Oh yeah — SLUMDOG is probably in my top five or so this year. RACHEL was disappointing, and I didn't make it very far through HAPPY GO LUCKY…

FROZEN RIVER
So far, I think FROZEN RIVER is the best thing this year. Then probably WALL*E, I guess. THE DARK KNIGHT is up there, but just by default so far. High hopes for these next few weeks…

Better 'n the opera, I'll bet. Can you imagine *that* song?

Amen. His performance in DEAD MAN WALKING was all kinds of awesome. And it may well be one of the only movies that truly matters, too. Robbins managed to be remarkably even-handed with that one. Plus Jack Black is even good in it.

Pshaw on you haters. GERRY is a terrific, mesmerizing movie.

STAR TREK, at its best, had a real sense of possibility and even optimism. Maybe it only got on base 40% of the time, but it could be a good conversation-starter.

"Hey — this guy ran a sports car off a cliff, killing the car AND nearly offing himself at the same time! Let's give him command of a valued crew and a SPACESHIP!!!"

Boy, that looks bad
STAR TREK has usually been way more interesting in promise than execution, but this trailer — just in its first forty seconds or so — pretty much undermines anything intelligent about the premise whatsoever. That opening alone is absolutely fucking stupid/ridiculous.

PSYCHO? ALIENS?
These don't count, I suppose? SINGLE WHITE FEMALE?

I never exactly DISliked them. I know I thought "If This Is It" was catchy as hell. Lord knows, if that stuff is as bad as pop radio ever got, we'd be in good shape. But they had a pretty serious decline after SPORTS, didn't they? It seems like I remember reviews of FORE being pretty scathing, backlash or no.

…and for the record: one of the most surprisingly terrific shows I ever saw was Huey Lewis and the News on the Sports tour. A friend had an extra ticket, I said why not, and it was fucking *fun*. Maybe because I had no expectations, but they were tight, vibrant, and could harmonize like baseball players in a Ring…

BRUCE, ELVIS, and SONIC YOUTH
Three worst concerts I've ever seen were three I figured would easily be great: Springsteen, Costello, and Sonic Youth.

Soderbergh at the mirror making faces was the best.

The trailer for this
..was arguably the funniest moment when I saw BURN AFTER READING. The basketball game is going, then the lights go black except for a spot on Efron, and he starts puppy dog singing to his girl in the bleachers. Quite a few people in the theater busted a gut.

The trailer for this
..was arguably the funniest moment when I saw BURN AFTER READING. The basketball game is going, then the lights go black except for a spot on Efron, and he starts puppy dog singing to his girl in the bleachers. Quite a few people in the theater busted a gut.

This sounds interesting
Soderbergh can be indulgent as hell, but I dig him. If he's figuring out something interesting about the ever-gimmicky 3D, that'd be cool. He's got about five irons in the fire right now, God bless 'im.

Me: I'm still waiting for that new Starship rekkid. Baited breath and all.

Well, yeah. Read this series.

Your break room
— must smell HORRIBLE from all this stuff.

TIN MEN? I remember that being really bad. My DINER buddy and I were so stoked when it came out, went to see it, and both agreed it reeked.