Here’s a little piece of nostalgia that’s got a small but rabid cult following, due mostly to repeated airings on “Night Flight,” an ‘80s variety show responsible for unleashing all manner of depravity on late night TV viewers back in the day. “Jekyll and Hyde…Together Again” is not your typical retelling of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic. No, instead it’s basically one big cocaine joke. Dr. Jekyll (Mark Blankfield) is so devoted to the world of science and surgery that he barely even notices his society girlfriend Mary (Bess Armstrong). One wonders if they’ve ever even had sex. Late one night in his lab, as he tries in vain to perfect a miracle drug that will benefit mankind, two of his powders inadvertently mix together. In a sequence that must be seen to be believed, he falls asleep and accidentally snorts the new chemical (through a straw, no less), Mr. Hyde is unleashed, and Blankfield gives his real performance in the film. He sprouts hair in new places, a leisure suit, gaudy jewelry and even grows a coke nail. Instant swinger! Hyde goes out on the town to find Ivy (Krista Errickson), a hooker and former patient who briefly transfixed Jekyll earlier in the film. They have an insane night before he reverts back to the good doctor, and of course the cycle repeats itself several times before it’s all over. The third act, set in England and featuring an extensive sequence shot in black and white, is far more inventive than it probably needed to be. But the same can be said for much of the film: It’s a one-joke movie with dozens of priceless gags. Before the final credits roll, the camera pans down into Stevenson’s grave to catch his corpse spinning round and round.

“Jekyll and Hyde…Together Again” is by no means great cinema, but it is a hell of a tasteless good time, and I laughed out loud more times than I can count on two hands. It’s a relic of another era, and much of its success is due to Blankfield’s dual (dueling?) performances. Here’s a guy who’s all but fallen off the map, although his last IMDB credit is as Dr. Miller in the first season “Arrested Development” episode, “My Mother the Car.” A subtle nod to his doctor in this underground classic? If so, props to Mitch Hurwitz and Co. There’s a place for Blankfield in the movies of today, it just hasn’t yet been carved. The movie is an easy recommendation to anyone looking for laughs off the beaten path. If it still seems like a backhanded compliment, then there’s the added bonus of Tim Thomerson playing a closeted homosexual…in a totally non-P.C. manner, of course. Those wacky ‘80s!

Click to buy “Jekyll and Hyde…Together Again”

An experimental film that tells its story through a handful of scenes scattered across its black canvas like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle, “The Tracey Fragments” isn’t particularly good or bad – it’s just really unique. Filmed in only 14 days (and looking every bit as under-produced), the movie stars Ellen Page as the titular character, a 15-year-old outcast who recalls the events of the past two days while riding in the back of a bus wearing only a shower curtain. Along the way, we learn all about Tracey’s search for her lost brother Sonny, her fractured relationship with her parents, her dreamlike visits to a transvestite therapist, and her schoolgirl crush on the new kid in town.

Based on the novel by Maureen Medved, “The Tracey Fragments” might just be the weirdest movie you’ll ever see. In fact, I’m willing to bet that of every 10 people that do see it, only half will make it through all 77 maddening minutes. It’s not that the film is especially hard to follow, but it’s just not the kind of movie that most people care to see. The presentation is interesting, but it begins to wear on you as you’re forced to watch the same scenes over and over from different angles. It’s also hard to keep track of what moment you’re supposed to be invested in, because while there are two or three good shots going on at once, they never quite add up to anything more. Director Bruce McDonald is clearly more interested in the technical aspect of the experiment than the story it’s supposed to help tell, and though Ellen Page delivers a good performance in the title role, it’s not one she’ll be remembered for.

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David Zucker should really think about not including the word “movie” in the title of his next spoof film, because even though he’s partly responsible for the series that breathed new life into the genre, it’s just getting too difficult to separate the bad (“Scary Movie”) from the ugly (anything by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer). “Superhero Movie” is a spoof film done right – using the plotline of a single movie in order to create a coherent narrative – unlike the Friedberg/Seltzer method of pop culture overload. In this case, it’s the original “Spider-Man,” but instead of a radioactive spider, high school nerd Rick Riker (Drake Bell) is bitten by a genetically enhanced dragonfly. It doesn’t take long for him to recognize his newly gained superpowers, and before you know it, he’s posing as the green tights-wearing superhero Dragonfly. But when a supervillain known as Hourglass (Christopher McDonald) attempts to drain the life out of New York City so that he may become immortal, Dragonfly’s skills are put to the test as he must protect the woman (Sara Paxton) he loves. On par with the last two “Scary Movies,” “Superhero Movie” isn’t great, but it’s the funniest spoof released in years. Big props to writer/director Craig Malin for not only spoofing the Mecca of superhero movies (San Diego Comic-Con), but also including a song titled “Douchebag of the Year.” The additional superhero bits involving the X-Men and Fantastic Four (supposedly shot after initial production) are completely unnecessary, and the laughs decrease with each passing minute, but it’s exactly what fans of the genre have been waiting for.

