Digital Popcorn

If you’ve seen the trailers for “Stop-Loss,” there’s a particularly memorable Ryan Phillippe quote: “I honored my contract, and I expect the army to do the same.”

Only one problem: The quote is nowhere in the film.

And there seems to be good reason for that. Soldiers taking to the Internet, including on the movie’s IMDB.com page, point out that a standard enlistment contract is for eight years — and whatever is not served in the active military will be served as a reserve.

Although the terminology isn’t there, “stop-loss” is clearly in the contract, too: “In a time of war or national emergency declared by the Congress, I may be required to serve on active duty for the entire period of the war … ,” the contract says. (Although, Phillippe's character does argue that President Bush has declared the war is over.)

Check out section 10 of the contract here.

It’s no wonder the Phillippe quote found its way on to the cutting room floor. But how did it ever make it into the trailers in the first place?

Was writer and director Kimberly Peirce in such a rush to make a political statement that she didn’t bother to read an enlistment contract until just prior to the film’s release? Or did she think her audience was too ignorant to know the truth or too lazy to find out?

With or without the quote, knowing how clear the contract is, it waters down, if not completely destroys, any sort of message Peirce was trying to make about a solider who was dumbfounded that he was being sent back to Iraq. He obviously never read his contract.
— Ryan Chatelain

* Stop the presses! Jessica Simpson has a kidney infection.

* Cameron Diaz likes boys.

* "Father of the Bride" co-stars Diane Keaton and Steve Martin will reunite on-screen for "One Big Happy."

— Korin

Thinking of staying in this weekend? Check out the latest DVD releases:

* "The Mist": An adaptation of Stephen King's novel about a small town that's engulfed by an evil mist.

* "The Kite Runner": Khaled Hosseini's award-winning novel about two childhood best friends is brought to the big screen.

* "Wristcutters: A Love Story": Souls who committed suicide find that the afterlife isn't all it's cracked up to be.

My childhood friend and I checked out the classic 1963 Brigitte Bardot film “Contempt” at the Film Forum on Wednesday night. I myself am not a big fan of French cinema, but I love things French and find their style irresistible.

I went in clueless and with an open mind. Shortly after finding our seats a women with big hair had positioned herself in front of my friend. After a chuckle we decided to relocate but realized the theater was now packed to capacity — and with mostly men — curious indeed. I soon found out why…

“Contempt” stars the blonde bombshell Bardot, Michel Piccoli and Jack Palance. Piccoli plays a screenwriter married to Bardot. Their marriage is clearly on the rocks as soon as Piccoli accepts a writing job from producer Palance, who plays “an ugly American” with great zeal. It goes something like this — Bardot pouts, Piccoli wants to know why and Palance stomps around like a peacock glaring at Bardot and berating those around him.

But the plot really is secondary to Bardot’s well, how can I put this delicately, her perfectly shaped derriere. Director Jean-Luc Godard spends countless frames on it, shooting it from all angles in various Italian locals — Capri is stunning with and without Bardot’s bootylicous bod. The movie was shot in Cinemascope — Godard takes his time showcasing Italy with grand slow pans. I found the music overpowering and repetitive. Was Jean-Luc trying to get a point across or simply could only afford one movement? “Maybe it’s a French thing,” my friend suggested.

"Contempt" is playing through Thursday at the Film Forum, Houston Street, west of 6th Ave. Showtimes: 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30.

— Peggy Mihelich

* Heath Ledger is getting early rave reviews for his turn as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." Check him out in the movie's trailer, above.

* The "X-Files" movie plot is still under wraps.

— Korin

(Jason Segel and Kristen Bell in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall")

If you use mass transit in New York City, you've probably noticed (and been bewildered by) plain black-and-white billboards slamming one Sarah Marshall.

"My mom always hated you, Sarah Marshall" and "You do look fat in those jeans, Sarah Marshall" turn out to be witty promotions for a movie starring Veronica Mars, Jackie from "That '70s Show" and someone named Jason Segel.

Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd have roles in it as well. Sarah Marshall, played by Veronica Mars (all right, her real name is Kristen Bell), would be the protagonist's ex-girlfriend he is trying to get over.

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" opens April 18.
— Emily

* Ryan Phillippe says it's "bizarre" to see pics of his ex-wife and her new beau in magazines.

* "Horton Hears a Who!" is kicking tail overseas.

* Elizabeth Banks will play Laura Bush in a biopic of George W. Bush.

— Korin

Somehow I missed this one! It looks like Mr. Big stands Carrie up at the alter, Charlotte finally gets pregnant and Steve cheats on Miranda (oh Steve, why?!).

— Korin

It's OK to judge a movie by its trailer. Or rather, most movie goers do, which makes it perfectly acceptable in our book. Here's the latest analysis ...

The movie: "Chapter 27"

In theaters: Friday

The plot: Following David Mark Chapman (Jared Leto) in the days before he assassinates John Lennon. Also starring Lindsay Lohan.

The trailer: Holy hot dogs — Jared Leto gained a lot of weight for this role!; Jared-as-David Mark Chapman wants to meet John Lennon; An obsessed Lennon fan (played by Lindsay Lohan) becomes pals with Jared, even though he's obviously a weirdo; Jared wants to go someplace ASAP; LiLo leaves Jared before seeing John; Jared talks to himself in an annoying whispery voice

This looks really, really bad.
— Korin

Is Jessica Alba stumping for IBeatYou.com or what?

The pregnant actress posted a message on her blog Monday, showing off a lip-synching video she made with a few folks from the site. She mentioned the site several times in her blog post and even titled it "My fun ibeatyou video!"

I'm guessing she got a lil' cash from this. Thoughts?

— Korin

* Rekindled love alert! Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson are getting cozy again.

* "Shutter" gets a bad early review.

* Tony Soprano has a new gig.

— Korin

It's OK to judge a movie by its trailer. Or rather, most movie goers do, which makes it perfectly acceptable in our book. Here's the latest analysis ...

The movie: "Drillbit Taylor"

In theaters: Friday

The plot: Three friends hire a bodyguard (Owen Wilson) to protect them from the school bully.

The trailer: Kids skip the hip-hop bodyguard, Israeli secret service guy and man who burns his hand in coffee (was that necessary?) to choose Drillbit Taylor, a guy who claims he protected three vice presidents, Bobby Brown and Sylvester Stallone; Aww - the little guys are picked on a lot; Drillbit pretends to be a teacher (Owen looks mighty nice in a suit!); The little guy's a big wimp; Drillbit's homeless pals infiltrate the teacher's lounge; Owen's nose is broken again; The little guys get their groove on; The big kid starts sleeping naked; Uh-oh! Judd Apatow's wife likes Drillbit!

Looks funny to me. Definitely worth a theater trip.
— Korin

* "Drillbit Taylor" gets a bad early review.

* Photos of J-Lo and Marc Anthony's twins are coming! But does anyone care that much?

— Korin

I finally got away from the Spitzer coverage just long enough to catch the second half of Jack Black and Mos Def's "Be Kind Rewind." Black is not funny, but Danny Glover's small-business-owner-pushed-against-the-wall character was endearing enough.

But the scene stealer, and the character who made the movie, was ditzy and loving Alma, played by native New Yorker Melonie Diaz. Alma is naive, straightforward and absolutely charming. Will definitely catch another Diaz movie ASAP. You should, too.
— Emily

* Kristin Davis' rep says her client does not have a sex tape.

* OMG! Gwyneth has a new haircut!

* R.I.P., Anthony Minghella.

— Korin

Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) receives letters from her dead (Irish) husband, Gerry (Gerard Butler), in "P.S. I Love You."

— Korin

Brit Tristan fights to win the hand of his secret Irish girlfriend, Isolde in the aptly-named "Tristan & Isolde."

— Korin

Relive the final scene of "Rudy," the heartwarming tale of the little Notre Dame footballer that could.

— Korin

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we'll be rolling out scenes and trailers from our favorite Irish-centric movies like "Far and Away" (above).

Enjoy!

