Because ...
a) I am human
b) I have a full-time job
c) I also try to have a life
d) There are only so many hours in the day
I have revised my Fall TV review schedule. I’m focusing on the new shows and I won’t be reviewing any returning shows. Having said that, here is my new list of shows to review.
Monday, Sept. 20
Lone Star, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Event, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Chase, 10 p.m. (NBC)
Tuesday, Sept. 21
Raising Hope, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Running Wilde, 9:30 p.m. (Fox)
Detroit 1-8-7, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Wednesday, Sept. 22
Undercovers, 8 p.m. (NBC)
The Defenders, 10 p.m. (CBS)
The Whole Truth, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Thursday, Sept. 23
$#*! My Dad Says, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
Outsourced, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
Tuesday, Sept. 28
No Ordinary Family, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Wednesday, Sept. 29
Law & Order: Los Angeles, 10 p.m. (NBC)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Swift Justice with Nancy Grace
Trashy daytime TV (talk shows and court shows) are a guilty pleasure of mine. One thing that has always bothered me is that the hosts are too nice. They never say what I would say to the woman who has tested seven men and still hasn’t found her baby daddy or the man who slept with his girlfriend’s mom.But I think that will change with Nancy Grace. She has the latest entry into the crowded courtroom show market. In Swift Justice with Nancy Grace, the former prosecutor is hearing cases and making rulings. Since she isn’t a real judge her show has a completely different feel. She doesn’t wear a robe or pound a gavel. There is no trusty bailiff standing off to the side. Instead, she stands behind a desk and freely walks around her blue stage. She also has a large screen behind her that she uses to interview experts, witnesses and defendants who couldn’t make it to Atlanta to appear on the show.
I don’t watch Nancy Grace’s CNN show but I have seen it. I think her pull-no-punches style will translate well into the daytime market. What I like best about her show is that I finally have someone who is saying the same things that I would say if I could. She blatantly asks one defendant accused of beating his girlfriend, “What were you thinking?”
Get’em Nancy. I’ll be watching.
The Apprentice Season 10
The 10th season of The Apprentice started last night by going back to basics with a little spin. This isn’t Celebrity Apprentice where C List celebrities battle it out for their favorite charities while trying to play as nice as possible. This season is about recession, resilience and reality.All 16 hopefuls started off riding high on the wave of success before the recession sent them crashing into the shore. Now, the group of former attorneys, business owners, realtors are either unemployed or dramatically underemployed. Brandy was a corporate attorney making six-figures. Now she sells $2 cupcakes from a mobile van. Alex went from a successful engineering career to a new job driving a tow truck. David was a top level account manager. He married his high school sweetheart and fathered five kids. Now he’s out of work and his marriage is on the rocks. He’s on the show to reclaim his family.
And so it goes. These folks are the faces of the recession, victims of the downturn. On any other show, we would have spent at least 30 minutes of the two hour running time on sob stories. There would have been tears. Slow, thoughtful music would have played to accent just how hard these hard luck stories were .The goal would have been to get us in the viewing audience to grab a tissue and dab an eye. In fact, I was scared of that happening based on the tear-jerking promos they had released. But this is The Apprentice and Donald wasn’t having all that. We heard enough of their stories to see where the contestant had come from but that was it. Donald told them that this was the opportunity to turn things around and with that the teams were divided into men versus women.
Their first assignment: choose a team name and pick the first project manager (the one most likely to get fired if they lose the challenge). The guys started out looking to mythology for inspiration, thinking of the Phoenix rising from the ashes. They eventually settled on Octane. Once that was done, they quickly picked Gene (who didn’t volunteer), the unemployed former military man and financial advisor. At 46, he’s the elder statesman of the group.
The women bounce around a few names, including Phoenix but settle on Fortitude because it means strength. The project manager bit is settled quickly when Nicole a 27-year old attorney and former Miss Los Angeles nominated herself. When no one objected, Nicole felt she had won her first victory, saying, “[This is probably] the easiest thing I’ll probably ever do on The Apprentice.”
With team names picked and project managers assigned, the first challenge was given. They were supposed to take an empty space and turn it into a modern office.
Since this is getting long, let me summarize. Nicole took managing by consensus to a new level (and a new low) asking for input on every little thing and not ever really making a decision (or doing any work). Tyana, a former real estate agent (and the current Miss Cougar California) offered her expertise on staging and designing the office space, but Nicole wasn’t having it. She questioned Tyana’s sense of style because she was wearing a ‘questionable’ polka dot dress (okay…).
