Pop Culture Round-Up

Enjoy Slate's Summer Movies issue.

Ponder the MPAA.

Check out the We Own the Night trailer.

Agree (or disagree) with the Guardian's reader-selected 100 unforgettable movie moments.

Watch the (possibly unintentionally) hilarious Nintendo DS commercial with Nicole Kidman.

Spend a little time with Flight of the Conchords.

1408 (2007)

Idea: Author Michael Enslin (John Cusack) specializes in debunking paranormal phenomena. He receives an anonymous postcard that prompts him to check into room 1408 at New York's Dolphin Hotel, despite heavy protestations from the general manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson).

I suspect it must be difficult to play Stephen King's stand-in. I know I wouldn't want to do it. Are you a prick because you sold-out or because you're bereaved? Why must you have such terrible highlights in your hair? What's with your clothes? Are you not yet folksy Uncle Steven, dispenser of pop culture wisdom and homespun truisms?

I also suspect it must be difficult to be the leading man in a situation that basically consists of you alone in a room for an hour, reacting to whatever the evil room throws at you, whether it's a little man in your mini-bar fridge or an alarm clock that only plays one song. There are quite a few times when poor Cusack is yelling things like, "What do you want from me?!" at his room, and you have to try really hard not to laugh.

I also suspect that it must feel kind of stupid to leave the reason as to why the room behaves as it does open-ended, considering the fact that CW shows like Supernatural come up with a reason 22 weeks a year.

Finally, I suspect that it must be tough to be John Cusack, who turns 41 tomorrow. He's old enough to play start playing the dad, which I guess is good news, considering that his bread-and-butter, romantic comedies, are a dying breed. But, let's try to stay away from this stuff, shall we? Doing Grisham is bad enough. Let's leave Stephen King alone.

Director Mikael Håfström delivers a few chills and genuinely scary moments, but it's enough to distract from how boring the movie often is. In addition, I had come to expect better of you, composer Gabriel Yared. I think judicious trimming and a shorter set-up could have done this movie some favours, but, as it is, it's not quite right. C

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Short: As Sue (Jessica Alba) and Reed's (Ioan Gruffudd) wedding day approaches, a series of unnatural phenomena and giant craters begin opening up around the world. The Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) heralds the world's end, leaving Johnny (Chris Evans) and Ben (Michael Chiklis) contemplating the few moments they have left, while the Four attempt to stop the apocalypse.

Judging by the first, I didn't see this sequel coming. I've never even bothered watching it again. It was bad, it was seen, it was over with. But you gross over $300 million world wide and that means we mean more of you? Fine. And I'll probably go see a third movie if you crank one out.

Back when it was the main movie in the AV Club's cinema section, they called it the movie that everyone saw and no one liked. I don't know anyone other than Em and I who've admitted to seeing it, much less seeing it in the theatre.

For those of you who did see it (I know you're out there), if you can imagine a sequel exactly the same as the first movie, you can imagine what you see here. Alba maintains a lack of expression rivaled only the confusion in Gruffudd's performance. Chiklis again gives the only believable performance, and his relationship with Evans is the only subtle and nuance point the film has going for it. Evans will probably never be an actor known for his range, but, what can do, he does well.

I do appreciate the hammy elements that Julian McMahon brings to the screen. That's why we all watch nip/tuck anyway, right?

As with the freshman outing, Don Payne and Mark Frost's screenplay raises more questions than it could ever dream of answering, and Tim Story's non-direction and lack of personal style make this (dare I say it?) franchise as bargain basement as they come. D

To be honest, you're probably more likely to get a more honest and enjoyable Fantastic Four experience reading this Inventory than seeing the movie. I mean, Nixon tells off Reed Richards? Doesn't get better.

The Namesake (2006)

Brief: After surviving a train derailment, Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan) moves to New York with his new wife Ashima (Tabu). Together in this new country, they raise Gogol (Kal Penn) and Sonia (Sahira Nair). Finding it easier to fit in in the new world rather than the old, Gogol struggles against his parents' traditional upbringing and his unusual name.

I'd like to like this movie more than I do. I love watching director Mira Nair's movies because of her wonderful senses of colour and place. She's the only director I can think of that could make a movie set in Calcutta and New York without going to far toward exotic or gritty. She strikes a balance that I think represents most people's experience, making it both personal and relatable.