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Warner Premiere describes “Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control” as “an industry first, offering consumers and fans of the theatrical release of ‘Get Smart’ the opportunity to enjoy parallel content, an original side story featuring characters from the film, just days after the film’s theatrical release,” but let’s call a spade a spade: even with a token scene or two to indicate that it’s taking place simultaneous to the real film, it’s still just another glorified straight-to-video sequel. Bruce (Masi Oka, “Heroes”) and Lloyd (Nate Torrence, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”), two of CONTROL’s tech guys, find themselves on assignment to retrieve a missing piece of camouflage technology, getting into lots of wacky and zany misadventures along the way. “Heroes” fans will be psyched to see Jayma Mays playing Bruce’s love interest (Hiro and Charlie, together again!), Larry Miller gets to play identical twins (one of them is evil, naturally), and there are entertaining cameos by a couple of characters from “Get Smart” (Terry Crews as Agent 91, Patrick Warburton as Hymie), but while Oka and Torrence are both funny guys, the level of humor rarely rises about slapstick shenanigans and a running gag about how nobody can remember which one is Bruce and which one is Lloyd. Granted, it was a clever, cost-saving maneuver to film “Bruce and Lloyd” simultaneous to ‘Get Smart,’ utilizing many of the same sets, but no one’s going to mistake this for anything that’d ever be released theatrically.

Click to buy “Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control”

This very Parisian suspense comedy-drama was a sensation on the American art house scene during the early 1980s and helped launch a wave of more stylish, genre-oriented, French directors, action-meister Luc Besson included. (It also earned its own palindrome: “Avid was I, ere I saw Diva.”) It’s still fun, and very sexy in a demure, PG-13 way, if also kind of silly and lackadaisical.

Based on a novel by the pseudonymous Delacorta, writer-director Jean-Jacque Beiniex’s feature debut tells the story of a twentyish, scooter-driving postman (Frédéric Andréi) obsessed with a beautiful African-American opera singer (real opera star Wilhelmina Wiggins Fernandez) who, for artistic and philosophical reasons, refuses to allow herself to be recorded. The young man sneaks a high-end recorder into a performance and, after meeting his idol, steals her dress. He soon finds himself pursued by Asian audio pirates, but also by local assassins seeking an incriminating cassette. At the same time, he pursues a light flirtation/friendship with a larcenous Vietnamese teen orphan (Thuy An Luu) – and, shyly, but a lot more earnestly, romances the diva. He’s definitely one lucky celebrity stalker. Among other bits of good fortune, his less famous, underage gal-pal is under the possibly fatherly, possibly not-so fatherly, protection of a mysterious former Special Forces type (Richard Bohringer), who proves to be helpful in his tight spot.

“Diva” is really not about story but primarily about style, music (lots of opera, so be warned), and only then about its characters. While it doesn’t impress me today the way it did when I was the same age as its young postman, it’s still a nifty bauble with one really great foot/scooter chase through the Paris metro and lots of beauty — though buyers should be aware that the Lionsgate/Meridian Collection DVD has taken some hits for its technical quality. The print could probably be better.

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Fans of Bruce Lee might find a movie like “Finishing the Game” a little insulting, but considering the circumstances, it’s hard to imagine the real-life events occurred that much differently. After the shocking death of the martial arts star left his final project (“Game of Death”) unfinished, Hollywood producers set out on a worldwide search to find his replacement. Shot in the style of a mockumentary, “Finishing the Game” tells the behind-the-scenes story of five such candidates: Breeze Loo (Roger Fan), a successful B-movie action star; Cole Kim (Sung Kang), an aspiring actor managed by his girlfriend; Troy Poon (Dustin Nguyen), former star of the hit show “Golden Gate Guns”; Tarrick Tyler (McCaleb Burnett), a half-Caucasian, half-Asian equal rights activist; and Raja (Mousa Kraish), a doctor-turned-stunt double.

Though the laughs don’t come quite as frequent as you’d imagine a concept like this would serve up, “Finishing the Game” is an entertaining addition to director Justin Lin’s eclectic résumé. The reason it works as well as it does is because Lin has compiled a talented cast of Asian-American actors (most of which he’s worked with before) that are all on the same page. Sung Kang, specifically, delivers some of the film’s best moments (despite being given one of the weaker roles), while Dustin Nguyen’s parody of himself is worthy of a few giggles. Cameos by Leonard Nam (as the director’s dream replacement for Lee) and James Franco (as Nguyen’s suicidal co-star) are welcome surprises, while Roger Fan’s performance as the flashy and overconfident Breeze Loo (a melting pot of all those Bruce Lee knockoffs from the late 70s) steals the show.

Click to buy “Finishing the Game”

There are some movies that beg to be viewed in glorious high definition, but “Batman: The Movie” isn’t one of them. It isn’t for lack of trying, however. The special edition Blu-ray release of the 1966 cult classic looks amazing when compared to its DVD counterpart, and it even includes an exclusive extra that tracks the film’s location shooting via an onscreen map. As some people may have noticed with Paramount’s recent release of “Face/Off,” however, HD video transfer isn’t always a good thing. Fishing line can be spotted during Batman’s early run-in with the shark, and Cesar Romero’s under-the-makeup mustache is more evident than ever.

Of course, that only makes watching “Batman: The Movie” even more fun, and so in honor of its grand debut on Blu-ray, here’s a look back at some of the film’s more ridiculous moments. And when you’re done, head on over to Bullz-Eye.com for your chance to win your own copy!

Commissioner Gordon: It could be any one of them. But which one? Which ones?
Batman: Pretty fishy what happened to me on that ladder…
Commissioner Gordon: You mean where there’s a fish there could be a Penguin?
Robin: But wait! It happened at sea… Sea. C for Catwoman!
Batman: That exploding shark was pulling my leg…
Commissioner Gordon: The Joker!
Chief O’Hara: All adds up to a sinister riddle… Riddle-r. Riddler!
Commissioner Gordon: A thought strikes me… So dreadful I scarcely dare give it utterance…
Batman: The four of them… Their forces combined…
Robin: Holy nightmare!