Over at Octane, Gene didn’t really have a clue what to do… but that didn’t stop him from barking orders (it was easy to see him as a military man). Their worst moment came when The Donald arrived and two of the crew members slipped on the rug that none of the guys had the time to tape down.
In the boardroom, The Donald told the truth. This challenge would be tough for him because he didn’t like either space. As they showed both spaces on the screen, it became obvious why. Octane’s space was done in a myriad of Crayola crayon colors. I expected a playroom, snacks and nap time in the early afternoon. Fortitude’s space was snooze-inducing and not modern at all. They even had an old portrait of some old dude in the executive space. How is that modern?
Since this is The Apprentice and not the Celebrity Apprentice, it didn’t take long for the gloves to come off. Gene complimented David for his work ethic. So you’d think David would return the favor but he didn’t like Gene’s style and he said so. Clint, a former CPA and real estate attorney from deep in the heart of Texas, came to the boardroom without a tie, which didn’t get past The Donald. Yet despite all of that, the men managed to pull off the win, leaving the ladies in the board room.
The girls however were chomping at the bit to take down Nicole. Mahsa, a 29 year old ADA from Brooklyn, brought the New York attitude to the boardroom. She exuberantly threw Nicole under the bus, backed it up, ran over her again and then put it in gear and flattened her a third time. None of the other ladies came to her defense and surprisingly, Nicole didn’t come to her own defense. Of course, The Donald couldn’t stand for that and Nicole became the first Apprentice to be fired.
Little did she know when she called become project manager “the easiest thing I’ll probably ever do on The Apprentice,” that it would be just about the only thing she’d do on The Apprentice.
These people are hungry. This season of The Apprentice promises to be a scrappy good time.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Parenthood Season Season Premiere
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The second season of Parenthood premiered last night and I have to say I am continually surprised by this show. I started watching it because nothing else was on. I kept watching it because I liked what I saw. It’s a family drama that doesn’t take itself as seriously as the Walker clan on Brothers and Sisters. I swear that show is just too much … just one over-wrought emotional mess after another over-wrought emotional mess after another over-wrought emotional mess … and that’s just one episode!
Parenthood has managed to strike a pleasing balance of drama and comedy, topped off with some solid writing and great acting. Peter Krause, Lauren Graham and Craig T. Nelson immediately come to mind. Hell, even Dax Sheppard is pretty good (and that’s saying something).
On the comedic side last night, patriarchal couple Zeek (Craig T. Nelson) and Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) are in marriage counseling after Zeek’s infidelity was revealed last season. The counselor is encouraging Zeek to acknowledge his wife, so throughout the episode he says, “I hear you and I see you,” to show how much he acknowledges her and just about everybody else.
Meanwhile, Crosby (Dax Sheppard) is trying to make a long-distance relationship work with Jasmine (Joy Bryant). Their attempt at “Skpye sex,” fell apart as he frantically ran around the apartment searching for a stronger Wi-fi connection to continue the festivities.
Other light-hearted moments involved Julia’s (Erika Christensen) 6-year old asking if she came from a vagina, and high-strung Kristina (Monica Potter) teaching her teenage daughter Haddie (Sarah Ramos) to drive.
Alas, Parenthood isn’t a comedy, so these moments were balanced by Adam’s impending workplace woes at the shoe company. His boss, Gordon (played by new addition Billy Baldwin) thinks Adam’s never-ending family issues keep him from focusing on work. To save his skin, Adam says that he’s always thinking about work and co-opts a silly idea his sister Sarah (Lauren Graham) had come up earlier that morning when she commented that there should be a Lo-Jack for shoes.
To his surprise, the boss thinks it’s a great idea! Sarah however didn’t appreciate having her idea stolen. Adam ends up making amends by offering his unemployed sister a paid internship at his company. Of course, it was clear to see that this is also a set-up to hook-up Sarah and Gordon.
There was also a set-up for a break-up. Crosby was exhausted from traveling back and forth to New York to visit Jasmine and Jabbar (Tyree Brown) and excited about the two of them finally coming to see him, until Jasmine had to cancel at the last minute. Crosby wasn’t the only one who was heartbroken though. Adam’s son, Max (Max Burkholder) who suffers from Asperger’s (a mild version of autism) was looking forward to a sleepover with Jabbar and lost it when he realized his guest wouldn’t be coming. Luckily, his caregiver (Minka Kelly) was there to calm him down and turn Crosby’s head as well. It doesn’t take a psychic friend to figure out we’ll probably be seeing more of these two together.
