After months of tantalizing teasers and trailers (and teasers for teasers and trailers for trailers) for Ridley Scott's new science-fiction film Prometheus, the unofficial (or, rather, officially unofficial) precursor to his iconic 1979 Alien is finally just over a week away from its U.S. opening. And aside from rewatching the other movies (except the dreadful, embarrassing Aliens vs. Predators and its follow-up), we can think of no better way to both pass the time and get even more pumped than by perusing The Book of Alien, released today by Titan Books. Originally published in '79 as an official tie-in to the first movie, this slim but oversized tome written by Michael Gross and Paul Scanlon eschews hyperbole for a journalistic (albeit authorized by the studio) narrative about the conception and creation of a future classic -- a status that nobody interviewed within its pages could've anticipated at the time. If you care at all about Alien, or are simply curious about Prometheus, here's why it's worth a look:

It's Hockey Night in Canada... in America

A prime example of a franchise sequel that exists purely because it can, rather than because it should, Men in Black 3 arrives in theaters feeling like a relic from a distant past when Will Smith was the biggest movie star in the world. And it's possible that he still is, in which case it's the picture that's real small. Even though it affords its lead plenty of opportunities to flash that mega-watt smile and sharp comic timing and piles effects-heavy set piece on top of effects-heavy set piece, MiB3 can't mask its fundamental pointlessness. It's so instantly forgettable that even though I saw it in the theater in all its 3D-enhanced glory, I felt as though I was watching it at home during the late-night cable run it'll receive a few years hence. You know, one of those experiences where you randomly stumble upon a sequel while surfing the movie networks and go, "Oh right -- they made a third one" before changing the channel.

The hills of New England are alive with the sound of young love and Hank Williams music in Moonrise Kingdom, a sweet, charming and altogether delightful bit of whimsy from writer/director Wes Anderson. Fair warning: If you're one of those folks who hopped off the Anderson bandwagon after The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou having grown somewhat weary of his familiar visual bag of tricks and poker-faced sense of humor, this movie may still not tempt you back into the fold given that it perpetuates all of his signature stylistic quirks rather than reinvents them. That's your loss though, as Moonrise is one of the director's most skillfully assembled movies and an example of how welcome his unique voice is on the contemporary cinematic landscape.

Male bonding, Gallic style

Before you see Moonrise Kingdom this weekend, check out these two films from the movie's co-writers, Roman Coppola and Wes Anderson.

McG declares war on audiences looking for a good action comedy in This Means War.

Everything you wanted to know about Battleship but didn't bother asking.

Based on the best-selling life manual, What to Expect What You're Expecting is exactly what you'd expect it to be... provided what you're expecting is a glossy, obnoxious and thoroughly underwhelming ensemble comedy about the joys and terrors of impending parenthood. For a subtle, nuanced and genuinely funny depiction of this major life change, give the movie a miss and spend your time catching up on NBC's Parenthood instead, especially since the show has been renewed for another year of Braverman hijinks. But if you do decide to test your tolerance for cheesy sitcom-level writing, slumming stars and extremely forced heart-tugging moments, here are the ten most annoying things you can expect to see onscreen.

A period comedy about the invention of the vibrator? What will those Brits think of next?