Robin: That crazy missile! It wrote two more riddles before it blew up!
Batman: What goes up white and comes down yellow and white?
Robin: An egg!
Batman: How do you divide seventeen apples among sixteen people?”
Robin: Make apple sauce!
Batman: Apples into applesauce… A unification into one smooth mixture. An egg… Nature’s perfect container. The container of all our hopes for the future.
Robin: A unification and a container of hope? United World Organization!
Batman: Precisely, Robin! And there’s a special meeting of the Security Council today. If what I fear is true…
Robin: Wow! Let’s commandeer a taxi!
Batman: No, Robin. Not at this time of day. Luckily, we’re in tip-top condition. It’ll be faster if we run. Let’s go!

Batman: Listen to these riddles. Tell me if you interrupt them as I do. One: What has yellow skin and writes?
Robin: A ballpoint banana!
Batman: Right. Two: What people are always in a hurry?
Robin: Rushing people… Russians!
Batman: Right again. Now what would you say that means?
Robin: Banana… Russian? I’ve got it. Someone Russian is going to slip on a banana and break their neck!
Batman: Precisely, Robin! The only possible meaning.

Batman: Look at this pair of joking riddles.
Chief O’Hara: What does a turkey do when he flies upside down?
Robin: He gobbles up!
Chief O’Hara: Of course.
Batman: And number two…
Commissioner Gordon: What weighs six ounces, sits in a tree, and is very dangerous?
Robin: A sparrow with a machine gun!
Commissioner Gordon: Yes, of course.

Show: “Stargate SG-1″
Episode: “Family Ties” (Season 10)
Role: Jacek

It has been said…by me, if by no-one else…that when it comes to guys whose mere appearance in a film automatically guarantees that it won’t be a complete waste of time, there’s a tie for the spot at the head of the class between Larry Miller and Fred Willard. I don’t have a bad word to say about either of them, but it must be said that, of the two, Mr. Willard has probably managed to be funny in more different genres.

Yes, even in sci-fi.

Although Willard earned major geek points by appearing in episodes of “My Secret Identity” and “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” (as the President of the United States, no less) and providing voiceover work to “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command,” “Transformed: Animated,” and “The Batman” (he’s also in “WALL*E,” for that matter), the one full-fledged science fiction role on his resume is that of Jacek on “Stargate SG-1.” From the moment the character first appears, two things are clear: 1) Jacek is going to be the episode’s comedy relief, and 2) Willard is going to play this part just like he plays any other part, even if it is on a sci-fi action / drama.

Though the episode technically begins with Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black) and Lt. Col. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) returning from an off-base shopping trip, the excitement doesn’t start until the gang at SG-1 get an unscheduled video transmission. “Hello? Is this thing working?” shouts Jacek, into the camera lens. He introduces himself, explaining, “I don’t get out to your end of the galaxy very often, but I have a friend who lives in the area, and he speaks very highly of your people.” Jacek claims to possess information which reportedly could impact the very survival of Earth, but the information that proves far more interesting comes when Vala identifies him as her father.

Jacek: Vala, is that you? Sweetheart, how is life treating you?
Vala: Certainly better than you ever did.
Jacek: Ouch! I suppose for the benefit of your friends there you’re going to want to list all the reasons why I was such a bad father.
Vala: Oh, I wish I could, but a wormhole can only be maintained for 38 minutes.
Jacek: Ah, you’ve got your father’s wit…
Vala: It’s hardly enough time to cover your inadequacies as both a parent and as a human being in general.
Jacek: …and your mother’s uncanny ability to hold a grudge.

Jacek asks to be brought through the Stargate in order to reveal his information, but Vala refuses to vouch for him; she changes her tune, however, when he reveals that what he knows has to do with a plot to destroy Earth that Arkad set into motion prior to his death. “Take your time, there’s no pressure,” says Jacek. “Just that your whole planet could very well blow up at any moment.”

Cut to the SG-1 team preparing to retrieve Jacek.

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Samuel L. Jackson might be the top-billed actor in this award-winning, Oscar-nominated arthouse flick from 1998, but you’ll be sorely disappointed if you’re expecting him to point an AK at some poor schmo’s head and bellow words to the effect of “All I want from you, motherf**ker, is to give me the motherf**king red violin!” This isn’t that kind of a movie. Crafted with care by the team responsible for the musically inspired 1994 indie hit, “32 Short Films About Glenn Gould,” this Canadian production is filmed in five languages and follows the career of a very special instrument, starting with its creation in 17th century Italy, to Vienna at the height of the classical period, and then to England and the hands of a sex-crazed rock star of a romantic era composer (Jason Flemyng) and his entranced lover (Greta Scacchi). It then moves on to mid-20th century China during the Cultural Revolution, and finally to contemporary Montreal, where a high-end auction house retains an American expert (Jackson, uttering nary a curse word), who finds himself in possession of the perfectly crafted and now legendary instrument.

Each of the tales is visually sumptuous, engagingly melodramatic, extremely well-acted, and not too much more, though a story about a sickly Viennese child prodigy and his conflicted mentor threatens to become poignant. By the time the final tale of possible musical skulduggery is complete, the point is either ridiculously self-evident (”beautiful music and fine workmanship are very powerful and make people do things they otherwise might not”) or something so high-flown I couldn’t quite grasp it. Writer-director Francois Girard and cowriter Don McKeller, who also plays Jackson’s geeky cohort, are a highly talented team, but in this case their work says less about music or the joy and power of craft, than it does about a certain kind of safely entertaining style of tony film-making.

