FILLING THE REQUIREMENT THAT SCARLETT JOHANSSON STAR IN AT LEAST ONE MOVIE RELEASED EVERY MONTH THIS YEAR: While the past couple of months have been pretty anemic for movies (obligatory Halloween horror flicks and Hollywood's continuing attempts to make Ashton Kutcher into a movie star), with the exception of joys like The Queen (which is almost as good as the critics say it is) and The Departed, next weekend is incredibly loaded. You have Clint Eastwood's Flags Of Our Fathers and Christopher Nolan's The Prestige both arriving everywhere (along with Flicka, but not even my love for Maria Bello gets me into that one), and Marie Antoinette coming a little less wide. plus Running With Scissors arriving in limited release, Nightmare Before Christmas being re-released in 3D, and acclaimed indies The Queen, The Last King of Scotland, and Shortbus going wider. It's almost enough to make up for the fact that Saw III will assuredly make huge bank the following weekend.

WHITER THAN SOUR CREAM: I don't know what's more disturbing about Weird Al Yankovic's "White and Nerdy" video--that Yankovic has a surprising ability to rap with solid "flow" or the presence of Donny Osmond dancing alongside Yankovic in bits of the video.

WELCOME BACK, ROGER: For the first time in many months, Roger Ebert has written a film review. I am very happy to see his work again (he's been out with various medical concerns).

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE WITH THE STARS? This one is weird -- or at least it will be weird for the small sliver of ALOTT5MA's readership who watch reality dance shows. Apparently Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba and So You Think You Can Dance ballroom specialist and proponent of open-shirted style Artem Chigvintsev (14 years Carrie Ann's junior, for those who pay attention to such details) have been dating for the last eight months. No word yet as to whether resident SYTYCD screamer Mary Murphy, for whom Artem served as shirtless-partner-without-portfolio during season two, is aware of this development.

DAMN GOOD PIE: USA Today, today, spotlights 10 places to get a decent slice, including Chicago's very own underrated Pizano's. Grab a pie there now before it gets too crowded.

APPARENTLY, HE DIDN'T GET THE CALL: To add to this week's list of people who are announcing they won't be doing things they were expected to do, Joshua Malina will not be joining the cast of Studio 60. Instead, he'll be joining the cast of Numb3rs. This still will not make Numb3rs worth watching, though maybe it can be a catalyst for bringing Sabrina Lloyd back to Numb3rs.

STONE ROSES > DEVO? NO WAY! Having one year ago beguiled this group with its counting down of the 885 Greatest Albums of All Time, Philadelphia's listener-supported WXPN 88.5 FM is now in the process of counting down (and playing) the 885 Greatest Artists of All Time, along with a song or two from each. How ecletic is the list?

581 – THE ANIMALS – House Of The Rising Sun
582 – SPOON – Sister Jack
583 – UB40 – Red Red Wine
584 – MARAH – Firecracker
585 – THE AFGHAN WHIGS – Debonair
586 – GREAT BIG SEA – Sea Of No Cares
587 – BOBBY DARIN – Mack The Knife
588 – LORETTA LYNN – Fist City
589 – DE LA SOUL – Say No Go
590 - JACKIE WILSON - Lonely Teardrops

Fire away.