Tuesday's Twelve Tags #4

A couple firsts for this young feature last week (yeah, I know today's Wednesday...just hop into your mental Delorean and pretend Doc needs help yesterday). First, we finished with a tie, as J.D. and Dead Pan each got four right, with the remaining four spread out amongst a couple other folks. Second, I stumped you all with the theme. Here were the movies again: The Hudsucker Proxy, Diner, While You Were Sleeping, The Time Machine, Trading Places, Strange Days, Entrapment, Assault on Precinct 13, Velvet Goldmine, The Poseidon Adventure, Sunset Boulevard, and Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle. The theme? They all contain a New Year's Eve scene! C'mon, Dwellers! I think I would have gotten that, and I've only seen about half of those.

Anyway, here's twelve more. The rules are simple: - I'm going to give you a dozen taglines, all you have to do is name as many flicks that they belong to as you can. Get the most and you win. Sometimes there might be a theme, sometimes not. This time...there is NOT a theme.

1. It Will Take You A Million Light Years From Home
2. Your time will come...
3. Share it with someone you love.
4. Life, liberty, money and the pursuit of happiness. She's gotta have it.
5. Some lines aren't meant to be crossed...
6. Opposites attract.
7. A terrifying evil has been unleashed. And five strangers are our only hope to stop it.
8. Coming to a screen bigger than your TV.
9. Failure is not an option.
10. Yoo-Hoo, I'll make ya famous!
11. Get a little savage.
12. The good news is, Jonathan's having his first affair. The bad news is, she's his roommate's mother!

As you get them right, I'll mark them as gotten and stuff. Good luck. No hints.

Standings
Sea_of_Green - 1
Justin - 1
Dead Pan, J.D. - .5

Correct answers so far:

1. Stargate (Rachel)
2. The Island (Rachel)
3. Life (Justin)
4. Citizen Ruth (Jason Soto)
5. Havoc (Nick)
6. Out of Sight (Justin)
7. From Dusk Till Dawn (Rachel)
8. Beavis and Butthead Do America (steel11kane)
9. G.I. Jane (Justin)
10. Young Guns 2 (steel11kane)
11. Jungle 2 Jungle (Nick)
12. Class (Nick)

3-way tie between Rachel, Justin and Nick right now for the win, and with no theme to get, I've deemed that if one of them can get the answer to the last Stained Glass Cinema (#19), they'll get the win here, too. If that doesn't work out, I'll think of something else...

And then...

Fletch's Film Review Blitz: Seven Pounds, Frost/Nixon and The Tale of Desperaux

Seven Pounds
Possible alternate title: Will Smith Has a Martyr Complex. Seriously, if any actor has ever been more ripe for a killer villain role, I'd like to hear it. Some 15 years ago, The World's Biggest Star At The Time took on not just a heel role, but a controversial one at that - namely, Tom Cruise as Lestat in Interview with the Vampire. Though you'd be hard-pressed to state that Cruise's career was either in flux prior to Vampire (it was on the heels of A Few Good Men and The Firm) or saw a wild hot streak after (Mission: Impossible, Jerry Maguire), it's fair to say that Lestat was just the creative spark that took Cruise's career to another level. At the very least, it kept us from being lulled to sleep by role after role of endearing do-gooders.

Now it's Smith's turn. It doesn't seem like it, but Smith's been in 18 films, and has been the headlining star in 10 of them since 2000 (not including Legendarily Baggy Pants, in which he shared top billing with - or even took second to- Matt Damon. With Seven Pounds, he re-teams with the director of the film that netted him his second Academy Award nomination (The Pursuit of Happyness) and grants a similarly impressive performance...in a subpar film. You'll be forgiven, though, for neglecting the strong acting as you're distracted by the lame, pay-it-forward plot that's insulting enough to show you the end of the film in the beginning, only to act like it's showing you something new in the end. It's as though the writer and director thought their little twist was soooooo good that they neglected to bother making the rest of the film stand up to the denouement.

Fletch's Film Rating:

"Whatever."


Frost/Nixon
I hate to make generalizations, but I seem to be stuck in a rut in terms of critiquing historical dramas, specifically those based on a specific event and/or biopics. I noticed it first with Milk (which had me hearkening back to Ray and Walk the Line) and had my feelings entrenched a bit further with Frost/Nixon.

It goes something like this: these types of films are almost exclusively made by veteran, well-respected directors (Ron Howard, Gus Van Sant, Oliver Stone). They almost exclusively star top-notch actors, in it almost exclusively (so it seems) for an Academy nod. There's nothing wrong with these things, I'm just calling it like I see it.

The problem is, the films all seem to blend together, they rarely show any style or panache, and they're easily forgettable. Well-acted, well-directed, well-produced, pedigreed, good-to-great films that I can almost definitely say will never rank amongst my favorite films. I almost think they should be given their own "Best Picture" category at the Academy Awards; after all, I'm sure that both Milk and Frost/Nixon will be on the very short list for Best Picture, but I'm also sure that I'd be pissed if either won.

That said, Frost will likely place somewhere in my year-end top 10, and is worth your time. Yeah, I know - the hypocrisy of that pisses me off, too. I just don't know how else to explain it.

Fletch's Film Rating:

"It's in the hole!"


The Tale of Desperaux
Yea, we went to see a kid's film, got a problem with it?

But seriously, Mrs. Fletch, a graphic designer by trade, had been itching to see the beautifully animated Desperaux for months. You know what? It's worth it, too. It might not be as digitally crisp as Ratatouille was, but it's got loads more pizazz and vision, from the multiple animation styles to the imaginative camera angles and more. It also has much more charismatic leads, in the form of Dustin Hoffman's worldly rat Roscurro and Matthew Broderick's fearless, noble Desperaux, and that rarity in film these days - narration (by Sigourney Weaver) that helps the film along and entertains rather than merely stating obviousness and acting as an obstacle.

On top of that, it features an Ocean's-like cast, but here it's made up almost entirely of Academy Award-nominated actors, from Frank Langella to William H. Macy to Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, Weaver, Hoffman and Broderick. Fans of Arrested Development will even get a dose of Buster (Tony Hale) - always a welcome sight (or sound).

If the somber tones of The Reader or Gran Torino have got you in the holiday doldrums, let yourself instead be whisked away by Desperaux. (How's that for a blurbified statement?)

