Caitlin's Top Ten Movies of 2008

I'm sorry, but Eric had it wrong (in my humble opinion).

#1 spot IS the DARK KNIGHT. (It just is, come on Eric, stop whining about the time, especially if you saw Benjamin Button! Hello three hours!)

#2 IRON MAN (A very surprising movie. Def. one to buy for your collection)

#3 CLOVER FIELD (I know a lot of people thought this movie sucked. But I loved the simplicity! I could watch it over and over!)

#4 QUANTUM OF SOLACE (Very action packed.)

#5 GHOST TOWN (One of my favorite comedies this year for sure.)

#6 BABY MAMA (I saw this twice in the theatres. That's saying a lot for me.)

#7 HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE
The real #7 INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (Was it the best of them? No, but honestly I really liked it and think people were a tad harsh. I think if people were true fans of the others, they will realize this was a lot like them. Entertaining and funny. Plus Indiana Jones movies are always classics!)

#8 FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (I am putting this on my list, because I really didn't see as many movies this year as I usually do, and this was the best of the ones I saw. And I refuse to put others on that I didn't like. I'm stubborn that way.)

#9 BE KIND REWIND (I liked how different this movie was, and it was funny. A little weird, but overall, really funny. I'm a Jack Black fan myself though.)

#10 HANCOCK (But only the first half of it, the rest was stupid.)

I didn't get a chance to see a lot of movies this year, hopefully in 2009 I will change that. I have a movie gift card that I am excited to use.)

Happy 2009!

Eric's Top Ten Movies of 2008

Okay, here it is. The Top 10 movies I saw in 2008. There are a few movies that came out this past week that I have yet to see but I don't think any of them will crack the top 10 so here we go.

1. Wall-E: This movie and Ironman went back in forth between first and second. What landed Wall-E here is the originality of its story and its humor. It truly gets better with each viewing and it is a visually stunning movie.

2. Ironman: I did not go into this movie thinking I would like it. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the cast, the smart writing and the special effects. This was not only a fun summer movie but a smart one at that. A rare combo.

3. The Dark Knight: A great follow up to Batman Begins and another movie on this list with a great cast and even better special effects. The only thing that kept this movie out of the top spot was its running time. I really felt every minute of it's almost 3 hour running time. Still a great movie.

4. Role Models: A heart warming tale hiding in a crude, funny movie. I am sure this movie is not for everyone and the language is piled on but if you can get past that you are in for a treat and a lot of laughs.

5. Cloverfield: A monster movie that you either loved or hated. I loved it! It was simple and different and a great distraction. That is the reason I go movies to escape and be entertained and this movie came through on both.

6. Pineapple Express: Another one that is not for the kids, but it was truly funny and enjoyable from beginning to end.

7. Wanted: This movie was violent and not very plausible but that is the reason I enjoyed it as much as I did. It was mindless entertainment that also had a wicked sense of humor.

8. Quantum of Solace: Not quite as good as Casino Royale but better then all the other Bond movies other than that.

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: This movie is different from anything else I have seen this year. It reminds me of Forest Gump in a way, but the reason I liked this was because the story was different and original. Plus it has a good message at its heart about never giving up and over coming obstacles.

10. Ghost Town: This movie wasn't seen by many and that is a shame. It was another great funny movie that wins you over with its charm. Maybe the dry humor kept some away but I really enjoyed it.

And there you have it, my Top 10 movies for 2008. Feel free to rip my list apart and tell me what movies you think should be included or shouldn't have made the list at all.

-Eric

Earth (Coming Earth Day 2009)

This preview was found on the Prince Caspian DVD, I know I am a geek since I really enjoyed this. Some of the images are from Planet Earth and we all know how much I liked that series. Enjoy!

Bolt and Four Christmases

Okay so I have been slacking and have meant to post reviews for Bolt and Four Christmases awhile ago but since I haven't you get two reviews for the price of one! Lucky you.

First up: Bolt

I must say that I was hesitant going into this as it was a Disney movie without Pixar, which as of late have not been the greatest movies. Bolt, however, manged to over come my skepticism.

