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It's kind of hard to get a read on The Wackness based off this first trailer (via MTV), but it does seem to sport a badass soundtrack -- never a bad thing, if you ask. As we previously told you, The Wackness first premiered back at Sundance to rave reviews from the online press (with the exception of our own Scott Weinberg, who felt the film as a whole was a tad too long). Two more of my friends recently attended a screening of The Wackness and loved it, but said not to expect too much going in. I'll be checking out the film myself later this month at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the rest of you can see it when The Wackness hits theaters on July 3rd. Odd release date, I know, but this film definitely has a summer vibe to it -- hopefully it won't get lost in the shuffle. Additionally, you can see stills from the film here and we'll bring you more of The Wackness in just a couple weeks.

Whatcha think?

Juno
She came onto the scene with a bang, charming audiences and quickly becoming a sensation. Of course, after the press she got, and buzz that followed, many have grown sick of the snarky teen and her Diablo Cody dialog that often crosses over the line from quirky to tired, but one thing always remains -- the phenomenon that followed the film centers on the fact that it's a wildly enjoyable comedy.

Ellen Page stars as Juno, a young woman who has discovered that she's gotten pregnant from an interlude with Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). After mulling over her options, she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption -- to the awkwardly yuppie couple Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman). The story is simple, and it's the delivery that gives Juno charm. Within the over-the-top dialog exists real, flawed characters and a lot of heart. This is the sort of film that exists on many levels. For some, it will be utterly perfect as they delight in undone doodles, a melange of cultural references, and a moment in time that wonderfully encapsulates today and yesterday. For most of the rest, it will still be a great and enjoyable comedy because there are so many pieces to the Juno puzzle -- one might not capture you, but another piece is sure to.

There are three DVDs to choose from, and each one ups the ante on the other -- refreshingly, no matter which you pick, you're sure to get a large selection of goodies to watch. On the single disc version, there's a bunch of deleted scenes, a gag reel, gag take, cast & crew jam, and even screen tests. When you add another disc to the mix, there's a digital copy and four featurettes -- about the kids, Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman, and creating the film. Finally, with the Blu-Ray option, you get all of the above features plus two extras from Fox Movie Channel Presents.

Check out Scott's Review, and Kim's | Buy the One-Disc, Two-Disc, Blu-Ray

It was 1987. All Keith wanted was Amanda Jones -- the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who caught the eye of rich jerk Hardy Jenns and became one of the popular girls. It didn't matter that he had the super-cool Watts pining for him, nor that he'd saved all of his money for college. He stood up to Jenns and took Amanda out on one of the most memorable dates to ever hit the big screen -- super cool, yet super tacky when you think of that whole "you're wearing my future" bit. All he wanted was love and art school, no matter what his dad said about it.

Twenty years later, things haven't changed. Variety reports that Kopelson Entertainment has picked up a spec by Barry Schwartz called Parents Weekend. The project is "a youth-targeted comedy about a college freshman, secretly attending art school, who must convince his parents he's still enrolled in the college of their dreams." I guess this dude didn't have the nerve that Keith had to stand up to mom and dad. Still, I'm always amused by plots or real-life stories where people create elaborate ruses to save their asses. Doesn't it get confusing and tired really quickly?

Arnold Kopelson said of the script: "All of us at the company were laughing out loud reading it, while at the same time drawn into a story with a lot of heart that both college kids and their parents can appreciate." That sounds promising. The next step would be casting, so what college-aged actor would you pick?

We already know that Kristen Bell is going to have some unconventional suitors in the new romcom When in Rome -- Jon Heder signed onto the cast back in March to play a smitten street magician. But in all the names that I could imagine being added next, there's one that definitely didn't cross my mind. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that the next eligible bachelor to get his shot at nabbing the young, sleuthing, electric, heart-breaking Bell: Danny DeVito.

As we already know, Bell will play a "love-starved New York Curator" who takes a trip to Rome and steals coins from a fountain of love to try and get her chance at romance. When she gets home, she discovers that it actually worked -- a number of men try to woo her. But another bit of the puzzle has now been added by THR, that explains the whole thing -- the coins she steals were tossed there by the men who end up pursuing her.

The question that remains: will these men just try to catch her gaze when she walks on by, or will we see a nice, romantic sit-down dinner with Danny and Kristen? And an end-of-the-night kiss? It could be interesting, to say the least. The film, which also boasts the likes of Will Arnett, Josh Duhamel, Anjelica Huston, and Dax Shepard, begins filming this month in New York City.

About 35 years ago, writer/director Barra Grant was an actress and one of the Daughters of Satan (who got to be married to Tom Selleck). But the on-screen days ended in the 70s, and now she is gearing up for her latest film, a new romantic comedy that has a pretty solid ensemble cast. Variety reports that the new feature, which is called HangingOutHookingUpFallingInLove, stars the likes of Richard E. Grant, Carrie-Anne Moss, Janeane Garofalo, Rita Rudner, Camryn Manheim, Caroline Aaron, and Johnny Pacar.