Fletch's Film Rating:

"Darn tootin!"

And then...

Poll results; new poll

You might not even remember voting in the last poll (it's been over two months), but here are the results. The question centered around how easily you could name your favorite flick, and the voting was pretty well split, with the winner being those folks in the same boat as me: namely, that you could narrow it down to a couple, but pegging just one would be like pulling teeth.

















New poll wants to know what you think the year's best film was. I could've listed off probably 15 more films, but that wouldn't have made for a very aesthetic page now, would it? If yours hasn't been given its due credit, let me hear it here.

And then...

Assuming he doesn't serve too much time, I might hire this guy to attend the movies with me...

From CNN.com (click to enlarge):



And millions of fed-up moviegoers send out a silent "hurrah!" to Cialella, though is there any surprise that the story came from Philadelphia?

And then...

Stained Glass Cinema Sunday (#19)

J.D.'s goin' all Jeffersons on us, movin' on up the leaderboard like nobody's business, having gotten the last two puzzles.

I have a feeling this one will be easy pickings for y'all.



















Standings:
Jason/Daniel - 3
J.D. - 3
Evan Derrick - 2
Jason Soto - 2
Steel11Kane, TonyD, Luke Harrington, Rachel, Adam Ross, Justin, Wendymoon, Fletch - 1

Here are the altered/actual posters from last time:

And then...

You're in luck! But hurry!!

What's that? You say that you were one of the unfortunate few that missed the chance to catch Surfer, Dude, Matthew McConaughey's attempt to push his "Just keep livin'" line from Dazed and Confused alive and well long into the 21st century?

Well, I too was in this precarious boat, having somehow not seen the Dude until now (total box office haul according to IMDb: $36,497). Lucky for you and me, I got this advertisement delivered to my Yahoo inbox this morning. At the very least, I can't say that the film didn't get at least one laugh out of me (see markup, click to enlarge if necessary):

And then...

Merry Chrismukkah!

And then...

Tuesday's Twelve Tags #3

We established a couple things in the last edition of TTT. First, that Nick is a filthy rotten cheater, using Google to get his answers (and even then he still missed an available one). ;) Second, I am some sort of evil mastermind, as I practically had to spell out the "immpossibly hard" theme (according to Jason) in order for someone to get it.

Just the way I like it.

Here's twelve more. The rules are simple: - I'm going to give you a dozen taglines, all you have to do is name as many flicks that they belong to as you can. Get the most and you win. Sometimes there might be a theme, sometimes not. This time...there is one, and if you can guess what it is (you ought to be able to), I'll award you 3 points (less than the 5 given last time because it's easier).

1. A Comedy of Invention.
2. Suddenly, life was more than french fries, gravy and girls
3. A story about love at second sight.
4. You Will Orbit into the Fantastic Future!
5. They're not just getting rich... They're getting even.
6. You know you want it
7. Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. Then again, practice makes perfect.
8. Unite and fight
9. The Rise Of A Star... The Fall Of A Legend!
10. Hell, Upside Down
11. A Hollywood Story
12. At the center of the circle is a woman ahead of her time.

As you get them right, I'll mark them as gotten and stuff. Good luck. No hints.

Standings
Sea_of_Green - 1
Justin - 1

Correct answers so far:

1. The Hudsucker Proxy (Dead Pan)
2. Diner (Dead Pan)
3. While You Were Sleeping (Dead Pan)
4. The Time Machine (Jason Soto)
5. Trading Places (Shane)
6. Strange Days (Shane)
7. Entrapment (Dead Pan)
8. Assault on Precinct 13 (J.D.)
9. Velvet Goldmine (J.D.)
10. The Poseidon Adventure (Shane)
11. Sunset Boulevard (J.D.)
12. Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (J.D.)

And then...

Fletch's Favored Five Ten: Christmas Songs

Fletch's Favored Five (or ten) is back? It's a Festivus miracle! That's right - just in time for Christmas, I bring you my ten favorite Christmas songs. Some you most likely love, some you might hate, and some you just might have never heard before (like maybe number one...). Either way, you should totally be a hipster and legally purchase these from your local interweb music peddler and then transfer them to an electronic audio device capable of playing them back to you while you drive your body or car around town. It will have you so full of the Christmas Spirit you'll be spitting candy canes at people and smelling like pine needles whenever you scratch yourself.

Quick disclaimer: I'm not counting down any generic versions or saying that "Jingle Bells > It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" or anything; this list is of specific songs, made special by the unique artists that performed and/or wrote them.

Honorable mentions:
* "Ave Maria" by Chris Cornell & Eleven
* "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Thurl Ravenscroft (the original version)
* "Santa Claus and his Old Lady" by Cheech and Chong
* "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms

10. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Bruce Springsteen
I'm actually not a big fan of the Boss, and as Mrs. Fletch likes to say, the guy really can't sing that well at all, but there's something about the passion with which he sings this that totally sells me on it (and gets me singing along with him in my own terrible voice). The hilariously retarded banter at the beginning rules, too. Keep practicing on that saxophone, Clarence! (Damn it all, I can't find the video with the banter...this'll have to do.)



9. "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole
Though I respect this song as one of the great Christmas songs, this is more of a collective nod to the King, as I'm a sucker for some of his other songs that I heard as a kid and still love ("Mrs. Santa Claus," "Happiest Christmas Tree").

8. "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives
Sure, Hermey and Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius are great (ok, especially Y.C.), but the real reason that claymation Rudolph special remains a hit some 300 years later is the hipster singing and facial hair (on a snowman?) stylings of one Burl Ives. "Holly Jolly" rocks the house, and always will. Or maybe the appeal was the Charley-in-a-box; I always liked that guy, too...

This might not be the best version of the song, but at least you can check out his Trotsky-esque look:



7. "O Tannenbaum" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio
Which is better - this or #3? Obviously, I've made my decision...but it wasn't exactly an easy one.

6. "12 Days of Christmas" by Bob and Doug McKenzie (aka Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas)
Just brilliant. It's not Christmas without hearing this and the Cheech & Chong one listed above. And no, I'll never spell "tooques" right, but I'll always wish I had one (or five).



5. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee
Along with "Jingle Bell Rock," Nat's "Christmas Song" and any number of older-yet-popular Christmas songs, this one's bordering on overuse/overplay...yet I still love it. Same goes for the (other) King's "Blue Christmas" and just about every other song on that Billboard Christmas album. If I recall correctly, this song was also prominently featured in Home Alone, which earns it bonus points.

4. "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson
An underrated gem. It's all about the instrumental, orchestral version, but I'll give some credit to the Ronettes' take as well - it's strong. Bonus: if you're a Seinfeld geek like me, you just might think of Rusty with the beginning whinney by the horse.

3. "Christmas Time Is Here" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio

Just as Ives elevated Rudolph to a new level, Vince Guaraldi took an already poignant, sweet Christmas story and heaped loads of class and a big helping of timelessness to the proceedings. This is the gem.

2. "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses

A 1982 New Wave single by a two-hit wonder ("I Know What Boys Like")? You bet. For anyone that was ever in their 20s, single and otherwise alone for the holidays, or for anyone who can imagine what that might be like.

1. "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues
Don't tell me you've never heard this. Just don't do it. A gorgeous, not-really-a-Christmas song by the kings of the Irish folk/rock/punk fusion revival (or something like that). Obscene, touching, full of talent and slightly disgusting - just like frontman Shane MacGowan. Check out those teeth!

And finally, an unranked shout-out to the album that I probably love the most and listen to the most every Christmas. It's the unlikeliest of sources, but I guess whatever you grow up with is what you end up loving in most cases. In this one, it's Ray Conniff and his singers. In this video (circa...I have no idea - 1964?), Ray and the gang are lip-syncing to a medley from the album We Wish You a Merry Christmas. So unironical that it goes beyond funny and then back again. But don't you dare say a bad word about it...

And then...

Stained Glass Cinema Sunday (#18)

Slightly re-titling this feature, as it will now be a weekly fixture (at noon Arizona time), and I heart alliteration.

Let me see if I get this straight: I put up First Snow, a not-seen thriller starring Guy Pearce, a couple weeks ago, and J.D. nails it on the first guess. So last time, I give you Dumb and Dumber, and it takes like eight guesses (complete with a few hints from me) to get it? I'm lost. I have lost my bearing on what is and isn't difficult. So, I hereby present with one that I think is hard, which means congrats to the first person - I'm sure you'll know it.


















Standings:
Jason/Daniel - 3
Evan Derrick - 2
Jason Soto - 2
J.D. - 2
Steel11Kane, TonyD, Luke Harrington, Rachel, Adam Ross, Justin, Wendymoon, Fletch - 1

Here are the altered/actual posters from last time:

And then...

Fletch's Film Review Blitz: Milk, Nobel Son, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Doubt

Yeah...so I'm four reviews behind. With holiday season here, and a number of potential "sees" coming in the next 10 days, it's high time I catch up.

Let's start with the one I saw longest ago, and the reason I've been sitting on my hands for 3 weeks. I have no idea what to say about Milk. It's expertly made, full of terrific acting, a hip cast, and what appears to be a historically accurate portrayal of an important man in an important time in civil rights and California history, all without seeming to be too much of an angelic portrait of a deceased man. No small feat, though the bigger feat is making a film that features Sean Penn smiling for 90 minutes. A strong film that will likely nestle into the year's top ten right around seven or eight, though it's final fate is yet to be determined.

Overwrought, overthought, overcooked, overacted mess of a family crime caper comedy (and perhaps a few other genres, too) starring Alan Rickman as a sleazeball, Nobel-winning college professor whose son gets kidnapped...by his other son, only the first son didn't know that the guy that kidnapped him was really his brother. Oh what a tangled web we weave when we try to make a clever film an end up with a too-hip-for-its-own-good movie filled with wink-wink quirky characters and set to a never-stopping pulse-pounding soundtrack by legendary DJ Paul Oakenfold. People, club hits do not a soundtrack to every life situation make. The Mini Cooper sequence is pretty good, though, if completely unbelievable.

Here's the best thing I can say about Day: this is the best match of character to actor that Keanu Reeves has ever been involved with. That might sound like an insult, as his Klaatu is practically robotic, but it's not. Unlike so many, I'm not a Keanu hater - I think he's a perfectly adequate actor that's been cursed with an awful yet distinctive voice more than anything else. Still, the man takes advantage of that emotional-void voice here in a way that no one short of Leonard Nimoy could. If only the rest of the film had anything at all to offer its viewers outside of eye-roll-inducing plot points and characters and the exposed, poor acting by Jaden Smith. It might normally sound like a good thing to feel as though you'd just seen two films when walking out of the theater, but that's not the case when the unseen film that you felt like you saw was The Happening. We get it - humans suck. Now shut up and stop insulting our intelligence.

Like Milk, an actors showcase, but this one, adapted by John Patrick Shanley from his own play, feels less like a great film and more like a long episode of Law & Order: Parochial Victims Unit. While the fashion and high glamour looks of The Devil Wears Prada might have gotten Meryl Streep more attention, the better bitch is on display here, as her Sister Aloysius has no such veneer to hide behind, decked out only in habit and bonnet. A tactful handling of a delicate topic (or two), but lacks narrative, leaving you with little to care about other than the awfully big "did he or didn't he" tactic, which you should be able to figure out before the film starts anyhow. Nonetheless, a worthwhile acting clinic.

Grades:
Milk

"It's in the hole!


Nobel Son

"Whatever."


The Day the Earth Stood Still

"I want you to punch me as hard as you can."


Doubt

"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."

And then...

Guest Review: Little Man

Editor's note: If there's one thing I love, it's a guest column. A different perspective for you, less work for me - it's a win-win. Even better is when it's a dissenting opinion, and if it's my fake internet friend Chris (his stagnant site BostonSucksMyBlog can be found here; other comedy stylings can also be found here), it's all about dissenting opinions.

As you can tell by his blog name, Chris is all about tact; additionally, he has awful taste in movies and isn't afraid to tell you that you're lame as hell for liking Academy fare or the Red Sox or music or, well, anything he doesn't like. But he does like those wacky Wayans brothers, and what's so wrong about that? Here, he graces us with his review of their special effects opus from just a few years ago, Little Man - enjoy. And, if you'd like to send in a review or even become a part-/full-time contributor to Blog Cabins, email me!


