Are all critics noodleheads?

Jeez, it seems like a month since I've been to the movies (except for a sneak peek at "Marie Antoinette" in Amsterdam).

I plan to end this drought in a big way with "Superman Returns" Thursday night, so look for the good (at least it had better be!) word Friday morning.

After that, I'll probably catch up on "Cars" and "Nacho Libre" in a quest to prove one thing: Critics are noodleheads. All three of these flicks got lukewarm receptions at best from the critics we run in the Macon Telegraph, but I'm certain I will like them all.

We'll see soon, but in the meantime, here's the word on two upcoming flicks that peak my interest.

The sad saga of Jeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley's "Grace" is one of those records I keep going back to (I am, in fact, listening to it right now). His soaring voice was the key to his appeal, as best evidenced in his brilliant takes on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Benjamin Britten's "Corpus Christi Carol" (my favorite "Grace" track).

Like too many stars that burn so bright, however, Buckley's didn't burn nearly long enough. On May 29, 1997, while in Memphis, he decided to go swimming in the Mississippi River, fully clothed. While we can never know for sure, I've always thought it was his intent to kill himself, which he accomplished in those muddy waters at the age of 30.

Now it seems that Buckley will follow in the footsteps of Ray and Johnny and get his own biopic. Though I'll definitely see it, I'm not sure his tale will have the mainstream appeal of his predecessors. While Buckley was a hero to many who love great music, he was by no means a national icon. But we can at least hope his too-short life is treated with respect and with an eye on entertaining.

Brian Jun, whose "Steel City" was nominated for the grand jury prize at January's Sundance Film Festival, will write and direct the Buckley feature, with input from Buckley's mother, Mary Guibert, as executive producer.

This is just getting off the ground, so no word yet on who might play Buckley, but I would opt for Billy Crudup. He's got the look, and proved in "Almost Famous" that he's got the soul. Who would you pick?


The wacky world of the Cosmos

Man do I wish I was old enough to have a lucid memory of the New York Cosmos, but I'm afraid I don't. All I know is the legend.

And what a legend it is. At a time when America cared even less about soccer than it does now (if that is even possible), Warner Communications Chairman Steve Ross assembled what was easily the most glamorous soccer team to ever play on Randall's Island, underneath the Triborough Bridge in the East River.

Among the players he somehow lured into this pit were Pele (perhaps you've heard of him), Franz Beckenbauer, the German great who organized the 2006 World Cup, and the Italian idol Giorgio Chinaglia (no word yet on how good his diving skills were, but being Italian ...).

The misfit toy in this crazy chest was Shep Messing, a native New Yorker who played goalie for this band of aging greats. He provides much of the input for "Once in a Lifetime," a new documentary about the Cosmos. I think it's out now, but the odds of it ever reaching my little corner of the world are remote at best, so Netflix will strike again.

In the meantime, I'll have to settle for this World Cup, which remains fun despite the referees' best efforts to destroy it. I loved watching Les Bleus take out Spain, especially with Vieira putting the dagger in and Zidane adding an extra twist.

My co-workers are even watching the Cup, and I think it's more than an effort simply to mollify me. They actually seem to be enjoying it. Miracles never cease!