Click to buy “The Red Violin”

The most popular and influential film from the most revered figure in early Hong Kong martial arts cinema, King Hu, there’s no doubting the influence of “Come Drink With Me.” In particular, fans of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” are in for some major déjà vu. This fanciful, occasionally brutal, 1966 Shaw Brothers film stars Chang Pei-Pei (34 years later, the villainous Jade Fox from “Crouching Tiger”) as Golden Swallow, a virtuous super-warrior sent to rescue her brother, who is being held hostage by a vicious gang. Along the way, she meets up with a good-natured drunk (Yueh Hua) who turns out to have several hidden talents.

There is no doubting Hu’s way with imagery and the acting is first rate, but his film nevertheless requires an open mind to appreciate. The relatively crude and choppy fight scenes might disappoint viewers used to the fluid wire-work of later wu xia extravaganzas. Also, some might not appreciate a three-song musical comedy interlude in the middle of the film, though it’s as well pulled off as any scene from a classic Hollywood musical. Finally, the otherwise solid, extras-laden Dragon Dynasty DVD is hobbled by a miserable translation. Unintentional humor caused by poorly written subtitles can be part of the fun of watching old Hong Kong films, but here they make the simple story unnecessarily hard to follow. (An English language soundtrack is less confusing, but, as usual, horribly acted.) “Come Drink with Me” really might be as great a film as its most enthusiastic boosters claim, but until a better translation comes along, it’s kind of hard for a non-Mandarin-speaker to be sure.

Click to buy “Come Drink With Me”

This week’s battle is between two overtly silly comedies pitting comic cloak-and-dagger hi-jinks against sex and scatological jokes, PG-13 division. They also pit a sophomore comedy star whose also a pretty talented actor against a once hilarious sketch comic whose now a…once hilarious sketch comic. Sorry, but I think this one is pretty easy.

* As much as I loved the original series — or perhaps because I loved the original series — I had no interest in a new “Get Smart” movie until I heard that Steve Carrell had been cast. It’s just one of those instances where an actor in a role makes so much sense that it’s pretty hard to resist. I mean even if this — actually the second film about Secret Agent 86 (let’s not forget 1980’s all but forgotten “The Nude Bomb“) — isn’t the greatest comedy ever, how bad can it be? According to the critics, including good ol’ Dave Medsker, the consensus seems to be, not all that bad, if not all that good either. Still, the bar is set not all that high for this sort of movie and while a mean person could make the case that Carrell’s film career peaked when he was a suicidal gay virgin Proust scholar hanging out with Abigail Breslin, he’s certainly built up enough good will from “The Office” to compensate.

Also helping: a strong back-up cast, including another of Carrell’s “Little Miss Sunshine” cohorts, the great Alan Arkin, cast just as perfectly as the Chief — not that anyone could ever replace the great Edward Platt. Then, because it’s a high profile movie made in 2008, there’s Dwayne “no longer the Rock” Johnson as the formerly unknown Agent 23 and Anne Hathaway stepping into the adorable shoes of Barbara Feldon. Even if the movie makes the somewhat counterintuitive step of making Maxwell Smart fairly, er, smart and casting Terrence Stamp, whose played his share of very serious villains (though we all know that General Zod can be downright hilarious) as Siegfried, audiences aren’t going to mind as long as there are enough laughs to go around, and it sounds as if this one might meet the minimum daily requirement.

Personally, though, I’m curious about the catchphrases. One thing about the old series that outpaced most of today’s lowbrow comedy is the use of not the all too common, endlessly repeated single phrase (”Are you having a laugh?”) but multiple, repeated running gags repeated with such borsht-belt shamelessness that this frequently annoying comedy trope achieved a kind of genius. Certainly critics remember: I saw at least two not quite positive reviews complaining that “Get Smart” “missed it by that much.” All I’m hoping for is that, at some point, Stamp as Siegfried dares to utter the lines so perfectly enunciated by the great Bernie Kopell to poor Shtarker: “This is KAOS, we don’t ______ here.” Regardless, however much “Get Smart” makes, or fails to make (there’s some pretty stiff competition this week), it’s almost sure to do better than it’s close competitor….

*So far, “The Love Guru” is most notable for generating some controversy — though nothing compared to the reaction that “The Love Rabbi,” “The Love Imam,” or “The Love Pope,” might have enjoyed/suffered. Religions tend to take it badly when you put religious figues in a context heavy on jokes about urine, feces, and hilarious male genitalia. Still, a defense from star Mike Myers’ real-life guru pal (who’s also has a cameo role in the movie, so we know he’s impartial), Deepak Chopra, probably made no difference to anyone except some Malibu pilates instructors, though this is clearly no “Life of Brian.” While the Indian-American market is a growing and lucrative one, this film has a lot less to fear from outraged Hindus than from outraged members of the critical-American community, who have given the film a moderately abysmal 11% on the T-Meter of life.

In any case, judging by the horrible buzz and the worse trailer, this really does seem to be kind of flick where the critical putdowns it generates are funnier than anything onscreen. Unfortunately, they’re not all not funny either, though I rather liked:

Thus Myers marries his two passions (hockey and not being funny) into one noxious ball. (Walter Chaw)

and

If Mike Myers is obsessed with poop, pee and penises, that’s his problem; if audiences make him rich for playing that out on-screen, then it becomes ours. (James Rocchi)

I hate to say it, but, while I’ve often found Myers hilarious (come back Dieter from “Sprockets”!), I’m kind of rooting against this one because Myers has fallen into bad entertainment habits, possibly stemming from a lack of respect for his audience. Still, it’s hard to overestimate the eternal appetite for jokes about the three “P”s. Or not. If audiences think Myers’ shtick is as played out as a lot of us seem to and “The Incredible Hulk” shows some legs (sorry, Mr. Shaye) a #3 spot for “The Love Guru” seems more than likely, and #4 or even #5 more than justified.