Bolt is the story about a dog who is the star of his own action TV show. Problem is that he thinks it is all real which causes quite a problem when he thinks his person is in danger and goes off the lot looking for her. Bolt ends up in NYC and recruits a cat to help him get reunited with his person. Along the way the pick up a hamster who is a huge Bolt fan and is ready to help in anyway he can.

Bolt is a real winner and it is the supporting animals that make this movie as enjoyable as it is. The movie felt like it dragged just a bit in the middle but that could have been the turkey kicking in as this was seen on Thanksgiving. Overall Bolt is a good story (shock!) that is fun to watch. Go for the hamster, stay for the cat.

Round Two: Four Christmases

This is your typical story of a couple who can't stand there families so of course they end up having to spend the holiday with them. The twist here is that both parents are divorced so there is four families to visit.

If you are a fan of either Vince Vaughn or Reese Witherspoon you will most likely enjoy this movie. The two work surprisingly well together. Vaughn gets to show a little more depth here then in previous films he has been in and it is nice to see Witherspoon let her hair down and have some fun.

The thought of visiting four families may seem like the recipe for a very long movie but you are given just the right amount of time with each family that they don't wear out their welcome. I have to say that I laughed out loud quite a few times during this movie and thought it was a really fun holiday treat. I mean you are not expecting Masterpiece Theater here and if you go in looking to have a good time, I think you will.

-Eric

Quantum of Solace

As most of you know Quantum of Solace it the new Bond movie and even after seeing it I have no idea what the title means. In doing some research I learned that it is mentioned in one of Ian Flemming's Bond novels, so there is that.


On to the movie. This is the first Bond movie that is a direct squeal picking up right where Casino Royale left off. James is after revenge for everything, and against everyone, that happened in Casino Royale. I would highly recommend watching that movie before going to see Quantum. I re-watched it after and it made the new movie a little clearer.


This movie is much more action packed then Casino, it grabs you from the first scene, a car chase in Italy, and doesn't stop until the last scene in Bolivia. That's right you get a world tour with this movie, if only you could keep the frequent flier miles. As in Casino Daniel Craig makes us wonder why anyone else would play Bond. He brings a human element that has been missing in previous Bonds. Then there are the Bond girls, oh yes the Bond girls. Here we get two very intriguing girls who are anything but helpless.


Quantum gives us more information on why Bond is who he is. It just does it in between all the action sequences. Make sure you are not sitting too close to the front as the action can be a lot to take in. That being said this is defiantly a must see on the big screen.

-Eric

Top 10 Christmas movies I'm looking forward to..

I have a strict policy.. no Christmas songs, movies, shows, decorations, etc.. until the day after Thanksgiving. For two reasons.. (1) Thanksgiving is an important holiday, and needs to be given the attention it deserves. and (2) I get sick of Christmas if it's around too much, and I LOVE CHRISTMAS, so I hate to get sick of it. I am one of those crazy people, that the whole month of December I drench myself in Christmas, I fill up a bathtub full of Christmas and bathe in it. SO since I am getting excited for Christmas, I thought I would put together a list of the ten Christmas movies I am looking forward to. (Feel free to add any to the list.)

1. A Christmas Story (Not a Christmas goes by that I don't watch this, and laugh the entire time.. "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out".)

2. Scrooged (Bill Murray is possibly my favorite comedian.)

3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (When Chevy Chase gets on that sled, I crack up every time.. Classic!)

4. Elf (It always gets me in the Christmas mood.)

5. The Family Stone (I know Eric will vehemently argue with this one, but I can't help it.. I love it!)

6. Home Alone 1 & 2 (Does this make me sad? Oh well, bring it on! I think it reminds me of when I was little and would watch it at my Grandmommy's house.)

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated version)

8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (I put these together since I usually watch them all together.)

9. A Charlie Brown Christmas

10. Nightmare Before Christmas (I know this is sort of Halloween-ish too, but I didn't get a chance to watch it for Halloween, so it's going to be watched for Christmas!)

Well there it is.. do you hate some of these? love them? Comment and tell me what I missed.

Role Models

Role Models is the story of two guys (Rudd and Scott) who work for an Energy drink company that goes from school to school teaching kids to stay off drugs. That is until Danny (Rudd) has a bad day and rams the Energy drink truck into a school statue and causes a big scene with his buddy Wheeler (Scott) along for the ride. Instead of jail time the two are sentenced to community service at a Big Brother/Big Sister type organization. Once there they are teamed with two of the so called "littles" to be "bigs" to. Only problem is that these littles are the "runts" of this litter and no seems able to connect to them or stick with them.

