But despite Boondock Saints being the best movie in the history of all things Hollywood, I'm continually shocked by the number of people who either haven't seen this cinematography masterpiece, or possibly haven't even heard of it. It saddens me.

To entice you to pick this flick up the next time you're thinking about what to watch, I'll tell you a bit about the movie without ruining any of the awesomeness that you should soon be viewing. You see, way back in 1999, director/writer Troy Duffy decided to make a movie that would be like The Godfather 2+Appocalypse Now+Goodfellas+Darby O'Gill and the Little People+Beerfest+Lucky Number Slevin all in one, only way better. (OK, so not all of those movies had been made at the time, but Boondock Saints is still better than all those movies together.)

Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery star as fraternal twin brothers in this Irish mob thriller. They butcher meat, believe in family and drink lots of beer like most good Irish lads should. But one night, a bar fight, a toilet seat and a dream from God change their lives from simple to heroic. Lets just put it this way - a lot of mobsters and immoral men end up getting killed off, and they're not shy about shedding lots of blood. Did I mention that Willem Dafoe plays a cross-dressing, classical-music-loving, crazy detective?

Some people love it, and some people hate it, but I mean it when I say that you have not truly lived until you've watched this gun-slinging cult classic several times. And ladies, if you think that this movie is a little too gory for your taste, the McManus brothers are pretty easy on the eyes - and they take their shirts off a lot.

If the movie trailer doesn't entice you enough to rent or buy this movie, may the Irish mob have mercy on your soul. Click on [tab:movie] for some serious awesomeness.

For those of us who are still grieving Hugh, Holly, and Kendra's recent breakup (myself included), there is a pick me up in store for you Tuesday night. Historian and biographer Steven Watts will be at the St. Louis County Library headquarters (1640 S. Lindberg) discussing his book "Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream." Watts, a professor of American intellectual and cultural history at Mizzou, and published his book exploring Hef's impact on Americana in October. Watts will be talking about his book, his argument, and the man that helped lead the charge in changing the way we look at sexuality beginning at 7pm.

As evidenced by the success of LOLCats, people love anthropomorphism (giving animals human characteristics), and there is little that can hold a candle to anthropomorphic cats. New York Times best selling author Rita Mae Brown has been making a literary career based on that truth since 1990 with the books in her Mrs. Murphy series. Brown will be at Left Bank Books in the Central West End to talk about and sign her book, "Santa Clawed," tomorrow night at 7pm. Brown's new book is... co-written by a cat... and tells the story of crime solving felines and canines that crack a holiday murder mystery. Now, who doesn't love cats and dogs that talk and a holiday murder-mystery?

You may be saying to your computer screen (yes, I can hear you), "But Melody, don't you need to be an author's fanboy to got to one of these things?" I would start by saying no, and continue by adding that I used to think that way myself. Attending an author discussion gives fanboys and casual readers alike a different perspective on a book, and a very cool plus of going to one is that you can pick up a signed copy of the book. Even if you aren't the reading type, signed books make a great gift for friends and family who are, and you never know - you might walk away wanting to read a book you may have never thought twice about before attending. Left Bank Books keeps a very thorough list of book events in the city on their website, so even if you aren't a Hef or cat fan, or you are just looking for new authors or subjects to read about, keep an eye on their calendar to see who is coming through town, I would bet something eventually tickles your fancy.

Jodi Sweetin has been through some serious changes since she toted around Mr. Bear on the set of Full House. She married once, and fellow Full House star Candace Cameron served as her maid of honor. Following her divorce from that guy, she developed a much-publicized addiction to meth. She got clean, remarried and now has a little girl named Zoie. Although she's not doing much in the entertainment industry these days, at least she's not touring the country making perverted Kimmy Gibbler jokes like this guy.

Hangin' With Mr. Cooper is frequently overlooked when thinking about TGIF. Other than Miss. Simone, Holly Robinson Peete has probably done the most in the spotlight. You might know her from Howard the Duck or Touched by an Angel. No? It's OK, I haven't seen her since either.

