A Second take on Life

Learning about the alternative universe known as Second Life a few months back was one of those, 'aw geez, I'm slipping' moments for me.

How could I miss this fascinating world which has entranced millions of web users?

I'm more up to speed now, which helped when I spoke to documentary filmmaker Douglas Gayeton for a new piece over at Donne Tempo.

Gayeton's "Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey," debuting at 8 p.m. EST May 15 on Cinemax, finds the filmmaker shooting a short feature entirely in this alternative landscape.

He's a fascinating fellow, and the documentary is worth checking out. Just be sure to read up on Second Life before you do so. It'll be too confusing to watch the special without knowing just what Second Life is all about.

(Photo: Douglas Gayeton's avatar zooms in on his subject during "Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey")

Moore 'Fahrenheit?'

Sequels are the lifeblood of Hollywood, but news of a follow-up to "Fahrenheit 9/11" just doesn't make sense.

The new film, according to Variety, would come out sometime in 2009. By then, President George W. Bush will be back on his ranch for good, waiting for historians to underline his presidential mistakes or erase what they've already written. Would even the biggest Bush bashers still want to blast his presidency several months after it wrapped?

At least Oliver Stone's "W" is coming out in October, a time when it's release could have an impact on the political landscape. By the way, the latest script leak from Stone's "W" makes it sound like the looniest far-left version of President Bush, a live action cartoon masquerading as a serious treatment.

Let's give Moore a dollop of credit. Hollywood's recent wave of anti-Bush, anti-war movies haven't made so much as a nickel at the box office, relatively speaking. But his "Fahrenheit" shattered box office records for a documentary feature. Too bad Moore had to stretch the boundaries of the term "documentary" to do so.

DVD Haikus 5/13

The Great Debaters

Denzel leads the way
Students debate history
They make a great case

The Indiana Jones Collection

Crack that whip, Indy
Relive three prime adventures
'Raiders' remains best

New on DVD - 5/13

Forget what made those "Indiana Jones" movies so special in the first place? The folks at Paramount jump on next week's release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" by re-releasing the first three "Indy" features today. Or, wait six months when they repackage the trilogy once more with the new "Indy" in the fold.

Check out the box set review at Donne Tempo. I tackled "The Last Crusade," to my eyes the weakest of the trilogy.

This week's releases also includes "The Great Debaters," starring and directed by Denzel Washington. Watch if for no other reason than to see three rising stars - Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker.

A 'Visitor' worth welcoming

Imagine the studio movie pitch: an uptight white professor meets a Middle Eastern drummer who teaches said stiff about life - and himself.

Good thing "The Visitor" worked within the independent film world, where obvious humor and paint-by-number epiphanies are blissfully rare.

I took in a Q&A forum recently from the star and director of "The Visitor," but check out my review over at Donne Tempo.

(Photo: Richard Jenkins and Hiam Abbass share a guffaw during "The Visitor")

Coens set to 'Burn'

The Coen brothers bring out the best in George Clooney.

The Oscar winner looked more at ease during "Intolerable Cruelty" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" than in most movies before or since. And we don't get any of Clooney's cultural posturing as in the vastly overrated "Good Night, and Good Luck."

So it's good to see Clooney back in the Coens' fold for "Burn After Reading," a new dark comedy coming out way this fall.

Here's an early snapshot from the movie which co-stars Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, Richard Jenkins and Frances McDormand. Let Focus Features describe the Cone brothers' latest cinematic work: An ousted CIA official’s (Malkovich) memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees intent on exploiting their find.

(Photo: George Clooney and Frances McDormand star in Joel and Ethan Coen's dark spy-comedy "Burn After Reading," a Focus Features release.)

'P.S.' - return to sender

Hillary Swank owns two Oscars, but she's a stranger in a strange land in the new-to-DVD rom-com "P.S. I Love You."

How can such a talented actress look so lost while swooning over "300's" Gerard Butler? The mystery eludes me, but the film takes a winning premise and saps all the romance right out of it.

My review over at Donne Tempo shares the ugly truth behind this overstuffed turkey.

(Photo: Hilary Swank reads one of her dead husband's letters, while his apparition looks on, during "P.S. I Love You")

'Iron' grip on first place

"Iron Man" once belonged to the second tier of the Marvel Universe. Fans knew 'em well, but John Public was far more familiar with Spidey and The Hulk.

That's changed, big time.

"Iron Man" brought in $50.5 million this weekend to remain at the top of the charts, according to Box Office Mojo. "Speed Racer" came in second with $20.2 million, while "What Happens in Vegas" slid into third with a flat $20 million.

These numbers could change a bit as the final weekend figures get crunched, so "Speed" could end up in third when the smoke settles.

Worst Modern Rom-Coms - "40 Days and 40 Nights"

It must be torture for someone who looks like Josh Hartnett to forgo sex of any kind for 40 days. For 95 percent of the population - not so challenging.

That anemic setup sparks "40 Days and 40 Nights," an abstinence rom-com which makes you feel dirty even if no one's actually "doing it."

Hartnett remains an unlikely box office attraction - handsome but hopelessly bland, and this early role didn't do anything to change that description. His character takes the sex-free vow for Lent, then moments later meets the girl who could be The One (Shannyn Sossamon).

Of course, if Hartnett explained his predicament right away, we wouldn't have a movie. And what's wrong with that?

Final note: A few other recent rom-coms could have made this list, like "Fool's Gold." But I managed to duck that one and have no intention of (willingly) seeing it.

'Speed Racer' not going ... not one bit

Summer has its first box office dud.

"Speed Racer" is expected to make, if it's lucky, $20 million in its opening weekend, according to Nikki Finke's invaluable site.

That's chump change for a summer movie, and it'll only get worse when the new "Narnia" film hits theaters on Friday. So what went wrong? Geez, I'm not sure. I found "Speed Racer" chock full of imagination, even if it went waaaay too long for a movie of its ilk. I don't blame the mostly bad reviews - these event pictures are typically critic proof. The property appealed to baby boomers, but the presentation was squarely targeting kiddies.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks" faced the same problem, but the furry creatures themselves proved too irresistible a draw for the kiddie set.

(Photo: "Speed Racer" features more colors than a kaleidoscope, but it wasn't enough to lure movie fans into theaters this weekend)