The rest of the plot is very straight forward and they aren't many deviations from that. What sets this movie apart is that it is basically a kids movie with a lot of bad language. Definably not one for younger viewers as it truly earns its R rating. That being said I laughed a lot during this movie and it really does have heart, it's just that its heart is more street then most. If bad language isn't a turn off for you then you will most likely enjoy this movie. Also the two kids playing opposite the leads are laugh out load funny in every scene they are in and they steal this movie from their more well known co-stars. If you are looking for a good laugh and can get past the R rated humor this may be the movie for you.

-Eric

In Memoriam: Michael Crichton

I was very sad to learn of the passing yesterday of Michael Crichton after a private battle with cancer. Mr. Crichton's books are the books that made me love reading. From Jurassic Park to Timeline to The Andromeda Strain, each book was entertaining and always worth another read. I have read many of his books more then once and find many of them to still be page turners even after a few reads. Plus I always felt like I was learning something while reading his books. I always looked forward to the next new Michael Crichton book and am sad that there will not be another one. My thoughts and prays go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.


If you haven't read any of Mr. Crichton's books I suggest you do, he truly was a gifted writer.


-Eric

Drillbit Taylor

On their first day of high school, Ryan and Wade, are embarrassed by the fact that they happen to wear the same shirt. Wade sticks up for a smaller fellow geek, Emmit (he was the creepy little boy in the Ring), who is being shoved into a locker by bullies. As a result the bullies Filkins and Ronnie terrorizes all three at every chance they get. So they decide to hire a body guard. (Owen Wilson)

My husband and I watched this last night. We both really enjoyed it. That being said, we both really like Owen Wilson, so if you are not a fan, you can probably skip this one. There were some stupid parts, but a lot of really funny ones too.

The kids in this movie crack me up. The main bully Filkens is horrible and you really feel bad for these kids. It is PG13, so be prepared for a little language and some questionable parts. But in a whole it was really pretty funny. Definitely one that is worth the rental fee. If you are looking for a light hearted comedy this could be the one for you.

Caitlin

The Count of Monte Cristo

I am sure this may come as a surprise to some of you but this review is for the book and not the movie. This may be shocking because given the amount of TV shows and movies I have reviewed some of you probably didn't think I knew how to read or what a book was. Well I do and when I worked downtown and took the train each day I used to read a lot more then I do now. But that is off topic, today I want to talk about The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I am sure many of you have already read this book as it is a classic but it is for that very reason that I was hesitant to read the book to begin with. It was tenth grade and I had one of those great English teachers that thought you could learn a lot more about English by submersing yourself in it (i.e. reading books) then by studying a textbook. Before this time I had never ventured out much from Michael Crichton land and was not very very interested in doing so, especially for some boring old stuffy novel like The Count of Monte Cristo. Did I know anything about the book? No, but I was judging it by its cover. Now I know why you are not supposed to do that and I glad I did because the Count quickly became my favorite book and I have read at least 4 different abridgements at least 6 times.


The last abridgement (the unabridged version) I read was by far the most expansive, checking in at 1,000+ pages and a reference and history guide at the back of the book, complete version I have come across yet. This book has just about everything you can imagine in it. From wrongful imprisonment, murder, betrayal, revenge, redemption, romance, friendship, you just can't want anything more from a book. Each time I read it I discover something that I didn't realize, or pick up, the previous time. I think that is why I keep going back and reading it again and again. Edmond Dantes leads the kind of adventures most of us only dream of but at the same time his life is not easy and is consumed with vengeance. So it is a trade off: adventure with all consuming revenge. Ah who am I kidding I would still take it but that might be because I know how the story ends and no the movie does not end the same way, so don't base your assumptions on that.


I would go into more detail about the plot and characters but I think for you to truly enjoy this you need to go in blind, like I did, and discover it all for yourself. Maybe I should have started with that. Forget everything you just read and go and get yourself a copy of the book and find out for yourself. That is if you already haven't read the book and if you have, try the big unabridged version it is worth the effort. There are so many story lines that where taken out or shorted in the version most of us read in high school. I think I may just start reading it again.