The film will focus on "a newly separated father having to learn how to date again with help from his teenage son who himself dreams of conquering one girl's heart." How... full of love. There's really nothing about the description that sets it apart from other romcom fare, or that makes it sound anything less than super-sappy, but I'm wondering if that spice will be left up to the cast. There's some snarky talent in the mix, which could make things considerably more interesting, or just be another romcom derailment (think The MatchMaker).

But that aside ... While I understand how some misspelled words or noticeably bad grammar can help make a film's name memorable, is that really the best way to go? Why have a 7-word title all smushed together as one?

For starters, I had no idea that a fourth Austin Powers film was even on the horizon. So imagine my surprise when the Boston Globe reported that Gisele Bündchen was in talks to star in the latest installment of Mike Myers' spy franchise. According to the Globe, Bündchen has already been given a script and her agent is arranging meetings with Myers and producer Jay Roach.

Myers first spoke about another Austin Powers film back when he was still prepping The Love Guru with Jessica Alba. Myers had told MTV, "We're developing a fourth [movie], entirely from Dr. Evil's point of view." Myers also said that he would only be working on a Powers film in his spare time. Judging by Myers' slate for 2009 it doesn't look like he is going to have much free time; the actor is still attached to star in the Keith Moon biopic, See Me Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure, as well as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (both films are scheduled for release in 2009).

Forgetting Sarah Marshall finds Jason Segel vacationing in Hawaii to forget the girl (Kristen Bell) who just dumped him. Alas, she's at the same resort with her new beau! It's the latest comedy from the Apatow camp, and it hits theaters this weekend. Cinematical spoke one-on-one with the film's director, Nicholas Stoller, regarding the movie, his upcoming Muppet project, and how much onscreen penis is too much onscreen penis.

Cinematical: Is it intimidating for you knowing that every movie associated with Apatow these days is such a comedy event? Does that put pressure on you as the director to live up to that standard?

Nicholas Stoller: Not really, I'm still excited I got to make a movie, so I'm not really thinking in terms of if it's going to be a big event. Our movie was cheap so we don't have to make up that much money. It amuses me, and I hope that it amuses more people.

Cinematical: It amused me, so there's one extra person anyway.

NS: We have you and me and we just need 30 million more Americans.

As Jack Handey put it, "It takes a big man to laugh at himself, but it takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man." Crimewave is about that big kind of man, and his partner: two electrocutioners on a rampage. They prowl the streets in a truck with a hog-sized stuffed rat on top, with red light bulb eyes. The driver is Faron Crush, who looks like Paul Sorvino playing the Incredible Hulk. HIs sniggering partner Arthur (Brion "I'll tell you about my mother" James) wears a jumpsuit, fingerless leather gloves, and a flat leather cap the shape and color of a cow-chip. If you ever had a nightmare about Gallagher, that's what Arthur looks like. The two maniacs carry with them "a shocker," a killing-machine that has three settings: "Rat," "Man" and "Hero". And they have no motivation beside malice and sheer professionalism.

When most films traverse the seas of melodrama, they balance it with either a thick layer of absurdity or a heavy reliance on the desperation for passion and love. While a film like Meet the Parents will take an ordinary situation and make it extraordinary with a series of over-the-top gags and painful to-watch bad luck, another, like any of Sandra Bullock's romcoms, will infuse its quirky protagonist with the burning need for love and a host of romantic ideals. Chaos Theory, however, leaves all of that aside and explores the territory of melodramatic love by focusing on the way each character lives their life and reacts to big moments. It has its share of over-the-top moments and sentimental scenes that would make cynical viewers cringe, yes, but those are only a small portion of the experience.

Ryan Reynolds stars as Frank Allen, a man who has built his life on a carefully organized timetable of index cards. He is so invested in this way of life, in fact, that he has made a career out of it; he has written a successful book about efficiency, and teaches others how to live his carefully constructed index card existence. It works wonderfully for him until the day that his well-meaning wife, Susan (Emily Mortimer), turns the clock back ten minutes and shatters the intricate structure of his day.

Usually, heavy drama and inspirational fare are mixed into hard-hitting or heart-sagging packages. But sometimes, the tough-to-swallow is mixed with comedy -- not in a way where the funny is the only thing that matters, but in a way that helps move the story and keep you out of that moviegoer depression. When done right, it can be a really enjoyable experience -- one that makes you think, feel, and laugh.

Now, I'm cheating a little bit for this double feature. One of the films just came out on DVD this week, but the other doesn't come out until Tuesday (Double Feature of the Future!). But having received both screeners, and having them sitting here on the desk, looking at me, I couldn't help but use them because they go so well together. Both contain some pretty dramatic moments, but the drama is couched in levity. I present: Music Within and Lars and the Real Girl -- two films that embrace the marriage of comedy and drama, as well as people who get past their own fears and offer help to others.