Aaron Eckhart puts his rugged features to good use here, taking a break from soppy romances (Love Happens) to kick some alien butt.

Defending a crown generally brings more pressure than challenging for one, so both relief and pleasure washed round Haydock's winner's circle yesterday after the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Imperial Commander, opened his season with an authoritative success in the Betfair Chase. The nine-year-old, ridden by Paddy Brennan, took control of the three-mile contest after the first circuit and, though tiring on the testing ground in the closing stages, held Tidal Bay's late flourish by a length and a quarter.

It’s been open season on Mel Gibson, after the website Radaronline claimed to have heard a secretly-recorded tape

The heroes of Kathryn Bigelow's urgent Iraq War drama belong to a three-man bomb disposal squad led by a cocksure maverick, Sgt William James (played by Jeremy Renner).

"There's enough bang in there to blow us all to Jesus," explains bomb-disposal expert William James, before ripping off his protective suit. "If I'm gonna die, I want to die comfortable."

Quentin Tarantino'sSecond World Warmovie is far moreenjoyable than his lastwoeful effort, DeathProof, but there's stillno sign that he's willingto put his ego to theservice of a full realised,satisfying film. Essentially,he's so in love withhis grandstandingmonologues anddialogues that he letshalf a dozen of them playout at interminablelength, with preciouslittle connective tissue –such as plot or roundedcharacters – betweenthem.

Earlier this year, Sir David Frost announced to much fanfare that he was to executive-produce a remake of the classic WW2 movie Dambusters, in conjunction with the Director, Producer and all round film mogul Peter Jackson.

Brad Pitt says he is in the market for a new motorcycle.

Of course there are good things you can say about A L Kennedy's Day: it's highly original and often remarkable. But so are some hats and bad days at the office, and you wouldn't necessarily want to remember them.

What Is It?

Bogarde's roles changed with his audience, writes David Thomson

THE FILM Life Is Beautiful is a brilliantly directed, superbly acted obscenity: it should never have been made. Thank you, David Thomson, for your wise comments - thumbs down to the Oscars ("Shame on you, Oscar", Culture, 21 March).

The Thin Red Line (15)