I know I’ll be seeing more of Parenthood.
Parenthood has managed to strike a pleasing balance of drama and comedy, topped off with some solid writing and great acting. Peter Krause, Lauren Graham and Craig T. Nelson immediately come to mind. Hell, even Dax Sheppard is pretty good (and that’s saying something).
On the comedic side last night, patriarchal couple Zeek (Craig T. Nelson) and Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) are in marriage counseling after Zeek’s infidelity was revealed last season. The counselor is encouraging Zeek to acknowledge his wife, so throughout the episode he says, “I hear you and I see you,” to show how much he acknowledges her and just about everybody else.
Meanwhile, Crosby (Dax Sheppard) is trying to make a long-distance relationship work with Jasmine (Joy Bryant). Their attempt at “Skpye sex,” fell apart as he frantically ran around the apartment searching for a stronger Wi-fi connection to continue the festivities.
Other light-hearted moments involved Julia’s (Erika Christensen) 6-year old asking if she came from a vagina, and high-strung Kristina (Monica Potter) teaching her teenage daughter Haddie (Sarah Ramos) to drive.
Alas, Parenthood isn’t a comedy, so these moments were balanced by Adam’s impending workplace woes at the shoe company. His boss, Gordon (played by new addition Billy Baldwin) thinks Adam’s never-ending family issues keep him from focusing on work. To save his skin, Adam says that he’s always thinking about work and co-opts a silly idea his sister Sarah (Lauren Graham) had come up earlier that morning when she commented that there should be a Lo-Jack for shoes.
To his surprise, the boss thinks it’s a great idea! Sarah however didn’t appreciate having her idea stolen. Adam ends up making amends by offering his unemployed sister a paid internship at his company. Of course, it was clear to see that this is also a set-up to hook-up Sarah and Gordon.
There was also a set-up for a break-up. Crosby was exhausted from traveling back and forth to New York to visit Jasmine and Jabbar (Tyree Brown) and excited about the two of them finally coming to see him, until Jasmine had to cancel at the last minute. Crosby wasn’t the only one who was heartbroken though. Adam’s son, Max (Max Burkholder) who suffers from Asperger’s (a mild version of autism) was looking forward to a sleepover with Jabbar and lost it when he realized his guest wouldn’t be coming. Luckily, his caregiver (Minka Kelly) was there to calm him down and turn Crosby’s head as well. It doesn’t take a psychic friend to figure out we’ll probably be seeing more of these two together.
I know I’ll be seeing more of Parenthood.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Fall TV Schedule
The summer is over. Fall TV is back! Here is the schedule of fall shows, both new and returning. I've highlighted the ones I'll be reviewing here!
Monday, Sept. 13
90210, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Gossip Girl, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Tuesday, Sept. 14
One Tree Hill, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Life Unexpected, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Parenthood, 10 p.m. (NBC)
Wednesday, Sept. 15
Survivor: Nicaragua, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Outlaw, 10 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Thursday, Sept. 16
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)
The Apprentice, 10 p.m. (NBC)
The League, 10:30 p.m. (FX)
Sunday, Sept. 19
Boardwalk Empire, 8 p.m. (HBO) NEW
Monday, Sept. 20
Dancing With the Stars, 8 p.m. (ABC)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Chuck, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Rules of Engagement, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
Two and a Half Men, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Lone Star, 9 p.m. (Fox) NEW
The Event, 9 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Mike & Molly, 9:30 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Hawaii Five-0, 10 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Chase, 10 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Tuesday, Sept. 21
NCIS, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Glee, 8 p.m. (Fox)
The Biggest Loser, 8 p.m. (NBC)
NCIS: Los Angeles, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Raising Hope, 9 p.m. (Fox) NEW
Running Wilde, 9:30 p.m. (Fox) NEW
Detroit 1-8-7, 10 p.m. (ABC) NEW
Wednesday, Sept. 22
The Middle, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Hell’s Kitchen, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Undercovers, 8 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Better With You, 8:30 p.m. (ABC) NEW
Modern Family, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Criminal Minds, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order: SVU, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Cougar Town, 9:30 p.m. (ABC)
The Defenders, 10 p.m. (CBS) NEW
The Whole Truth, 10 p.m. (ABC) NEW
Thursday, Sept. 23
My Generation, 8 p.m. (ABC) NEW
The Big Bang Theory, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Community, 8 p.m. (NBC)
30 Rock, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
$#*! My Dad Says, 8:30 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Grey’s Anatomy, 9 p.m. (ABC)
