 I've seen all the movies by the Farrelly Brothers, but this one had slipped by until now. They have a very wild sense of humor and (for the most part) have all been worth recommending to someone. THE HEARTBREAK KID was released in 2007, coming and going in a flash. Some of the reviews were savage, but it's clearly not among the worst movies. In fact, I actually enjoy it and if you're up for the antics here, then you might too. [Admittedly, I have not seen the original film of the same name from 1972 so I have no basis for comparison there.]
The story begins in San Francisco and involves Ben Stiller coming to a decisive point in his life, looking at his next steps. He meets the lovely Malin Ackerman and they soon begin a relationship. Within six weeks she finds out that she'll have to transfer to Rotterdam, Germany for work. The only way she can stay in the country is if she is married. Ben is encouraged by his father (real life dad Jerry Stiller) and his buddy (always funny Rob Corddry) to 'live life' and is asked 'why not?'. Cue the wedding bells. Cue also the consequences of such an impulsive decision, Farrelly-style. It is immediately clear that he knows very little about his newlywed bride and things soon begin to escalate as they embark upon their honeymoon.
This girl doesn't just have little annoying tics (there are some), she has huge problems (there are many). She just didn't seem to think about mentioning any of them to him. They arrive at their luxurious resort in Cabo and he has already become scared and exasperated on night one. When he meets a perky southern family, he gets swept up in the fun that they're having (as opposed to the dread he now feels when he's with his bride). Once he meets smiley Michelle Monaghan, the plot thickens. Why won't he just tell her he's married?? Movies like this don't make it that easy.
I ended up getting to see THE HEARTBREAK KID two and a half times in the last few days and it grew on me. There is some "been there, done that" feeling, but lesser comedies have that in much larger doses. If you think of this as a semi-sequel to THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY then you won't feel as bothered (Ben Stiller the put-upon protagonist? No way!) Malin Ackerman even has some distinct Cameron Diaz qualities about her, though this character becomes very selfish and near-irredeemable (nearly) at the movie's mid-point. Her character is actually trying to do better in life and just needs alot of help, though it's too bad that her violent temper drives away a man that may have been able to assist her.
When you realize that the Farrellys haven't done an R-rated comedy since ME, MYSELF & IRENE in 2000, you realize that their dirty comedy muscles just needed flexing again. The sex scenes use some very descriptive, hilarious language and there is at least one visual late in the film that is a female equivalent of "franks and beans". A fun movie overall and definitely worth a rental. Probably one that flew under your radar too.
Also of note is Danny McBride. If you've been seeing some of the more popular summer comedies lately (TROPIC THUNDER, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS), you may have discovered Danny, who brings along his mustache for a supporting appearance here. Farrelly trivia: The presence of Polly Holliday as one of Michelle Monaghan's family members. You know... Flo. Like the tv show.
 This is exponentially better than TWELVE and on-par with ELEVEN. Elliott Gould is royally screwed over and sent to the hospital, so George Clooney and the Gang get back together for a caper against egotistical Al Pacino's land-grabbing casino owner. The difference here is that unlike in TWELVE, everyone has something to do and a purpose for being in the film together.
It's set in Vegas again, which is a great setting when a film can do the ol' town justice. While it was a departure from ELEVEN before it, OCEAN'S TWELVE removed the team from America and took on an entirely different agenda, becoming too mixed-up and convoluted (the guys themselves even questioned why Danny Ocean was the self-appointed leader). The excess characters have been jettisoned ("it's not their fight") while the colorful ones of the past (like Eddie Izzard and Andy Garcia) have been included and officially make up "numbers twelve and thirteen" from what I can tell. New faces include David Paymer as "The V.U.P." in a terrific comic relief role, Ellen Barkin (who's never been hotter) and Pacino playing notes never seen the way he slimily does here.
Steven Soderbergh continues to direct interesting films, big and small. His cinematography here makes you want to touch the lights. I would also be remiss by not mentioning the too-cool-for-school musical score by David Holmes. Excellent as always.
OCEAN'S THIRTEEN takes it all back where it started and rightfully so. I felt let down by TWELVE and regrettably let THIRTEEN slip past last summer on the big screen (though I did go to the outside of the Chicago premiere and see Clooney, Damon, and the late Bernie Mac, in person). It's a fun film with a throwback feel that easily lives up to the Sinatra-style era of the past. Definitely roll the dice and give it a chance.
 One of tv's riskiest shows. No holds barred. No fear. Anything goes. Terrific.
I first noticed "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" when it debuted on the FX network back in the summer of 2005 alongside another sitcom called "Starved". This was an attempt by FX at establishing a comedy block of original programming. However, "Starved" was never fed enough audience and "Sunny" is now set to begin airing their fourth season. Although slow to develop it's audience, it soon became a certified hit.