If you see one movie made in 2006 about a midget going undercover as a baby to steal a diamond from a woman’s purse out of her house, make it Little Man. The Wayans Brothers are at it again. And as usual, hilarity ensues.

Little Man was the Wayans follow-up to their smash hit White Chicks. Originally it was going to be a sequel to White Chicks, with both Shawn and Marlon playing babies in The Hamptons, undercover. Instead, they turned the fellas loose in NYC (I think) in a good ole fashioned diamond caper. Marlon Wayans and Tracy Morgan play bumbling jewel thieves who stash a stolen diamond in a woman’s purse as they evade the pigs.

Marlon plays a 3-foot tall thug, and acts like a baby dropped at the door of said woman, who lives with her boyfriend Shawn Wayans. Of course the loving couple take in the adorable tike. Once he is in the house as the “adopted” child, the movie takes off and never looks back.

Some of my favorite scenes: When Marlon tries to suck on Brittany Daniels’ tit (YES!); Shawn takes a bath with Marlon – haha; Shawn’s girl noticing the stab scars on Marlon; pretty much any other scene with Brittany Daniels – oh hell yeah. Oh man, what a flick!

Minute for minute, Little Man stacks up as one of the all time comedy great movies. It’s not quite on the level of White Chicks, in my opinion, but still a tremendous comedy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry from laughing so hard, and you’ll laugh some more. If you like funny movies, you’ll love Little Man. If you don’t like this movie, I don’t want to know you. Just stay away. Thanks.

Final Grade: A-

And then...

Tuesday's Twelve Tags #2

See the bolding up there? That's right - I'm adding Twelve Tags to the stable as a weekly feature. Also, once I get some more Stained Glass Cinema's in the bank, I'll install that as a weekly feature dropping like it's lukewarm on Sundays.

But for now, I have only tags for you. The rules are simple: - I'm going to give you a dozen taglines, all you have to do is name as many flicks as you can. Get the most and you win. Sometimes there might be a theme, sometimes not. This time...there is one, and if you can guess (you can't), I'll award you 5 points.

1. Rule the Planet
2. The battle for peace has begun
3. A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets
4. Somebody has taken his love for sequels one step too far
5. She has the power . . . an evil destructive force
6. Her doctor wasn't playing God. He thought he was God.
7. Adventure doesn't come any bigger than this
8. A love he can't forget. A murder he can't remember.
9. America Was Born In The Streets
10. The Ego has landed
11. A friendship that became a rivalry. A rivalry that turned deadly.
12. Movie? What movie?

As you get them right, I'll mark them as gotten and stuff. Good luck. No hints.

Last time out, Sea_of_Green narrowly beat Ibetolis by a score of 5-4 score (with three others getting the remaining three. As we get further into this, I'll show a proper scoreboard.

Good luck!

Correct answers so far:

1. Planet of the Apes (Nick)
2. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Jonathan)
3. Titanic (J.D.)
4. Scream 2 (Jonathan)
5. Firestarter (Jonathan)
6. Malice (Nick)
7. Willow (Jonathan)
8. Shattered (Nick)
9. Gangs of New York (J.D.)
10. Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (Rachel)
11. The Prestige (J.D.)
12. Top Secret! (Nick)
Theme - All of the films feature at least one actor that was in A Christmas Carol. (Justin)

Though it came with considerable help from me, Justin got the theme fair and square and in the process took the victory with 5 points, narrowly beating out Jonathan and Nick. A bonus prize of figgy pudding will be rewarded to Justin on some future Christmas Day by the Spirit of Christmas Desert-like Foods. Awesome!

And then...

LAMBlog-a-thon - Favorite Scene in a Holiday Film

In case the title wasn't enough of a giveaway, this post is a part of the LAMB's second monthly Blog-a-thon. For more details, click here.

The actual rules for this blog-a-thon looked like this:

"Seeing as this month is December, the official holiday month, the assignment is as follows....WRITE ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SCENE IN A HOLIDAY FILM. That's right. We're not making it easy by letting you write about your favorite holiday film. You have to pick a certain scene. Now, of course, the rules can be bent. If you feel like naming your all time favorite scenes for example, feel free."

As it states above, the rules can be bent. Which is good, because that's what I intended to do anyway. Here goes:

If one were to ask, I would likely describe myself as, amongst other things, a cynic, a realist, and a pessmist (there may be some redundancy with those three...). In other words, not exactly a warm and fuzzy kinda guy, at least not judged by the connotations those terms tag along with them. However, there's a big part of me that's, if not sentimental, at least nostalgic: I like traditions, and I like to stick to them. Mostly when I say that, it refers to family traditions, but it could apply elsewhere as well. Mom's Christmas sugar cookies and Dad's fudge. Going to the same places to eat whenever I go to Disneyland, and in roughly the same order. Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas and (maybe) Rudolph every year.

Well, there's another that originated when I was a kid, but wasn't necessarily a tradition; that's something that I've made all by myself: watch A Christmas Carol every year. But not just any Christmas Carol - it's got to be the one starring George C. Scott. Whether or not it's truly the best or most faithful adaption to Dickens' work, I can't tell you, but it's most likely the first one I saw (it was made-for-TV in 1984, though you wouldn't know it from the production values - they're on par with a theatrical feature). Maybe it's just because of the timing, or maybe because my Dad worked for IBM and they were the lead sponsor for the film - whatever it is, I loved it. And if you haven't seen it, you should.

After all, where else are you gonna see Cheers' Robin Colcord (Roger Rees) long before he stopped into that Boston bar? Or Joanne Whalley before she added (and later deleted) Kilmer from her last name? Or, according to IMDb, "the only version of ACC in which Scrooge wears dress-slacks, a dress-shirt and a vest (with an Alistair Cooke-type smoking jacket)...instead of merely his nightgown, slippers and cap?"

Nowhere, that's where. So consider this my favorite holiday film, and just to play along, here's a great scene of Scott putting on his most miserly clothes as he rips that slacker Bob Cratchit (David Warner) a new one:

And then...

Survivor: Gabon - Finale Live Blog/Recap

The Survivor: Gabon Finale Live Blogarama Extraordinaire is coming...

...and it's here. Five minutes and counting. If by chance you read this, you should totally, definitely comment so I know I'm not just writing this for my own pleasure. You know you want to.