CSI, 9 p.m. (CBS)Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Outsourced, 9:30 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Private Practice, 10 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Friday, Sept. 24
Medium, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Smallville, 8 p.m. (The CW)
CSI: NY, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Supernatural, 9 p.m. (The CW)
The Good Guys, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Blue Bloods, 10 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Sunday, Sept. 26
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)
The Amazing Race, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Desperate Housewives, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Brothers & Sisters, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Undercover Boss, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Bored to Death, 10 p.m. (HBO)
Eastbound & Down, 10:30 p.m. (HBO)
Tuesday, Sept. 28
No Ordinary Family, 9 p.m. (ABC) NEW
The Good Wife, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Wednesday, Sept. 29
Law & Order: Los Angeles, 10 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Friday, Oct. 1
Human Target, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Sunday, Oct. 3
American Dad, 9:30 p.m. (Fox)
CSI: Miami, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Friday, Oct. 15
School Pride, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Wednesday, Oct. 27
Friday Night Lights (DirecTV)
Wednesday, Nov. 10
Lie to Me, 8 p.m. (Fox)
WOW! I'm going to be watching a lot of TV...
Monday, Sept. 13
90210, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Gossip Girl, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Tuesday, Sept. 14
One Tree Hill, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Life Unexpected, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Parenthood, 10 p.m. (NBC)
Wednesday, Sept. 15
Survivor: Nicaragua, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Outlaw, 10 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Thursday, Sept. 16
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)
The Apprentice, 10 p.m. (NBC)
The League, 10:30 p.m. (FX)
Sunday, Sept. 19
Boardwalk Empire, 8 p.m. (HBO) NEW
Monday, Sept. 20
Dancing With the Stars, 8 p.m. (ABC)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Chuck, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Rules of Engagement, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
Two and a Half Men, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Lone Star, 9 p.m. (Fox) NEW
The Event, 9 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Mike & Molly, 9:30 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Hawaii Five-0, 10 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Chase, 10 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Tuesday, Sept. 21
NCIS, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Glee, 8 p.m. (Fox)
The Biggest Loser, 8 p.m. (NBC)
NCIS: Los Angeles, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Raising Hope, 9 p.m. (Fox) NEW
Running Wilde, 9:30 p.m. (Fox) NEW
Detroit 1-8-7, 10 p.m. (ABC) NEW
Wednesday, Sept. 22
The Middle, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Hell’s Kitchen, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Undercovers, 8 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Better With You, 8:30 p.m. (ABC) NEW
Modern Family, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Criminal Minds, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order: SVU, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Cougar Town, 9:30 p.m. (ABC)
The Defenders, 10 p.m. (CBS) NEW
The Whole Truth, 10 p.m. (ABC) NEW
Thursday, Sept. 23
My Generation, 8 p.m. (ABC) NEW
The Big Bang Theory, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Community, 8 p.m. (NBC)
30 Rock, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
$#*! My Dad Says, 8:30 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Grey’s Anatomy, 9 p.m. (ABC)
CSI, 9 p.m. (CBS)Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Outsourced, 9:30 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Private Practice, 10 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Friday, Sept. 24
Medium, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Smallville, 8 p.m. (The CW)
CSI: NY, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Supernatural, 9 p.m. (The CW)
The Good Guys, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Blue Bloods, 10 p.m. (CBS) NEW
Sunday, Sept. 26
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)
The Amazing Race, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Desperate Housewives, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Brothers & Sisters, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Undercover Boss, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Bored to Death, 10 p.m. (HBO)
Eastbound & Down, 10:30 p.m. (HBO)
Tuesday, Sept. 28
No Ordinary Family, 9 p.m. (ABC) NEW
The Good Wife, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Wednesday, Sept. 29
Law & Order: Los Angeles, 10 p.m. (NBC) NEW
Friday, Oct. 1
Human Target, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Sunday, Oct. 3
American Dad, 9:30 p.m. (Fox)
CSI: Miami, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Friday, Oct. 15
School Pride, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Wednesday, Oct. 27
Friday Night Lights (DirecTV)
Wednesday, Nov. 10
Lie to Me, 8 p.m. (Fox)
WOW! I'm going to be watching a lot of TV...