But by far, my favorite TGIF show of all time was Boy Meets World. It was funny, I loved Topanga's hair and I had a major crush on Will Friedle. But where is Topanga (Danielle Fishel) now? She's been most recently seen in a series of Nutrisystem ads, which she used to lose 27 pounds. In her most recent movie role, she played Marla on National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze.

Step by Step is often underestimated, but I like to think of it as the Brady Bunch for a later generation. Suzanne Somers has made herself into a goddess of TV shopping channels, but what about Al Lambert (Christine Lakin)? She was a true tomboy who was still pretty enough to drive the boys mad, and I think every little girl should have tried to be a little more like her. These says, Christine has pretty steady minor parts in Hollywood. She appeared on Nick Cannon Presents Wild N' Out in 2006, and she had a bit role in Georgia Rule. More recently, she shared the screen with Paris Hilton in The Hottie & the Nottie, and she has several other projects in the works.

This makes me long for the days when TV was actually good, and cuss words and sex scenes weren't perfectly acceptable on prime time. Have a good weekend everyone!

Full disclosure, I’ve never been much of a Bond fan.  Make of that what you will.  That being said, I really liked Casino Royale.  It had a completely different feel from the previous films and created a real sense of tension normally missing from a movie that’s virtually guaranteed to have a sequel.  Solace is a “direct sequel” to Casino Royale.  A first for a franchise that’s never let itself get bogged down with pesky things like continuity.  It begins an hour after the previous film ends.  Its opening action sequence is thrilling, if somewhat tightly shot, car chase.  That scene is followed quickly by a rooftop foot chase that was even more exhilarating.

From there the movie gets weighed down by its own plot: something about a girl seeking revenge against a Bolivian war lord and a corporate bad guy trying to steal water and there’s a byzantine subplot about the CIA being in bed with the corporate guy and some sort of betrayal and wake me when this is over, will ya?  The whole thing ends up feeling like watered down John Le Carre being performed by a Jason Bourne Tribute Band.  Where Casino Royale asked, “Want to see something different?”, Quantum Of Solace asks, “Wanna see it again?”  Sadly, the answer is no.  This movie is devoid of any wit, charm, sex or humor that we’ve come to expect from the Bond Series, even by the standard’s of the previous (and vastly toned down in those regards), entry.  There are a few truly spectacular and gripping action set-pieces but between them the film drags.  This is the shortest Bond film ever but you sure could have fooled me. 

Ultimately, it’s almost pointless to review a movie like this.  If you’re a Bond fan, virtually nothing I can say will deter you and if you’re not a Bond fan, virtually nothing I can say will entice you.  But in case you care…

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Casino Royale and 1 being Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace gets a 5.

Here’s a special offer for those of you not heading my advice:

This Friday, November 14^th, choose to see QUANTUM OF SOLACE at one of the 5 St. Louis area AMC Theatres: AMC Chesterfield 14 in Westfield Chesterfield Mall, AMC West Olive 16, AMC Creve Coeur 12, AMC Crestwood Plaza 10, or AMC Esquire 7

Be one of the first 100 guests to arrive at one of these area AMC Theatres to see show in the 7:00 hour and receive a QUANTUM OF SOLACE poster from a dashing tuxedo-donned 007 AGENT!  Poster supplies are limited and will be given away while supplies last. 

Native St. Louisan Bill Chott has an impressive comedic pedigree: from Chicago's famed Second City, to The Dana Carvey Show, SNL, and The Ringer, Chott has been sharpening his comedic teeth in the best of comedic companies.  Chott remains a St. Louis resident while working in film and television, while teaching improv classes and appearing in comedy showcases around town.

Chott's company, The Improv Trick, operates out of Cherokee Street's business district.  The Improv Trick educates aspiring actors and corporate groups about the delicate art and balance of improvisation.  We had a chance to talk to Chott about his professional experiences and passion for improv and sit in on the first night of his introductory course. To hear what it takes to do improv, hear his thoughts about the improv performance, and hear how he has carved a place for himself in the comedy world, click on [tab:trav_video].