Relatable, regrettably, is the problem. When you watch Ashima sprinkle curry powder and peanuts into her Rice Krispies on one of her first few days in wintery New York, the corners of your mouth tug into a sad smile for her home and the ways in which her life is about to change. But that's about all I did. I have no immigrant experience on which to draw, and her children's difficulties in finding a niche between the two worlds strikes me as more bratty than anything else. I spent a lot of the time after the film switched focus to Gogol's life wanting him to be less of an ass. Ashima deserved better.

For, despite what the trailer led me to believe, this story is more Ashima's than any one's. Her marriage, her children. 30 years of her life go by under Nair's lens, simply crafted and surprisingly touching. Tabu carries it off with an earthly grace.

Penn, not so much. It's not that he's bad: he just didn't bring a lot of complexity to the role either. It's good starter stuff, but it's too early to tell which way it will go. Of course, it doesn't help that a lot of the stuff that would help explain his character are glossed over (how did he get together with Jacinda Barrett's Maxine? What went on between the second date and subsequent marriage*?) There's too much emotional baggage and not enough story to make it compelling.

Even so, between Tabu and Nair, I think we might have something here. B

* I don't think I'll spoil the identity of the bride for you.

Black Book (2006)

Premise: A Jewish woman (Carice van Houten) joins the Dutch Resistance and ends up working undercover as the secretary (and lover) of the head of the Dutch Gestapo, Ludwig Müntze (Sebastian Koch).

Director and co-writer Paul Verhoeven hasn't had the best of luck with his recent movies on this side of the Atlantic. The notorious Showgirls, the maligned Starship Troopers, the horrible Hollow Man. The fact that it's been six years and the rumour that he and co-writer Gerard Soeteman have spent twenty years hammering out the script suggest that there is something different this time around. And there is. This movie is really good.

What a find van Houten is! Unknown to Feria Films prior to this screening, she is magnificent in this role. She strikes a wonderful balance between the oppression of Rachel's circumstances and her will to survive.

The chemistry between van Houten and Koch is as fun to watch as it is nerve-wracking. The instant bond between them is never explained or even spoken of, but that made it seem all the more natural, as though it came from some deep sadness that neither one could begin to express. Koch remains as dignified and sexy as he was in The Lives of Others but a little more dangerous. He also speaks English! Well, for a line.

I could have done without Anne Dudley's ridiculously over-wrought score or some of Verhoeven's desire to capture absolutely everything (Rachel dyes all her hair to go undercover). Aside from those, there's magic at work here. It's sad and it's plausible and it gets under your skin. A-

2:37 (2006)

Brief: The lives of seven high school students (Teresa Palmer, Joel Mackenzie, Frank Sweet, Clementine Mellor, Charles Baird, Sam Harris, and Marni Spillane) with secrets are put under the microscope the same day that one of them commits suicide.

What a stomach churning nightmare from first time director/writer/editor/producer Murali K. Thalluri. I can barely get the hellish images out of my head. But let's back up a bit.

No one is listed, so I really don't know who to thank, but the costuming in this movie was excellent. I learned so much about these characters by the way they dressed, and it was done with nuance and detail. I can't go into it here without giving too much away, but I assure you that if you pay attention, you will be rewarded.

Congratulations are in order to Thalluri for taking an inexperienced cast and directing them in such honest and vulnerable performances. Almost every beat is subtly underplayed and expressed in a way that feels fresh. The standout is the mesmerizing Palmer (pictured) as Melody. Melody, to my mind, is one of the two most difficult characters to play, and Palmer infuses her with such genuine emotion that your heart breaks for her.

For such a short running time (91 minutes here), Thalluri packs in an incredible amount of plot without it feeling rushed. Mind you, he cannily uses black and white interviews to prevent a lot of the exposition clunking. He also has the camera follow around the students from behind a fair bit, sneaking up on them around corners as their paths cross in the school, giving the viewer the sense that they are watching real events as they unfold. He manages to fit in blink-and-you-miss-'em clues as to who won't make it through the day in the midst of all this.

