The Tuesday Entertainment Roundup

It's been a week full of movies. See Netflix, I told ya. Let's recap.

I Love You, Man - I thought there were several great scenes in this flick. Ordinarily, Paul Rudd is one of my favorites, but his performance was just not good at times. Overall, I'm glad I waited until it went to video. Definitely hilarious moments.

Gran Torino - This was a good movie. Clint Eastwood proves yet again that he's one of the best in Hollywood. I'm not sure I've ever heard quite this many racial slurs in one movie (especially spouted off by a single character), but it all seemed to work. It starts out kind of slow, but the ending is worth it.

Get Smart - I had such high hopes for this one. I think Steve Carrell is HILARIOUS. This movie...wasn't. I had a few chuckles, but only made it about half-way through the film before I just couldn't take anymore and turned it off. This is probably the same reason that I never watched the original tv show. I just don't get it.

Swing Vote - Wow, this one wasn't what I expected at all. Kevin Costner plays an ignorant drunk redneck (eerily well) who holds the single vote to decide a presidential election. I was expecting more comedy and less political satire drama, but was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It's not for everyone, but there's some good stuff here.

Extract - It's not often that I see a movie on opening weekend, but I know when I'm 1 of 4 people in the theater, that it's probably not a good sign. Jason Bateman is just adorable and funny with his dry delivery. Ben Affleck gives a surprisingly hilarious performance as the idiot best friend. And there's a whole host of supporting characters who have several shining moments. Overall, I wish I had waited until this one hit Netflix. Not a bad movie, just not big screen worthy.

Push - Ok, let me preface this by saying that I am NOT a big sci-fi fan. I'm more the romantic comedy or drama genre kind of gal. Having said that, this movie was a bit of a snooze-fest for me. I knew hubby would like it though. And I was right. I thought it interesting how the ending was set up. And I think Chris Evans is a major hottie. Yeah, that's about it.

For t.v. this last week, here's what things looked like.

Top Chef: Las Vegas - I love the Top Chef franchise. It's so much classier than Hell's Kitchen and way more interesting than most of the Food Network stuff. There's some great chefs competing this season! And some food this time around that I would actually try. It's a miracle.

Project Runway - Hallelujah, my man Tim Gunn is back! I adore this show.

I think that's it for this week. I've added a widget on the left hand sidebar that links to my Library List of books that I keep in my faves category. If you're interested in what I love, check it out. As I continue to tackle the 7 15 29 books that are covering my nightstand currently, I'll hopefully have more to report this Fall. And can I get an "amen" that Fall has finally arrived!

The Tuesday Entertainment Roundup

It was a busy week and a lot of multi-tasking. Where multi-tasking means working and trying watch a movie/tv at the same time. Not easy to do, mind you.

Flipping Out - Am I the only person out there who loves this show? Jeff Lewis is CRAZY and I just love him. I seriously can't get enough of his outlandish behavior. The new season on Bravo just began. Yay!!

In Her Shoes - This movie was WAY too long. Overall, I liked the story, but if I hadn't had something to do while watching, I wouldn't have made it. My assessment...meh.

Knowing - Several people had told me that I should watch this movie. And to those people I say "WHY?" This movie was NOT good. I enjoy Nicolas Cage, but this movie was just wrong. The writing was wrong. The acting was "meh" at best. The aliens were wrong. Ok yes, I just ruined it for anyone who still thinks they want to see this movie. Trust me, you don't.

The Hangover - Two words...Bradley Cooper. Oh.My...thud. Admittedly, I had been avoiding this flick despite the favorable recommendations from EVERYONE I know. It just didn't seem like my kind of movie based on the previews. Thankfully, Kat kidnapped me and forced me into the theater, where I proceeded to laugh my arse off for 90 minutes. GREAT MOVIE! HYSTERICAL! Oh yeah, and Bradley Cooper is freaking hot.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Two words...Eric Bana. Oh.My...thud. I did not read the book before seeing the movie, but I'm DEFINITELY going back to read it now. I really enjoyed the movie even though I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. There was some beautiful cinematography and the story was intriguing. And I cried 3 times. Yep, this one's a winner.

Note to Netflix: I'm coming for you. Get those postage paid envelopes ready en mass!

The Tuesday Entertainment Roundup

This last week was a slow week. Not much new on t.v. and I just didn't have much time for movies. Here are the few things worth noting.

Nurse Jackie - Edie Falco has made her way back to Showtime in this hilarious dark comedy about a drug addicted charge nurse who has got a whole bevy of problems in her home and work lives. Smart writing and a great cast! Hubby & I are both enjoying this new series!