-Eric

Eli Stone

Eli Stone had its second season premiere last night and I can say that this has become one of my favorite shows from last year. If you haven't watched Eli Stone, here is what you need to know.
Eli is your typical ruthless lawyer until one day he starts seeing visions. These visions lead Eli to start thinking that perhaps there is a higher being that is trying to use him to do good. The medical reason that Eli is having visions is chalked up to a brain aneurysm by his brother, who just happens to be a doctor, and it turns out the their Dad also had an aneurysm and visions. But instead of doing good the visions led their father to go crazy. Eli at first thinks that he will meet a fate similar to his father but then starts to pay attention to the visions and starts using them to help people. As you can imagine this does not go over to well at Eli's firm where he was once a top earner and now is doing pro bono work.




The way the producers splice the visions into the show is great and each episode has a lot of heart and character. The cast is filled with top notch performances by Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, Loretta Devine and Natasha Henstridge to mention a few. This show goes from laugh out loud funny at times to inspiring, it truly is a good hour of TV. Here is just a taste of an average day for Eli Stone:





-Eric

NCIS

If you, like me, thought NCIS was just an old persons show then you, like me, are wrong. I started watching NCIS half way through its second season. My parents watched it and one day I started watching it with them. That is all it took I was hooked. NCIS is not your typical CSI show and was a spin off of JAG, which I never watched, so going in I was a bit hesitant. But all that changed after meeting the NCIS team led my Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon. The thing that makes this show different is the chemistry of its cast. You just can't help but like the characters here and they keep you coming back week after week to see what will happen next.


I wouldn't say you need to catch up on the past 5 seasons to start watching and enjoying the show now, but I would definitely recommend it as you learn so much about the NCIS team. Each episode is usually based around some military crime or one involving a member of the military. That is after all what NCIS does. Now would be a good time to explain that NCIS stands for Navel Criminal Investigation Service.


Our team at NCIS is Gibbs (Harmon), Anthony (Michael Weatherly), Ziva (Cote de Pablo), McGee (Sean Murray), Abby (Pauley Perrette), and Ducky (David McCallum). The chemistry between the cast truly makes this one of the best shows on TV today. Lately this show has been doing very well in the ratings but it is still a show that not many are aware of. I am more then happy to say that I was wrong about NCIS and should not have judged it without having ever seen it. It is not just a show for old folks but one that can be enjoyed by anyone who likes good crime dramas. That is not to say that NCIS is as dark as the CSI shows, because it is most definitely not. The show has a sense of humor and is not afraid to use it. I suggest checking this one out if you haven't already done so. NCIS has quietly become one of my favorite TV shows. Find out why Tuesdays on CBS.

-Eric

Pushing Daisies

If you are not watching Pushing Daisies then you are truly missing out. This is one of the most original, fun shows on TV. Pushing Daisies bills itself as a forensic fairytale, think of it has kind of a bright, happy CSI.

The premise of the show is this. As a boy Ned finds out that he has a special gift; he can bring dead things back to life with a single touch. There are only two problems with this gift, if Ned ever touches the thing he brought back to life again they are gone for good and if the thing he touches stays alive for longer then one minute something else must take its place. Young Ned learns this lesson the hard way when accidentally brings his mother back to life only to have is next door neighbor take her place, then later that night Ned's mom gives him a good night kiss leading to her this time final death.

Later in life Ned opens a pie shop using his gift to make everlasting fresh fruit with a single touch. But Ned is drawn back home when he finds out that his next door neighbors daughter and childhood crush, Charlotte (aka Chuck) has been murdered. Ned brings Charlotte back to life but can never act on his crush as another touch will lead to her death, again.

Emerson, a private detective, learns of Ned's gift and uses his skill to solve unsolved murders for the reward money, splitting it with Ned. Also involved in the story are Charlotte's aunts, who think she is dead and Olive who thinks Charlotte faked her own death and has to keep this secret from Charlotte's family to whom she delivers pies. Okay are you still with me? Oh and I forgot to mention Ned's dog, Digby, who he can't touch as he brought him back to life after being hit by a semi.