Despite the fact that I haven't a bad word to say against the movie, I can't help thinking that there is something wrong with it. Maybe it's the gut-wrenching images I can't shake free from my mind. Maybe it's the idea that all these sad, fucked-up lives could intersect on a regular basis. Maybe it's the fact that it should have a profound impact on me, alter my perspective, and give me insight, but all it really does is make me a little sad and really sick to my stomach. B

Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Outline: Willy Banks (Al Pacino) double crosses his latest casino partner Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), landing Reuben in the hospital. When Will refuses a Billy Martin from Danny (George Clooney), the gang (Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Eddie Jemison, Don Cheadle, Shaobo in, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner) plan to take down Banks' casino during the soft open as payback, with a little help from Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) and Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard).

Oh, how delightful. The series goes back to its roots: Las Vegas and fun. Yup, it's fun again, kids. Might as well enjoy it.

Director and cinematographer Steven Soderbergh has it back on the rails, and it rolls along quickly and smoothly. Writing team Brian Koppelman and David Levien keep the plot streamlined, allowing more room for the loving character bits that made the first installment such a thrill to watch. There are plenty of giggle-worthy in- and out of character jabs.

Also, much to my delectation, Affleck gets his own subplot, and it's both relevant and hilarious. As much as the big stars are important, and as much as convivial amusements as Cloons, Pitt, Damon, Garcia, etc. bring to the screen, these movies are only as good as their supporting players. If Caan and Affleck, despite looking nothing alike, weren't believable antagonistic sibs, the movie would grind to a halt when they hit the screen. If Qin, with his lovely head of hair, wasn't such a good sport, the rest wouldn't matter.

Pacino tones it down enough to let his enjoyment in this boys club show, and the crazy hot Ellen Barkin adds the needed estrogen boost.

So much of the first picture comes full circle this time around that it's easy to forget the failings of the second. In fact, why don't we? Let's just sit back and enjoy. B+

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Story: Will (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), and crew team up with Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris) and Singapore pirate Captain Sao Feng (Chow-Yun Fat) to find the world's end and rescue Jack (Johnny Depp), so he can help put a stop to Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) and Davy Jones' (Bill Nighy) reign of terror.

Even though the pre-credits sequence aimed at "political" and ended up hitting "reminiscent of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves*" and even though The Hater has proclaimed the movie/franchise unbearable, I am here to tell you that it is the opposite of unbearable. This third installment is downright . . . tolerable! It's occasionally enjoyable! Sometimes good!

What? If you may recall, the second one was awful. Anything better than insufferable is an marked improvement.

*Which rocks, so they've got that going for them.

Mind you, the movie's far from perfect. The movie's really Elizabeth heavy. Listen, writers Ted Elliott and Ted Rossio, you cannot convince me that absolutely everyone is hot for Knightley. She's got no shape to her. Her hair was slightly better this time around (bad dye job, better styling), but her unflattering lipstick remained in place. Also, still not much going on in the acting department for this one. Her big rousing speech? Had me rolling my eyes. Her credulity straining interest in Jack (still, again, some more)? Impossible. It's the same problem every time: Knightley over-reaches. The best way to approach most of her scenes would be with subtlety and nuance, and she blows them nearly every time. It's odd because her scenes with Bloomers work really well (they have a sweet, understated chemistry), and her desire for adventure comes across clearly. Putting the focus on her only emphasizes how under-prepared Knightley is to carry the bulk of the movie.

Will and Elizabeth are apparently not talking when the movies opens, although the first scene with both confirms their love for and fidelity to one another. Elizabeth is in some danger or vaguely sexually threatened? Cut to Will clenching. Elizabeth does something smart/clever/inspirational? Cut to Will looking all kinds of turned on. Hee. Bloomers gives a great reaction shot. Yes, young Bloomers remains one of the greatest enigmas Elfin April has ever faced. When he's silent, when it's simple, Bloomers hits the mark. Anything more complex, and he tends to veer off course. It makes him the perfect candidate for these sort of movies, actually, as they run straight. Maybe typecasting wouldn't be such a shame for him after all.

As for Depp, what's left to be said? He's fey, and we all love it. His hair was still more dready and less braidy, but I can live with that so long as I can watch that scene with Keith Richards as Captain Teague over and over again. Elliott and Rossio, however, need to cool it a bit with their love of Jack. You'll see what I mean.

Also: Cutler is totally hot for Jack (admit it, you saw it, too). Rush appears to be having a ball. Norrington got boring again after putting back on the powdered wig. The one-eyed man and his scraggly haired companion finally get names. Stellan Skarsgård steals every scene he's in, breaking hearts along the way. This FAQ makes the post-final-credits sequence confusing.

