Young Gun

The real star of 3:10 to Yuma, and more Second Amendment–friendly picks

September 4, 2007

MOVIES: Sure, Bale and Crowe are the draw (so to speak) in James Mangold's remake of 3:10 to Yuma, but watch for Ben Foster (above) earning his spurs as Crowe's right-hand bandito. The gun-friendly theme continues with Clive Owen's jokey Shoot 'Em Up, though we're more intrigued by two limited releases: Jeff Garlin's directorial debut, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, and Apollo-mission doc In the Shadow of the Moon.

BOOKS: Fall book season (if there is such a thing) starts in earnest with what critics are already calling Denis Johnson's masterpiece, the 624-page, Vietnam-set spy novel Tree of Smoke. Junot Díaz's first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, is, at 352 pages, relatively brief and, we hear, fantastic. Elsewhere, Senator Clinton's husband goes out on a limb by endorsing charity in Giving (though we suspect he'd rather scope out hipster hotties in the Misshapes photo book), and Assouline's American Fashion arrives just in time for New York Fashion Week.

TV: James Gandolfini returns to HBO Sunday night a very un-Tony way: interviewing ten Iraq vets for the riveting Alive Day Memories. Earlier, the network premieres both Tell Me You Love Me and season six of Curb Your Enthusiasm—that should flow nicely. Finally, Jeremy Piven hosts Fashion Rocks Friday on CBS, TMZ's gossip show debuts Monday in syndication, and the Saints and Colts kick off football season Thursday on NBC.

MUSIC: Guilt by Association features indie types like Devendra Banhart and Superchunk reworking cheesy classics, though the highlight is Petra Haden's a cappella "Don't Stop Believin'." Always guilty, sometimes a pleasure, Ted Nugent drops Love Grenade, his first studio record in five years, and Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn gets a three-CD update.

DVD: The complete series—a.k.a. season one—of Paul Haggis' whacked mob drama The Black Donnellys hits shelves, as does 30 Rock's first season and the first two seasons of underrated comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Also: Johnny Depp and co. swap Hunter Thompson stories for Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride.

WEB: The Rugby World Cup begins Friday—and somehow, the U.S. qualified. Watch free online at www.closetsontheair.com, or shell out for more comprehensive coverage at www.rugbyworldcupvideo.com.