This may all seem like a lot to take in but it really isn't hard to follow and the show is uniquely different than anything else on TV. It is just bright and fun and crazy, which all add up to a enjoyable watching experience. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out Wednesdays on ABC.

-Eric

I love this show! It sort of reminds me of Matilda. It's magical, colorful, and super funny. The characters are amazing. Especially cute lil' Olive played by Kristin Chenoweth and lovable Ned, played by Lee Pace. It will draw you in the second you hear the narrator. Watch this show! It's actually one of the shows on t.v. that is family appropriate.

- Caitlin

(Click here to get a little taste of what this show is like.)

CSI:Miami

Dear Reader,

I need your help. I can not stop watching CSI:Miami, or as my family refers to it, CSI:Mondays. Now if any of you have ever seen just a glimpse of CSI:M then you know that it is cheesy, over acted and features over the top plot lines that make James Bond look tame. I have tried to stop watching but I always get pulled back in, darn you Emily Procter and your coy smile!!!

The real reason this show is laugh out loud funny/ so bad that it's good is the presence of one David Caruso. I don't know what it is but anytime he opens his mouth I find myself laughing hysterically. He tries to come off as a tough/caring detective and I just don't buy it for a minute.

Over the years, yes I have watched this show that long, Mr. Caruso's um...talent has spread to the other members of the cast and now I probably laugh more at this show than most of the comedies on TV. And now I can't imagine my week without a good laugh courtesy of my friends from Miami. So, my question for you is this: What shows do you watch for no other reason then to laugh at? Or what shows do you watch that you are ashamed to admit too? If you are looking for a good side busting laugh watch CSI:M, you won't be disappointed, just remember it thinks it's a drama.

-Eric

Sleepless in Seattle

Re-watched this movie last night. I think most have seen it, but if you haven't and you like:

1- "Chick Flicks"

2- the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan duo (Joe v.s. the Volcano, and You've Got Mail)

3- sappy love

You will enjoy this movie. (favorite scene from the movie) It's rated PG, for some mild language.

The brief plot:

Sam Baldwin, a Chicago architect, has lost his wife. He and his young son Jonah move to Seattle to make a fresh start. On Christmas evening, Jonah calls into a national radio advice show and persuades his father to go on the air with him to talk about how much he misses his wife. Thousands of women around the country, touched by Sam's story, send him letters. One letter is from Annie Reed, a journalist from Baltimore, Maryland, engaged to a man named Walter (Bill Pullman) who feels that there is something missing. The supporting cast in this movie cracks me up. If you're in the mood for a love story, check this one out.

-Caitlin

Ghost Town

This is a comedy starring Ricky Gervais (hysterical) and Greg Kinnear (hot) The movie got me excited from the get go, it has Ricky Gervais, who after seeing in the British Office and Night at the Museum, had me hooked on his sense of humor. It's so awkward, but so funny. Next add Greg Kinnear who I love, and find extremely sexy (I have been teased for this) and you get a really great movie.

The plot reminded me a bit of Heart and Souls (Robert Downy Jr.) if you remember it. Basically Ricky Gervais dies for 7 minutes during surgery and starts seeing ghosts. The ghosts need help resolving earthly things, and seek out Gervais. Kristen Wiig from SNL plays a bit part as the doctor and had me cracking up. Not to mention all of the other silly side characters.

The only thing I would say that was negative is sometimes it dragged just a bit, but the humor made up for it. The cast was likable and funny. I would say this one is worth the money to see on the big screen, and would make a great date movie.

It is rated PG13, but does have a couple of F-words, so beware when taking children. Enjoy!

-Caitlin

I agree with Caity on this completely, just insert Tea Leoni for Greg Kinnear and I would give it the same review. Ricky Gervais is truly an underrated comedian and sure some of his jokes are just plain awkward but he just does that kind of comedy so well that it didn't bother me for a minute. I was laughing so hard it kind of hurt my stomach but it was all worth it.

Like Caity I felt the middle endish part of the movie dragged a little but I only think this is because your not laughing as much as the first part so you can actually hear the actors talking and moving the plot forward.

Overall it was a great, funny comedy with a dash of romance thrown in but not so much as to delve into a chick flick territory. If you are looking for a good laugh, this movie is the way to go.

