We appear to be in the midst of a minor movie-going crisis. We've just witnessed the most anemic box office weekend in five years, and with Nicolas Cage's "Bangkok Dangerous" as the only new major release, who can be surprised? I don't know if this is an early effect of the writers' strike (I didn't expect that to come into play until next year), but whatever the reason, I'm not having any part of it.

By the time this column runs, the Coen Brothers' "Burn After Reading" will have been released, and the fall movie season will have officially kicked off. Until then, I'll take this opportunity to discuss some things that hopefully are more relevant and interesting than the prospect of watching a poorly aging Oscar winner slumming it in yet another dull action flick.