Out at the Movies: "Wolverine," "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past"

It's classic Hollywood counter-programming, with one big movie this weekend aimed at boys and the other at girls. But while I would argue that neither X-Men Origins: Wolverine nor Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is great viewing for either audience, both of them have a little something to offer gay viewers.

Read on to find out what!

Stretching the premise of A Christmas Carol beyond recognition is Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, starring Matthew McConaughey as a womanizing rake taught the error of his ways by a series of spirits, including that of his late Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), an old-school lech of the Robert Evans school. (Wayne likes to use words like "sissy" a lot, but then he doesn't believe in seatbelts, either, so he's clearly trapped in a Rat Pack mindset.)

There is, at least, the chance to see the dreamy and talented Daniel Sunjata (who memorably played gay on screen in Brother to Brother and on Broadway in Take Me Out) as McConaughey's rival for Jennifer Garner; suffice it to say the one I was rooting for doesn't win. One of Ghosts' few memorable gags involves a male bartender clearly impressed with McConaughey's way of sweet-talking the ladies; after one filly dashes off to McConaughey's room, the drinks-slinger asks, "Wow...do you think that would work on a guy?"

As for Wolverine, what it lacks in characterization, plot, dialogue, decent direction and quality special effects it somewhat makes up for in sheer beefcake. Not only do we get to see Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber grunt and flex at each other a lot, but we also get lots of Ryan Reynolds sleevelessness and some sleek bad-assery from Eurasian former model Daniel Henney as Agent Zero (not to be confused with Patient Zero).