— Korin

"Horton Hears a Who!" trampled the box office this weekend, netting $45 million.

The animated film, based on Dr. Seuss' best-selling children's book, trounced the competition — No. 2 film "10,000 B.C." earned just $16.4 million.

Here's the full breakdown, per Media By Numbers:
1. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!", $45.1 million.

2. "10,000 B.C.," $16.4 million.

3. "Never Back Down," $8.6 million.

4. "College Road Trip," $7.9 million.

5. "Vantage Point," $5.4 million.

6. "The Bank Job," $4.9 million.

7. "Doomsday," $4.7 million.

8. "Semi-Pro," $3 million.

9. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $2.9 million.

10. "The Spiderwick Chronicles," $2.4 million.

— Korin

(Left to right: Lindsay Lohan; Ashley Alexandra Dupre)

Lindsay Lohan is about to get her biggest role since "Mean Girls" — and she doesn't even know it.

The troubled actress would be perfect to play Ashley Alexandra Dupre (aka "Kristen") in the movie version of the Spitzer scandal. C'mon — you know the story is going to be turned into a film.

We were originally pulling for Jennifer Garner, but, well, she's too wholesome-looking.

Who do you think should play Ashley on the big screen?

— Korin

Jim Carrey hit the red carpet for "Horton Hears a Who" alongside girlfriend Jenny McCarthy and their extended family — McCarthy's son, Evan, and Carrey's daugther, Jane. Aww.

— Korin

* Robert Redford is concerned about a river.

* Edward Norton's shopping around an Obama documentary.

* The Tribeca Film Fest lineup has arrived!

— Korin

(Left to right: Eliot Spitzer, Tom Hanks)

In the wake of Gov. Eliot Spitzer's quasi-admission that he frequented a prostitution ring, it's time to look toward the future.

And the future is ... Eliot Spitzer's scandal, the movie! (Or Lifetime original film.) So, what do you think? Who should play Eliot on the big screen?

My vote's for Tom Hanks.

Thoughts?

— Korin

So I've just learned that the not-so-well-received "10,000 B.C." stars pretty boy Steven Strait as D'Leh. Haven't heard of this guy? You may have heard about how horrid his movies are.

Strait was in 2005's kid-friendly "Sky High" as conflicted bad guy Warren Peace (get it?). Then came "Undiscovered" that same year about underappreciated musicians. Might I add Ashlee Simpson was also in "Undiscovered"? Ouch.

In 2006, the dark-haired actor was in "The Covenant," a supernatural thriller about an elite group of high school students whose eyes turn all funny when they're pissed off.

Scary contact lenses aside, Strait's best costume is in "10,000 B.C." Loincloth and dreadlocks. He's easy on the eyes, but his acting makes me want to utter a caveman's grunt of disappointment.
— Emily

(Clockwise from left: Leslie Mann, Judd Apatow, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow)

Maybe I'm slow to the game, but I just learned that hilarious "Knocked Up" star Leslie Mann is married to Judd Apatow. How convenient!

The couple's daughter, Maude Apatow, also starred in the comedy as Sadie, one of Mann's on-screen children with Paul Rudd. Their other daughter, Iris, was apparently too young to be in the film.

— Korin

* Despite rumors to the contrary, George Clooney is not engaged, his rep says.

* Adam Sandler is joining forces with Judd Apatow again. And where Apatow goes, Seth Rogan follows.

For years, many have speculated about Jodie Foster's sexuality. (Remember Out magazine's "Glass Closet" cover, featuring her face and Anderson Cooper's?) But the actress still refuses to divulge details about her love life.

It's commonly acknowledged that Foster has had a longtime relationship with producer Cydney Bernard (both her children have Bernard's name — Charles Bernard Foster and Kit Bernard Foster), but IMDB.com has taken it one step further. The movie database has this under Foster's "Trivia" section:

"Has been in a serious relationship with Cydney Bernard since they met on the set of the movie Sommersby (1993)."

In-ter-esting.

Although she publicly thanked "my beautiful Cydney" after receiving the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award in December, odds are, Jodie would not be thrilled if she saw the IMDB shout-out.

