie Murphy turned it down to make an even worse film, "Norbit."

So the next time you see a star whose work you respect starring in an inane action yarn or silly comedy, remember: It's all about the money and the chance, hopefully, to do Broadway or make a quality film next time out.