It's hard to believe it's been fifteen years since Oliver Stone's groundbreaking film Natural Born Killers was released. Stone took the script by then up-and-coming writer/director Quentin Tarantino and took it from a standard blood-spattered action flick and turned it into a satirical repudiation of our media-fueled violence worshiping society.Says Stone in the making of featurette:"[T]he ultimate purpose of the movie—to make people think about the violence that's around them…the whole crim... Read Full Story

According to IMDB, Warner Bros. decided against marketing this film as a kid's movie and 70% of the marketing budget for it on broad-based and adult driven buys. That, however, didn't prevent a gaggle of kids from traipsing in or for "kid-based" trailers to proceed the showing. Based on the famous Maurice Sendak book, Spike Jonze's version is a melancholy musing of the imagination, exuberance, insecurities and uncertainties of childhood.The film is gorgeously shot and the "wild things" are... Read Full Story

A Serious Man is seriously dark, seriously surreal, seriously twisted. The Coen Brothers film it reminds me most of is Barton Fink. Certainly, Larry Gropnick, protagonist of A Serious Man shares similar obstacles as Barton Fink. But whereas Fink suffered a severe case of writer's block, Gropnick is blocked by the stagnation and stultification of suburbia.Gropnick is living the so-called American dream: married, two kids, up for tenure. But his wife announces she wants a divorce, his brot... Read Full Story

My latest favorite best of Craigslist post comes via Chicago:I have recently enrolled in a 12-step program for people whose lives were decimated and finances ruined by lawyer bills when their spouses filed for divorce after finding someone else to fuck and run off with. I am currently up to Step 8: Willingness to Make Amends. As such, I apologize for the following recent transgressions:Told the drunk at the bar who wanted a Red-Headed Slut that he's more than welcome to you if that general co... Read Full Story

One of the benefits of finally getting cable was experimenting with a wide variety of programming. One of those experiments was Nip/Tuck, an FX series about two plastic surgeons and the exaltation of image and superficiality and misogyny. The surgery scenes are grotesquely graphic, the sex scenes seem to be written by pimply male virgins whose only exposure to sex comes from downloaded internet porn.But at the same time, the series is perversely addictive. It's hard to believe this sexist,... Read Full Story

Zombieland was a much better vehicle for the charms of Jesse Eisenberg than Adventureland. Both films featured Eisenberg's geeky character pining for an unattainable female and amusement parks. But Zombieland has Woody Harrelson and zombies. Lots of zombies.Inspired by Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland features the same cartoonish violence laced with dark humor. I'm no fan of horror flicks and even Zombieland had moments that made me squirm and flinch, but overall the movie was a fun ride. Ha... Read Full Story

With the votes split between Ricky Gervais and zombies, I choose the movie the started later. Yeah, that's how I make important entertainment decision. Given that I've been feeling more than a little zombie-like lately, the extra 45 minutes between showing times tipped the scales in Gervais favor.Although one of my fellow movie-going patrons snickered hysterically throughout, I didn't find the film all that amusing. The premise of a world that is always painfully honest was interesting--al... Read Full Story

What Movie Should I See This Weekend?(polls) Read Full Story

It's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month which means you'll be seeing a lot of "pink" products out there. One that I recently had a chance to test out was Republic of Tea Pomegranate Vanilla tea. The red tea (Rooibos) combines tangy pomegranate with luscious vanilla bean. It smells awesome and tastes great, too!Pomegranate Vanilla is part of Republic of Tea Sip for the Cure collection which includes a Pink Grapefruit Green Tea, Pink Lady Apple Green Tea and Pink Lemonade Green Tea (see ... Read Full Story

Speaking of great lines, Sylar has become quite funny trapped inside Matt Parkman's head. "I wish I was a ghost. It would be so much better than this hell...being stuck in your miserable life. I mean, have you seen yourself eat a burrito?""I will be happy to leave you stewing in your mediocrity.""Not as easy to ignore me as you thought. It's because I ooze charm..."In response to Matt saying, "You're ignoring me now?" "It doesn't feel very good, does it?"The new heroes are way less annoyi... Read Full Story