7:01: So...who will win it all? We have Bob, Sugar, and three people whose names end in "eee," two of which are men. Call me crazy, but I'm guessing a non-eee takes it. Personally, I'm pulling for the players in the following order:

* Matty,
* Bob - a close second,
* Sugar - one of two players I deem most deserving, along with Bob,
* Kenny - has become unlikable but has still played a strong game overall,
* Suzie - won one Immunity Challenge and made one strategic move that was more out of necessity than anything else. Otherwise worthless.

7:08: I've only heard it twice, but I'm already sick to death of the "hoowa huh jahmbay!" music playing in the background. I feel like I'm watching the opening credits to Oz over and over again...

7:10: I'm wondering how long it will take me to get tired of Sulking Kenny. Probably awhile.

7:13: Given a number of supplies (fabric, beads, makeup, etc.) the survivors are forced to earn their prize money, made to play dress up as "warriors" for their immunity challenge. Sugar's the only one that doesn't look 100% ridiculous, so I'm thinking she might win.

7:16: Note to Survivor producers: I won't think the show any less realistic if you allow the female contestants to shave their pits. I mean, it's not like you send them out there sans tampons, right?

7:17: Hope you were eating dinner when you read that last post.

7:18: "gee gechu bachu bawai. ooo ahmatayay. gee gechu bachu bawai. ooo ahmatayay. gee gechu bachu bawai. ooo ahmatayay." To borrow from my good friend Inigo Montoya, "Kill me quickly."

7:20: Bob wins his 17th straight Immunity Necklace. Big strategic boners by Matty, Kenny and Suzie, applying way too much makeup near their eyes. Hmmm...let's think about this: lots of motion, high temperature, guess what's next? That's right - sweating and the bleeding of makeup into the eyes. Not only painful, I'm sure, but a big impediment to performing well. These are the things one learns when living in a place that regularly reaches 110 degrees.

7:27: Lot of pre-Council posturing, but I'd be uber-surprised if it's anyone but Suzie. I'd also be uber-surprised if I ever used the term "uber-surprised" again.

7:31: Hey, look Randy! I think I found a worse mohawk than yours!

7:33: Watching Kenny get caught in a big lie was good, but not quite as good as watching him become the 14th person voted out. Game over, gamer.

7:39: Early prediction: the next Immunity Challenge will be an endurance test or a quiz, and Suzie will win. I swear, it happens nearly every season - a mostly worthless player makes it to the final four, defies all odds, wins the next I.C., and leaves us all intensely anxious that they will somehow win the game. And then they never do.

7:41: Alright! I was just thinking it was break time, and here's the gawdawful Bring Out Yer Dead sequence where the final four go on a long walk and put us all to sleep. Back in fifteen or so.

7:53: Since everyone bags on the show for the lame sequence I just skipped (though I enjoyed them burning the mementos at the end; a nice touch), I thought I'd take this time to thank the show's producers for ditching the horrendous plings and other assorted computer-generated special effects that they'd been throwing into the challenges for the last couple seasons. Thank you, gracias, danke, merci beaucoup, domo arigato (sp), and all that jazz. I appreciate it. That is all.

7:55: Goddamn I should be on Survivor. I would rule at this Immunity Challenge, which requires the players to build a house of cards ten feet tall using 200 tiles. If no one gets to ten feet, the player with the highest house wins. With me not there, I'm guessing Bob takes it.

8:01: Bob, Grand Wizard and King of all things Scientific, Mathematic and other Smart Stuff, couldn't build a house taller than three feet. And who won? Who do you think won - of course I called it.

8:07: Yeah, I'm not totally sold on this "Bob's going home" business. Granted, it would indeed be dumb of the remaining three not to vote Bob out, but Sugar for one would much rather see Bob win than Suzie, and the others probably would, too.

8:09: Suzie, you dolt! Way to make friends and influence people with your nonstop "I can't believe I won" shtick. Yeah, people loooove hearing over and over and over about their losses.

8:12: How great is Bob? Rather than politic, he's got Sugar coming to him, more or less working to get him into the final three, and what's he doing? Practicing his fire-making skills, of course. I love Matty, but I don't think he'd stand a chance against Bob if it came to that, and frankly, I think a part of me is pulling for Bob...

8:16: Is this Survivor or Bambi? I've never seen so many people cry in this game. Kind of touching, but also kind of retarded - you've known these people for less than two months, after all.

8:19: Get your flints out - we've got a tie between Bob and Matty. Get Matty prepped for his exit interview while you're at it, ok?

8:22: Well, this sucks. I was fine with Bob winning, but it was sad to see Matty not even come close to getting a fire going. On the bright side, though, it was excellent - excellent - to see Matty there with a BIG smile on his face as he hugged the remaining players and headed out. He'll go down as one of my favorite players ever. What a likable guy. Congrats to Bob and Sugar, and I'll be glad with whichever of you win.

Oh yeah, Suzie's still there. I can't help but be reminded of the scene at the end of Scent of a Woman when Pacino's Frank Slade says this: "And Harry, Jimmy, Trent wherever you are out there, F*** YOU TOO!"

8:31: Coming in second to the Bring Out Yer Dead sequence in the Most Annoying Awards is the We Get Food Then Torch Out Camp sequence. Ugh. Get on with the Final Council already.

8:34: Let us all take pleasure in the fact that Randy and Corrine, the biggest, cuntiest curmudgeons that have been on this show since Sue in season one...each have to vote for someone, despite their proclamations about how retarded these lesser players are. Suck it, angry folks.

8:37: Really, how does Sugar not win this? Sure, Bob might win a popularity contest, but Sugar was far and away the best player all season, including her use of Bob. As a bonus, she's not exactly unlikable, either.

8:42: Do a shot every time Suzie says "my son!"

8:44: Do a shot every time Sugar cries!

8:46: So, will there be a catfight at the reunion show or what? That Corrine/Sugar exchange just now was great.

8:48: Marcus wins the award for Angriest Player That Really Has Nothing To Be Angry About. Congrats, Marcus - sorry, no prize for you. It always kills me when the first person on the jury is still wildly bitter at these three people some 20 days later. Get over it, already. Look at Crystal, for example - she was voted off three days prior to the Final Council and was entirely gracious.

8:51: "You're a jerk. You were a jerk the whole time." Brilliant. Randy, bite a chainsaw.