Even with movie and television credits under his belt, Chott has remained true to the local and independent theater spirit.  In addition to his twice monthly Comedy on Parade showcase at Atomic Cowboy, he also gathers a local crew to put on a yearly Christmas Improv Jam.  This will be the event's third year and it will be held on December 23rd.

You can catch Bill Chott at Atomic Cowboy, located at 4140 Manchester Ave, this coming Monday, November 17th, at 8pm.  Tickets are only $8 and dinner/ticket specials are available for the night of the show through Atomic Cowboy.

The St. Louis Area Foodbank is a non-profit food distribution center for organizations that feed hungry people in both Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois.  Each year the Foodbank gathers and distributes more than 13 million pounds of food for the local community in need.  For more, visit www.stlfoodbank.org.

Academy Award® nominee Will Smith reunites with the directors and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness for the emotional drama Seven Pounds. In the film, Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

SEVEN POUNDS opens nationwide Friday, December 19^th.  Click [tab:video] to watch the trailer.

American Idol has, since its inception, thrived on the embarrassing footage of people that think they can sing.  One of those people was Paula Goodspeed.  She was found dead outside of Paula Abdul’s house yesterday.  She had apparently committed suicide.

SLIFF Executive Director Cliff Froelich told us about the biggest buzz worthy films that will be featured during the festival's ten day run:

Big Guys/Buzz Worthy Films

Friday November 14th

• Adam Resurrected - Director Paul Schrader (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, American Gigolo) brings his film about the survival and charisma of a patient at a mental institution to the festival. Schrader will be in attendance at the festival to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award. The film stars Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe and was an official selection for both the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals.
  
  Adam Resurrected plays at The Tivoli at 7pm

Saturday November 15th

• Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters - The festivals' Lifetime Achievement Award Nominee, Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigilo) considers this Japanese film the highlight of his career. This is a new print 35mm film that chronicles the life and public suicide of Japanese poet, playwright, and author Yukio Mishima.
  
  Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters plays at The Tivoli at 2:15pm

• Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father - Director Kurt Kuenne directed this documentary about the murder of Dr. Andrew Bagby by D. Shirley Turner who is also the mother of his son, Zachary. Kuenne, a childhood friend of Bagby, directed this touching and acclaimed film to teach Zachary about the father he lost at a young age.
  
  Dear Zachary is playing at The Tivoli at 5:15pm
• Slumdog Millionaire - A film by Director Danny Boyle (28 Days, Trainspotting) that has garnered a lot of attention in the festivals circuit and will be released to wider audiences soon (keep watching ToastedRav for Chris Files's chat with Boyle!). The film tells the tale of a Mumbai orphan who is a game show contestant suspected of cheating.
  
  Slumdog Millionaire is playing at The Tivoli at 8pm

Saturday November 22nd

• King of the Hill - Based on the memoir by A.E. Hotchner and shot in St. Louis, King of the Hill can't be found on DVD, but a vault print is being shown for free as part of the festival. The producer and cinematographer for the film, directed by Steven Soderberg, will be on hand for the screening. Froelich says this is a rare opportunity for audiences to see the film. The film will also be presented in tandem with a film-to-book panel discussion.
  
  King of the Hill plays at 7:30pm at Washington University Brown Hall

Sunday November 23rd

• The Power of the Game - This documentary about the power, reach, and influence of soccer is by Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorrila's in the Mist), another festival Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. Froelich says he is also currently shotting the newest Chronicles of Narnia film and is well known for his series Seven Up that chronicles the lives of children in seven year increments.
  
  The Power of the Game is playing at The Tivoli at 3pm

• I've Loved You So Long - This French language filmstars Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient, Four Weddings and a Funeral) is being hailed as absolutely breathtaking in this film directed by French film maker Phillipe Claudel. Froelich says that even in French this is a good pick for festival goers looking for a film that is gaining traction on the circuit.
  
  I've Loved You So Long is playing at Frontenac at 6:15pm
• The Wrestler - By director Darren Aronofksy (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) this film stars Mickey Rourke in what Froelich said many people are calling the best of Rourke's career and could potentially win him an Oscar. The film about a fading wrestler won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice Film Festival and is creating quite a buzz for both the director and star.
  
