Macho macho men

Magic Mike

Crit

Ah, of all the things I love about the movies, maybe the best is that they take me somewhere I've never been and may never otherwise be--in this case, to a beefcake strip joint. And I gotta say, the stripping is good: sexy-funny, an eros firmly, you should pardon the expression, tongue in cheek. The only oddly straight-faced aspect is the emphatic heterosexuality, which is particularly odd given that the strippers often take the stage looking like Village People--and considering the story in today's Times today about the film's appeal for gay men.

It's an entertaining film, but ultimately a conventional one--the guy who thinks he has everything but is nothing without the love of a good woman.

Trailers

• The Apparition--Tagline: "Once you believe it, you die." Paranormal porn.
• The Watch--Bet this isn't as good as Attack the Block.
• For a Good Time Call . . . --More female empowerment via the sex industry, this time on the phone.
• Campaign--Wait, haven't we already seen Will Ferrell as a politician with no convictions?