Once again, Batman flouts the law in his pursuit of vigilante justice. | Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Is there anyone in America who didn't see The Dark Knight this weekend? The second chapter in director Chris Nolan's reboot of the Batman franchise grossed a stunning $155.4M this weekend, eclipsing the old record of $151.1M set by Spider-Man 3 in 2007. In a cagey piece of counter-programming by Universal, Mamma Mia! brought in a higher......

Tired of bloated blockbusters? See this movie today. | Photo courtesy of Lionsgate They really don't make movies like The Bank Job anymore. In fact, it almost feels like a relic from another age with its focus on plot and character development instead of...well, lingering takes on movie stars (see Hancock). After a surprisingly strong theatrical run, The Bank Job is hands-down the movie you should be renting/buying today. If it has nothing else (and......

Photo courtesy of Miramax When was the last time an actor executed a more profound career turnaround than Casey Affleck? Gone Baby Gone is his second superb performance of the year. If you don't see it for him, see it for Amy Ryan's breakout, Oscar-nominated turn. The mere presence of the divine Anne Hathaway makes Becoming Jane worth renting. James McAvoy was better in this than in the over-hyped (but still good) Atonement. No......

Grindhouse - I've already reviewed this movie, so I won't bother rehashing it, but trust me, Grindhouse totally freakin' rocks! Three full hours of beautiful cinematic mayhem. Are We Done Yet? - Ice Cube stars as a beleaguered urban dad who moves with his new wife (Nia Long) and her two kids to their dream house in the 'burbs and is terrorized by a contractor (John C. McGinley from Scrubs). Black Book - Dutch-born......

By gum they did it — they actually made a funny movie about politics. Thank You For Smoking stars Aaron Eckhart as a tobacco lobbyist, who's so ballsy and charming you have to love him, even while you know he's entirely evil. He's what Ari Gold and Rush Limbaugh think they are — but neither holds a lighter to Eckhart's Nick Naylor. It's an incredible balancing act between charm and evil, and without its......

While The Other Venice Film Festival finishes up this weekend, three local film fests hit Los Angeles. Tonight through Sunday, Perspectives International Film Festival, at Laemmle's Music Hall 3, features films that challenge stereotypes of the lives of people with developmental disabilities. The Silver Lake Film Festival, in its 6th year, begins next Thursday. Joining them at the ArcLight, will be the Fringe Fest '06 & mp-4 Fest. But tonight at the ArcLight there......

Counting down today's few birthdays: Esteemed playwright Edward Albee ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") is 78; he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 1996. Unlucky in love Liza Minelli turns 60 today. She was charming once — Netflix Arthur. Put that away! Porn stud Ron Jeremy is 53. Troubled former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry celebrates his 44th today. Actor Aaron Eckhart turns 38. And although we rarely include the deceased in our birthday......

We can't wait until Sarah Silverman gets to host the Oscars. Would she make jokes about the freshness of her vagina, like she does in the opening monologue of the Independent Spirit Awards today? She kicks things off saying George Clooney "has proved himself both artsy and fartsy," and "Felicity Huffman, I am such a huge fan of his." The Independent Spirit Awards are happneing right now, in Satna Monica, at 2 in the afternoon......

So, yesterday we caught director Jason Reitman's (son of Ivan) hilarious film, Thank You For Smoking, which is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley (son of William F.). Before the film rolled, Jason got up to let us know that a scene was missing from the film. Not just any scene, but a Katie Holmes sex scene. According to Jason, there was a "projection error in Los Angeles" that......