-Eric

How I Met Your Mother

This is a quick plea from me to you. Please watch the 4th Season premiere of How I Met Your Mother, Monday night on CBS. I don't want to think of a world where I don't get to hang out with this gang every Monday night (or whenever, if you get the first 3 seasons on DVD. Hint, hint.) and if more of you don't watch then I fear that will happen. So please take 30 minutes out of your busy lives and watch HIMYM. You won't regret it.


Thank you in advance,

Eric

Can I just tell you the joy that I get from this series? I never go an episode without laughing at least once, but I usually laugh the entire episode. I wish I could watch all the Season's over again and not know what was going to happen. This is a show I love, and have insisted on buying all of the box sets, because like Friends, the Office, or Gilmore Girls, I can watch it over and over again. You won't be disappointed.

- Caitlin

The Sum of All Fears

Based on the novel by Tom Clancy, The Sum of All Fears is the story about two nations having to make life changing choices after an attack and how fear plays into those choices.

I have seen this movie many times and watched it again recently after catching the first half on cable. The movie stars Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman, who both do a great job here. For those of you familiar with the Jack Ryan movies or books; The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, you know that you are in for an action packed, white knuckle ride. The Sum of All Fears is kind of like a reboot of those movies, with Affleck stepping into the part of Jack Ryan last played by Harrison Ford. And all said and done I think he does a convincing job and more than holds his own. Throw in Freemen and a cast of well known actors and the cast is rounded out quite nicely.

The plot finds Jack Ryan working at the Russian Desk at the CIA where he is pulled into the middle of this whole mess and ultimately must do what he thinks is right for the country. I don't want to give away to much to those who have not seen this. But if you are looking for a good thinking man's, or women's, movie then look no further. I was still on edge and I have seen it many times.

-Eric

Lars and the Real Girl

Directed by Craig Gillespie. Screenplay, by Nancy Oliver, focuses on a shy, lonely, socially inept young man who develops a relationship with a life-sized, anatomically-correct doll he orders online. Rated PG13 for some sex related content. But honestly, I can't remember anything offensive.

We watched this with our friends, and I think I was the one who liked it best. I loved the acting, I thought the story had heart, and I loved that it was different. Plus I laughed really hard. This movie was nominated for a bunch of rewards and was a Sundance film.

If you are looking for a different movie, I would recommend this one. The more I think about this film the more I loved it. Plus I really like the soundtrack. And I am always in love with movies that have a bunch of lovable characters. I would rent this one.

Caitlin

I agree with Caity on most of this one. The movie was definitely different and I didn't hate it. But there were parts that I didn't like. (More on that later.) I did enjoy the cast, especially Ryan Gosling and Emily Mortimer and think they did a good job. The thing that makes this movie work is that it has heart, sure that heart happens to be a doll, but heart none the less. I also enjoyed how this doll affected the whole town.

The things I didn't like about this movie were things that the movie had no control over, in other words they were things of my own doing. Ryan Goslings character started to sound like David Arquette to me after awhile and then that was all I could see, or hear, rather. I found myself being distracted by this and kept waiting for the cast of Scream to come out. Also the story is so odd it is a little hard to get into at first and it took a little while to get going only to wrap up things pretty quickly. I would have liked a little more follow up at the end, perhaps a few years down the road. But that is just me and I can accept the way the filmmakers ended the movie and it doesn't leave you hanging, scratching your head.

Overall it wasn't terrible and I laughed at quite a few parts and if I could have gotten David Arquette out of my mind I am sure I would have enjoyed it more. I agree with Caity that it is worth a rental, if only to watch something different.

-Eric

The Bonnie Hunt Show

I love Bonnie Hunt! So I was very excited to learn that she has a new show on and today, thanks to the magic of Tivo, I watched it for the first time. I guess you could call it a talk show but it reminds me more of the old variety shows, like Carol Burnett. It is just a fun time and very entertaining to watch.

I love the way Bonnie interacts with her crew, guests, band and audience. She just makes you feel at home or at the very least the home of a good friend. Plus she acts like your friend playing off of the things her guests say, joking back and forth with her crew, giving the band a hard time it all just comes together so well. The show didn't feel over rehearsed. It was just like I was dropping in and like any drop in you never knew what was going to happen next.