Top Chef Masters - I can't explain why I love Top Chef so much, but I do. And this installment is putting some famous chefs on the hook to raise money for charity. Love it!

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince - I must say, as someone who hasn't read the books, I think I'm enjoying these movies more than the people who are comparing the two. And it's unusual, because I normally do read the books prior to seeing the movies. That aside, I must say that this was the first HP movie that I saw in the theater and frankly, this is place to see them! I really enjoyed the movie and now have vowed to go back and read ALL the books in preparation for the final 2 films to be released starting next year. Heaven knows it will take me that long to read all 7 books.

I swear, I feel like I'm never going to finish these 2 books that I've been working on for weeks now. And Netflix is officially sending me a thank you card for completely under-utilizing my membership this month. Sigh. Next week should have a whole lot more to report. Have a great Tuesday!

Thursday Thirteen

I am a self-professed t.v. addict. I have been this way since I was a wee one on my granddad's lap, sipping Dr. Pepper from a glass bottle and eating peanuts like they were the best candy in the world! Those were some good times. So, let's take a look now at what I will refer to as:

Angie's 13 Favorite T.V. Shows of the last 25 years

(in no particular order)

1. The Dukes of Hazzard - Oh, how I remember lusting after Bo Duke. His wavy blonde hair. His familiar southern drawl. His grin that just melted my 6 year old heart week after week. I even had a long pink nightgown with his face emblazoned on it and it said "I Love Bo Duke". And I did.




2. The Cosby Show - I always secretly wished that Cliff Huxtable would adopt me. Maybe it was the ultra cool brownstone that they lived in. Or the thought of having lots of siblings. Or maybe I was just hypnotized by the extensive loud sweater collection.




3. Beverly Hills 90210 - These were my peeps. The characters & I were the same age and we were going through the same things! Well, almost. So, I wasn't living in a major metropolitan area, or going to a public school, or driving a BMW, or dating an alcoholic. Wait. What did I have in common with these people again?



4. Grey's Anatomy - This show rocks because the writing is AMAZING. Shonda Rimes is my hero! Plus, any series that puts my the love of my life, Patrick Dempsey, on every week earns gold stars in my book. Did I mention that I love Patrick Dempsey? Just checking.

5. Chicago Hope - Ok, I know it would appear that I'm obsessed with medical dramas, but I'm really not. This show is from the brilliant mind of David E. Kelley and it starred another one of my favorite actors, Mandy Patinkin. That guy is a little strange, but a GREAT actor. They often had some wacko plot lines, but the writing again was phenomenal.

6. The Amazing Race - I love to travel and this show encompasses my love of "reality tv" and traveling, all wrapped up in this neat little package. My brother & I are planning on auditioning for an upcoming season. You can say you knew me when...you know before I'm rich and famous and completely humiliated on worldwide television.

7. The Golden Girls - Stop laughing. This was Sex & The City before it was socially acceptable to talk about blow jobs and bed hopping on network television. And I still watch the reruns on Lifetime. Yes, I'm serious. Just ask my hubby.

8. Little House on the Prairie - Man, I longed to be half-pint. That girl had it made! She rocked that pinafore and ended up snagging that cutie Almanzo. All this while taking down her nemesis, Nellie. Laura, you're a supa-cool chick.

9. Gilmore Girls - This is another show that has OUTSTANDING writing. The show that made teen pregnancy somewhat glam by demonstrating a (mostly) functional relationship between a mom and daughter, who were very close in age. Loralei was the mom that I always wanted and Rory was the sister that I never had. Bonus, this show had several cute boys.



10. Friends - Yet another show that I felt I could identify with. These characters were somewhat close in age to me and it let me live vicariously because there's zero chance of me ever moving to NYC. Plus, Monica made me feel much better about my OCD. Hey, don't judge me.



11. Sex and The City - I have a little of each of these ladies in me, depending on the day, so watch out! The writing is great and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of this series on Netflix. Apparently, I've been missing a lot on the edited syndicated versions. Go figure.





12. The Flintstones - This is classic cartoon tv at it's finest. I loved this show and if I could find it on DVD, I would buy every episode for my girls to enjoy. A lot of the cartoons out today are crap and frankly, I'm afraid of my kids seeing them. I long for them to enjoy a simpler time, full of pedi-powered cars, dino-powered machines and Barney Rubble's laugh.



13. Frasier - Another ensemble comedy that worked because of brilliant writing and great acting. Frasier is one of those characters that you love despite all of his flaws. Roz was my other fave character on the show. Some of her zingers make me almost wet my pants. I said almost, ok.



And there you have it! There are many more shows that I have deep affection for, but these are the shows that I could watch in syndication (and do) day after day after day.

So, what are some of your favorites?