Yes, summer doesn't officially begin until June 21, but the folks in Hollywood like to start things off early, so the summer blockbusters season is officially beginning. Last year, movies like Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Transformers, Ocean's 13 (and many others) took a lot of people to the movies, with total ticket sales amounting to almost $10 billion. This year, the grand total may not be that much, but with a little help from the following movies, it's likely to come close.

Here are the blockbusters you should watch out for, starting this week:

Speed Racer (May 9)

The cartoon series Speed Racer was a very successful adaptation of a Japanese anime originally called Mach GoGoGo. Still, I wouldn't make a movie out of it, but the Wachowski brothers thought it was a good idea. I really liked watching the show when I was a kid (seriously, how gay am I?), so I'm curious as to how they're going to adapt it. I'm also curious to see Trixie (Speed's girlfriend), played by Christina Ricci. Go Speed Racer, go!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22)

Indiana Jones (and Harrison Ford) is finally back for the fourth film in the series. No, Indy doesn't have a cane yet, but we'll meet an older version of the character, obviously. However, the character I'm most looking forward to meeting (as are you, probably) is Agent Irina Spalko, the evildoer played by the lovely Cate Blanchett. Actually, she'll play a Soviet Union agent. How hot is that? Yeah, not much, I guess. But not so bad either, in a sexy dominatrix kind of way (see the pictures and you'll know what I mean.) They can certainly count on my 10 bucks! … continue reading

Over the weekend, while lazily flipping the channels, I stopped on some dragon movie and before I could click away, a familiar face caught my eye. Is that? Could that? Hey, that's Piper Perabo. Yes, indeed, it was Piper and she was starring in George and the Dragon, a 2004 movie loosely based on the Crusades-era legend of a knight who slew a dragon to save a princess.

I ended up watching the last third of the film, not because it was any good but because I kept being astonished by who popped up next. Not only was Piper in the film but so was Patrick Swayze, James Purefoy, Michael Clarke Duncan and Tony and Golden Globe-winning actress Joan Plowright. Geez, did they all lose a bet to the director?

Which, of course, got me thinking. How many other good actresses have bad films lurking on their resumes? And by bad, I'm not just talking bombs or flops, and I'm not talking early work when they were desperate to be in anything. Instead I'm talking the "I'm pretty famous, but I've still got to pay the rent" kind of bad. These are the movies they clearly made for the paycheck. These are the movies they hope no one will notice. So let's point them out and laugh … in a nice way. … continue reading

Hey, want to watch something silly? Sure you do; who doesn’t? Come on, it’s Friday; what else are you going to do — work? The new trailer for Get Smart was released this week, and it’s a veritable hodgepodge of silliness, courtesy Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway.

Ah, the simple, fail-safe humor of people running into walls. Works every single time. Anyone familiar with the original 1960s small-screen show should know the film’s premise already. The good agents of CONTROL are fighting the evil forces of KAOS.

Leading the good fight are Steve as the hapless Maxwell Smart and Anne as his cool, kicky partner Agent 99. Hmm, flip that first “9” around and this could be a whole different kind of movie. You know, sort of like this. … continue reading

I'm once again brain-dead on a Monday, so I thought I'd post some pretty posters.

Get Smart (Anne Hathaway) — She gets smarter in every version of the poster.

The Forbidden Kingdom — A Jackie Chan movie, but I'll be focused on these two.

Jolene — No, it's not based on the Dolly Parton song, sadly. No matter how much the poster may seem to suggest that. … continue reading

Earlier this week, the British film magazine Empire, the biggest-selling of its niche in the U.K., published its “100 Sexiest Movie Stars” list. The list aims to represent “the most fanciable in film as voted by you” (can you hear the sexy British accent?).

Angelina Jolie took the No. 1 spot on the list, ahead of Brad Pitt, who came in 7th place. The top 100 included men and women, living and deceased.

Also making the list were Natalie Portman (No. 2), Jessica Alba (No. 4), Eva Green (No. 6), Scarlett Johansson (No. 8), Kiera Knightley (No. 9), Halle Berry (No. 12), Marilyn Monroe (No. 14), Jessica Biel (No. 16), Anne Hathaway (No. 18) and Kate Winslet (No. 20). I’ll stop now, because we do have to draw a line somewhere. … continue reading

Despite the writers' strike, a handful of film projects are still going into production. One of those projects, script in hand pre-strike, is Bride Wars. It's described as a romantic comedy about two best friends who compete for everything from caterers to guests when they both decide on the same wedding date. Kate Hudson has been attached to the project since at least last November and is one of the producers of the film.

Recent news is that Anne Hathaway has signed on as the best friend with whom Hudson does battle. Let the cat fights begin. Might I request whipped cream? … continue reading

Cinematical published the first teaser poster for Get Smart this week, and Steve Carrell has gone undercover. Under very beautiful cover.

We should all be so lucky as to have Anne Hathaway's hair covering our faces. (Minds out of the gutter, people.) Carrell and Hathaway are playing Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, the roles originally played by Don Adams and Barbara Feldon. … continue reading

Jane Austen never goes out of style. The founding mother of chick lit (I say that with love and respect; please don’t throw your dog-eared copies of Pride & Prejudice at me) has become cinema’s go-to wordsmith. Move over, Shakespeare: This is Jane’s world now.

Of course, adapting Austen’s books for the big screen is nothing new. But two upcoming films take it a step further this summer. They are inspired by the very woman herself. Becoming Jane (opening Aug. 10) and The Jane Austen Book Club (opening Sept. 21) both draw inspiration from Austen’s life. And both look, at first glance, pretty intriguing.

Becoming Jane features Anne Hathaway as a 20-year-old Austen at the start of her writing career and a crossroads in her love life. It sounds like, for lack of a better description, classic Austen. And Anne definitely fits the part. Broody writer looks good on her. … continue reading

Last weekend, Italian designer Valentino marked the 45th anniversary of his brand with a couture show in Rome, followed by a post-show gala dinner and ball at the Parco dei Daini at the Villa Borghese on July 7. Yeah, my budget (OK, and an invitation) precluded me from going, but that doesn't mean we can't sorta virtually be there through the magic of photography! Here are some of our favorite ladies at the gala:

Elle MacPherson (who played bi opposite Kate Capshaw in A Girl Thing)

… continue reading