Meanwhile in Indiewood…. Among the limited releases, the aciton epic “Mongol” is going wider this week, opening in an additional 89 theaters, says the Box Office Mojo theater count. Still, while the Mongolian-American community is rather small, Anglo-Indian-Americans miffed at, or too mature, for “The Love Guru” can check out the semi-well reviewed melodrama “Brick Lane” opening in seven theaters. Members of the little-girl American community can see the aforementioned Abigail Breslin in the similarly modestly well reviewed “Kit Kittidge: An American Girl” based on a series of very popular books I had no idea existed until thirty minutes ago, opening in five theaters. And for us indie flick fans, there’s that less modestly well-reviewed, squirmy not-quite-romantic, comedy about parking enforcement we’ve all been clamoring for: “Expired” with Samantha Morton and Jason Patric.

Larry the Cable Guy may have his legion of fans, but even they must’ve realized by now that the blue-collar comic just isn’t cut out to be a movie star. In his latest film, Larry plays a small-town sheriff who rescues a damsel in distress (Ivana Milicevic) from a group of supposed kidnappers. As it turns out, they’re actually FBI agents escorting the woman to Chicago as the lead witness of a corporate scandal, but when it’s uncovered that they’re also in cahoots with the company’s criminal boss (Peter Stormare), Larry takes it upon himself to protect his hostage from further danger. As you can probably imagine, “Witless Protection” is one of the worst movies you’ll see all year. The film isn’t just plain bad, either – it’s the most overacted, under-directed film in cinematic history. Larry acts like a class-A dumbass every chance he gets, while B-list co-stars like Stormare, Joe Mantegna and Eric Roberts should be shot dead for stooping so low. It’s one thing to appear in a movie like this when you don’t know any better, but veteran actors like them should show a little more integrity when earning their next paycheck.

Click to buy “Witless Protection”

Oh, I’ve been waiting to write the first part of that headline since, well, two days ago…though, to be fair, the new film from M. Night Shyamalan did outperform expectations, but more about that further down. Also, let it be noted that I came up with my “smash” headline before seeing the reports of either Variety or the Hollywood Reporter/Reuters. Blame the wordsmithery of Stan Lee for that. Excelsior.

* To no one’s surprise, “The Incredible Hulk” won the weekend — though the amount [Update: Forgot to say $54,538,000!] it won by might have been a surprise to those who, like Nikki Finke’s “insiders,” misinterpreted the controversies the film generated as commercially harmful. Rancorous production/post production only impacts ticket sales if the rancor actually hurts the film artistically. I use the A-word advisedly; what I mean is that audiences don’t really care that much about the behind-the-scenes goings on of a film, except in a gossipy sort of way. What that means, I think, is that they might be mildly more interested in seeing a film if, say, they hear the two stars got it on during the course of the film, perhaps destroying a previously existing marriage or two along the way. “Creative conflicts” only interest a few of us, but it’s true they can increase the odds of making a film that bores audiences — but if the movie beats those odds and most people who see the film are actually satisfied, then the impact is probably zilch. As long as there are no accusations of murder or manslaughter, the already widely mistrusted star doesn’t jump on a couch like a loon or drunkenly yell ethnic epithets and call cops “sugar tits,” few will even notice. And, as I mentioned last time, in a case like this where there is more than one version of the film around, it actually gives the studio a very nice shot at a DVD double dip later on down the road.

There may be some minor impact in a case like this where the star/co-writer is so angry, he refuses to do publicity (with the humorously obvious exception noted by Jason Zingale below), but that’s just one earned media stream that can be replaced by other types of publicity, and in a case like this, there’s obviously plenty to publicize. Besides, popular and talented actor that he is, few people were paying $11.00 to see Edward Norton, mostly they were paying to see Big Green, the second best known Marvel character after Spiderman. That’s not to minimize the importance of a likable star to a film like this, but this isn’t a casting coup that boosts a relatively little known character along the lines of “Iron Man” — and even in that case, it’s hard for me (lacking the power of easy access to studio tracking data, anyhow) to guess how much the quirky appeal of Robert Downey, Jr. (and also Gwyneth Paltrow) drove the initial box office, though there’s no doubt in the actors’ importance to that film’s impressive staying power. A look at B.O. Mojo confirms that “Iron Man” is looking to crack the $300 million domestic mark by next weekend.

* “The Happening” started off the weekend quite strongly in the #2 spot, but suffered a drop later on that, as Nikki Finke correctly implies, might have something to do with exit polls indicating that people didn’t much like it, though it somewhat contradicts her suggestion that the film’s poor reviews were generated by a general low regard toward its director. I’d be a huge hypocrite, however, if I criticized her much for that, since I’m already on record as supporting a wittier version of the same idea from Manohla Dargis. Still, while there’s always a place at the table for schadenfreude in show business, it’s also true that there is no stronger rebuttal to it than a good piece of work, and most agree that just isn’t exactly what Shyamalan came up with. (Our own Dave Medsker praises the directing, while slamming the script.)

Still, I’m in danger of engaging in some of that myself by making “The Happening” sound like a flop just because it came in third with a mere $30.5 million, a few million less than another smash hit, “Kung Fu Panda,” which enjoyed a very modest drop of 43% in ticket sales in its second week (50% or more is common these days), and raked in over $34 million. Audiences, apparently hoping against hope that the M. Night who brought them “The Sixth Sense” still lurked somewhere and maybe kind of liked the idea of a little R-rated blood to go with it, were willing to take the plunge and, assuming it doesn’t suffer too drastic a drop from here on, it looks like a pretty sure thing that the maligned ex-wunderkind will get another at-bat in the big leagues.

