The Latest in Theaters: Four for the Fourth

It's the Fourth of July weekend, so time to go see the latest Will Smith movie, right? Wrong. According to GLAAD, Smith's titular superhero Hancock utters some nasty homophobic slurs in this latest Hollywood blockbuster.

So, instead of supporting such a movie, how about you turn this Independence Day weekend into a true "Independents" day, with four films opening in limited release around the country:

• The Wackness: Ben Kingsley blazing up a doobie? Mary-Kate Olsen in another pot-themed story so soon after Weeds? Dude ... sweet. Also stars Josh Peck, Famke Janssen and Olivia Thirlby, Juno's other "it girl".
• Kabluey: Scott Prendergast wrote, directed and stars as a blue guy with a big head in this festival fave; Lisa Kudrow, Christine Taylor, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Conchata Ferrell and Teri Garr (welcome back!) co-star in the comedy.
• Diminished Capacity: Matthew Broderick, seen just last week tracking down his prostitute niece in Finding Amanda, is now hooking up with his Alzheimer's-impaired uncle Alan Alda. Virginia Madsen and Bobby Cannavale also star.
• Holding Trevor: Brent Gorski wrote and stars in this gay romantic drama, co-starring Shortbus' Jay Brannan. Click here to read Chris' review of the film, opening in Los Angeles and New York.

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Metropolis Found

Missing footage from Metropolis, Fritz Lang's seminal sci-fi silent, has been found.

Twenty percent of the film has been considered lost by film historians for years; that is, until an original negative of Lang's 1927 complete original version was discovered in a museum in Argentina earlier this year.

Kino International, which had already planned on releasing a special edition Metropolis DVD and Blu-ray next year, has confirmed with The Digital Bits that the lost reels, after proper restoration, will be included in the new release. I imagine a theatrical re-release may occur as well.

It's Rain Man

Josh Hartnett will be headlining a stage version of the Academy Award winning Rain Man in London next month. He will play Charlie Babbitt, Tom Cruise's role in the movie, opposite Olivier Award nominated actor Adam Godley as Raymond, the role that won Dustin Hoffman his second Oscar.

Not sure how the film -- essentially a road movie -- will translate to the stage; and it's not a musical, so no "Iko Iko" production number.

Reverend's Reviews: Holding Trevor? Let Go!

The press notes for Holding Trevor, which will be released tomorrow in LA and NYC by Regent Releasing, describe it as "a sort of Reality Bites from the vantage point of a young gay protagonist." The description is accurate insofar as the title character (played by Brent Gorski, who also wrote the screenplay) is young and gay, and the film does, unfortunately, bite.

Set in current day Los Angeles, Trevor is trying to end things with his junkie boyfriend (well-played by Christopher Wyllie, despite having little to work with beside his character's addiction); trying to put up with his cynical and irritating best friends, Jake (Jay Brannan, who was much better as Ceth in Shortbus) and Andie (Melissa Searing); and trying to start a new relationship with Ephram (Eli Kranski, who gives the film's best performance).

That's it, and I don't mean in a nutshell. That's the entire plot of the movie. There are a few funny lines and one serious, if predictable, story development with one of the characters, but it isn't enough material to justify the 90-minute running time. The characters simply aren't interesting enough. Neither is Rosser Goodman's direction nor Kara Stephens' cinematography, which emphasizes close-ups of the actors that often make Gorski appear he has lockjaw and Kranski look cross-eyed.

There are a few good songs on the soundtrack, but better to buy the CD if it's available than sit through the actual film. This is Gorski's first screenplay, and I appreciate his stated desire to make an unpretentious gay-themed film. Try as I might, though, I couldn't hold Trevor and his associates in my heart.

UPDATE: Holding Trevor is now available on DVDfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Women We Love: Chelsea Handler

Object of our affection: Chelsea Handler, actress/ comedian/writer.

- Forget Leno, Letterman and O'Brien, hers is the late night talk show to watch: Chelsea Lately on E! She is known for her caustic (yet always hilariously spot-on) celebrity commentary and often is joined in her on-air hijinks by her loyal assistant, Chuy (who she affectionately refers to as her "little nugget").

- Her stand-up career has led to appearances on The Tonight Show, The View and comedy specials on VH1, HBO and Comedy Central.

- As an actress, she has guest-starred on The Practice, My Wife and Kids, The Bernie Mac Show and Reno 911! and co-starred in the movie Steam.

- Online, she co-stars with Leah Remini and Jenny McCarthy in the web series In the Motherhood, which will be making its way to network television in the near future.

- She is the author of two best-selling books: My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Standsand Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.

Poster Post: Mission Improbable

An all-star cast of Oscar winners and nominees head up Burn After Reading, a goofy caper comedy from the Coen Brothers, who have a few little gold men of their own. Watch the trailer here, and the movie in theaters September 12.

The Latest on DVD: Holy Bait and Switch, Batman!

Anyone who glances at the Dark Knight-inspired packaging of the DVD above may be inclined to believe it is the latest of the Batman movies. However, this one doesn't star Christian Bale or Michael Keaton or even George Clooney, but the first pop culture Caped Crusader, Adam West.

Yep, it's Batman: The Movie,the feature-length spin-off of the campy 60's TV show starring West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo, with a rogues gallery of villains made up of Cesar Romero's Joker, Burgess Meredith's Penguin, Frank Gorshin's Riddler and the Catwoman stylings of Miss Lee Meriwether.

Also available on Blu-ray,this "Special Edition" (conveniently timed to coincide with the approaching release of The Dark Knight), includes an audio commentary by West and Ward, brand new bonus featurettes and a "Holy Trivia Track, Batman!" option.

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.