  The Wrestler is playing at The Tivoli at 6:30pm

Special Programs At The Festival

Friday November 21st & Saturday November 22nd- Jeremy Lasky is a native St. Louisan who went on to become the Director of Photography for Pixar Films. Laskey is coming to the festival to present a free program with Pixar shorts on the 21st and a special Making of Wall-E on the 22nd that was created specifically for this festival. Froelich says this is a can't miss opportunity because the Making of Wall-E is a entirely new piece with clips and footage that can't be seen anywhere else. Laskey will be on hand for a Q&A session that folllows. The Pixar Shorts will be shown at The St. Louis Art Museum for free, and The Making of Wall-E will be presented at Washington University for free.

Saturday November 22nd - Film noir expert Eddie Mueller and Hollywood blacklisted actress Marsha Hunt will be participating in a program to discuss the convergence of the Hollywood blacklist with those involved with the film noir genre. There will be two films screened, The Prowler and The Grand Inquisitor, and a panel discussion about film noir during the era of McCarthyism. Yesterday Was A Lie, a new film by St. Louis noir director James Kerwin will follow the discussion. This free program will be held at 6:30pm at Webster University.

To see the Picks From Local Film Making Talent, check out Part One.

Ticket prices for the festival are $10 per person, per film and can be purchased at the venue box offices or one half hour before the show.

There are a ton of films that are making their way to our city for screenings by audiences from near and far. To help us navigate through the festival selections, SLIFF Executive Director Cliff Froelich gave us his picks from among the many impressive local, regional, and independent films that will be featured throughout the festival's ten days. Here are the standout films from local directors and writers that Froelich picked:

Representing St. Louis

Thursday November 13th

• Humblodt County - Directors Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs, native St. Louisans and Parkway North High School graduates, premiered their film at SXSW to critical and audience accolades and are bringing it to their hometown for the festival. This dramatic comedy is, "evocative of The Graduate and Five Easy Pieces," says Froelich.
  
  Humboldt County plays at The Tivoli at 7pm

Friday November 14th

• Shadowland - Wyatt Weed's vampire genre flick was shot entirely in St. Louis using local cast and crew. Froelich said the film is a very impressive local film and genre piece.
  
  Shadowland plays at The Tivoli at 7pm

Saturday November 15th

• Streetballers - St. Louisan Matt Krentz wrote, directed, and stars in this film that features, "lots of interesting views of the city," Froelich said. The film was shot entirely in the city and the story line focuses on the lives of two very diverse street basketball players in the city.
  
  Streetballers plays at The Tivoli at 2:30pm

• St. Benedicts Rule - This documentary about a shooting at a northwestern Missouri Abbey is directed by Jay Kanzler. Froelich says the film, "takes an interesting look at how modernity has impacted the monastic society."
  
  St. Benedict's Rule plays at Webster University at 5pm

Friday November 21st

• The Thacker Case - Local director Brian Jun's first film, Steel City, was selected as the winner of SLIFF's New Film Maker's Forum in '06, which he then took to Sundance to premiere. He is returning with his second film The Thacker Case, a film based on a true story about a man's who was picked up on drunk driving and later found dead near the police department.
  
  The Thacker Case plays at The Tivoli at 7:15pm

Saturday November 22nd

• Summer Sun, Winter Moon - Froelich said this film would be of particular interest to St. Louis audiences since it was commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to document a symphony composed to commemorate the Lewis and Clark expedition and features the premiere at Powell Hall. The symphony's composer and film's director will be on hand for this screening as well.
  
  Summer Sun, Winter Moon plays at The Tivoli at 1pm

• Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman - This documentary is directed by St. Louisan Eric Bricker and features the life and art of famous architectural photographer Julius Shulman. Schulman's works are on display now at the Kemper Art Museum as part of the Birth of Cool exhibition.
  
  Visual Acoustics plays at The Tivoli at 6:15pm

• The Juche Idea & Interkosmos - This double feature presents two films by native St. Louisan Jim Finn. Froelich characterized Finn's mockumentary pieces as "avant-garde." The director will be on hand while his films, both inspired by true events, are shown.
  
