Dinner for Schmucks: Funniest Movie I’ve Seen since The Hangover

Dinner for Schmucks is a sweet comedy about the true meaning of friendship. The movie has a wonderful ensemble cast with Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Lucy Punch, and Zach Galifianakis.
The movie follows Tim (Paul Rudd), who works for Fender Financial,where the opportunity for a promotion has just opened up. He manages to get his foot in the door by getting Mueller, a Swiss millionaire, interested in investing his money with the firm. However, before giving him a promotion, Fender wants to get to know him better, and invites him to his monthly Dinner for Winners - a dinner where the attendees find idiots who don't know that they're idiots and make fun of them.

Read more…

I Write Like is Ready to Tell You Who You Write Like

I Write Like is a new site that will tell you what famous author that you write like. All you do is go to the site, paste a few paragraphs of anything, and hit the analyze button. In a matter of seconds, you will learn what author you write like.

The experiment I had in mind is to see if I could consistently come up with the same response with writings I had laying around, even if I was submitting different types of writing. The first thing I analyzed was a book I'm working on, and the response was that I write like Kurt Vonnegut. I analyzed text from a book I finished, and the result of that was Vladimir Nobokov.

After this, I decided to move on to blog entries. The results of those were H.P. Lovecraft and Margaret Atwood. Then I decided to analyze some of my articles. Gertrude Stein and David Foster Wallace were the responses I got. I was getting absolutely no repeats at all! While I thought about analyzing school assignments, I decided to analyze this very entry – and the result to that was Kurt Vonnegut. A part of me feels that this is very anticlimactic.

I Write Like is a very fun tool to play around with, but with such varied results I think it's safe to say that I Write Like me.

Supply and Demand for Movies

It shouldn't be surprising that the last three movies to do well in theaters were Despicable Me, Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and Toy Story 3.  It also shouldn't be surprising that movies like Predators can't do as well. Studios admit that they don't know what to green light next, and this could be because they don't realize that like any other business, there's always supply and demand going on.

Read more…

My Bad: Shows I Should Have Watched When it Would Have Done Some Good

There’s one thing I hate more than having a show I love cancelled on me, and that’s discovering a show after it’s been cancelled.  Having a show I love while I’m actively watching cancelled means I did my part and there was nothing more that I could do, except win a lottery and buy a TV station.  Discovering a show after it was cancelled makes me feel like it’s partially my fault such a wonderful show got cancelled.  I try not to feel bad in instances where the show was cancelled after only four episodes or the network made no effort to advertise it, but the truth is, I managed to find Pushing Daisies after ABC pretended like it stopped existing.  This is the list of shows I wish to say, “I’m sorry I got your show cancelled.”

Better Off Ted (2009-2010)

This is probably as much ABC’s fault as it is mine.  I was still recovering from losing Pushing Daisies, and I wasn’t ready for a relationship with a new show yet.  However, in the ads, Better Off Ted reminded me so much of the quirkiness of my lost love that I did watch the first few episodes.  It felt empty and hollow and I took it out on the show.  In my defense, I only took it out on the first season – mostly because I was watching Scrubs in the second season.  Because of the pairing, I never turned the channel during Better Off Ted, but it wasn’t until the last episode aired that I realized, “Oh my gosh, this show is brilliant.”  If only the relationship had moved slower, we could have had something beautiful, and I feel absolutely horrible that something so wonderful escaped me because of hard feelings.

The Middleman (2008)

This one isn’t so much my own fault as it is that Disney really sucks at advertising shows on their networks.  Like, seriously, who’s in charge of doing that over there?  They need to be fired.  I had issues, however, with ABC Family from the beginning, so this still could be a mea culpa.  When it was Fox Family, I was in love.  They only canceled one show on me, The New Addams Family, and let’s face it – I wasn’t all that surprised, and at least I got to see David Faustino be Greg Brady in an episode.  They had other great shows, like Big Wolf on Campus, Braceface, So Little Time, and State of Grace.  What happened when ABC ended up taking over?  They killed Big Wolf on Campus, Braceface, So Little Time, and State of Grace.  They also offered very little in terms of quality in their shows, so I completely gave up on the network, except for a made for TV movie with Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez.    Upon discovering The Middleman in 2009, I learned my mistake – never completely give up on a network.  Once in awhile, they can get behind something beautiful and then fail to advertise it and it only leads to you feeling regret because networks don’t have souls.  This amazing show restored my faith in originality – well, yes, I was watching Pushing Daisies when this show was on, but Pushing Daisies didn’t have milk-drinking former Navy SEALs protecting the world from comic book mayhem.  It’s slightly more original than not being able to kiss your formerly dead girlfriend – just slightly.  It’s a shame that ABC Family has yet to please me since I gave it another chance, but you know, rebuilding a relationship can be hard work.  I think they should bring back The Middleman.  I learned my lesson, and this could be a beautiful thing.