8:53: Sugar's crying again! Oh, and uh, Matty...um...that hair. How can I say this? You looked better after 39 days of dirtiness than after one day of cleanliness. No offense, buddy.

9:00: That Kenny, such a ham, pacing back and forth while pretending to be unsure of who to vote for. We all know he's voting for Sugar - anything to still maintain a chance of hooking up with her. He's like Lloyd Christmas and she's Mary Swanson.

9:02: You know how when they return from their three-month (or however long) hiatus to return to crown the champion and the people always look worse? In the biggest shocker of shockers, someone actually looks better! Sugar, you're a winner already.

9:05: Thank Christ. If Suzie had somehow won this game, I might've had to stop watching. Funny enough, since this was one of the few seasons where I didn't think to make the "if so-and-so wins, I'm not watching" threat. Bob wins!

Of course, the real shocker is that Sugar got ZERO votes. Seriously, jury? You're that bitter? She deserved to win more than anyone else.

9:08: Well, you're on your own for the Reunion show. Thanks for reading, and CBS/Survivor, thanks for a great season.

Survivor news at Survivor.com
Survivor homepage at CBS.com

And then...

TGITDNMAR (12/12/08)

It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.

As you'll discover in the upcoming Year-End Spectacular, I've seen about 75 movies this year. Sounds like a lot (at least, to non-movie bloggers) and you'd think I'd have trouble narrowing down my Top 10, which of course is a part of the Spectacular. Trouble is, I couldn't. I had trouble getting past my top four films of the year! Is this an isolated feeling I'm having? Similarly, I've tried to think of what the Academy will choose for it's Best Picture nominees. I have to conclude that 3/5 of them or so have yet to released to the general public as of yet.

I mean, we know that certain movies have been tremendously well-reviewed this year (Iron Man, Wall*E) yet stand little chance of receiving a nom. It's safe to assume that The Dark Knight won't win but will get one of the five. What's left? Milk is clearly in the running (but won't win, either); Slumdog Millionaire and Rachel Getting Married are possible nominees as well, yet a fantasy like Slumdog ought not win and Rachel hasn't been that well-reviewed.

As far as I can tell, all that's left that's already been released is Frost/Nixon and Doubt (I loved Man on Wire, but it'll be lucky to win Best Doc). Maybe I've answered my question already, but it seems like, although this may be a strong year overall for movies, outside of Dark Knight, there aren't any prestige Academy films, or at least, none that are receiving anywhere near universal acclaim. Though, who knows, maybe Reservation Road and/or Benjamin Button will blow us all away. I just...doubt it.

Smallish slate this weekend. Here's a short and nitty gritty

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Ready for a big surprise? I haven't seen the original. I kinda wanted to prior to seeing this one, but we've already made plans to see this one tonight. Sorry, classic films. You lose yet again.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 100%




Doubt
I'm certain that I will see this, in time. I have the utmost confidence that the acting will be of the utmost caliber. I am sure that, despite having not been spoiled and not knowing anything about the play, we will either learn that Phil Sey Hoffman's character did it...or the film will end with us in, uh, doubt. I can't see why there would be a story if he didn't, especially the way the trailer paints the film. If it was just about outing Streep's character as a bitch, that wouldn't be much fun.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 90%, or the amount bigger Hoffman is now compared to when I first saw him in Scent of a Woman. Diet time, Phil.

Nothing Like the Holidays
If I were Hispanic, would I be offended by this movie? Probably. As it is, I couldn't tell you the specific ethnicities of Alfred Molina, Freddy Rodriguez, John Leguizamo or the rest of the family members in this dramedy, but I'm pretty damn sure they ain't anywhere near the same. I think Molina's Spanish, even. That's like, a whole different continent and stuff. Oh well, progress is a bitch in Hollywood...better than a bunch of white dudes in makeup, I suppose.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 20%. Love the cast. Hate the blandness.

And then...

Survivor: Gabon - Episode ? Live Blog/Recap

Back (for a limited time) by popular demand (no less than two people!), the Survivor recap reappears. There are but two episodes left, tonight and Sunday's finale, so I figured I'd shake off the rest with a good ol' live blog. Contain your excitement...

(If you're wondering why there's a question mark in the title, it's exactly because I haven't been doing these and don't know what episode this is. I'd look it up, but I'm in fear of seeing what happened already. Stupid West Coast tape delay.)

7:00: Freshly back from tribal council, Kenny has already declared himself to be "the mastermind." Sorry, Ken, but there can be only one, and Christopher Lambert's already got that title.

7:03: Well, anyone who thought Bob might win the game is sooooorrrrrely mistaken. I'm afraid people with consciences don't win at this game, and by promising to give Kenny an immunity idol should he win/find one, he's showing his weakness. Honesty, intergrity - these may be traits that a Jedi would have, but you gotta have a little dark side in you to win at Survivor.

7:05: Possible bad news for Matty? The Reward Challenge is awfully physical; does this mean the Immunity Challenge will be more cerebral? Only The Shadow knows...

7:07: I can't believe what I just saw. At the end of a basketball-themed challenge where the contestants had to made three (difficult) baskets and where Crystal managed to not make a single one, Al Sharpton emerged from the bushes and angrily demanded her Black Card right there on the spot. Turns out it wasn't a race thing at all; he just needed her Amex card to pay for the flight down there. Weird.

7:16: Blah blah Kenny Bob Will He Give Up the Idol Or Not And If So When. Whatever. Meanwhile, Matty's pissed because he's all alone and Susie shows off her dummnezz by re-christening the "Sugar Shack" as the...uh, "Suzie Shack." Nice creativity there, tiger.

7:24: "I believe you now!" cries (literally) Sugar to Matty, after having watched Kenny and Crystal both play the Bitch Card to Matty. Much as I like Matty, you have to wonder what Sugar's seeing that we're not. Sure, K and C were deflecting, trying to make Matty look bad so they wouldn't look so bad for flipping on everyone last week, but the tears were a bit much.

7:28: An interesting Immunity Challenge, as the players are blindfolded, have to carry three bags of puzzle pieces to and fro, then re-assemble a mask that they only got to study with their hands previously. Tough. Hard to say who has the edge, but at least a decent chunk is physical.