  The Juce Idea and Interkosmos play at Webster University at 7:30pm

Want to hear about the big dogs rolling through town? Check out Part Two: The Picks From Among the Biggest Buzzworthy Films.

Ticket prices for the festival are $10 per person, per film and can be purchased at the venue box offices or one half hour before the show.

Phil left St. Louis in 2002 to study film at Miami International University of Art and Design. Not knowing anyone in Miami made the move a little intimidating he says, "But it was as thrilling as it was scary. I packed everything I owned in my Pontiac Sunfire, ripped off my rearview mirror, and hit the road." After finishing film school, Phil decided to move to Lubbock, TX hoping to avoid coming back to St. Louis and getting too comfortable.

"The problem was that a film degree in West Texas didn't get me anything more than a minimum wage job as a bus boy in an old folks home. Every day I poured coffee for Mrs. Habershmitt who grabbed my ass and asked what I wanted to be when I grow up. And every night I'd fall asleep praying that I'd some day have the money to move to Los Angeles." After getting a letter and a check from a family member to "jump start [his] life as a college grad," he knew exactly what he needed to do. He left Mrs. Habershmitt with her booty grabbing and his gig pouring coffee behind and, "cashed the check, packed [his] car and moved to LA." Now this film buff from St. Louis is working in the industry and developing his screen writing career. Phil talked to me about what he is doing out in LA when he isn't busy thinking about all of the great things here in St. Louis.

How do you land jobs out there?

Phil: When I need a job I send out about 3-5 resumes a day, and I ask around a little. But to be honest with you, I am pretty bad at the networking thing. So many people in entertainment kiss ass and develop synthetic relationships to get ahead. Sometimes I feel like I should be doing that, but I usually end up avoiding it. I value sincere relationships too much I guess, which might mean that it will take me longer to achieve success, but when it's all said and done I'd rather be moderately successful than moderately real.

What kind of projects do you usually work on?

Phil: My own projects are screenplays, which I hope to sell and have produced some day, and spec scripts for TV shows, which I hope will get me a job writing for a sitcom some day. Most of the time I write with my sister, Shmab. We work well together. I like to think of us as kind of like the Coen Brothers or the Farrelly Brothers... only she's not a guy... which pretty much screws up the whole brothers part now that I think about it. I guess it's gonna be her fault if we're never successful. So far we've written one screenplay that we're shopping around, and one sitcom, and we're in the middle of writing our second screenplay.

What projects have you worked on in the past?

Phil: Entertainment Studios recently released Eddie Murphy's Delirious on DVD and I was the Production Associate on The Making of Eddie Murphy's Delirious. That was pretty fun because we got to interview the best comedians in the business. I was also a Production Assistant for an Iron and Wine music video... Sam Beam is a former professor of mine and working on his video was awesome. I've worked for Comics Unleashed as both a Contributing Writer and Production Associate for two seasons now. I've written public service announcements for a Spanish learning channel called Clase Television, I interned for writer/director Randy Wallace... Randy is the guy who wrote Braveheart, Pearl Harbor, and We Were Soldiers. And I edited foreign subtitles for several shows on E! Entertainment Television. I'm not where I'd like to be career wise right now, but when I look back at the past 3 years I'm proud of what I've done, and it's been a pretty fun ride.

What are your career goals at this point?

Phil: Short term goals are to land a job writing for a sitcom and/or to sell a screenplay. Long term is to write my own feature length comedies that my sister and I direct. I'd love to have a Coen Brothers type career or Christopher Guest type career. Those guys have been able to write their own movies and have almost total control when they direct them. It would be awesome if Shmab and I got to direct our own movies some day.

What do you think is the coolest part of your job?

Phil: The fact that I have one. With this economy I have a lot of friends who don't have jobs and I have been blessed so far. The coolest part last season was seeing jokes that I wrote make it on the show. The audience's reaction is real and the feedback is instant and you know that it's not candy coated (at least until they add the canned laughter for television). If something bombs you hear groans in the audience. If something kills you hear applause and cheering. There's nothing cooler than hearing an audience clap and cheer for one of your jokes.