Dead Like Me (2002-2003)

In my defense, this show did come on Showtime, a channel that I did not have.  It wasn’t until one day when I got Netflix and it suggested that I would like Dead Like Me that I ever gave it a try.  I loved it.  The show was just… brilliant.  Because of this love, Netflix introduced me to Weeds and Dexter, and I soon became acquainted with United States of Tara and Nurse Jackie – all shows I find a way to watch without having Showtime, and also own on DVD.  Actually, I don’t know how Showtime does their numbers to figure out how to cancel something, but either way, I still feel like I missed out on something great.

Wonderfalls (2004)

Fox and I were having a bit of a falling out in 2004.  It felt like every show that I liked was getting cancelled left and right, and as such I started watching any channel that wasn’t Fox more often.  Wonderfalls became a victim of a lover’s spat.  I had seen the show advertised once and thought it might be interesting, but I never watched it.  In my defense, Fox was proving that it was a bratty child in getting into a serious relationship with any viewing audience and pulled the show after only airing four episodes.  Between only seeing the show advertised once and Fox being quick to call it a lost cause, I never actually had a chance to see it.  Wonderfalls is up there on my list of favorites, however.

The Tick (2001)

I feel odd claiming this one, because I was there from the premiere, and this one was once again Fox’s fault.  They wanted the show to fail.  I even remember the exact time slot The Tick came on in – Thursdays at 8 pm EST.  You know what else came on Thursdays at 8pm EST in 2001?  Friends and Whose Line is it Anyway?  Both were shows that my family was already watching, and we only had one VCR at the time.  Despite my honest love for the show, I was just unable to watch it.  Seriously, though, Fox put it up against two of the most popular shows at the time – the relationship was doomed from the start.

Arrested Development (2003-2006)

I had a friend who was in a season one episode of Arrested Development and said he was on set when they said the show was being cancelled, so I decided to not give my heart so easily to something I knew wouldn’t last.  My friend is a freaking liar.  I still never watched the show because I felt like I was too far behind and I could never make it work.  When I finally gave it a chance, I discovered it was brilliant and I wished I’d been willing to watch the show even if I “knew” it’d be short lived.

Eerie, Indiana (1991-1992) and Parker Lewis Can’t Lose (1990-1993)

I watched the first season of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose on Fox, and I enjoyed it.  However, a year later, I noticed the new quirky show on NBC, and I decided to say hello. Eerie, Indiana became a fling, and I found myself dividing my time between both shows.  However, soon Eerie was gone, and Parker Lewis moved to Thursday Night, one of the three nights a week I had to watch whatever the rest of my family was watching, and I was the only one who liked Parker Lewis.

Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

I can’t take all the blame for this one – I was six and a half when it first came out, and I had a bedtime.  I got up a lot for “water” when it was on and I’d listen through the vent… Wait, actually, I can’t take any blame for this one at all.  My parents were still watching it, so there was nothing I could do.  Still, it is quirky and wonderful and I do wish I had rediscovered it sooner than I ultimately did.

Canceled TV Love Song

Man, I love this music video.  You can read more about that here.

A snippet from the article:

We all have those shows that it still burns that it was canceled. College Humor has come out with a music video to honor those fallen TV shows. From Twin Peaks to Pushing Daisies, two decades of prematurally canceled shows are mentioned in the aptly named “Canceled TV Show Love Song”, the first installment of a six-part series of music videos being released this summer.

Of course, if you want to just watch the music video, you can do that here.

Do You Need Help With Writing Believable Characters?

Allow this guide to give you some basic steps that’ll point you in the right direction:

Creating fictional characters that seem real can be tough. Many try and many end up with flat, unrealistic characters. However, with some simple tips, you can create your own character that has depth and believability.

Read More…

Why Are So Many Movies Being Made for Boys?

This was a question I had when I decided to write “Sweet Valley Barbie Trolls: Movies for the Girls”.  Truth be told, I’m not excited about the selection we’re being given here, but at least it’s something.

From the article:

All recent and upcoming property-based movies seem to be aimed at the boys. Transformers, G.I. Joe, the upcoming Stretch Armstrong, and even gender-neutral Battleship seems to be aimed at the boys. Even movies such as Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks that aren't aimed at boys per se are gender-neutral. It's enough to make a girl stand up and yell, "Hey, we had childhoods with successful franchises, too!" Don't worry, we aren't forgotten.

