A+E

MOVIES: He may be, as Five for Fighting reminds us, only a man in a silly red cape, but Superman figures to have a big June. Superman Returns on June 28 in the breathlessly awaited film Brian Singer abandoned his X-Men to direct.

If newcomer Brandon Routh looks a little too bland to fill Dean Cain's tights, let alone Christopher Reeves', the casting of Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor will get us into the theater. If the idea of an invincible flying underwear model sounds a bit, um, far-fetched, try the talking vehicles of Cars (June 9) instead. Pixar cofounder John Lasseter directs the voices of Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt and Owen Wilson. If early previews were so-so, industry buzz says Pixar's quality streak remains unbroken. Actual cars, of course, are a major cause of global warming, subject of An Inconvenient Truth (June 23), a sober, captivating documentary featuring Al Gore. Yes, we used captivating and Al Gore in the same sentence.

MUSIC: More Supermania. Sound of Superman (June 13) worships at his red-PJ'd feet with a collection of pop-punk originals and covers, including the Sun's "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" (the Kinks) and the Academy Is' "Superman" (the Clique/R.E.M.). Best-of collections are rarely cause for celebration, but Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best of the Replacements actually includes a pair of brand new cuts: "Message to the Boys" and "Pool & Dive." Could a reunion tour be far off?

BOOKS: The novel everyone will be talking about in June is John Updike's Terrorist. It delves into the mind-set of a suburban teen driving a truckload of explosives toward New York's Lincoln Tunnel. Where's Superman when we really need him?

Oliver Stone's World Trade Center

If United 93 proved Hollywood could make a movie about 9/11 without resorting to cheap sentimentality, the trailer for Oliver Stone's upcoming World Trade Center (August 9) suggests the exact opposite, with its swelling, heartstring-tugging music, slo-mo running, tearful embraces and somber onscreen text about heroism. The film's real-life inspiration has a happy ending, guaranteeing an emotional reunion at the end of the film. Also, Nicolas Cage's mustache is very distracting.

"Happy Hour" by sculptor Greg Allred. First of all, it's the Silver State, right? So Greg Allred's steel Nevada has a burnished, silvery finish. And what goes on in this pointy-edged paradise? Well, we've got that colorful Cowboy-and-Indian thing, Hollywood department. And, of course, in the bullet flung from the revolver suspended to the left, appropriately in Southern California. The sunglasses and dollar sign hint at the all-in-fun nature of the state's principal metropolis—no, not the one northeast of Elko. Here in Fab, munitions tests are just a part of the empty pageant of play. Greg Allred's exhibit Killing Time: New Work in Steel is on exhibit through July 14 at the Clark County Government Center.

Cirque du Soleil: Lovesick (NR) (3 stars)


$24.95

Few movies are released anymore without at least one behind-the-scenes featurette. The ones that don't find a home on HBO or Showtime are reserved for a film's DVD incarnation. Because nothing particularly enlightening is required of the participants, few making-of mini-docs rise above the level of infomercial. Cirque du Soleil: Lovesick is an exception. Not only does Lovesick do a terrific job chronicling the creation of Zumanity, Cirque's gift to highbrow T&A, it also reveals the fragility of performers embarking on a journey into the unknown. Also palpable is the concern on the faces of the producers and MGM Mirage executives, who, in effect, put $15 million on the pass line in a very expensive game of craps. The performers recruited to make Zumanity come alive likewise were gambling on their futures. In addition to meeting the demands of the Cirque brass, the performers wrestled with separation anxiety, impending parenthood, nudity in the service of art and the peculiarities of life in Vegas.

After seeing the traumatic birth of Zumanity, it's difficult to imagine how the show lasted three weeks, let alone nearly three years. It continues to prosper at New York-New York, though. Like the show itself, the DVD isn't for kiddies.