Have you seen the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, the one with the black-and-white photo of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, circa 1965?

The stories inside plug the recent release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" music-video game, as well as the new remastered stereo versions of the entire Beatles album catalog.

But a sidebar to EW's main story is the very definition of a fool's errand. Or perhaps a "Fool on the Hill's" errand.

The magazine's editors have the gall to name the Beatles' "50 Best Songs." Yikes!

Of course, a more accurate label would be "The 50 Favorite Songs of the Editors of EW."

Naturally, some of your fab faves will be missing — but I'm more surprised in the order of those that are listed.

Here's the Top 10: "A Hard Day's Night" is No. 1, followed by "A Day in the Life," "Yesterday," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Something," "She Loves You," "Let It Be," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Norwegian Wood" and "Across the Universe."

"Let It Be"? "Tomorrow Never Knows"? Really? Before "In My Life," "Eleanor Rigby" or "Here Comes the Sun"?

OK, I've been sucked into that Fool's Errand game, haven't I?

In a strange coincidence, last Friday two "stalker" romantic comedies opened in Salt Lake theaters.

"All About Steve" stars Sandra Bullock as a creator of crossword puzzles who lives with her parents and stalks hunky Bradley Cooper across the country.

"Management" stars Steve Zahn as the night manager of his parents' motel, where he also lives. After he meets Jennifer Aniston, a motel guest in town on business, he stalks her across the country.

And as Hollywood continues to equate sex with romance, both films also have early scenes of stupid, uncomfortable, fumbling, Hollywood-style sexual encounters, which begin the respective relationships.

After that, "All About Steve" goes for off-the-wall wackiness and fails miserably as Bullock's supposedly intelligent but immature character makes one stupid decision after another, until the film ends on a prolonged sentimental note.

"Management" goes for a more serio-comic approach, and the film gets better as it goes along, with Zahn's character — who is lonely and desperate but not crazy — maturing and becoming more appealing. This one also ends on a sentimental note but is much more satisfying.

Two things that also undermine the humor in "All About Steve" are Thomas Haden Church's character of a dumb TV newsman, who is a bit too mean-spirited, bringing an unexpected shift in the film's tone, and the moments when Bullock's character seems to be genuinely in need of therapy, which also mutes some of the comedy. (As Bullock is one of the film's producers, it's fair to see this as a failed vanity piece.)

Something that makes "Management" more appealing is Zahn's low-key, quirky charm, which becomes the film's best asset. (And kudos to Aniston, listed as a producer here, for allowing Zahn to carry the picture.)

All of which got me thinking about other "stalker" romantic comedies. From my perspective, the best are "Bringing Up Baby," as kooky Katharine Hepburn pursues distracted Cary Grant, and "What's Up, Doc?" with Barbra Streisand chasing obtuse Ryan O'Neal (and yes, the latter was made with the former in mind).

In fact, you might want to consider renting those instead of going out to these.

e-mail: hicks@desnews.com