The coolest part this season is having respect from the bellow-the-line crew. When they see your face for season two their level of respect for you immediately goes up. You're a survivor all of the sudden. And working with below-the-line crew members is very healthy, having direct contact with them. You learn to appreciate every member of a show... from the good ol' boys in the lighting department to the flamboyant wardrobe guy. I think understanding and respecting every department is essential to being a good director some day. When I hear writers from other shows badmouth below-the-line crew members I'm always rolling my eyes thinking you have no idea how hard their job can be, and vise versa.

Who are your major influences?

Phil: Billy Bob Thornton because he suffered through a lot before he became successful out here, and because he draws from his roots, not academia, to create his characters and stories. He didn't go to an Ivy League college, but he carved an Academy Award winning screenplay out of an honest story about the world he came from. That's what I try to do, whether I'm writing comedy or drama or somewhere in between. There are so many people out here with fancy pedigrees that lead to fancy college degrees, and they're eloquent writers, but their writing has no soul because they grew up trying to make it from violin lesson to equestrian practice and then to Latin class. Kids shouldn't grow up preparing for Harvard; they should grow up catching fireflies; that's where real stories come from.

Role Models is a high-concept, crude comedy that fires on all cylinders.  Directed by David Wain (of The State and Stella), Role Models is his third feature film, his first two being the aforementioned “hilariously weird” movies.  This time out, he tones down the weirdness to tell the story of Danny Donahue (Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott), two energy drink reps who are forced into a poor-man’s Big Brother/Big Sister program as part of a community service sentencing after wrecking a company vehicle.  From there they are each assigned a boy to mentor.  Wheeler gets Ronnie, played by Bobb'e J. Thompson, and Danny gets Augie, played by Superbad’s Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Ronnie is a foul-mouthed, unruly child who has never had a mentor last more than a day.  He’s what I envision a ten-year old Eddie Murphy to have been like.  And Thompson’s delivery has all of the authenticity and, more importantly, the swagger of an (early) Eddie Murphy performance.  His character is reminiscent of The Bad News Bears.  Not the 2005 version, but the 1976 version where the kids were allowed to swear and smoke and drink.  I’ve always been surprised that no one has gone back to that “comedy well.”  Not even the recent Bad News Bears remake had the courage [to do so] in these politically correct times.  But Role Models ventures there unafraid and finds a deep, rich vein of comedy gold. 

Where Ronnie is brimming with confidence, Augie is anything but.  He is a socially awkward teen whose only outlet is a live action version of pseudo-Dungeons & Dragon medieval role playing game staged in a local park.  (And, lest you think this is some made-up, over-exaggerated mockery of comic book nerds, I give you Darkon.). The game is played with deadly seriousness.  The participants band together into countries and those countries fight each other for control through various political machinations, alliances and (eventually) simulated warfare.  While the game is the butt of jokes, it’s also portrayed (surprisingly) as a fun, harmless, misunderstood activity.

Mintz-Plasse, after bursting on to the scene as McLovin in Superbad, certainly doesn’t stray far from that mold.  But the part is so strong, that you’ll hardly care that you’ve seen it before.  Augie isn’t the cool kid but unlike most geeks in filmdom, he doesn’t want to be.  He likes his world and makes no apologies for it.  It’s easy to laugh at him for wearing a cape and displaying his “country’s crest.”  But really, is it any dorkier than wearing a letterman’s jacket?  He has pride in his achievements and is somewhat mystified (and rightly so) as to why no one else in his life does.  Augie’s parents are appalled at his passion for the game.  They fail to see that it’s the only thing in his live that gives him confidence and affords him a place to fit in.  Danny initially has the same reaction but over time comes to realize that anything this important to a kid deserves to be taken seriously by his parents. 