In all my writing on the subject, I have failed to mention Hans Zimmer's delightful score. It's catchy in a way that you don't mind having in your head for days, allowing you to recall the best parts of the high seas adventure and dump the rest.

Despite the fact that it's too long and way too heavy on elements and sub-plots best left to the fishes, it's still a far more palatable entry than the second. If it were to end here, I think it's something we could all look back on and smile. Not a bad way to lose an afternoon. B+

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

I went to see PotC: At World's End yesterday, but I don't want to write about it until I get my thoughts about the middle child down. It's RE-view time.

The movie remains long and largely boring, but it works better if you break it up into chunks, like I did. A finger on the fast-forward button would also do the trick. Mostly, I'd skip a lot of the stuff on the island, a lot of stuff with Elizabeth, and some of the Cutler/Governor Swann stuff. I love Tom Hollander in the role, but so much of what he does is just set-up for the next movie. You'd do just as well to wait and catch up then.

As for the island stuff, it's kind of funny the first time around, but it loses it's charm on subsequent viewings, and it feels more like filler than genuine dramatic tension (will they save Jack? Gee, I don't know!)

Oh, Elizabeth. You know, when it came to the first movie, Bend it like Beckham, and Love Actually, I would I have said that I liked Knightley alright. She's not spectacular, but she's serviceable when she's not over-reaching. Plus, as I have long said, she's got a pretty face. But here? Why the focus on Elizabeth? She's childish a lot of the time, and her "attraction" to Jack is possibly the most unbelievable part of the entire movie (of the many I could choose). Her signature line, "Oh, Jack," with a little sigh at the end? Plays like he's her screw-up older brother. If it's supposed to be a more carnal interest, it doesn't show.

To be honest, I don't buy the attraction going either way. Depp can play anything at any time in any way and make me a believer, but the sub-plot groans under the weight of the tacked-on tension. It's upsetting but expected that Jack trade Will's life for his own. But try to steal his lady? Never. Jack knows he could never come back from that. Mind you, all of this speculating is possible because Depp plays the most fully fleshed character on the screen at any given point.

No matter which chunk I was watching, I was consistently impressed with Will's character development. No, seriously. Will is the central character, the tie that binds the mainland lives of Elizabeth, the Governor, and Norrington (Davenport is so foxy when he's a rogue) to the sea-faring world of the pirates, and the movies' moral centre. When he lights that sword on fire? I found myself thinking, "Will's ingenious." During that amazing, best set piece of the movie, water wheel fight? I hoped Will would come out on top. Bloomers bugs in a lot of ways a lot of the time, but here? He's quick on his feet, and I can get behind that.

It's still too long, too exposition-y, too reliant on call backs instead of new material, but it didn't turn me off of going to see the final (?) installment. That's saying something. Not a lot, but something. I'm sticking with my original grade. C+

Knocked Up (2007)

Premise: Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is promoted at E!, and she heads out for the night with her sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann), to celebrate. Alison meets cute with Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) while he is out with his stoner roomies (Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, and Martin Starr). Eight weeks later, Alison is preggers.

Hurrah! I have returned from my little hiatus refreshed and ready to review. Miss me no longer, gentle reader. I'm back.

Naturally, I'm back with some sweet Judd Apatow (writer/director here) action. Yes, people, naturally. I have a love for M. Apatow that knows no bounds. F&G rocked, I own Undeclared, and I spent weeks begging my friends to go see The 40-Year-Old Virgin with me. He's the main delivery service for an addiction known as Seth Rogen (Ken! Ron!).

First of all, he's cute. Secondly, and most importantly, he's funny. He's wonderfully sarcastic, and he obviously can see the humour in a lot of different things, like the first time you get sick away from home. All in all, Rogen made a great TV boyfriend, and it seems he is on his way to make a great movie boyfriend.

Oh, Heigl, they really made Izzie reprehensible this season, no? It's too bad 'cause Izzie was my favourite intern. Of course, no matter what ridiculous speech the writers throw at you, you carry it off with aplomb, as you are far, far more talented than they seem to realize. You are also a delight here with deft comedic timing and a winsome screen presence. You know, in addition to being really hot. Hope there's more big screen roles in your future, as I am about ready to abandon the show you currently call home.

