Well, that didn’t take long.

We’re only a month into 2007, but it looks like the award for worst movie of the year may be over with the arrival of &#8220Epic Movie.”

This spoof from creators Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (the same team behind the worst movie of 2006, &#8220Date Movie”) barely clocks in at 80 minutes, but manages to deliver a multitude of unfunny gags and pop culture references that makes it almost as painful as its predecessor.

To its credit (something this pile of junk doesn’t really deserve), &#8220Epic Movie” manages to follow a more linear plotline – with four orphans (Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Jayma Mays, and Faune A. Chambers) who stumble upon an enchanted wardrobe that transports them to the land Gnarnia.

The quartet soon find themselves battling the evil &#8220White Bitch” (yes, this is what passes for comedy in this humorless film) and helping to free the kingdom of her evil clutches.

While &#8220The Chronicles of Narnia” is the main plot line, &#8220Epic Movie” manages to parody &#8220Snakes on a Plane,” &#8220Nacho Libre,” &#8220Harry Potter,” &#8220Pirates of the Caribbean,” &#8220The DaVinci Code,” &#8220Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and &#8220Borat” with maybe one mildly successful gag mixed in the hundreds of feeble attempts.

The cast is perhaps the most interesting part of the film – a mixture of &#8220Who are they?” and &#8220Why did they agree to this?’ that includes Penn, Darrell Hammond, Carmen Electra, and Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard (who both inexplicably appeared in &#8220Date Movie” as well).

&#8220Epic Movie” does improve on &#8220Date Movie,” but that’s like saying a broken arm is better than a broken leg. Both breaks are pretty painful, almost as much as watching either film.

And sadly it appears as if another spoof entitled &#8220Raunchy Movie” is in the works. Looks like 2008’s worst film could already be locked up too.

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is &#8220Hollywoodland” (B) – a solid drama with a very capable cast and a nice script from Paul Bernbaum that barely made a splash during its theatrical release, but deserves a second life on home video.

&#8220Hollywoodland” details the mysterious death of actor George Reeves, best known as TV’s &#8220Superman.” While Reeves’ 1959 death was officially ruled a suicide, there were some who believed he was murdered – including Louis Simo, a down-on-his-luck detective hired by Reeves’ mother.

Director Allen Coulter juggles the narrative – weaving the story of the rise and fall of Reeves and Simo’s investigation with great effectiveness. I also enjoyed the fact that &#8220Hollywoodland” doesn’t try to give a definitive explanation behind Reeves’ death, opting instead for several possibilities that all seem likely.

The strong direction and solid script is anchored by a strong cast.

Academy Award winner Adrien Brody is very good as the slimy detective who initially takes the case for money, but eventually becomes caught up in the circumstances surrounding Reeves death.

Ben Affleck gives his best performance since &#8220Boiler Room” as Reeves – capturing the essence of a man clearly unable to deal with the success that surrounded a role he didn’t want in the first place.

Diane Lane and Robin Tunney have nice roles as two of Reeves’ love interests and Bob Hoskins oozes nastiness as a studio head who may have had something to do with Reeves’ death.

&#8220Hollywoodland” doesn’t have that extra oomph to make it a special film, but it is solidly crafted and acted – making it a worthy addition to anyone’s home video collection.

&#8220Hollywoodland” is rated R for language, violence and sexual content and will be available Tuesday on DVD.