My favorite part of Tuesdays show was when one of her guests said he loved her set, to which Bonnie deadpanned "Thanks, it's a new bra!" I was laughing hysterically, joined in a few seconds later by the audience once the joke set it. It is things like that and the green screen, that you can watch on her website bonniehunt.com, which is why I love Bonnie. I was a great laugh after a long day. Bonnie has earned a season pass from my Tivo, no higher honor could be given! Check it out.

-Eric

Passport To Great Weekends

I am going to let you in on a little secret. I like to spend my Sunday mornings in bed with Samantha Brown. That's right, every Sunday morning I like to visit all the places Samantha does through the magic of TV.

For those of you who have not heard of Samantha Brown I will provide a little history, at least as I recall it. I discovered Samantha a few years back while she was doing the Passport to: Latin American, Passport to Europe, etc. As an armchair traveler I have come to love the places Sam has taken me and although I was not a huge fan of Sam's from the get go, she as consistently grown on me to where I can't imagine armchair travel without her. She has the girl next door quality and you can tell that she doesn't take herself too seriously. Plus she is not afraid to try new things, like interesting foods and drinks, that would give me pause before trying. She has become the person that I would love to travel with because she knows (or her producers) all the great places to go and things to try wherever you may be.




Well Passport to Great Weekends continues the themes set forth on her earlier adventures, only this time they are much closer to home, not to mention places that I might actually make it to one day. So far this year she as gone to Brooklyn, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Austin, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans, Los Cobos, New Hampshire, London UK, Washington DC, Wyoming, Cape Cod, and Los Angeles visiting each for three days and showing you the best things to do in that amount of time.

I can't imagine a better way to spend my Sunday mornings then with Sam. New episodes air on Thursdays but I never seem to catch them there. I usually catch the episodes on Sunday mornings and as a bonus there are two episodes back to back. A whole hour of armchair traveling, not a bad way to spend part of your weekend and the company isn't half bad either.

-Eric

The House Bunny

As most you know, or maybe don't, August is the dumping ground for bad movies. Studios just hoist a lot of really bad movies on us in August getting ready for their fall and Holiday movies. So I went into The House Bunny knowing full well that it would not be winning any awards and just hoped it would be entertaining. I admit that I laughed at the previews for it and I am fond of Anna Faris who deserves much better then the movies she has been in.

The premise of The House Bunny is as follows. Shelly (Anna Faris) is a Playboy bunny who after turning 27, or 59 in bunny years, is tossed out of the mansion. As an orphan Shelly as nowhere to go and stumbles onto a Greek Row of an unnamed university. Once there she discovers that the outfit/misfit sorority, Zeta Alpha Zeta, is in need of a house mother and they are also in need of 30 new recruits or the school is going to shut them down.

After the girls agree to let Shelly be their house mother she uses all the tricks she has learned as a bunny to help get new recruits to join ZAZ and teach the girls to fit in. All the while dealing with a rival sorority that wants the ZAZ house to expand.

This is where I lost interest in the movie. They bring on the smart love interest (Collin Hanks) for Shelly and show how easily fitting in can make one forget who they truly are. The movie uses a lot of stereotypes as punchlines over and over again and they really aren't even that funny the first time. Although I loved the way Shelly remembers peoples names.

The only reason this movie is even somewhat enjoyable is because of Anna Faris and to a lesser extent Emma Stone (who was great in Superbad) as one of the girls. The rest of the cast seems to be trying really hard and it just comes off as forced. So if you want to see a new movie in August you could do worse then The House Bunny, but I would wait until it hits the dollar theaters or Redbox.

If you have seen The House Bunny make sure to take part in the poll to the right.

-Eric




Okay I think I liked this a little better than Eric, but not much. We saw it together, and at the end we just kind of agreed it was predictable. It kind of reminded me of Sydney White.


There were parts where I laughed out loud. Other parts where I snickered and some where I sat there kind of annoyed. I really liked Anna Faris, and I liked Emma Stone as well. The rest of the cast was just blah and forgettable.


I liked it, but was glad I only paid five dollars for it, and kind of wished I would have waited for the dollar movies. Though I did find it entertaining. If you want a movie you don't have to do much thinking with and just a popcorn muncher, then see this. Also go into it knowing it's a fluff movie.


Caitlin