Much like with the outlandish Virgin premise, Apatow succeeds in taking something that, by all
rights, is creepy and icky and turning it into something hilarious and sweet. Carrell's subtle performance did it for the first, and Rogen and Heigl's budding relationship, contrasted with Debbie and Pete (Paul Rudd)'s marital strife, does it for the second. It's too bad about the way that the abortion discussion gets the bum's rush, but, in a movie whose premise is so clearly stated in the title, what do you really expect?

Anyway, must be time to go read what Dana Stevens says they got wrong about women. I'm sure I'll be incensed when I am finished. Until then, I remain enraptured. A-

Waitress (2007)

Brief: Jenna (Keri Russell) finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, putting a kink in her plans to leave her husband, Earl (Jeremy Sisto). Despite the support of her best friends (Cheryl Hines and Adrienne Shelly), Jenna feels more and more depressed about the prospect of bringing a child into the world. She finds herself confiding in Joe (Andy Griffith), the crotchety owner of the pie diner where she works, and falling for her new doctor (Nathan Fillion).

When I saw the trailer for this movie prior to The Lookout, two things occurred: 1) the lovely young lady seated to my right said, upon seeing Fillion, "Hey, it's Mr. Sexy!" I was forced to agree, as Nathan Fillion is, in fact, very sexy. 2) I remembered it was Adrienne Shelly's final film, and I was sad. But we went to a special sneak peek anyway (gift bags!).

And now I feel sad that there are a limited number of Shelly pictures left for me to see. Her writing and direction are so hilarious and honest and off-kilter, and I wish there was more of it to go around. I wish she could go on balancing terrible things with funny things and making the juxtaposition seem fresh. I wish someone else would think to put Felicity with Captain Mal. I wish a lot of things.

It's been a long time since Felicity was on the air, and it's easy to forget how wonderful and natural Russell was in the role. As Jenna, she is just as fresh-faced, but her innocence is gone. Jenna's a woman who has gone without happiness for a long time, and the only moments when her worry and anxiety melt away are the moments when Jenna closes her eyes to create a new pie. It is then that something magical plays across Russell's face. It makes us believe, however briefly, in the possibility of stepping outside ourselves.

Although the chemistry wasn't as fiery as I would have liked, Russell is well paired with Fillion, who manages to hit that exact right mark of when a man in a hurry finally realizes he has time for a deep breath. It's shocking enough to almost take his breath away, and Fillion relays that split-second with aplomb. Romantic comedies are a dying breed, but Fillion's confidence and levity give me hope for the future.

Alright, so Russell's accent's a little spotty, and some of the stuff is obvious, and no one talks like Griffith (even if his little speeches did bring tears to my eyes every damn time). It's supposed to be sweetly fanciful. It's ridiculous, to be sure, but it's the kind of ridiculous where you smile despite yourself. B+

Pop Culture Round Up

Emo Spidey?

Quantum Leap, Children of Men, and Heroes? That's what I'm talkin' about.

New York mag thinks there are ten movies you need to see this summer. I'm sure they are right about at least three of them. Better yet, just read the entire guide.

Premiere, on the other hand, thinks you should see 25 movies . Too bad I could do without so many of them.

By the power of Greyskull!

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Story: As Peter (Tobey Maguire) prepares to take the next step in his relationship with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), they each struggle professionally, putting a strain on their relationship. Peter competes with Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) for a newly available staff position at the Daily Bugle, while Harry (James Franco) puts his plan for revenge in motion. At the same time, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), a new suspect in Uncle Ben's murder, escapes from prison. All of these things are set on edge when a symbiote space attaches itself to Spider-Man's suit.

I've been reading a number of interviews with director and co-writer Sam Raimi over the last little while, and he talks a fair bit about a) what kind of person Peter is and b) his concerns about having Peter go dark. Makes sense to me. It's Peter, not Spider-Man, that makes the more compelling character. His struggles are far more relatable and interesting. At the same time, there's something messed up about Peter. There's something wrong with a person who believes it is his duty to operate outside the law. All those things come together to provide the true tension of the Spider-Man movies.

As for the going dark bit, I had the following reaction: part of me said, "Ack! Not my dreamy, moony, ageless, semi-sexless Peter/Tobey!" and the other part of me wished it had gone on a lot longer.