The good news here is that Hollywood is showing it’s traditional resilience in the face of an otherwise crappy economy. People are going to the movies despite ridiculously high prices and all the other problems of moviegoing today. A spate of stronger than previous films is helping and, I’d like to think, a partial rediscovery of the importance of stories and characterization hasn’t hurt.

Meanwhile in Indiewood…. As predicted, this wasn’t much of a weekend for new films opening in limited release, but a couple of interesting phenomena are worth mentioning. First this weekend’s most lucrative single screening room might have been New York’s arty Film Forum. In this case, the counterpoint to M. Night Shyamalan’s first R-rated film was the first G-rated film from that lovable madman, Werner Herzog. The eco-polar documentary “Encounters at the End of the World” netted $25,700 this weekend from elitists who nevertheless know that the no one makes adventure docs like Herzog. However, the MPAA rating notwithstanding, this may not really be the kiddies. For one thing, ever ready to stare death in the face, Herzog reportedly seems to think we’re pretty much doomed, though I haven’t seen word just how long he thinks we’ve got. He also seems to take aim at “The March of the Penguins” and — as per alt critic (who also reviews the new semi-documentary from the even more wonderfully insane Guy Maddin) J. Hoberman:

…Herzog immediately questions the birds’ imagined family values, asking a painfully diffident scientist if there are gay penguins. The naturalist ponders the question and suggests that penguin threesomes and even prostitution are not unknown.

And, finally, though it’s made only a pittance so far, relatively speaking, “War, Inc.” is hanging in there as it steadily goes wider each week, despite being a film with predominantly poor reviews in a niche where critics are usually important. Some of that is no doubt due to the star appeal of John Cusack, but some credit must be due to the ongoing publicity efforts of Cusack himself. If you’re of a liberal/progressive bent, you’ve probably gotten an e-mail from Cusack and probably seen articles by and about him at various places. I don’t doubt his sincerity, but it’s an interesting kind of marketing and I’m curious to see how far it’ll take the movie.

In true Hong Kong fashion, “Invisible Target” starts off with a bang when an armored truck is hijacked by a murderous gang of criminal brothers (led by Jacky Wu Jing). Double-crossed and left with nothing to show for it, the gang returns six months later to smoke out the inside man who sold them out. Standing in their way are three cops who are all after the gang for different reasons. Chan Chun (Nicholas Tse) wants to avenge the death of his fiancée, who was killed during the robbery; Carson Fong (Shan Yue) wants to prove himself as a detective; and rookie officer Wai King Ho (Jaycee Chan) is looking for his missing older brother, who was working undercover as a member of the gang.

Hong Kong action thrillers have become extremely formulaic over the last few years, and while a majority of them still manage to be better than average, they’re rarely ever memorable. They’re also some of the worst paced films in cinema, so when it was my brought to my attention that “Invisible Target” clocked in at 130 minutes, I was dreading the worst. As it turns out, the film actually keeps things moving along thanks to some high-energy action sequences, but it slows down considerably after the first hour. Still, while “Invisible Target” is far from Dragon Dynasty’s best modern release, it’s definitely worth checking out. Director Benny Chan conducts some of the best action sequences in the business, while U.S. audiences will get their first look at Jaycee Chan (son of Jackie Chan), who is more than talented enough to take over his father’s legacy.

Click to buy “Invisible Target”

This weekend is all about second chances, with two tarnished movie names seeking just a little bit of box-office redemption. The results don’t seem all that hard to predict….

* As noted by our own Jason Zingale, the rebooted “The Incredible Hulk” was marked by back stage power struggles, not a new phenomenon when actor and semi-inevitable pseudonymous co-screenwriter Edward Norton is involved in a production. Still, from the sound of things, the film will be a hit. While Norton has admitted to fighting Marvel Studios on behalf of his and director Louis Leterrier’s somewhat longer original cut of the film, it sounds now as if that fuss will only add to the film’s commercial potential when the inevitable DVD director’s/star’s cut makes it way to your local big-box outlet just in time for a big green Christmas. The second film from the now self-contained superhero filmmaking outfit really does look like another box-office winner, turning the financial frowns generated by Ang Lee’s uneven “The Hulk” upside down.

Specifically, while reviews don’t drive superhero flicks, good ones certainly didn’t hurt “Iron Man.” In this case, the positive response is likely somewhat boosted by low expectations — generated not only by the prior film, but also by the fact that director Leterrier is no critical fave. Most critics seem pleasantly surprised, but make a point of emphasizing that “The Incredible Hulk” is not quite up to the same level of quality of director as Jon Favreau’s likably character-driven superhero hit — A.O. Scott calls this “the Adequate Hulk” and Robert Wilonsky, a bit more positive deems it “the Pretty Good Hulk.” (The headline writer came up with “The Not-Terrible Hulk.”) Nevertheless, between the reviews and the studio tracking reported by Variety, the film clearly appears to be a more than acceptable means of separating fanboys and more general audiences from their entertainment dollars, while generating interest in a later DVD purchase — or two. All in all, it spells good times for Marvel Studios and Big Greenie.