Check out her full bio here.

— Korin

Attention "Karate Kid" fans!

Now, you too, can dress like Daniel Larusso in "The Karate Kid." Seriously.

Newly released DVDs of the cult '80s movie are stuffed with a bandana — just like the one Daniel wore when he laid the crane down on the evil Cobra Kai kids. And it's just $4.95!

You better believe I already bought mine.

Check out Daniel and his bandana in action, above.

P.S. They're at Target

— Korin

Well, color us surprised!

Despite horrible reviews, "10,000 B.C." and "College Road Trip" led the box office this weekend. "10,000 B.C." took the top slot, netting $37.5 million, while "Road Trip" snagged $14 million.

Here's the full breakdown, per Media By Numbers:

1. "10,000 B.C.," $35.7 million.

2. "College Road Trip," $14 million.

3. "Vantage Point," $7.5 million.

4. "Semi-Pro," $5.8 million.

5. "The Bank Job," $5.7 million.

6. "The Spiderwick Chronicles," $4.8 million.

7. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $4 million.

8. "Jumper," $3.8 million.

9. "Step Up 2 the Streets," $3 million.

10. "Fool's Gold," $2.8 million.

— Korin

Thinking of staying in this weekend? Check out the latest DVD releases:

* "Into the Wild": A young man (Emile Hirsch) leaves his family and friends to find himself in the wilderness.

* "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium": The owner of a magical toy store passes on ownership of the shop to its manager in this fantasy tale.

— Korin

Here's the trailer for "Short Circuit II." How cute is Johnny 5?!

— Korin

Ever come across those deliciously amazing movies you loved as a kid? And when you verbally rehash the plots, they seem a little ... awful?

"Short Circuit 2" (I, apparently, never saw the first one) and "Batteries Not Included" were at the top of my Top Ten list when I was a lil' one. They're definitely up there on my Netflix queue now, as an experiment to see if they're still as engaging as I once found them.

Check out the trailer for "Batteries Not Included," above. Think it has ever-lasting awesomeness potential?

(P.S. Did you know this is a Brad Bird film?!)

— Korin

* OMG! New secrets have been revealed from the "Sex and the City" movie. (And, psst — Cynthia Nixon says Miranda has to deal with "infidelity issues" in her marriage.)

* Patrick Swayze is undergoing chemotherapy.

— Korin

The official trailer for "Anna Nicole," the Willa Ford-starring biopic on Anna Nicole Smith has arrived! And it looks ... very low budget. (Although, props to Ford for sounding just like Smith.)

What do you think?

— Korin

* The ever-shirtless Matthew McConaughey is launching a clothing line.

* Blockbuster and IFC buddy up.

— Korin

It's been several years since I saw "Zapatista!" but it came up in conversation last night, so I thought I'd share. The documentary delves into the world of the Zapatistas, an indigenous tribe in Mexico, who argue that globalization is destroying their way of life. According to the doc, the Mexican government is trying to persecute them.

Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha appears in the film, as do several Rage songs (yes!). (De la Rocha wrote "People of the Sun" about the Zapatistas.) It's definitely worth a rental, if you're feeling the need for a lil' education. Most people have never heard of the Zapatistas, or their movement.

Check out the trailer, above.
— Korin

It's OK to judge a movie by its trailer. Or rather, most movie goers do, which makes it perfectly acceptable in our book. Here's the latest analysis ...

The movie: "10,000 B.C."

In theaters: Friday

The plot: Young mammoth hunter D'Leh (Steven Strait) travels through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe.

The trailer: A guy sprints through blades of grass (We think — it's really hard to tell with the super-fast camera segment); Whoa — we're going back in time, baby!; Fire!; Snow!; People trekking through snow!; Boats!; Scary animals chasing a guy!; Ticked off mammoths!; Sabre-tooth tiger!; People raising spears!; Pyramids!; Another tiger! More mammoths!

According to the trailer, there's little to no dialogue in this movie and a heck of a lot of intense moments. Eh.

— Korin