Movies

When the Man of Steel flies into theaters next week, he'll have more to worry about than just Kryptonite. After a cover article in gay and lesbian magazine The Advocate questioned the superhero's sexuality, rumors have been swirling that maybe he's not into Lois Lane and could be more of a Jimmy Olsen fan.

At the film's Westwood premiere last night the film's director and cast shot the rumors down faster than a speeding bullet.

EXCLUSIVE: Watch the birdie! TMZ is pleased to be the first to report that a bidding war over a hot new script called "The Grackle" has just ended, with Matthew McConaughey committing to both starring in and producing the project for New Line Cinema. Also producing is McConaughey's longtime pal, Gus Gustawes, who runs McConaughey's JK Livin' Productions.

The "Grackle" script sold in a low-seven figure deal, and is penned by a pair of unknown, first-time writers named Chris Poole and Mike Arnold. Both men are attorneys who collaborate across time zones: Poole from Tennessee; Arnold from Colorado.

Today, two very unusually different groups find themselves to be strange bedfellows, indeed, as they both struggle to answer those questions.

On one side of the Sealy Posturpedic is Kirby Dick, the firebrand director of "This Film is Not Yet Rated," the documentary from this year's Sundance Film Festival that attacks the MPAA for systematically rating comparable studio and indie films differently, and for the secrecy of the ratings board which blocks accountability and allows these faceless folks to operate with impunity. In a move that is poetic, after the MPAA gave the doc an NC-17 rating, Dick and his backer, IFC Films, have decided to release the doc without a rating, as was announced earlier this month.

On the other side of the bed are, of course, the Baptists - a group that for the last few years has made it a point to define itself as being against everything, from public schools to gay rights to Walt Disney World. This time, however, it seems they might have a legitimate point. The group has a substantial beef with the Motion Picture Association of America over the Christian sports-themed movie, "Facing the Giants" - the sort of pablum that would normally disappear into the shelves of video stores were it not for the MPAA's bizarre decision to give the film a PG rating due to its strong Christian themes.

As today's L.A. Times ' notes,

"In the last week alone, the Motion Picture Assn. of America, which oversees the rating board, has been swamped with more than 15,000 e-mails arguing that "Facing the Giants" deserves a more family-friendly G rating. The complaints - the number of which may be 10 times the previous record for reaction to a ratings decision - say the movie is being unfairly targeted for its religious themes."

While the filmmakers say they were told that those "Jesus Saves" themes were what triggered the PG rating, MPAA officials deny that was the reason, saying it was the film's violence and the protagonist's struggle with infertility and depression, but aren't offering up any proof of that.

And therein lies the problem: As Dick explained when he was a recent guest on my NPR show, "The Business," its precisely that lack of transparency that is the central reason the MPAA is so fundamentally mistrusted, and not just by fundamentalists.

The move by the "Facing the Giants" filmmakers might well be nothing more than a publicity stunt, but unfortunately, thanks to the way the MPAA ratings board operates, we'll never know. That's the sort of move that simply plays into the hands of nutcase, right-wing talk radio, which has today carved another notch in its belt among the many other imagined and real instances which Hollywood is "anti-Christian."

The irony here is rich: "Facing the Giants," which angry about its PG rating, will benefit from increased publicity and box office thanks to the MPAA rating, isn't appealing the ratings board's decision. The documentary about the ratings board's lack of transparancy and apparent unfairness got an NC-17, which it appealed and lost, and now will be release unrated.

Described by the film's director as "the urban Bonnie and Clyde," audiences for "Waist Deep" can expect a lot of action and a even more sex appeal.

The film, which stars model-turned-actor Tyrese Gibson and hottie Meagan Good, tells the story of a con who is forced back into a life of crime to rescue his son, kidnapped in a carjacking.

Tyrese may have top billing for the movie but he's still humble, telling reporters at the premiere, "You've got to show up, do your job, be professional and just make sure that regardless of where you are on the call sheet that everyone feels equally as important with being a part of something."

Someone who was definitely glad to be a part of the film was rapper The Game, who makes his big-screen debut as the crime boss who kidnaps Gibson's son. "It feels really good to even have the opportunity to be on a red carpet and be here for my first feature film. It was a wonderful opportunity granted to me by Vondie Curtis Hall, he shot me the script, I read it, it was LA based, it was hood and it was me, so I jumped in."

Both Meryl Streep and co-star Anne Hathaway were clad in Valentino at the premiere of their latest film, fitting since the famous designer makes a cameo appearance.

