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I never claimed to have the most refined taste when it comes to movies (and if you need proof, take a look). Sometimes my taste is downright mind-boggling, and no amount of public scorn can stop me from sitting down for multiple viewings of flicks that most of you out there wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. So, on that note, today I'm going to tell you about a movie I love that usually earns me my fair share of some blank stares: About Last Night.

This '80s 'classic' was directed by Edward Zwick (a far cry from his war epics, I know) and was based on the David Mamet play, Sexual Perversion in Chicago. The film starred 80's wunderkinds Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Jim Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins (providing most of the comic relief) in a tale of romantic misadventures among young professionals in Chicago. The film was my first exposure to 'serious' romantic drama, and when I first watched it as an 11-year-old girl, I felt like I was quite the grown-up -- mainly because for once, I understood most of the dirty jokes.

The film may have blunted some of the edge of Mamet's play and provided a happy ending that didn't exist in the original, but as a time piece of pre-AIDS sexual politics, this movie can't be beat. About Last Night was the perfect antidote to the easy and simple romance I had seen up on the big screen, and no matter the time or the place, if I catch this movie on TV, I'm hanging in until the very end.

After the jump: in defense of bad taste, and one of the many reasons I love this movie: obscure 80's love songs....

Warm, witty, and wise are all words I would happily use to described The Invention of Lying. Ricky Gervais, who co-wrote and co-directed with Matthew Robinson, stars as a screenwriter in an alternate universe. (Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Rob Lowe, and Louis C.K. also star.) It's a world that resembles our world, except that everyone is compelled to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, at all times -- not simply be honest when asked, but volunteer all manner of unflattering information. It's a cute premise that allows the dark, droll humor of Gervais to prevail, resulting in a very funny movie that eventually morphs into a treatise -- some would say a broadside, but I think it's far too kind and empathetic -- on religion, spirituality, and the importance of leading a "good" life.

Here's the rub: Gervais' character is also a wee bit hypocritical. (OK, a whole lot.) As he admits in the film, he's a middle-aged, overweight, snub-nosed little man, not much in the physical looks department. His charming personality, keen intelligence, and acerbic humor all serve to balance the books nicely as an overall package, but not in the eyes of Jennifer Garner, who plays a shallow-minded woman. All she wants is a good match in the gene pool, and Gervais doesn't measure up. So why does he pursue her?

I have this feeling the brilliant Ricky Gervais probably won't make it big in Hollywood. Now before you get all riled up, hear me out: Whenever Gervais gets the chance to 'ingratiate' himself into the Hollywood big-time, let's face it, the results are less than cuddly. In fact, more often than not the guy winds up on a demo reel of controversial moments. Gervais is someone who can't sit down with Elmo without it turning into a moment of subversive comedy, and that is what I love about him. But the biggest thing that stands between Gervais and a big movie career (other than an absence of a six-pack and capped teeth) is that the man just couldn't care less about playing nice -- and it's that quality that has earned my eternal respect (after all, it takes a lot of guts to put this scene in a Christmas special).

Gervais has been making some inroads stateside with the romantic comedy Ghost Town -- a relatively successful film that tried to capitalize on Gervais' fondness of creating sympathetic yet unpleasant characters. Granted, it wasn't a big hit, but it was well liked enough and managed to win some fans who weren't strictly Office devotees. But I think the big test for whether or not Gervais becomes movie star is his directorial debut, This Side of the Truth, with Jonah Hill, Jennifer Garner, and Rob Lowe. But even if Truth doesn't work out, Gervais and long-time creative partner Stephen Merchant will be going back to slightly more familiar territory when they team up with Sony for a coming of age flick, The Men at the Pru, about a group of men working at an insurance company in the 1970s.

If I wasn't already sold on Ricky Gervais' comedy, This Side of The Truth, then this picture alone would convince me to shell out my hard earned dollars -- and keep in mind, I don't normally say that kind of thing about a film starring Jennifer Garner and Rob Lowe. Over at Gervais' production blog, the comedian has posted some new photos from his film about a writer who invents the art of lying. Gervais has always been a big fan of all things web-related, including his massively successful podcast series, and various blogging endeavors. So to be expected, Gervais has been pretty consistent with updates, with only a few of his trademark diversions here and there.

Truth was written by Matthew Robinson and Gervais, and the cast includes a nice helping of comedic heavyweights. Monika already brought us the news about Christopher Guest and Tina Fey signing on. The two will be joining Jonah Hill, Jeffrey Tambor, John Hodgman, and Louis C.K. in what is shaping up to be what I would call a comedy 'dream team'. This is Gervais' first attempt at directing a feature film, and according to reports coming off the set, everyone is having a fine old time. Filming will wrap in the next couple of weeks, and then Gervais is off to England to put the final touches on the film.

