[Actors Ben Affleck and Jon Hamm gape, helplessly, as hundreds of photographs are taken at last night's premiere of their movie The Town at the Venice Film Festival. Photo via AP.]

[George Clooney closes his eyes and imagines himself in a better place while walking the red carpet with girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis at the premiere of The Men Who Stare at Goats at the Venice Film Festival. Image via Getty]

[Eva Mendes get's the A-OK from a randy cop while attending, ironically enough, a screening for Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans at the Venice Film Festival yesterday. Image via Getty]

Ashes may still be raining down on the city. Summer doldrums may be stifling the rest of America. But for Hollywood, this week marks the kick-off of Festival Season! Ole! And the party is breaking out everywhere you look.

While slappies like Viggo Mortensen hedge their Oscar '08 futures with something close to a film per month, we much prefer the bombast of all-or-nothing awards-season power hitters like Daniel Day-Lewis and Mickey Rourke. Yes, we wrote Mickey Rourke — he of the inflated face, reckless scooter piloting, and now of…

· The Venice Film Festival opening film—a WWII drama starring Keira Knightley called Atonement—was screened to mostly positive word of mouth, a triumph capped by fest organizers allowing star James McAvoy to have full access to the controls of the Ceremonial Wrecking Ball. [Variety]
· Renee Zellweger and Harry…