I was kind of surprised by how much I liked Franco in this movie. Recently in the Ask the A.V. Club, someone wondered why critics all seem to like Franco in reviews even when they complain about the crappy, crappy movies he's in. The answer was pretty simple: Freaks and Geeks. To be honest, I haven't really liked him in anything since either. Well, I liked him in these movies, but that was more the movies than anything he was doing. And yet, here? I began to think that F&G wasn't a one-off. Maybe there is something to him.

Now, Harry's revenge as been two movies coming, so it was nice to see that finally come to a head. His sub-plot kept me engaged. Less engaging was, say, Marko's subplot. Oh, look, a little girl is on oxygen! Now I care! Except . . . meh. I know Sandman's old school, and I am sure that there are a lot of people out there waiting to see what would happen when he came to the big screen. I found it hard to connect. Church holds a lot back for a lot of the movie, and it's not that he can't act (you see him do it). It's just that he plays up how dim Marko is to the point of pushing everything else aside, which isn't that fun to watch.

Grace is a lot more fun to watch. I'm pretty sure he's always fun to watch: the over-the-top confidence that barely masks a vast ocean of self-doubt, the sarcasm, the (kind of hilarious) desire for revenge. He makes a wonderful Venom if for no other reason than the fact that I totally believe he's got it in for Peter/Spidey.

I think we already know that Maguire rocks harder than anyone in these movies. Well, except for Rosemary Harris as Aunt May. And maybe Bruce Campbell because he makes everything better. Anyway, I'm not going to press the point of how Maguire is the one of the most wonderfully naturalistic actors I have ever seen. Nope, not pressing the point. And he has lovely chemistry with the generally underrated Dunst. Okay, now I'm done.

Now you're thinking to yourself, "What's with all this character crap? When is she going to get to the good stuff?" You've hit the nail on the head there, gentle reader. That's what an impatient person might be asking Raimi right now. That person might say, "Listen, that sequence where Sandman tries to reform out of sand for the first time is really cool, and I was moved at the end when we learned what really happened the day Ben Parker died. But what was with the rest of it?" I feel like it was more of a going out of business sale (despite what the studio may want) than a movie. Maybe if I wasn't so invested in Harry or dark Spidey or Venom, I could have spared some empathy for Marko or for Mary Jane's (unbelievable) professional problems.

Of course, it doesn't help that Spider-Man 2 was not only a great comic book movie but also one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. That's a lot to live up to, and, in a lot of ways, this movie does (minus Christopher Young's egregious score). If only it weren't so character heavy. B

Pop Culture Round Up

This reminds me a lot of this.

Yay! So much fun.

Excited!

This list doesn't seem so long when you realize that the artists and entertainers portion of it is about one fifth.

GAK! Okay, well, it's been dying a slow death since, oh, the end of season four, but still. Also, what does this mean for my beloved Veronica Mars?

Inside Man (2006)

RE-view!

Sometimes you can put enough distance between yourself and a movie you panned that you forget what you thought about it in the first place. So when my aunt, sister, and I were trying to pick a movie to watch this weekend, and they asked me if they would like this one, I said, "I think I liked it, but I don't know if you will." We watched it with the two of them tutt-tutting over every swear and "inappropriate" line of dialogue. When the credits rolled, my sister announced, "Well, I think that was a flop!" My aunt agreed.

And I? I thought it was a lot better than I had originally suggested. The pacing didn't seem as slow, the camera didn't seem as off, and, while they were wondering what was up with an asynchronous music in the opening sequence, I was smiling. Suddenly it seemed more smart and hip and New York.

What really convinced me that Russell Gerwitz's script was a lot smarter than I gave it credit for? A lot of the theories coming from my viewing partners were off. They are smart ladies: if Lee and Gerwitz could keep them guessing, that's an accomplishment.

I actually started to like the way Owen and Washington were playing off each other. I liked it when Foster got into the mix. Willem Dafoe played the straight man, and it worked. Chiwetel Ejiofor rocked his small roll. It was all a lot more fun than I remembered. And maybe that was my problem last time. Maybe I got so caught up in figuring out the mystery, in the cat and mouse game, in trying to keep track of the various cats and mice in any given scene, that I forgot to just watch.

I think I was a little too harsh last time. This time, I'm bumping it up to a B-.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Premise: After performing a little too well as a PC in London, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is shipped off as a Sergeant to Sandford. Partnered with the Chief Inspector (Jim Broadbent)'s dimwitted son, Danny (Nick Frost), Sgt. Angel suspects a suspicious spate of accidents are murders connected to manager of the local grocery store (Timothy Dalton).