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Apprentice is Back
Celebrity Apprentice is definitely a guilty pleasure. This past season I was treated to the loopiness that was Cindy Lauper, the surprising charm of Brett Michaels and the Ice Queen bitchiness of winner Holly Robinson-Peete. Yet, I have to say, I am glad that the regular Apprentice is coming back.
Premiering September 23rd, this year’s Apprentice wannabes all share one unfortunate trait. They are all unemployed. I think this will add a degree of reality and urgency to this season’s competition. These people aren’t competing for charity, they are competing for their lives.
Check out this promo.
Premiering September 23rd, this year’s Apprentice wannabes all share one unfortunate trait. They are all unemployed. I think this will add a degree of reality and urgency to this season’s competition. These people aren’t competing for charity, they are competing for their lives.
Check out this promo.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Fall Flicks I Want to See!
The good thing about having your own movie review blog is that you don’t have to review anything you don’t want to review. Earlier today, Entertainment Weekly published a list of 25 movies they are looking forward to. I was able to whittle that list to down around 10.The Town
Starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm
September 17
A charming Boston-area troublemaker has to choose between a dead-end life with guys from his hood and a brighter future with his polished new girlfriend. It's just like Good Will Hunting — except that Ben Affleck's troublemaker, Doug, isn't a math whiz but a masked bank robber, and his love interest isn't a Harvard coed but the victimized bank manager (Rebecca Hall) who might be able to identify him and his crew to a federal agent (Jon Hamm).
Why I Want to See It: The buzz on this is great and all signs point to Ben Affleck emerging as a pretty good director. I liked what he did with Gone Baby Gone and I’m curious to see what he does with this.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michael Douglas, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin
September 24
The sequel to Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning 1987 hit Wall Street begins in 2001, when Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is released from federal prison with a business suit, an antiquated cell phone, and not a soul to greet him. Gekko is now a financial writer, on a press tour to promote his first tome, Is Greed Good?, and trying in vain to build a friendly relationship with his daughter (Carey Mulligan). She, in turn, is dating a whippersnapper trader (Shia LaBeouf) struggling to survive in a sinking economy.
Why I Want to See It: I’ve never fully appreciated the allure of Shia LeBeouf. However, I was a fan of the original and I’m curious to see how a sequel done 20 years after the original fares.
Buried
Starring: Ryan Reynolds
September 24
Ryan Reynolds plays a U.S. truck driver in Iraq who finds himself trapped inside a coffin with only a cell phone and a lighter. He was wary at first about a movie shot entirely in one sporadically lit box. ''We're in a coffin, for God's sake — for an entire film!'' he says with a laugh. But an impassioned 15-page letter from up-and-coming director Rodrigo Cortés changed his mind.
Why I Want to See It: Ryan Reynolds is definitely a cutie pie, but after a career of silly comedies (Van Wilder) and romantic comedies (The Proposal), the question remains, can he act? Well, he gets the chance to show his chops in a movie that is pretty much him trapped in a coffin for 90+ minutes.
Red
Starring: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren
October 15
In RED (which stands for "Retired and Extremely Dangerous"), Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Brian Cox play a team of retired covert agents who reassemble after the CIA tries to kill their leader, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis).
Why I Want to See It: Old (or at least older) people kickin’ ass with guns! Need I say more?
Due Date
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan
November 15
Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter, a tightly wound businessman forced by bizarre circumstances to drive from Atlanta to L.A. with an eccentric and hugely irritating wannabe actor named Ethan (Zach Galifianakis).
Why I Want to See It: Downey + Galifianakis = Hilarious … or at least it better be!
Morning Glory
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton
November 12
Rachel McAdams plays an up-and-coming producer charged with pulling the pathetic morning program Daybreak out of its last-place ratings rut. To do so, she persuades a respected former evening newsman (Harrison Ford) to assume the anchor chair beside the show's established lightweight host (Diane Keaton).
Why I Want to See It: I like seeing Harrison Ford doing lighter fare. He’s got great timing and he’s getting to old for the whole action-adventure thing (unless of course he’s kickin’ ass in Reds!)