* Fiscal redemption may be a lot harder to come by for this weekend’s other major new release, “The Happening,” in which people spontaneously off themselves for reasons unknown. The newest film from the most famous director ever with an unpronounceable/unspellable name, acclaimed tyro writer-director turned critical punching bag M. Night Shyamalan, stands unreviewed by Bullz-Eye, though from what the mighty Tomatometer tells us, it sounds like our critics might not be missing much. On the other hand, Manohla Dargis finally persuades me she really is as good a writer as my fellow cinephiles say she is, with her spirited, if qualified, defense and this crackerjack doozy of an opening graph:

The knives had been out and sharpened long before M. Night Shyamalan’s latest movie, “The Happening,” opened on Friday. A fine craftsman with aspirations to the canon, this would-be auteur has, in the last few years, experienced a sensational fall from critical and commercial grace, partly through his own doing — by making bad movies and then, even after those movies failed, by continuing to feed his ego publicly — and partly through the entertainment media that, once they smell weakness, will always bite the hand they once slathered in drool.

Accurately stated, I fear, when it comes to the gentlefolk of the press. As for audiences, while the still rising star of Mark Wahlberg and the genuine appeal of costars John Leguizamo and the usually wonderful Zooey Deschanel (not so much here, says Dargis and every other review I looked at) won’t hurt, I’m sixth-sensing another big disappointment here. Certainly, it’s a little strange to hear the studio making a big deal in their advertising about this being Shyamalan’s first R-rated film, as if a little extra blood and maybe an F-word or two was reason enough to plop down $10-15.

It’s a classic case of trying to turn a liability into an asset, but with Shymalan’s brand set as a not quite master of politely old-fashioned thrills and chills, the gorehounds aren’t going to be coming out for this one. Also, there’s the issue of the title and a certain lesser-known hit by the Supremes sure to kill any sense of horror in those who grew up hearing it, which I discuss over at my other blogging home. In any case, there are any number of strong flicks in competition, most especially the well-regarded family-friendly “Kung Fu Panda,” so “The Happening” will be lucky to come in the top 5.

* It’s looking like a quiet Father’s Day weekend in Lake Indiewood, where the men are not always good looking but the reviews are all above average. However, the (so far) 100% Tomatometer latest from the Duplass Brothers looks promising. Their “The Puffy Chair” is one of the cornerstones of the so-called mumblecore movement, and “Baghead” the comedic, semi-horror flick about the indie film biz, debuting in — where else — Austin, Texas — sounds like fun, if only for another chance to see the fetching Greta Gerwig from the controversially low-key “Hannah Takes the Stairs.” Say what you will about the film (which I quite liked but I could imagine hating, if I disliked the sound of neurotic people talking), she’s a cutie.

It wasn’t that long ago that I saw a poster for “Mama’s Boy” promoting its upcoming release at a major theater chain (after all, you don’t forget a poster featuring Jon Heder wearing a goofy Viking outfit), but its recent debut on DVD seems to indicate those plans have since been abandoned. Of course, with a recent string of box office duds under their belt, Warner Bros. probably felt that a theatrical release wasn’t worth the effort, and they were right. It’s not that the movie is unwatchable, but rather that it’s so much like the ill-received “Mr. Woodcock” that the chances of it turning a profit weren’t strong enough to warrant a publicity campaign. The film stars Heder as Jeffrey Manus, a 29-year-old mama’s boy who, following the death of his father, has pledged to remain at home with his mother (Diane Keaton) for the rest of his life. But when her new boyfriend, Mert Rosenbloon (Jeff Daniels), suddenly moves in, Jeffrey engages in a childish rivalry to win over his mom’s attention. Though the film shares many similarities with “Mr. Woodcock,” the one thing “Mama’s Boy” is not is a dark comedy. Instead, the film takes a more straightforward approach, and it’s all the better for it. It’s not a great film by any means, but “Mama’s Boy” is innocent enough that fans of Heder won’t feel entirely guilty picking it up.

Click to buy “Mama’s Boy”

It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see a new “Transformers” cartoon after the massive success of Michael Bay’s live-action film, but is it any good? Well, it’s hard to say. The first DVD release of the show (“Transformers Animated: Transform & Roll Out”) only includes the one-hour pilot, and though it serves as a decent introduction, there’s nothing particularly special about it either. The basic setup is also too much like the live-action film (Megatron was discovered by a scientist, the Transformers are protecting the Allspark, etc.), which only begs to ask the question: what’s the point? Additionally, the Transformers selected for the core cast are mediocre at best. Classic Autobots like Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Bumblebee are all solid choices, but what is Bulkhead doing there, and why is a Prowl a motorcycle? On the flip side, only Megatron and Starscream warrant spots on the Decepticon team, while lesser-known bots like Blackarachnia, Blitzwing, and a completely new character named Lugnut aren’t exactly first-rate selections. Add to that a group of lame human characters and a total lack of action, and I can’t see how any “Transformers” fan would be interested in the animated series. In fact, the only memorable moment of the entire disc came from the special features, in which Optimus Prime stars in an animated short where he’s speaking to a class of kindergarteners. It’s definitely a must-see, but save your money and just look for it on YouTube instead.

Click to buy “Transformers Animated: Transform & Roll Out”

American moviegoers may have lost interest in Asian horror remakes a long time ago, but that hasn’t stopped Hollywood from attempting to cash in on the next “The Ring.” Unfortunately, every movie since then has only looked like an inferior knock-off (namely because a lot of these Japanese ghost stories are the same), and though “The Eye” hails from a different part of the Far East, it shares a similar fate. Jessica Alba stars as Sydney Wells, a blind concert violinist who’s been given the chance to see again thanks to a surgical transplant. With her vision restored, Sydney attempts to reimmerse herself in society, but when she begins having vivid nightmares about the dead, she teams up with a therapist (Alessandro Nivola) to track down the history behind her donor.