Hathaway, continuing her streak of more adult film roles, stars as Andy Sachs, a college graduate who accepts a job as an assistant to Miranda Priestly, feared editor of the fictional "Runway" magazine.

Anne says Meryl was so convincing as ice-queen Miranda that she feared the actress on-set. "Every time she would have a really good take I would want to vomit a little bit," Hathaway joked. "If I am going to get an ulcer in the future she is part of the cause."

For Streep, the experience was equally disturbing. "They had a great time on the set and I was miserable," she says, "alone in my corner sulking with my felling no one was doing their job adequately." She also calls it one of the more challenging roles in her career, which includes competition like "Sophie's Choice" and "Angels in America."

Cruise is on the road again for a promotional tour of 'M:I:3," this time hitting up Japan for its premiere of the film.

His fiancee, Katie Holmes, was nowhere in sight but that, of course, didn't stop reporters from asking about her and baby Suri.

Today, the Wall Street Journal asks the pertinent question: "Is it time to choose sides?", referring, of course, to the coming head-to-head disaster that will be HD-DVD (high definition DVD) versus Sony's Blu-Ray DVD.

(What? You mean you just got finished replacing your VHS collection with regular DVDs?! Me, too.)

Sorry to disapoint you, but some blockhead on your block will soon plunk down $1,000 to show off the newest high def movie, and you might feel compelled to do the same when you see how grainy and inadequate your formerly just fine DVD player looks.

Resist this temptation.

Before we get into why you ought to wait until Christmas to buy anything with the words high -def in it, a quick primer on home video that will amuse you and make you think that, whatever business you're in, you're light-years ahead of Hollywood when it comes to strategic planning.

Few people remember this far back here in Tinseltown, but the current batter over high def is a sequel of sorts: Back in 1984, Sony was nine year into a new-fangled product called the Betamax. It stubbornly refused to catch on, but the paroxysms of rage it produced amongst movie studios was immense. (At this point, Sony was five years away from buying its own studio, Columbia Pictures, from the Coca-Cola Company)

So angry did the Betamax make the movie studios, they sued to stop it from entering the marketplace, with Disney and Universal arguing that homevideo infringed on their films' copyrights.

Of course, today, the battle lines feature the same players, in their same antagonistic roles: Sony is again facing off against Universal, the latter of which is backing HD-DVD.

As the Journal notes,

"Today, retail and video-rental outlets like Netflix Inc. will begin offering seven titles from Sony's own studio, Sony Pictures, including "The Terminator," "House of Flying Daggers" and "The Fifth Element," while a Samsung Blu-ray player, the BD-P1000, will be in stores later this week for $1,000."

So, what do you get for your $1,000? Well, essentially, seven movies and a format that, until Christmas at the earliest, won't be able to play any film longer than two hours. (Good-bye, "Lord of the Rings" marathon.)

By comparison, the HD-DVD players cost half as much, which is good, because the high-def DVDs, Blu-ray and HD-DVD cost more, too: About $24.95 each.

In the meantime, whomsoever wins this boxing match, you won't be able to reap the benefits unless you buy a new high-definition TV set. And in any case, watching a regular DVD on a high-def set looks pretty fantastic , anyway, begging the question, "I need a new format why, exactly?"

(Answer: You don't; Hollywood does. DVD sales are maturing faster than anyone expected, which is bad for the conglomerates' bottomlines. Sorry - you're just a pawn in all this. But a such a good-looking pawn. That shirt you're wearing! Very sharp! But it would look so much better in.. (ahem) high def. Wait! Where are you going? Come back!)

Bruce Willis has filed suit against a Los Angeles paparazzo, claiming he lied when he told TMZ that the actor assaulted him outside a West Hollywood restaurant.

Anthony Goodrich told TMZ in a videotaped interview on June 14 that Willis smashed his camera into his face, causing a laceration to his nose and a chip to one of his teeth.

In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Willis' lawyer, Marty Singer alleges that Goodrich and other "stalker-paparazzi," flashed high powered strobe lights in Willis' face as he was entering the restaurant. The suit claims that Willis "put his hand up in front of his face to shield his eyes from the blinding flash." The lawsuit goes on to allege that "Goodrich falsely stated that Willis stiff-armed Goodrich, shoved the photographer and pushed his camera into his face."

The suit claims that Goodrich "is a known stalker-paparazzi who makes a living by staking and confronting celebrities to take their photographs and otherwise attempts to incite some physical contact or outburst by the celebrity..."

The suit claims the TMZ article exposed Willis to "hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy..." He is seeking no less than $1 million in damages.

