Potent Quotables: Maria Montez Edition

"If being straight means never getting to see a Maria Montez movie, I'd prefer to remain as I am."
-- Writer/composer Stephin Merritt in The Advocate.

"Geef me that cobra jool!"
-- Maria Montez in Cobra Woman.

Links via Advocate.com and Imbd.com.

The Latest in Theaters: The Boys of Summer

Summer is winding down, but this week's new releases have plenty of hot leading men to keep you warm:

- The Nanny Diaries: "It" girl (Scarlett Johansson), meet "It" boy (Chris Evans). From the creators of American Splendor, this romantic comedy co-stars Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti and Alicia Keyes.

- War: I don't know how this actioner -- starring Jason Statham vs. Jet Li -- slipped by my radar. Perhaps it was that totally nondescript title? Co-stars John Lone and Six Feet Under's Matthew St. Patrick.

- The 11th Hour: A.k.a: Leonardo DiCaprio in An Inconvenient Truth, Part II.

- Resurrecting the Champ: Josh Hartnett is a green newspaper reporter who stumbles upon his "big story" in the form of Samuel L. Jackson's homeless man.

- Dedication: Ah, a romantic comedy about mismatched straight people ... never seen one of those. Mandy Moore and the prettier Billy Crudup star in the feature directing debut of Justin Theroux, another Six Feet Under alum.

- And finally: If you grow tired of all these hunks on display, you can always check out Rowan Atkinson and Willem Dafoe in Mr. Bean's Holiday.

Visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!
Links via Imdb.com and InsideSoCal.com.

All Points Bulletin

Shaun of the Dead has become a popular cult favorite, so the next film from its trio of creators -- director/co-writer Edgar Wright, star/co-writer Simon Pegg and co-star Nick Frost -- had a built-in audience, but also the built-in expectations that go along with that situation.

I enjoyed Shaun, but felt that it fell apart in its final third. Nevertheless, I found their latest comedy, Hot Fuzz, to be not just a hilarious buddy cop movie, but a simultaneous homage to and elevation of the genre. On top of all that, it is a bloody good action flick too.

As opposed to his underachiever Shaun, Pegg plays an overachieving London police officer who is shuttled off to a sleepy village because he's making his fellow officers look bad. He is partnered with the dim-bulb Frost, who is obsessed with American supercop movies, and the friendship they develop is one of the best onscreen in recent memory, devoid of any gay panic that is the norm in such movies.

Sprinkled throughout the cast is a host of Britain's best actors, including Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Bill Nighy, and (in an unrecognizable, uncredited cameo) Cate Blanchett, all game for the silliness on hand.

Click here to purchase Hot Fuzzon DVD from Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com.

Women We Love: Dolly Parton

Although primarily known for her incredible recording career, we love Dolly Parton for her movies too.

Dolly made her film debut in the beloved office comedy 9 to 5. The role of Doralee was likely tailored for the screen novice, but who cares. She is delightfully sassy in it, and her Oscar-nominated title track is a recurring theme song for anyone who has ever punched a time clock.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas followed, and despite her miscasting, Dolly charmed us again. And who could ever forget her heartbreaking rendition of her own "I Will Always Love You", years before Whitney Houston and The Bodyguard ruined it for everyone. After Burt Reynolds in Whorehouse, Dolly teamed with Sylvester Stallone in Rhinestone and ... well, the less said about that the better.

Dolly next joined the sterling ensemble cast of Steel Magnolias, thereby increasing the film's gay fave-ness tenfold. Her role in that film also led to her memorable guest appearance in one of the best episodes of Designing Women - just try to watch it without bawling your head off.

After Straight Talk (another misguided romantic comedy with ... James Woods?), Dolly has mostly stayed away from movies. That is, until she gave us the gift that was her brilliant, gospel-inspired anthem "Travelin' Thru", featured in the movie Transamerica. The song netted here her second Oscar nomination.

Returning full-circle to her first film success, Dolly is currently working on the score for the Broadway-bound stage musical version of 9 to 5.

Link via Imdb.com.