7:30: Turns out Bob has the edge with that analytical mind, assembling a puzzle first, but turns out he didn't have it correctly. Meanwhile, Suzie Q is literally off the reservation, not even in the same pen that everyone else is. Can't she hear Jeff's voice and follow that???

7:32: Bob ends up winning. Kenny aka "The One" is all set to receive Bob's Immunity necklace. This could get interesting after all.

7:37: If ever there was a snake on this show, it's Kenny. In an attempt to get immunity, he's told Bob that "he's really nervous" and that he feels like he's gonna get voted off. Then, he tells everyone to tell Bob that they're voting for Ken so Bob gives Ken the idol, in which case Ken would vote off Bob. What a tangled web...

7:40: This is insane! I have no idea who to trust. It would seem that Matty, Sugar, Bob and Suzie would make the most logical alliance, but everyone is so skeptical that no one believes anything that anyone is saying. The only things we know about everyone are this:

* Kenny may not be a mastermind, but he is a sneaky f*ck
* Matty is genuine and a physical threat but not the best strategic player
* Crystal is Kenny's bouncer, intimidating others but not really doing much otherwise
* Suzie is altogether useless
* Sugar is a sharp strategic player and an average physical player, but in the end will be too nice to win, and
* Bob is book smarter than any of the fools out there, and just might be smarter in all facets, too.

7:45: Booyah! Bob wisely keeps his Immunity Necklace. Sorry Kenny, or more likely Crystal, but I think it's time to show you the door.

7:48: Survey says...sweet!!!!! Sugar GIVES Matty her hidden immunity idol. When's the last time that happened?!?!?

7:50: Okay, where was I? Survey says...Matty...Matty...Crystal...Crystal...13th person out = Crystal. McDonalds...I'm Lovin' It! I feel kinda bad for her, but that feeling quickly subsides when I see the sour puss on Kenny. How's it feel, "Mastermind?" Wait, I think I found a pic that sums up what might be his current emotional state, and in a language he'll surely understand:



Survivor news at Survivor.com
Survivor homepage at CBS.com

And then...

Fletch's Film Review: Australia

It's quite fortunate for me that certain words from other languages are melded into the boiling pot that is the English language and given the thumbs up for everyday use. For example, I probably can't say "Me and my hermano are going to a baseball game" without getting a sideways glance from a few people, or at the least some stalking by G.O.B. However, I won't get dirty looks from anyone if I call Australia a cliché-filled, cheesy catastrophe - well, if you don't count lovers of the film or people who say "freedom fries."

Now, if you're new to this world and experiencing things for the first time and happen to see Australia as your virgin theatrical experience, then by all means, love it. But it's hard to see why anyone who has ever seen a film before would love this one - they've seen everything that happens in it a million times before, all corners of the plot are telegraphed ("Stop") eons in advance, and "visionary" director Baz Luhrmann brings absolutely none of his skill set to the table. This is a film that could have been directed by anyone and no one would have been the wiser. Wait, that's not true - with the heavy Wizard of Oz influence and excess slow-motion, I might have thought this was John Woo's attempt at relevance. Lucky for us, though, there are no doves to be found.

All this is not to say that I didn't enjoy Australia; sure, it's an hour too long, wildly predictable, heavy-handed and wildly unimaginative, but it's not as though the script or acting are gawdawful. To be sure, the production values are excellent, and I found myself embracing it's badness about two hours in, smiling gleefully as the swiss and cheddar as they oozed out of that fine continent until it was squeezed dry. I played Count the Martyrs, Watch the Villain's Life Crumble Around Him, Transform the Fish Out of Water and Melt the Unmeltable, Independent Hero - they were all there, and they were fantastic.

Oh, and in case you don't know, hermano means brother.

Fletch's Film Rating:

"Whatever."


A few additional random thoughts:

* I knew very little about Australia heading in, but I did know that the three big names involved were all Australian (technically, Kidman was born in Hawaii, but was raised in Australia and is know for being an Aussie). Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered that she doesn't even play one. Here we have a movie about the continent of Australia, titled Australia, with the biggest Australian director and two of the most well-known Australian actors as its stars...and one of them plays a Brit. I don't know if this is just weird or if it's really dumb.

* Outside of that casting aberration, a pat on the back and a round of applause for the casting job. Bryan Brown hasn't been this involved with a feature this high profile since what, 1989? Nice to see him make a triumphant return. FF-UN vet David Wenham (LOTR, 300) makes for a good, weaselly villain, but is given little to work with, and Brandon Walters hits it out of the park as the bit-too-angelic Nullah. Finally, David Gulpilil completes his journey as the Most Recognizable Aboriginal Face as King George, coming a long way from his small yet memorable role in Crocodile Dundee (which I still can't turn off whenever it pops up on TV). If only they could have found a role for Paul Hogan, I might have forgiven all the bad stuff and outright loved Australia. Crikey.

* I almost forgot...yesterday was Blog Cabins' 2nd birthday. We've come along way, baby. Thanks to all of you for your faithful readership over this time. No other fanfare this year...maybe next.

And then...

Twelve Tags #1

I would love to present you with one of three reviews (Milk, Nobel Son, Australia) that I need to finish up (or get started), as I'm woefully running behind. Unfortunately, I'm staying way too busy at work to possibly do so. Please call the whambulance for me, and maybe stop at Cryl's Jr. and get me a whamburger with some french cries while you're at it.

Anyhoo, in the meantime, the least I can do is provide you with a fun diversion. This one's got long-term legs (if you like it; I do) - I'm going to give you a dozen taglines, all you have to do is name as many flicks as you can. Get the most and you win. Sometimes there might be a theme, sometimes not. This time not.

1. One Man's Struggle To Take It Easy
2. This Time There's More
3. Snow Covers Everything...Except the Truth
4. Be All That Someone Else Can Be
5. He Knows No Fear, He Knows No Danger, He Knows Nothing
6. Danger. Power. Seduction.
7. Get Ready for Rush Hour
8. Big Cops. Small Town. Moderate Violence.
9. A Man Went Looking for America and Couldn't Find It Anywhere!
10. Nobody Does Him Better
11. The Funniest Movie Ever to Make You Cry.
12. Courage Now, Truth Always....

As you get them right, I'll mark them as gotten and stuff. Good luck. No hints.