Think back. Think way back. Think way back to 2004. In that year, many a good movie came out. In fact, several were great. One of the great ones, as you may recall, was Shaun of the Dead. "Dude," you think, "that movie was hilarious!" Yes, it was, gentle reader. It was funny and smart and gory, and you totally loved it. You loved it so much that you still talk about it three years later, and you enjoy nothing more than having an opportunity to add, "Have a sit down?", "I ran it under a cold tap, Barbara", or "Okay . . . gay" to your everyday conversations.

Unfortunately, it's been a few years, and people are starting to look at you weird. What you need, my friend, it something just as funny, just as smart, just as gory. Above all, you need something just as quotable to refresh your conversation. Fortunately, those lovely lads behind Shaun of the Dead (director and co-writer Edgar Wright, co-writer and star Simon Pegg, star Nick Frost) figured out that this might be happening to you, and they made another fantastic parody to ease your troubles. I can hardly wait for the opportunity to tell someone to "pack it in, you silly bastard!"

This movie is so jam-packed with action movie references that a few are bound to pass you by, but who cares? That'll just make it more fun for subsequent viewings. In the meantime, sit back and admire the brilliance that goes into pairing a Sergeant with an overdeveloped sense of right and wrong with an officer who doesn't think too far beyond cornettos and lagers and sending them after an escaped swan. Look out for uncredited cameos by Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson. Giggle your way through the revelation even if it does send a chill up your spine. In short, have some fun. This movie's got it in spades. A

Pop Culture Round-Up

Oh, totally. Except two, three, eight, and 11. Well, not really six either. At least they reminded me that it doesn't have to be a Christian Bale-less summer.

Check out the second half of that list from before. It ends just the way I thought it would.

Hee. "Thanks, Superman. We humans were getting bored with blue whales anyway ."

I can't say I agree on all points, but I like where they are going with this.

They had me until the last two.

Sharon Waxman has given me a lot to think about.

Fracture (2007)

Brief: After discovering his wife (Embeth Davidtz)'s affair, Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) shoots her. As a DDA on his way out, Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) takes the open-and-shut case as a courtesy. Naturally, the case turns out to be not as clear cut as he thought, putting his new job and his relationships in jeopardy.

You guys are really dropping the ball. I went to see a movie where a lady gets shot in the face, and there appeared to be no children in the theatre. Don't you want your children to see a woman get shot in the face?

Truth be told, there was only one reason to make the journey to the cinema last night: The Gosling. Once upon a time, Gosling and I had a very special relationship where we used to see each other five times a week (everyday after school), but now I don't get to see him as often. As such, I like to make a special effort for him.

As always, he more than delivers. Gosling's a natural on screen, an actor who can exhibit that rare combination of charisma and talent. He simply smolders up there, and in those embers you find it impossible to contradict him. Is he really a Southern lawyer* who wears a gold horseshoe ring and goes about quietly seducing his new boss (Rosamund Pike)? He is today.

*Can you be a young star and not play a lawyer? What is with that requirement?

It's wonderful to Gosling and Hopkins tear into each other with relish. I don't always understand Hopkins' career moves (look at me! I can play a sociopath!), but I like anything that puts that mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He practically glows when he sits across the table from Gosling. What a delight for the audience.

Of course, that delight is tempered by the train wreck known as the script. Co-writers Daniel Pyne and Glenn Gers secretly, in their heart of hearts, think you are very, very stupid. Mind you, they start out treating you as relatively intelligent and attentive, slowly meting out clues as the movie slightly slowly goes on. Yet, when it comes time for the climax, they suddenly lose all faith in your ability to recall something that occurred as recently as three minutes earlier. Mind you, those flashbacks could have been the work of meddling producers, but I really have no way of knowing that. Besides, I have a feeling that they thought up that ridiculously unnecessary coda all on their own.

Gregory Hoblit's direction gets the job done. There was nothing extraordinary or spectacular about it, and I doubt that it takes a lot to get good performances out of Gosling or Hopkins. I do, however, think that it takes a special kind of director to quietly investigate the bonds that form between men (he also directed Frequency), and I think that Hoblit has knack for it.