Unstoppable
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson
November 12
Unstoppable is a race-against-time thriller about a runaway train loaded with toxic chemicals barreling toward a town. Out to stop this poisonous payload are a soon-to-be-laid-off engineer (Denzel Washington) and Captain Kirk himself, Chris Pine, as a young whippersnapper learning the rails.
Why I Want to See It: Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott are a pretty cool pair. Together they’ve done Man on Fire, Crimson Tide, Déjà vu and The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3. While the premise does remind me of Pelham, I’m willing to give it a shot.
Burlesque
Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming
November 24
Cher stars as Tess, a club owner coping with volatile leading lady Nikki (Kristen Bell) while mentoring newcomer Ali (Christina Aguilera, making her film debut) in this sequin-studded musical.
Why I Want to See It: C’mon, when is the last time you saw Cher in a movie?
Little Fockers
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Barbra Streisand, Jessica Alba
December 22
The latest Fockers installment again centers on a Focker family gathering: a birthday party for the 5-year-old twins of Greg (Ben Stiller) and his wife, Pam (Teri Polo). Greg is struggling with parenthood, while Robert De Niro's retired CIA agent wrestles with his own late-life crisis.
Why I Want to See It: Honestly, I really don’t know. Maybe because I saw the other two?
Gulliver's Travels
Starring: Jack Black, Jason Segel
December 22
This 3-D update of Jonathan Swift's classic novel stars Jack Black as a modern-day newspaper mailroom clerk who is assigned to write a travel piece on the Bermuda Triangle and winds up in the tiny-people land of Lilliput. ''He realizes he can reinvent himself — not only as a giant but also as a big shot,'' says Black. ''He can say that he wrote all these Beatles songs, and everyone believes him.''
Why I Want to See It: Because it was one of my favorite books as a teenager and I’m curious to see this ‘modern day’ take on such a beloved classic.
True Grit
Starring: Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Hailee Steinfeld
December 25
This brand-new adaptation of Charles Portis' great 1968 novel focuses on a drunken U.S. marshal named Reuben J. ''Rooster'' Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) who gets hired by a 14-year-old girl (relative newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) to find the man who shot and killed her father.
Why I Want to See It: What can I say, I am a Daddy’s girl, and Daddy raised me on westerns. I love a good one!
Unstoppable
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson
November 12
Unstoppable is a race-against-time thriller about a runaway train loaded with toxic chemicals barreling toward a town. Out to stop this poisonous payload are a soon-to-be-laid-off engineer (Denzel Washington) and Captain Kirk himself, Chris Pine, as a young whippersnapper learning the rails.
Why I Want to See It: Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott are a pretty cool pair. Together they’ve done Man on Fire, Crimson Tide, Déjà vu and The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3. While the premise does remind me of Pelham, I’m willing to give it a shot.
Burlesque
Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming
November 24
Cher stars as Tess, a club owner coping with volatile leading lady Nikki (Kristen Bell) while mentoring newcomer Ali (Christina Aguilera, making her film debut) in this sequin-studded musical.
Why I Want to See It: C’mon, when is the last time you saw Cher in a movie?
Little Fockers
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Barbra Streisand, Jessica Alba
December 22
The latest Fockers installment again centers on a Focker family gathering: a birthday party for the 5-year-old twins of Greg (Ben Stiller) and his wife, Pam (Teri Polo). Greg is struggling with parenthood, while Robert De Niro's retired CIA agent wrestles with his own late-life crisis.
Why I Want to See It: Honestly, I really don’t know. Maybe because I saw the other two?
Gulliver's Travels
Starring: Jack Black, Jason Segel
December 22
This 3-D update of Jonathan Swift's classic novel stars Jack Black as a modern-day newspaper mailroom clerk who is assigned to write a travel piece on the Bermuda Triangle and winds up in the tiny-people land of Lilliput. ''He realizes he can reinvent himself — not only as a giant but also as a big shot,'' says Black. ''He can say that he wrote all these Beatles songs, and everyone believes him.''
Why I Want to See It: Because it was one of my favorite books as a teenager and I’m curious to see this ‘modern day’ take on such a beloved classic.
True Grit
Starring: Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Hailee Steinfeld
December 25
This brand-new adaptation of Charles Portis' great 1968 novel focuses on a drunken U.S. marshal named Reuben J. ''Rooster'' Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) who gets hired by a 14-year-old girl (relative newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) to find the man who shot and killed her father.
Why I Want to See It: What can I say, I am a Daddy’s girl, and Daddy raised me on westerns. I love a good one!
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