‘Great Buck Howard’ a showbiz satire

Movie: "The Great Buck Howard"

When: Opening Friday at the Palms

Cast: John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn, Matthew Gray Gubler

Director: Sean McGinly

The story: A law-school dropout gets what he hopes is his big showbiz break -- and winds up working as assistant to an on-the-skids mentalist trying to make a comeback.

The buzz: The closing-night attraction at last year's CineVegas film festival, this affectionate showbiz satire features a few filmed-in-Vegas scenes -- and Las Vegas native Gubler. Two other co-stars, Blunt and Zahn, also turn up in this week's "Sunshine Cleaning." As for Colin Hanks, his father Tom (you might have heard of him) not only serves as one of the movie's producers but also plays the demanding role of father to Colin's character. (Talk about typecasting ...)