Watching can be fun, especially with Gosling and Hopkins in nearly every frame and the fabulous David Strathairn in a supporting role. If you can just let the plot's failings pass you by, you are in for a pretty good ride. B-

Grindhouse (2007)

I'd like to tell you about this movie, but I can't because you didn't listen to me the first time. I thought I'd made myself clear, but, oh no, I wasn't clear enough. Let's put it this way: NEVER EVER BRING YOUR FOUR YEAR-OLD TO AN 18A MOVIE. There - that's a little clearer, right? I don't care how badly you want to see it. I don't care if you couldn't find a babysitter. I don't care if your ex traded you weekends, and you already had these plans. Woe is you. Movies are rated 18A for a reason. Sometimes, they are rated 18A for many reasons. Reasons like, I don't know, violence, gore, nudity, and attempted rape. You know, the usual. It's bad enough that you feel the need to share your every thought, chew with your mouth open, and sit directly behind my viewing partner and I even though we are the only people in the theatre. So yeah, That Guy and That Guy's Best Friend, get the hell out of my theatre.

World's goin' to hell in hand basket.

Since we are already here, I guess I could tell you about what I saw yesterday.

Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror: When a chemical agent that turns people into flesh-eating monsters is released into the Austin atmosphere, a go-go dancer (Rose McGowan) teams up with a mysterious tow trucker driver (Freddy Rodríguez) from her past to save the survivors, including a doctor (Marley Shelton) from her murderous husband (Josh Brolin), and the town sherrif (Micheal Biehn) whose brother (Jeff Fahey) makes the best BBQ in Texas.

Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof: A former stuntman (Kurt Russell) terrorizes women (Rose McGowan, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd) along the Texan highways, but he runs into trouble when he tries to take on another group of women (Zoe Bell, Tracie Thoms, Rosario Dawson) in Tennesse.

What's the matter with you? Why aren't you going to see this in theatres? You get two pictures for the price of one plus you get to see fake trailers, which is sort of like getting to see a bunch of short films as well! Wicked awesome short films, in case you were wondering. I mean, if I can get off my duff and go see a Tarantino movie (me!), then it's quite possibly the least you could be doing.

I mean, it's the one where Rose McGowan ends up with a machine gun for a leg. A machine gun leg, people. If you don't think I spent the entire feature on the edge of my seat waiting for a) McGowan to get her machine gun leg and b) Shelton to hop on the back of her motorcycle, you don't know me at all.

And that's only one picture! Then Snake Plissken gets into Bullit's car and goes crashing into people. It's just awesome.

RR might just be my hero. First he gives me Sin City and now this? Fantastic. He also managed to balance the T&A with incredibly loving shots of Rodríguez. He seems an unlikely choice at 5'6" and best known for Six Feet Under, but that makes Rodríguez all the more hilariously badass. By the time RR backs him up with the ridiculous yet still sexy score RR wrote, it's hard to resist.

The key is the casting. You have to find actors who can be in on the joke while still delivering their lines with a straight face. Bruce Willis is good at that. Brolin was surprisingly good at that. McGowan is so good at that she may have been born to do it.

By the time Thoms, Dawson, and the beautiful Bell roll up to take Russell on, you totally love these movies. It's an irresistible smash-up of paordy and pastiche, and I, for once, am all about it.

Before you reach for your smelling salts, allow me to say that seeing a QT movie does not mean that I have reversed my position on him. I am willing, however, give him an inch, and that inch is . . . I will be less dismissive of him in the future. There. That's all he's getting, though. Don't get your hopes up.

So, how 'bout it guys? Would you like to get two movies for the price of one, plus a bunch of short films, complete with intermission, so you visit the facilities and grab another snack? Esp. if it comes with a heavy dose of awesome? Then you should get on that before they yank it from theatres, chop it up, and re-release the double feature separately. Is the problem that all QT and RR's fan are just too young to understand what they are missing out on? If so, young'uns, listen up: stop missing out. You won't be sorry if you spend an afternoon or evening with this interpretation. A

Pop Culture Round Up XV

This list rocks for Nº 9 alone. That scene is the bravura sequence that makes the entire film.

Hee. Knut brings cuteness wherever he goes.

Put Christopher Nolan in a headlock? This story just keep getting better and better.

Aw, 73. Also, I totally have a t-shirt of 56.

Momma's boy edge? What does that mean? Ah, well, just off-the-wall enough to make me like it.

I can't imagine why people would lie about seeing The Da Vinci Code either.

Could someone tell me how to feel about the top story?