Though David Moreau and Xavier Palud (the two-man team behind the cult European horror flick, “Them”) are extra careful about respecting the source material, “The Eye” is incredibly dull. Then again, so was the original film, so if it was their intent to make a scene-for-scene remake, they’ve succeeded. There’s just not a whole lot of substance to the story. Sydney spends most of the film trying to convince her friends and family that she’s not crazy, but it never actually goes anywhere until the final act. By then, most of the audience has already tuned out, and though its Hollywood-sized budget (not to mention Jessica Alba) makes watching the film easier on the eyes, there’s no other incentive to choosing this version over the one directed by The Pang Brothers.

Click to buy “The Eye”

This is one of those rare weekends where, my predictions are called more or less correctly. Yay for me. (Hey, I also completely nailed the ultimate Democratic primaries results last winter — not that I ever get credit for this stuff.)

* “Kung Fu Panda” delivered the Five Point Exploding Heart Technique to naysayers with a powerful $60 million opening weekend. Nikki Finke points out that almost any animated film about something furry seems to do well, which is true, but I’ll point out her other observation, which is that “Panda” is “playing” more like an action film than a kidflick. Seems to me this is another combination of the power of films that combine adult and kid appeal which, in an especially strong film reaches beyond parents and into people without kids (and not just fanboy geeks like yours truly).

In fact, I pretty much knew this one was going to exceed expectations when I attended traffic school yesterday when a rather obnoxious (and really large) guy who kept babbling throughout the day, asked me out of no place during the class if “Kung Fu Panda” was out and seemed delighted when I tersely muttered “yes.” Also, an “insider” attributes part of the success to the popularity of pandas. This brings up some questions, such as, on the hierarchy of species, what are the panda’s Q rating…and is panda the new penguin? Only time, and unimaginative movie executives, will tell.

* “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” didn’t mess up anyone’s expectations much, and the magic of Adam Sandler’s name delivered a reliable $40 million to a grateful Sony Studios. No word on whether or not the movie received any bump from the not-so sizable Jewish market grateful to see a bad-ass Jew for a change. (In movies, as in real life, you pretty have to go to Israel for that kind of thing.)

One item I found interesting from Nikki Finke’s column is that the audience for the film was divided about evenly between males and females, which is not what you really expect for this kind of comedy. Is the Judd Apatow brand — and the guy only cowrote the film (back when he wasn’t yet famous) — really that strong with lay audiences? Considering his string of hits, it’s not impossible that he could have developed a bit of a brand name in there some place.

* As for the ongoing hits, there plenty of b.o. (that’s “box office”) to go around, with “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Sex and the City” both doing very respectably in the low $20 millions.” Last weekend’s surprise minihit, “The Strangers,” experienced a typical drop for a horror flick in its second week, earning about $9.25 million. Meanwhile, “Iron Man” flies on nicely with just over $7.5 million earned over the weekend.

* In the limited release sweepstakes, as I thought might happen, the general buzz and critical excitement generated by the violent swords & sandals-go-East Ghengis Khan biopic, “Mongol” really did seem to pay off this weekend, as the film exceeded even my own hopes and made it into into the top twenty while playing at only five theaters nationwide — earning an epic $26,600 at each theater on average, despite subtitles and a complete lack of names familiar to an American audience. This looks like a good blow for the seemingly lost cause of old fashioned storytelling. Expect a much wider release for this one and check out the almost outstanding trailer. (I say “almost” because it’s really getting to be time to retire the use of metal-style guitars at the of every action film trailer, especially if it’s a period piece. Also, did Picturehouse really need to add all that narration? Do they really think letting some guy talk over the whole trailer will make audiences think it’s not in an Asian tongue?)

* Two other indie releases had acceptable debuts for indies, the Box Office Mojo tells us — though nothing on the scale of “Mongol.” The English drama “When Did You Last See Your Father?” earned $41,100 at eight theaters. And the workplace comedy “The Promotion“, which I didn’t mention last time, received $28,900 in compensation at six theaters, despite weak reviews for an indie. Chalk that one up to the growing familiarity and even star power of John C. Reilly and, I guess, Seann William Scott (not my favorite performer, but I guess someone likes him) despite blasé reviews, never good news for a small-scale an indie flick.

Color me impressed. By the time the animated sci-fi Western, “Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers” made its debut in America’s syndicated markets in 1986, yours truly was a senior in high school who only allowed himself one specific cartoon vice: shows based on Marvel and DC properties. As such, this series totally and utterly passed me by during its initial run, and it stayed off my radar for the subsequent 22 years. Now that Koch Vision has taken it upon themselves to begin a DVD reissue of the show, I’ve been given the opportunity to investigate that which I missed the first time around, and…wow. With a Japanimation style immediately reminiscent of other classic ’80s series like “Battle of the Planets” and “Star Blazers” (to use my own personal frames of reference), “Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers” features the late, great Jerry Orbach as the voice of Zachary Foxx, captain of the so-called “series 5 Rangers,” leading a team on behalf of the Bureau for Extra-Terrestrial Affairs as they defend humanity’s new space outposts from the less savory aliens of the galaxy. This is not one of those cheap, “design the toy first, figure out the cartoon later” shows; it’s a full-fledged sci-fi epic, with gorgeous designs and intricate story arcs, presented here in the order that they were intended. In other words, it’s not designed for stupid kids (although, granted, there’s some silly stuff), but it will prove fascinating to those who enjoy both quality sci-fi and quality animation. There are a bunch of special features, including the original pilot / demo reel, interviews and commentary with creator Robert Mandell, and more. The best part, though? This is only Volume 1. (Vol. 2 is due out in August.)

Click to buy “Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers: The Collection, Vol. 1″