Four years after Connie and Carla failed to set the world on fire, Nia Vardalos has left the writing to someone else while returning to the safe turf of Greece for her new film, My Life in Ruins. Vardalos plays an Athens tour guide tired of all the grating tourists, obnoxious locals, and scheming colleagues in her life, and if the trailer -- link removed at request of studio -- (for those who don't mind Greek subtitles) is any indication, things might just change for the better soon enough.

There has yet to be any specific Stateside release date announced -- Fox Searchlight tentatively has it scheduled for 2009 -- but the crowdpleaser pedigree of Vardalos and director Donald Petrie certainly doesn't hurt the film's chances of outgrossing the $8 million that Connie raked in theatrically (whether or not the downright loud pairing of Harland Williams and Rachel Dratch will is a different story).

Also in the name of safe-bet follow-ups is I Hate Valentine's Day, a rom-com written and directed by Vardalos that reunites her with My Big Fat Greek Wedding love interest John Corbett. That project also bears an equally vague '09 release date, but I have trouble thinking that it couldn't be out of post-production and in theaters by next February.

It looked like Nia Vardalos' career was over after the crappy, buzz-sucking television adaptation that was My Big Fat Greek Life. Then, a whole slew of years later, we hear that she's coming back with My Life in Ruins. The film hasn't even had its world premiere in Greece yet (it screens on May 22), and she's got another one on the way. At least this time, she's not following a film up with a crappy TV show. (Man, it was such a disappointing adaptation...) To make it even more appealing, she's also going back to her big hit roots.

Variety reports that Vardalos is once again getting sexy with her My Big Fat Greek Wedding co-star John Corbett for the upcoming romcom I Hate Valentine's Day. The project, which was written by the actress and will mark her directorial debut, is being called "a comedy for the romantically challenged." It focuses on "a romantic, carefree florist who charms a commitment-phobic restaurant owner into trying her theory of 'relationship-less' dating."

Ideally, I'd like to see that remain a "relationship-less" scenario, just to be something different, but I'm sure one or both of them will succumb to the throes of passion and fall in lurve. It is a flick for Valentine's Day after all.

But I ask you: Can this live up to their first pairing?

What do you do when there are no more Asian horror flicks left to rip off remake? Well, you hire some of the finest Asian filmmakers, fly 'em over here, and hire them to churn out American horror movies, of course! After having Takashi Shimizu remake his own The Grudge for American audiences (and to much profit, of course), Sony tapped the vaunted Pang Brothers (The Eye) to helm something kinda similar to the most popular Asian horrorshows ... but not really. This explains why this new trailer for The Messengers looks a whole lot like just another haunted house piece, only with pale phantom limbs where they shouldn't be and those creepy twisted bodies that twitch around in icky fashion. (Call it The Amityville Horror meets The Grudge, as if there's much difference in the first place.)

Written by Mark Wheaton (Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone) from a story by Todd Farmer (Jason X), The Messengers seems to be about a teenage girl who sees spooky spirits after her family moves into a dusty old house. Imagine that.

If there's a saving grace here (aside from it being a horror movie and therefore something I must see eventually) it could be the cast: Kristen Stewart, Penelope Ann Miller, Dylan McDermott and John Corbett can usually contribute enough for a half-decent 90-some minutes. Either way, you can expect a PG-13 all the way from The Messengers, as it hails from Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures, the diet-horror production shingle that gave you Boogeyman and The Grudge 2. Let's just hope the movie's a lot better than the trailer. The Messengers opens on February 9.

Kevin Smith's professional trajectory can be seen from many angles. For example, there are his challenges in the professional world -- from troublesome studio involvement in Mallrats to the lethal sting of bad publicity for Jersey Girl. However, what is more noticeable is his struggle to include his mature life with the humor and fart jokes of his past success. As Smith became a family man and Jason Mewes got off drugs, his scope changed, and his films just don't work like they used to.

Perhaps his cinema struggle is why he's put an increasing amount of attention into television. He's not only fulfilled his dream of being on Degrassi, but he also joined Joss Whedon as praising fan and guest star of Veronica Mars. But even still, a guest appearance is just a brief foray, a weekend vacation. Now Smith actually has a starring television role, one he hopes will teach him something about acting.

The show is Manchild, a BBC adaptation that might ring bells as the show Anthony Head joined towards the end of his stint as Rupert Giles on Buffy. As Smith has said on his website, he'll act alongside "real, honest-to-goodness actors," most notably John Corbett. I often find it jarring when new actors face old pros, so only time will tell if that will be his kiss of death or a positive influence. What do you all think? Will Smith's new job give him the insight to improve the films of his future, or should he stick to directing his friends and occasional philosophical bursts?