Correct answers so far:
1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Sea_of_Green)
2. Aliens (Farmacy)
3. Smilla's Sense of Snow (andersw)
4. Being John Malkovich (Ibetolis)
5. Johnny English (Ibetolis)
6. Casino (Sea_of_Green)
7. Speed (Hollywood Chainsaw Blogger)
8. Hot Fuzz (Ibetolis)
9. Easy Rider (Ibetolis)
10. Octopussy (Sea_of_Green)
11. Steel Magnolias (Sea_of_Green)
12. Batman Forever (Sea_of_Green)

By a 5-4 score, Sea_of_Green edges out Ibetolis.

And then...

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Fletch!

I look forward to seeing approximately 80 more movies with you over the course of the next year. :)

And then...

TGITDNMAR (12/5/08)

It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.

Wow - really stretching here this week. I've had to include two limited releases just to get this puppy to three films, and the one wide one is a movie that I imagine all of four people nationwide are interested in. It's August in December - feel the heat!

Frost/Nixon
You've no doubt already seen my disappointment for this. I don't know about you, but if I'm a movie maker, I'm probably not titling a movie with a two-word, separated-by-a-slash, starts-with-an-F title anytime soon. But that's just me.

Anyway, it's the return of the 70s in theaters these days, what with this and Milk (review coming soon) likely getting multiple Oscar nods. What's next, a Rush documentary? (I can hear the Rushheads now: "Neal Peart roolz!")

Fletch's Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 45%, or less than the chance that Nixon was, in fact, a crook.

Punisher: War Zone
I've got nothing for you, Punisher. You star Dominic West, who probably should be a bigger star but isn't, and some dude named Ray that I've never heard of because I don't want enough crappy martial arts flicks or wrestling or whatever he's famous for, and you evoke memories of a crappy movie from the same source that starred John Travolta. I'd rather watch a remake of Phenomenon.

Instead, let me talk about Survivor: Gabon for a few seconds.

CBS needs to send me reparations, stat. I decided to stop doing my recaps a few weeks back, and what happens? The show gets bloody awesome, with Satan Spawn Randy getting ousted two weeks ago and Massive C U Next Tuesday Corrine getting the boot last night, both in drama-filled councils that featured fake immunity idols, shouting, inappropriate laughter, and way too many veins on Bob's Nightmare Before Christmas-like Skeletor body. Simply outstanding!

Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 0%, or equal to the chance that it makes more than $20 million this weekend.

Nobel Son
While Big Pun gets a ton of marketing behind it, here we have a movie that I've seen exactly one commercial for (and that's it - no trailer even), and it's got an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb so far. Sure, there's only a few hundred votes, but c'mon people, how many movies does Alan Rickman star in these days? Throw in a solid cast including Bill Pullman, Ernie Hudson, Danny DeVito, Ted Danson (attached as usual with Mary Steenburgen), Shawn Hatosy and Eliza Dushku? I'm interested.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 50%. Depends on if it's playing, where it's playing, and how desperate we are to see a flick this weekend. But it's looking good.

And then...

Fletch's Film Review: Synecdoche, New York

I'm tired, I don't feel well, and it's been a long day, so I've invited my other personality, Slappy Jones, to write the review for Synecdoche, New York. Take it away, Slappy:

Hey folks. So I went to see Synecdoche to with Fletch, Mrs. Fletch, Mrs. Slappy and some other friends of ours (and their alternate personalities as well) a few weeks ago, and 17 1/2 of us still haven't made up our collective minds as to how much we liked it. I mean, there were definitely some varying opinions as to how good, bad, or indifferent it was, but the general consensus was definitely positive. We were all confused about some things (like the infamous burning house you've probably heard about), but with so many of us (and let me take the time to say that Mrs. Fletch's alternate personality's alternate personality Victoria is just a doll. I mean, should you ever run into her, please give her my best.) around, we were all around to help each other out. I'm 88% sure I now understand 91% of the movie, and am 74% sure I need and want to see it again to understand at least 7 of the remaining 9%.

Wait just a goddamn second here, Slappy. Sorry to interrupt here - it's Fletch again - but Slappy just seems to be all over the damn place, and isn't making a lick of sense. I'll give him another chance. Slappy, please please please be more coherent and give a cogent review of the film.

Jeez, what an anal retentive tool. Sometimes I really hate sharing the same body as that guy.

Anyway, in case you've been living in a cave, Synecdoche, New York is the story of one Caden Cotard (even his name is code for stuff - really, just look it up), a playwright whose life is going all flipsy-dipsy-topsy-turvy of him, from constant maladies to an inability to gauge time and space to a pseudo-lesbian wife and hypophobic daughter that are set to skip town on his loser ass. Long story short, he decides to do an epic play of gargantuan proportions, both figuratively and literally, in which thousands of people will play out life in general, all within the confines of a large warehouse, and then like the snake that eats its tail, will repeat that cycle until Caden has a guy playing himself, who also has a guy playing himself, who also has a guy...guess which one I liked best?

Personally, I loved the film. Fletch - well, he couldn't get past some of the symbolic things in the film that didn't seem to symbolize anything in particular, but I say any movie that features three or more versions of the same character (more or less) is tops in my book. That goes for you, too, Being John Malkovich. Ah ah ah - wait a sec - who let Multiplicity in the room? Ok, maybe not any movie with that, but you get the gist. Now, if only The Island had had another version of Scarlett Johannson, maybe we'd have ranked it in the top ten for that year, but with just two --

Ok, I give up. Slappy, you're fired.

Fletch's (and Slappy's!) Film Rating:


"It's in the hole!"

And then...

Stained Glass Cinema #17

Right off the bat, J.D. had to pull First Snow out of his little bum. Pissed me off, I'll tell ya. Raise your hand if you saw it. Hell, raise your hand if you've even heard of it. I, of course, saw it in the theater (Guy Pearce fan). It's not bad, and it's not super, but if it comes up on cable sometime, give it a whirl. It can't be any worse than One Tree Hill or whatever that crap is that you watch.

Getting into the holiday spirit, I give you this one (and that hint).

























Standings:
Jason/Daniel - 3
Evan Derrick - 2
Jason Soto - 2
Steel11Kane, TonyD, Luke Harrington, Rachel, Adam Ross, Justin, Wendymoon, J.D., Fletch - 1

Here are the altered/actual posters from last time:

And then...