Filmed in the summer of 2004, The Amateurs has been in the can for over three years. The movie's title has gone through several changes, and imdb still lists it as The Moguls. The film has had a whopping six release dates going back to 2005, but it finally sputters into theaters today -- in Los Angeles and Dallas, anyway. Movies often have distribution trouble (you can read more about the problems this one faced in the Los Angeles Times), but the struggle of The Amateurs surprised me because it had all the makings of a sleeper hit. It's got a killer premise (think The Full Monty with porno) and an amazing cast. The film's struggle surprised me...until I saw it.

A queasy mixture of Boogie Nights sleaze and Patch Adams sentimentality, The Amateurs takes place in the small town of Butterface Fields (ho-HO!). That's where you'll find Andy Sargentee (Jeff Bridges, in shaggy dog Lebowski mode), a divorced dad who is down on his luck. His son (Alex D. Linz) is now living with a wealthy stepfather (the typically solid Steven Weber), and this makes Sargentee insecure. He's got to make some money, and fast. So, naturally, he decides to enlist the help of his friends and make an amateur porno flick.

The long-in-the-works Edgar Allan Poe biopic may be a step closer to getting produced. Cinemablend is reporting this as an "unconfirmed rumor," but it sounds like Viggo Mortensen may take on the juicy role of one of the most famous (and famously drug-addled) horror authors of all time. Who is writing and directing this biopic? Why, Sylvester Stallone, of course! The site's source says "Stallone has recently met with Viggo Mortensen and has offered him the role of Edgar Allan Poe in the film. Mortensen is considering the role although he wants some slight revisions in the script."

Since Stallone announced this project years ago, various actors have been mentioned as possible Poes. That list includes Robert Downey, Jr. and Johnny Depp, who certainly seem like fitting choices. The Cinemablend source also mentions that Clifton Collins, Jr. (Capote) and John Hawkes (American Gangster), two solid actors who look a lot like the author, are being considered should Viggo bail. Back in 1994, Stallone spoke about his Poe biopic with Interview. saying "I could probably produce it or direct it. I couldn't play Poe, because there's no way the baggage that I would bring to the role could ever be assimilated by the public. But I should do it, because it's the best thing that I've ever written, including Rocky or Paradise Alley." Stallone may consider the Poe screenplay his best, but what is his deepest and most profound script? Quoth The Raven, "Rocky Four."

Additionally, for more Stallone, USA Today has published a photo along with a lengthy article on the new Rambo film, due out early next year.

Personally, I'm not too into most country movies unless they're from the '80s and star Dolly Parton. I'm not sure exactly why, but she just makes the crooning country music palatable. But this film isn't about her. There's an indie flick in the works from writer/director Ryan Craig called Small Town Saturday Night. Sound familiar? It's that ol' Hal Ketchum song -- "We're gonna howl at the moon, shoot out the light -- It's a small town Saturday night." The flick has got a classic song, and fittingly, a classic country story that comes to a head one summer Saturday night.

Chris Pine (Smokin' Aces) stars as Rhett Ryan, a country musician itching to follow his dream, but he also doesn't want to leave his woman, Samantha (Bre Blair, TV-stint actress and long ago, Stacey in The Baby-Sitters Club movie). She loves him, but questions whether he's the guy for her and her daughter. Meanwhile, Tommy (Shawn Christian, For Your Consideration) is a deputy trying to keep the peace while Donny (John Hawkes, Sol Star on Deadwood) is struggling and making Tommy's life difficult. Then there's also Les (Adam Hendershott, Butters on Veronica Mars), a kid wanting to fit in and be accepted by his big brother's friends, but his mom wants him to stand out. Their lives interconnect and come to a head during Rhett's final performance.

Will there be cheating and other dysfunction? Only time will tell. The Hollywood Reporter says that the "movie also will have a strong country feel to it," obviously, and Craig is going to make use of some Nashville relationships to get cameos from country music stars (as well as have a part in the film as Wade Jeffries). Workshopped at a Sundance conference, the film is currently shooting in California.