BODY OF LIES - IS THE C.I.A. MORBIDLY OBESE?

Ridley Scott's last three films have been shot in Morocco, a small North African country that has doubled for 12th Century Jerusalem, gladiatorial Rome and war-torn Somalia. Ridley returns for "Body Of Lies," where the country stands in for present day Jordan, Yemen, Syria and Iraq. No further proof is needed that a little set dressing can transform Morocco into a dust-ridden shithole from any Century. Still, the natives interviewed on the "Location Featurette" wonder why these terrific films are not bringing in the huge numbers of tourists they've been expecting...

ELITE SQUAD - JUDICIAL SYSTEM REPLACED WITH AR-15 ASSAULT RIFLE

This film holds the record for the longest sequence of funding partners I've ever had to sit through. What's truly amazing is that it hails from Brazil, a country so corrupt that groups this large are only ever brought together during mass kidnappings.

One name that stands out is the Brazilian Tourist Authority. Someone badly misjudged the films potential to show Rio De Janeiro as a beautiful vacation destination by failing to take into account the extreme poverty and violence...

THE READER - NOT SO MUCH ABOUT BOOKS

The end of the War in Europe brought joy to millions, but it also ushered in a period of severe boredom. Like the day after Christmas, there was little to do but clean up and go back to work.

By 1958, the citizens of Berlin live in dull apartments, work depressing jobs and subsist on a diet of potatoes and what looks a lot like potato bread. Fruit, chocolate and any form of excitement are no longer stocked in German stores...

QUANTUM OF SOLACE - ELUSIVE QUANTUM DRIVES BOND TO VIOLENCE

On a nine hour flight to Ireland I was provided with a plastic cup of iced water, a small packet of peanuts and an opportunity to watch "Quantum Of Solace" on a five-inch LCD screen. Comfort is the primary reason to fly Delta.

It'd taken the entire morning to reach seat 42E. I was tired and having a hard time accepting the fact that "leg room" no longer meant "room for legs." My headphones were in a carry-on that I'd mashed under the seat in front of me...