This Side of the Truth will arrive in theaters in 2009.

Maybe I'm just indulging with some wishful thinking, but with a cast like this in a story from the mind of Ricky Gervais, what could possibly go wrong? The Hollywood Reporter announced that Jonah Hill has signed up for a role in Gervais' romantic comedy, This Side of the Truth. Hill will be joining Gervais, Rob Lowe, Jennifer Garner and Louis C.K. in the story of the first man who more or less invents the art of lying.

The official story is described as "a storyteller whose job is to ramble on about the 1300s. Faced with losing his job because his terrain is a boring period in history once he gets beyond the Black Death, he invents lying as a way to save himself." Of course he becomes seduced by this awesome power and uses it to woo a woman who is way out of his league. Garner stars as that woman, Hill will play Gervais' depressed neighbor, and comedian C.K will appear as Hill's loser roommate.

The film is Gervais' first stab at directing a feature film and he will be sharing the duties along with his writing partner Matthew Robinson. Personally I was hoping for someone a little, well, funnier for the part of 'the girl' but maybe this is Jennifer Garner's chance to finally be funny (especially since I like to pretend that the irritating and somewhat sexist comedy 13 Going on 30 never existed). I guess I'll find out just how funny Garner can be when This Side of the Truth arrives in theaters sometime in 2009.

Remember that upcoming movie about the guy who is the first person to lie, and "harnesses its power for personal gain?" That's the Ricky Gervais comedy The Other Side of Truth, which is now called This Side of the Truth. Gervais wrote the script with Matthew Robinson, and the two will share helming duties this spring, when the flick jumps into production. In November, he picked himself a cute love interest in Jennifer Garner, and now Variety reports that Rob Lowe has also jumped into the mix. Uh oh. Could Ricky really compete with Robby?

As it's being described now, the comedy focuses on Gervais, who is "a storyteller whose job is to ramble on about the 1300s. Faced with losing his job because his terrain is a boring period in history once he gets beyond the Black Death, he invents lying as a way to save himself." I'm really loving this latest description of the film, as I can't help but be interested in spastic premises from entertaining comedians. So through lying, Gervais' character becomes a success and woos a looker out of his league (Garner), but I wonder how Lowe fits in. Will he ultimately get the girl when Ricky's lies are revealed? Or, will he have charmed her so much that not even Lowe could rip her away? We'll find out some time in 2009.

Yup it's the holiday season, and while The Specials is not a Holiday movie, it is an oddly endearing comedy about family, albeit a dysfunctional "family" of superheroes. The Specials are the world's sixth or seventh greatest superhero team. According to the film's opening scrawl, they have spent many a day fighting both natural disasters and super villains, but today is not one of those days. This is because -- with the exception of a brief CGI sequence -- the film's meager budget does not allow the characters to demonstrate their amazing powers. What we are left with is a day or so in the life of a superhero team struggling for respectability, and it seems they're on the verge of attaining it. Kosgro Toys is about to unveil its new line of Specials action figures, which will finally put them in the same league as The Crusaders, The Annihilators, and The Anti-Evil Gang.

The team's newest member is Night Bird (Jordan Ladd), a plucky young lass with bird powers and wide-eyed idealism. We meet most of the team members as she does, and they are, at best, a quirky bunch. The group is lead by the laser-shooting Strobe, played with Shatner-esque nuances and supreme arrogance by Thomas Haden Church (who switches sides and becomes a super villain in Spider-man 3). The Strobe's wife, Ms. Indestructible, played by Paget Brewster, is carrying on an illicit affair with the team's most popular member The Weevil, played by Rob Lowe. Following a truly disastrous roll-out of The Specials' action figures, Strobe learns of the affair and dissolves the team.

Wilmer Valderaama is soooooo cute; Joseph Fiennes is shy.

Apparently being repeatedly killed and resurrected by your boss is not the worst job you can have.

 Sundance Rule #387 - Rich celebs love free stuff! Picking up free stuff at the Nintendo swag suite: Joel Madden, Lucy Liu, John Malkovich, William H. Macy, Rob Lowe and Tommy Lee. Quick! Someone grab a camera and shoot an indie film with those folks as the cast.

Overheard after a screening of The Hawk is Dying, starring Paul Giamatti: "That hawk was not free. Not a single character in that movie was free."

Flavorpill Sundance has a video interview with  American Blackout director Ian Inaba.

Our friends at GreenCine Daily have some good reviews up of a trio of docs.