Similar to "Seinfeld" in the sense that the characters find themselves involved in the most ridiculously improbable situations with some of the wackiest people. They also have no reservations about being hateful or selfish to strangers (or to one another) to get ahead and they never ever learn their lessons. A sample of subjects in the various episodes include gun control, handicaps, molestation, drug addiction, and finding a dumpster baby. It may not sound joyous, but somehow it is.
Set at their bar called "Paddy's Pub" in the title city, the show was created by it's three leading male protagonists (Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney), with classic performances by one of the funniest/sexiest ladies in sitcoms today (Kaitlin Olson) and a bonafide tv great (Danny DeVito, who joined in the second season). I got to personally act on-stage with Charlie back in '99 and I'm very proud of his accomplishments here. His character in particular is an illiterate, manic wildman who utters the following line after unsuccessfully getting a smart-mouthed kid to quiet down: "I will pound your face... into a jelly".
This show is an original, love it or hate it creation. The college crowd had found it during the summer and the cult audience has grown since it's move to the fall and with the dvd release of seasons one and two last year. Season three is set for release on Sept 9th and it has been reported that FX has ordered 39 additional episodes of the series, on top of the 13 being developed for Season 4 (This according to the page's wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_Always_Sunny_in_Philadelphia). See episodes now on Hulu.com and other online video sharing sites.
Too bold for some, just right for others. These characters live every week like it's shark week. In this time of expensive gasoline and high airfare rates, all it takes is your tv screen to take you on a rude, crude trip to sunny Philadelphia.
 Why read this? Well, the show may have ended long ago (the early 90's, oooohhh), but it's five seasons still stand as some of the best television around. The series is episodic and for the most part you don't have to see more than one episode at a time to be connected to another (though the teasers at the end of each connect you to the next one sequentially). It's probably the greatest anthology series carried through by only two characters, neither of which are a host.
What if Sam Beckett had not stepped into the quantum accellerator and vanished, awaking to find himself facing mirror images that were not his own, leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping that each leap will be the leap home? Well, then ya wouldn't learn nuthin' wouldya?
Whether it was in the 50's or the 80's, as a man or a woman (yes, he even leaped into a pregnant woman once), Sam was given the challenge, unwanted though it may have been, to upright the crooked nature of a life somehow gone awry. With his brain "swiss-cheesed" at each leap, he must piece together his new situation quickly and adjust before trouble strikes. He's basically the unknown angel, aided with friendship and vital information from the future by his "spiritual guide" Al.
Each episode features a real human problem that can usually be solved and have the future be altered for the better. Humanity is in the people all around us, but also in the eyes that gaze right back through our reflections. The phrase "walk a mile in another's shoes" is all the more real here. By stepping into the shoes of another (and living within their physical being as well), Sam has undertaken what we all cannot truly do: live life as someone else for a short time, learning and giving through that experience. I'm all for a good hero with the power to make an impact in the lives of others, and in his journey though time, Sam Beckett becomes the truest form of hero.
If you've never seen this show, or have never sat and given it your full attention, then may you leap at your next chance to do so.
 Alright, so I'm late to the party. This show debuted in 1999 and ended with only one season airing on NBC. I was in college and just missed it. It aired on Saturday nights so I'm sure you missed it too. The question is: Have you seen it in the years since then?
My roommate and I recently fell for its "Wonder Years" of the 80's charms. Set in 1980 with a clear 1970's hangover, it features an assortment of characters that fall (for the most part) into the category of either "freaks" or "geeks". I'm sure you're not surprised. If you are like me, too young to have gone to high school at that time, you'll most certainly recognize how much simpler alot of things were (and how much has just never changed).
Most of the performers on this show have gone on to other work and varied degrees of success (James Franco, Linda Cardellini, and Seth Rogen most of all). The series was created by Paul Feig (who's book "Superstud Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin" is laugh out loud good and one of my favorite books). The main producer of the show is a man you may have heard a little about over the past year or two: Judd Apatow (KNOCKED UP, THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, SUPERBAD). The cast is excellent and the writing is tops. Joe Flaherty (known mostly from "SCTV") steals his scenes as the father of siblings, one freak and one geek. Plus, you'll not find a Bionic Woman Halloween costume this funny anywhere else.
This show has been on dvd awhile, but I do not have NetFlix (I know, right?) so its revelations to me have been a long time coming. Regardless, it's never too late to find something that deserves merit and should be shared with others. A new "Yearbook Edition" will hit store shelves in October. This is similar to a previous online-only edition that includes two discs not released with the previous store version. It has been out of print for a few years now and this new release will remedy that with new fans.
With the Apatow machine running at high gear (including this week's big-screen release of PINEAPPLE EXPRESS starring Franco and Rogen), it seems as good a time as any to journey back to high school and sit at our respective tables.
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