Goodrich filed a police report the day after the incident. TMZ contacted the LAPD today and we were told that two days after filing the report, Goodrich "was re-interviewed and refused to prosecute so the case was closed."

TMZ EXCLUSIVE: Forget "Charlie Wilson's War" at Universal Pictures - Owen Wilson's war at Paramount Pictures sounds like more fun: Paramount is greenlighting "Drillbit Taylor," a new comedy that will star Owen Wilson as a soldier-of-fortune hired by a group of nerdish high school freshmen to protect them from bullies. Steve Brill, who directed Adam Sandler in "Mr. Deeds" in 2002 is set to direct, with the farce expected to go before cameras this fall.

In the meantime, fans of Wilson shouldn't despair: He'll next be seen in the comedy "You, Me and Dupree" at Universal opposite Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson.

Meanwhile, in the unceasing talent agency poaching derby, we hear director John Singleton has fired United Talent Agency and has gone over to Creative Artists Agency. (Apparently, despite "Four Brothers" $92 million worldwide haul, Singleton hasn't reaped a windfall of gigs, and so UTA got the "Shaft"...see what we did there? "Shaft"? Get it. Sigh.)

The Jack Black wrestler-cook comedy "Nacho Libre" surpassed all expectations with a strong $27.5 million opening weekend, finishing just behind the animated automobiles of "Cars" in the most crowded field of new films yet this summer.

"Nacho" was expected to bring in about $20 million in its debut, according to most estimates, but performed surprisingly well, and was drawing even bigger crowds than "Cars" on Friday.

The comedian dons some blue tights and a glamorous red cape as the title role in his newest film, "Nacho Libre." Black plays a chef-turned-lucha libre (Mexican freestyle fighter) who needs to keep his identity a secret from the monastery where he lives and works.

"He loves the Lord but he also secretly loves Lucha Libre, Mexican wrestling, the excitement and the thrills of that life," Black says about his character, who's tormented "because priests are not supposed to wrestle."

Director Jared Hess says the film is loosely based on a true story. "I learned about the story of a true Mexican wrestler down in Mexico City," he says, "who was actually a Catholic priest who began wrestling to provide a little extra for an orphanage and it just seemed like it had a lot of good potential to be a really good fun movie."

Alejandro Agresti's "The Lake House" opens nationwide this weekend, reuniting Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, so we thought it a good time to catch up with the fascinating Argentinian emigre director at home in Holland.

When I rang him up at his home in Holland this morning, Agresti was still a bit jetlagged from the American premiere of the film in L.A. But not so tired that he couldn't share with me some exciting news about his next film, "The Scent of Books.": Based on his novel of the same name, it's about three writers, now in their 60s, who receive an inheritance of 20,000 rare, first edition books from their mentor.

Stepping into the famous shorts donned by Jessica Simpson and the iconic Catherine Bach isn't easy, but "Deal or No Deal" model April Scott is up to the challenge.

While rumors were swirling that "Laguna Beach" babe Kristin Cavallari would step into the role, the prequel to last summer's hit remake of "The Dukes of Hazzard," the honor went to April, a relative unknown.

Scott isn't scared of the comparisons that will likely be made between her and her predecessors. "They're not going the exact same way," April says of the film, "I think I'm somewhere between Jessica Simpson and Catherine Bach, it's a nice medium."

Expect to see a lot of the Maxim Hot 100 babe's long legs in the film, which April tells us explains how her character came up with her now legendary shorts and just whose attention Daisy's been trying to grab by wearing them.

The hottest item for Hollywood starlets to tote around town can't be found at Kitson or any other boutique. These days the must-have accessory for every Lindsay, Paris or Britney is a fame-seeking and coattails-riding younger sister.

Here are a few Hollywood siblings that are forging a career out of their more famous sister's shadow.

This years most anticipated summer blockbuster brings the ultimate superhero back from a mysterious absence of a few years. Superman's comeback is bittersweet as he learns that love of his life Lois Lane has moved on with her life and has a new family. To make matters worse, Lex Luthor, played by a freshly shaved Kevin Spacey, is back to his old tricks.

The film stars newcomer Brandon Routh in the role that made Christopher Reeves famous and super-hottie Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane.

Celebrities get approached daily by some of their biggest fans, but some leave a deeper impression on the star then others.

TMZ was interested to know what funny, bizarre, or meaningful moments these recognizable people encounter on a daily basis.

Have you ever asked your favorite TV personality for a picture of their feet? Probably not-- but one star told TMZ that exact story.