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Here’s a quick hit of the Movie Filter, because we’re all busy on the 4th of July, right?

To celebrate the 4th, check out the official site for The U.S. Versus John Lennon, a new documentary about the ex-Beatle’s fight against deportation after challenging the Nixon administration in protest and in song. In the early ‘70s, Nixon felt extremely threatened by Lennon’s message of peace and his more subversive activism. Lennon was one of the top rock stars in the world and he was hanging out with the Black Panthers. The FBI tapped Lennon’s phones and followed him wherever he went. The film looks pretty remarkable, and the Web site is a cunning lampoon of the Drudge Report. Included is plenty of Lennon footage and music and new interviews with Walter Cronkite, Geraldo Rivera—a close friend of Lennon’s in the ‘70s—and of course, Yoko Ono. Here’s a direct link to the trailer. The documentary will see limited release in September, but should be on DVD by Christmas.

I rented Kiss Kiss Bang Bang last weekend, and it was a lot of fun. The movie is light-hearted and witty with plenty of flash from writer/director Shane Black. It’s in the vein of Ocean’s 11, but I laughed a lot harder during this movie. Val Kilmer’s “Gay Perry” P.I. steals the first four or five scenes he’s in, shooting down Robert Downey Jr.’s thief-turned-actor with sardonic wit and careless flare. The plot is twisty and unrealistic, but realism is not the point. Plus Downey’s cheeky narration kept me engaged. It’s a glitzy thrill-ride, it’s a dark buddy movie and definitely worth a rental.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest opens Friday. Maybe my expectations were on the floor for the original, a Jerry Bruckheimer production that dared to turn a theme park ride into a major motion picture, but I was really surprised by it. So I’m looking forward to the sequel this weekend. Many people think Johnny Depp can do no wrong, and I would be completely in that camp were it not for his Michael Jackson impersonation of Willy Wonka in last year’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Still, he almost always brings a memorable performance. Here’s a nice Pirate’s review from “Ain’t It Cool” man Harry Knowles.

Out this week on DVD is Depp’s The Libertine, a tale of the debauchery and burn-out of 17th Century poet John Wilmot, and The Matador, starring Pierce Brosnan as a hitman in the middle of a serious mid-life crisis. The latter would go down smooth when paired with a similarly styled Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

And finally, God bless the 30 Second Bunnies. Here’s their take on Superman.