Role Models is a well paced, wonderfully written movie that is consistently funny from beginning to end.  It’s different from many of today’s comedies in that it’s not just a collection of funny lines improved by talented actors.  While the movie is certainly that, the characters are placed in legitimately funny situations in which to work their magic.  And the humor comes from the situations.  At no point do we feel like someone’s stand-up routine has been grafted onto some random movie.  Rudd gives a star turn that seems destined to place him in the same territory as Seth Rogen and Michael Cerra.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being The Bad News Bears and 1 being The Bad News Bears Go To Japan, Role Models gets a 9.

Mac was a gifted comedian.  He always reminded me of W.C. Fields in that, no matter how gruff and/or mean he was, you never quite believed it.  This peculiarity allowed both comedians to do and say horrible (and horribly funny) things without the audience turning on them.   And there is, admittedly, a wonderful chemistry between Mac and Jackson.  Soul Men is part Grumpy Old Men, part The Blues Brothers and part The Sunshine Boys.  Unfortunately, it isn’t remotely as funny as any of those movies.

Quite frankly, this movie is beneath both of them.  If you consider Bernie Mac getting a prostate exam the height of hilarity, then perhaps you should stop reading here.  After a promising set-up, the script quickly becomes a rudimentary “road movie” as Hinds and Henderson travel cross country in order to perform at Hooks’ funeral.  Of course, people don’t go to comedies for great plots.  (After all, how many movies could share a synopsis with Superbad?)  The problem is that the script gives them nothing to do.  Soul Men is reminiscent of early Robin Williams’ vehicles, in that it was clearly expected that the film’s star would punch-up the script on the fly.  And while it’s a valiant effort, even Mac’s talents can’t pull this film out of the abyss. 

And for a movie that uses music as a major plot point, there isn’t much of it and what there is isn’t very good.  The film is obviously using Stax/Motown nostalgia as the blueprint for its main characters.  But all we get are poorly rendered covers of classics or well rendered (but poorly written) copies of classics.  On the rare occasion that we get to see The Real Deal perform, there is nothing that would give us any inkling as to why anyone would care about their reunion in the first place.

As the credits roll, we are treated to tribute to Bernie Mac.  It’s mostly made up of clips of him entertaining extras during the filming of the music scenes and interview clips of him discussing his comedic philosophy.  That alone is almost worth the price of admission.  Perhaps someone should make that film.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being The Blues Brothers and 1 being The Blues Brothers 2000, Soul Men gets a 5.

"Calling All Aliens" debuts this weekend (November 2) on the National Geographic Channel, so make sure you tune in if you want to find out more about Jill and her cohorts. Let's just say that it involves 42 giant telescopes in the Allen Telescope Array, aliens and a woman who believes we're all made of stardust. Sounds like a winning combo to me.

Click [tab:audio] to hear my chat with Jill and to find out about her connection with Jodi Foster. And if you want to buy a radio telescope to add to the array, it rings in at a 'mere' $100,000.

Kevin Smith’s is essentially a brand name for a certain breed of raunchy humor with a heart of gold.  While Judd Apatow (Superbad, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) gets the credit for this recent development in cinema, the true credit goes to Smith.  He’s been merging the two since 1994’s Clerks.  While Smith’s version ramps up the raunch and buries the sweetness a bit more than Apatow, it’s been there all along.  After all, what’s the message of Clerks if not that Dante needs to realize how much his current girlfriend loves him and stop pining for the girl the does nothing but hurt him? 

However, Smith’s name is conspicuously absent from much of the marketing for ZAMMAP.  His star has dropped precipitously since being dubbed a wunderkind in the ‘90s.  With the exception of Chasing Amy, even his best movies have garnered merely mixed reviews (and even worse box office).  His most recent directorial effort, Clerks II, underperformed at the box office and was underappreciated by most critics.  His latest effort represents a curious combination of the two worlds.  Apatow favorites like Rogen, Elizabeth Banks and Craig Robinson mix freely with Smith regulars like Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson.  It’s a Gen-X equivalent of a Three Stooges/Marx Brothers team-up.  It’s a comedy merger of potentially epic proportions.  But will it work.

