Things to do in bed with George Clooney.

- I'm writing this just after midnight. I would've written it sooner, but the whole holiday weekend thing has thrown me off. I mean, I forgot what day it is. So, a few minutes ago, I was on my couch watching one of my favorite movies, thinking that I should blog about the film the next time I do a "Things to Do ..." list. Then, I realize the next list should go up immediately. So the lead item on the list should be the movie that reminded me to write the list, I guess. And that movie is OUT OF SIGHT, Steven Soderbergh's 1998 crime-caper-romance-comedy masterpiece starring a suave, fast-talking, sexy-as-all-hell George Clooney and a beautiful, talented, interesting, intelligent, top-of-her-game Jennifer Lopez. (Trust me, it's good, and she's amazing in it.) The movie also stars Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn, Catherine Keener and Albert Brooks, and, because it's based on an Elmore Leonard novel, it has this wicked cool Tarantino feel to it. It's maybe Clooney's best performance, if only because he's charming in the movie, and Lopez, whose shotgun-toting federal marshal character was given a spinoff television series called KAREN SISCO, hasn't been as good in any movie since. As often as I watch OUT OF SIGHT, which is available again on DVD after a couple years, I'm always surprised by just how clever it is. The opening bank robbery's great. The trunk scene alone is worth the price of a rental. And the central caper is twisted and clever. So, because it cheered me up again, I highly recommend you watch OUT OF SIGHT if you've not seen it. And, if you've already seen it, watch it again.


- OK, so the reviews I've read for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST are about what I was expecting. I'm still going to see it. I didn't mean to suggest I wasn't enthusiastic, for Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow is a fantastic character. And Keira Knightley's great lately. I'm just nervous that the movie won't have a plot as focused as the last one's. Plus, I'm scared that they might try and have Orlando Bloom emote. (I didn't see KINGDOM OF HEAVEN or ELIZABETHTOWN, guys. Did I miss anything? My friend Jenipher says that, unless he's Legolas, Orlando Bloom sucks.)


- When is A SCANNER DARKLY coming to Atlanta? After watching Richard Linklater's DAZED AND CONFUSED last week, I'm more excited about this animated Keanu Reeves futuristic thriller than ever. If successful, the Philip K. Dick adaptation might be scary good.


- So, since there's a heavy dose of criminal movies on my list this week, I think I should go ahead and recommend KISS KISS, BANG BANG, a very funny caper movie starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan that I watched this week. It was made last year by Shane Black, the guy who wrote LETHAL WEAPON, but it only saw a limited release, probably because it's ridiculously hard to categorize. It's based upon a pulp fiction detective novel. It's sorta gay-themed but not schmaltzy. It has ridiculously good, quotable dialogue. The girl in it is hot and funny. It's satire of Hollywood. It's self-aware. And it's violent. And the three leads are really good in it. I was surprised.
- Before my bank account went haywire this week, I managed to buy the new Panic! at the Disco album called A FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT. Some songs on it are really catchy, but it has yet to completely grab me. Still, I like the one song I bought the thing for. It's more panic than disco, and I was disappointed.
- Someone told me that the last HARRY POTTER book may come out exactly one year from today, and the date seems like a marketing dream. Get it? The seventh book on 07-07-07. Anyway, that's just a rumor I heard.
- I saw that Fiona Apple's coming to Chastain in August, and I want to see her. Her last album is a regular in my car stereo.
- Some friends of mine went with me to THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA over the Fourth weekend. The movie was really good, and I had a lot of fun with my friends. Still, a situation from the outing has stayed in my mind, and I hope that my friends don't mind me taking a question from it. My friend's boyfriend was invited to come to the movies with us. A week before the movie, the two of them broke up. Still, my friend said he wanted to remain friendly despite the end of the romance, so the ex tagged along to the movie with us. Everything went smoothly, for my friend was way cooler about the situation than *I* would've been. Still, there were moments during the outing when I kept my eye on the ex to see that he didn't pull something shady or mess with my friend. THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What's the oddest or most awkward run-in you've had with an ex? Are there exes you're still mad about or mad at even years later? Any particularly dramatic bad breakup stories? Do you find it difficult or easy to maintain friendships with your exes?