Entertainment Reviews

"The Ayatollah Begs to Differ — The Paradox of Modern Iran" (Doubleday. 273 pages. $24.95), by Hooman Majd: Should Iranian diplomats pursue their duties in neatly creased trousers, as their Western counterparts tend to do?

(Samantha Who? , 9:30-10 p.m., ABC)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It takes Christina Applegate approximately 45 seconds in the second-season premiere of ABC's "Samantha Who?" to dispel any lingering discomfort the audience might have with the star's summertime diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent double mastectomy.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The big-screen adaptation of Jeanne Duprau's children's book "City of Ember" stalls at the intersection of fantasy and science fiction.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - If you ever wondered why Hollywood is identified with dirty dealing, hypocrisy, moral bankruptcy, overindulged children and a ceaseless preoccupation with status, check out "The Starter Wife," which is being restarted on USA Network.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Imagine Disney tackling the issue of gay identity in a movie geared for youngsters, and you have some idea of the benign blandness of "Breakfast With Scot."

My Own Worst Enemy , 10-11 p.m., NBC)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The proverb says you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But what about when friend and enemy is one and the same -- and both happen to be you?

NEW YORK - Some nightmares are even more vivid on stage. There's an immediacy to the horror that goes beyond terror and into shock.

"Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream" (Wiley, 544 pages, $29.95), by Steven Watts: In 1953, Hugh Hefner was a young man in Chicago with an unimpressive resume and big plans. He would start a men's magazine geared toward young urbanites such as himself with lifestyle tips and racy pictures.

NEW YORK - Maybe it's true that "fall season" is an outdated concept in a world where TV series are introduced year-round. But if there were a Fall TV Season '08, the harvest would include only three more notable new shows.

In the world of sports video games, not much can really change year to year. The game at its core is the same, but it's what video-game developers add that makes it worth spending the cash.

NEW YORK - "A Man for All Seasons," Robert Bolt's historical drama of moral courage, is one of those plays that comes with impeccable, gold-plated credentials. A London and Broadway success in the early 1960s. Oscar-annointed as best picture for its movie version.

For a self-effacing, portly little plumber, Mario may be the most ambitious guy in video games. It's not enough that he has the most recognizable face in the industry; his parents at Nintendo have promoted him everywhere, from T-shirts and lunchboxes to cartoons and cell-phone ringtones. He's probably more familiar to kids of a certain generation than Mickey Mouse.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The Madonna concert ended nearly 12 hours ago, and this reviewer is still tired. And that's just from watching.

NEW YORK - A feeling of intimacy settled over New York's City Center as choreographer Christopher Wheeldon presented the second season of his fledgling venture, "Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company," over five days last week.

(Eleventh Hour , 10-11 p.m., CBS)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - You don't really need 11 hours -- merely two -- to discern that the new Jerry Bruckheimer procedural "Eleventh Hour" is pretty standard stuff, kind of like "CSI" meets "House."

Michelle Williams "Unexpected" (Columbia Records)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In theory, a hit format overseas should have an edge over an untested format developed at home. If Latin Americans love "Ugly Betty" and Brits adore "The Office," then American viewers will enjoy U.S. versions, right?

Bob Dylan, "Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8" (Columbia)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Testees" is one of those noble single-camera comedy experiments that FX attempts every once in a while, and it proves to be a mixed bag.

NEW YORK - Like its young hero, "13," suffers from uncertainty and more than a bit of awkwardness as it tries to a tell a tween tale about making mistakes, growing up and taking responsibility.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - If Ridley Scott gave us a new kind of war movie with "Black Hawk Down," where an army unit functioning in total chaos in a hostile city became a collective protagonist, he now engineers a new kind of spy thriller in "Body of Lies," which opens Friday (October 10).

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - In a show defined by throbbing dance music, tight choreography, spectacular stage sets and stunning visuals, perhaps the most stirring moment during the kickoff concert to Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" tour came when the Material Girl stood onstage with just her guitar and a few musicians for an acoustic set.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It's straight out of the inspirational sports-drama playbook, but "The Express," based on the tragically short life of college football hero Ernie Davis -- the first black to win the Heisman Trophy -- still manages to go the distance.

NEW YORK - "Lucia" lovers are in luck at the Metropolitan Opera these days.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Oliver Stone's "W." -- his take on the life and legacy of George W. Bush -- might be the first movie ever to come with footnotes.

After "The Devil Wears Prada" detailed an up-and-comer at Vogue magazine, "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" attempts to do the same with Vanity Fair. Cross your fingers that Hollywood eventually gets to Field & Stream.

DALLAS (Reuters) - In Bill Maher's new film "Religulous," the comedian says he wants his fellow non-believers to "come out of the closet" to counter what he views as religion's dangerous influence on the world.

Ever been to one of those weddings that just will not end?

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Frank Langella is electric in "A Man for All Seasons," the first Broadway revival of Robert Bolt's drama, which opened Tuesday at the Roundabout.