In a word: YES.  It works.  Really, really well.  It’s a return to form for Smith; his funniest movie since Clerks and his best movie since Chasing Amy.  Buyers beware: it’s a filth-filled raunchfest.  But it’s called Zack And Miri Make A Porno…what did you think it would be?  That being said, there are some parts that might be a bit more than one would expect from your average R-rated fare.  So you’ve been warned.  But like most (all?) Smith films, there a sweet gooey center to all of this.  After all, this is, at its core, a romantic comedy.  And for all of its porn-chic, the end result is to show us that there’s a difference between “having sex” and “making love”.

Rogen is, well, Rogen.  He is what he is.  This is certainly no stretch but he’s firing on all cylinders comedically.  Smith’s often overly-wordy (but funny) dialogue falls from his lips much more easily than most other actors in Smith’s stable.  Elizabeth Banks is a delight and has no problem keeping up with Rogen.  Craig Robinson virtually steals the film as Zack & Miri’s “producer”. 

For fans of Clerks, the movie has the added benefit of being a sort of fictionalized account of the making of that film.  As the characters go about making their amateur film, there are many parallels to Smith’s first film: shot at night, unpaid actors, filmed in a closed retail establishment where the actors work during the day.  They even use a hockey stick as a boom mic. 

The weakest part of the film is the direction.  Smith just isn’t a very good director (and that’s coming from a fan).  And I honestly don’t think Smith would disagree with that assessment.  He’s a writer first.  However, in order to preserve his screenplays, he’s pretty much obligated to direct.  He traffics in words and ideas that can’t be trusted in the hands of others.  While his direction isn’t stellar, it’s certainly one of his stronger outings.  And even though I love Smith’s reparatory company, assimilating some of Apatow’s regulars definitely raises the bar on a performance level and has the added bonus of infusing new life into his writing. 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Clerks and 1 being Jersey Girl, Zack And Miri Make A  Porno gets an 8.

Talked into working on her day off, she returns home to find her son missing.  Upon calling the police she is dismissed as an overly cautious parent.  Once she’s waited the appropriate amount of time, the police finally begin their search.  After a five month search, the police find her son.  He is returned to her amid much police-orchestrated media fanfare.  However, there is one small problem: he’s not her son.  At first she doubts herself but she quickly notices significant and irrefutable differences.  Well, irrefutable that is to everyone but the LAPD. 

Jeffery Donovan plays Capt. Jones, a police officer so clueless/evil that he can’t fathom why Collins would care about the return of her boy as long as there was the return of a boy.  Collins stands her ground but the Jones digs in his heels refusing to acknowledge the increasingly obvious.  Eventually Jones goes as far as having her committed to a mental hospital for insisting that her son is an imposter.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, Changeling tells a fascinating story that would seem fantastically improbable if not for the fact that it was true.  The conspiracy in place to convince Collins that her son hasn’t been replaced with an imposter is jaw-dropping in its incredulity.  Unfortunately, referring to the pacing as “unhurried” would be an understatement.  For a movie about the search (or lack thereof) for a missing child, there is very little sense of urgency.  Jolie’s performance vacillates between quiet restraint and vociferous screaming.  However, the blame for that lies more at the feet of the screenplay than the actress.  She’s given little else to do.  The script by J. Michael Straczynski is frustratingly linear with little in the way of character development.  Collins is never anything less than a noble mother looking for her son; Jones is never anything more than a shameful bureaucrat interested only in protecting his own job.  

John Malkovich is along for the ride as Reverend Gustav Briegleb, a radio show host/preacher filled with self-righteous indignation.  His performance is of the scenery-chewing variety.  Even though his character is correct in his mistrust of the LAPD and justified in his vitriol, Malkovich plays him so smugly that you almost end up rooting for the wrong team.  Since his self-satisfied demeanor is never addressed by the film, it doesn’t appear to be a deliberate choice by the actor. 

This movie is reminiscent of the recent Greg Kinnear film Flash Of Genius.  They are both captivating stories with solid lead performances told somewhat cheerlessly.  The studio clearly hopes that this movie will be Oscar Bait.  Regrettably, what they’ve ended up with is a really good Lifetime Network movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Unforgiven and 1 being The Rookie, Changeling gets a 6.