Movies
Forget Tom Cruise and “Twilight,” for many of us, “Toy Story 3” (in 3-D) is the most-awaited movie of the summer. Kids and adults alike can appreciate the smart writing and adorable characters. This film finds Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toybox donated to daycare, which sounds great at first — constant attention and play! But when the tots are a little rougher than they expected, they start to plan an escape. (Opens June 18)
“Jonah Hex,” based on the DC Comic, has been described as a “superhero Western.” OK. Try not to squirm when you see bounty hunter Hex's scarred face. Josh Brolin plays Hex, with Megan Fox as his love interest, prostitute Leila, and John Malkovich as the villain. The film apparently doesn't stick that closely to the comic story, but most audiences won't know or care. (Opens June 18)
TV
The Discovery Channel turns 25 this week, and anniversary specials abound. Our favorites: “Mythbusters Top 25 Moments” (June 16, 9 p.m., Discovery) and “Discovery Saved My Life,” (June 18, 9 p.m., Discovery) a one-hour special where real people tell of how they used tips seen on the channel to save themselves from gators, falls through the ice, and more.
Michael Jackson's “This Is It” hit theaters last fall, but if you missed it, catch the world TV premiere this week on Starz. The special shows footage of the pop star rehearsing for the London concert series that never happened due to his unexpected death on June 25, 2009. It sounds a bit sad, but none other than Roger Ebert was pleasantly surprised, raving “Here is not a sick and drugged man forcing himself through grueling rehearsals, but a spirit embodied by music.” (June 19, 9 p.m., Starz)
Get your Kleenex ready: Animal Planet's new “Last Chance Highway” focuses on a network of volunteers who try to save unwanted dogs from being put down by seeking out loving families to take them in. Doggone it, I'm crying already. (June 19, 8 p.m., Animal Planet)
Books
They're baaaack. Those disillusioned young people from Bret Easton Ellis' “Less Than Zero” have returned for a 25-year reunion of sorts. Ellis' new book, “Imperial Bedrooms,” revisits Clay, Julian, Blair and Rip, and they're not any more well-adjusted now than they were in 1985. Donna Tartt, author of “The Secret History” and a former Bennington classmate of Ellis', says “this is the most Chandleresque of Bret's books, and the most deeply steeped in L.A. noir. No one is trustworthy; everyone is playing everyone else.” (Book to be published June 15)
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is msnbc.com's movies editor. You can follow her at www.popculturejunkmail.com or www.genxtinct.com.