Read More.

If I Had a Million Dollars I’d be Rich

Sometimes I happen upon random generators.  This one came up with the prompt “What would you do with a million dollars?”

A million dollars doesn’t go as far as it used to.  First of all, $450,000 of that is already taken out for taxes.  Or is it a tax-free million dollars?  Well, my plans involve taxes.  After paying down all my debts, I would invest in my dream house.  Just a down payment.  I hope my other investments pay off or my dream house will become a new debt.  My dream house would be like Barbie’s dream house, except with a movie theatre, bowling alley, and bowling room.

I’d donate at least $25,000 to charities because I should pay it forward.  I’d probably pick children’s charities.  Children are the future and they deserve to have one.  I’d probably plant a few trees in rainforests, too.  The world sort of needs an environment.

And if anything were left after the debts and the taxes and the charities and the investments and the dream house, I’d take a cruise around the world.  Or take a flight to Akron, Ohio.  I’ve never been to Ohio.  Preferably get to see the world, would settle on seeing Ohio.

And that is what I would do with a million dollars.

Harley Quinn: More than Just “The Joker’s Girlfriend”

Dr. Harleen Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn, only has one sentence in the DC Universe encyclopedia – she’s the Joker’s girlfriend.  While true, Harley Quinn is much more, spawning her own comic book series and being a villain in her own right.

On September 11, 1992, Joker’s Favor aired, and audiences all caught their first glimpse of everyone’s favorite henchwench, Harley Quinn.  She was to only be a one shot character, but somehow was brought back just a few months later in Almost Got ‘im.  Soon, the Joker wasn’t seen without at least a passing reference to his girlfriend.  Harley had also been seen without the Joker by her side.  January 18, 1993 saw the first Harley/Ivy team up with Harley and Ivy, and in 1994 Harley started to see the limelight on her own.  She teamed up with Batman and Robin in Harlequinade, and later that year had a Joker-free episode in Harley’s Holiday.

In 1993, Harley’s fan following found her being introduced into the world of comic books, with Batman Adventures #12, Girls Night Out.  February 1994 saw Harley’s origin story, Mad Love, released.  In this tale, we learn how it is that a former Arkham psychologist could fall in love with one of the most dangerous villains of Gotham City, but this comic revealed more than just that.  Harley, in her own right, is just as dangerous as any other of Batman’s Rogue Gallery, if not more so.  Her Achilles’ heel is that she loves too much.

Harley Quinn continued to appear in comics and the cartoon series, and was even in a few episodes of the Superman cartoon series.  She was even introduced into the mainstream in the comic series in 1999.  The year 2000 was a big year for Harley, as she was introduced into her own comic series, Harley Quinn.  In this series, Harley has had enough of the Joker and she dumps him, officially.  Harley is a free agent, and goes through the adventures of her comic series on her own.  The comic series was dark, dramatic, and above all else, funny, and even had crossovers into the Superman universe.  It introduced Bizarro Harley, the only Bizarro to date that makes sense – a commentary on how nonsensical Harley herself is.  Bizarro Harley was also cold, calculating, and mean, things that Harley is not, no matter how dangerous she is.  The series lasted for 38 issues.  Harley made numerous other comic appearances in 2000.

Gotham Girls, a flash animated webseries, also debuted in 2000.  Harley Quinn was one of the main characters of the series, as was Batgirl, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy.  A few years later, Harley Quinn was also a main player in the TV series Birds of Prey.

Over the years, Harley has appeared in every DCU cannon show, including Static Shock, Justice League, and Batman Beyond, has had her origin retold in at least 3 comics and in an episode of The Batman, and has even been in the video game Arkham Asylum.  Except for The Batman, she is always voiced by Arleen Sorkin.  Harley Quinn also continues to appear in the comics.  The only medium Harley Quinn has yet to be portrayed in is movies, and many fans vocalize a want for the former Arkham psychiatrist to appear on the big screen.

Needless to say, it is completely unfair to say that Harley Quinn is just “the Joker’s girlfriend”.  After all, she did come the closer to defeating Batman than her Puddin’ ever did.

Sources:

Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. “Mad Love”, February 1994.

Harley Quinn’s character page, IMDB.

Harley’s Appearances, Harley’s Haven.

Writing Sample: Chit Chat for Facebook

Chit Chat for Facebook might be a solution to two common problems we have in communicating with our friends online. Nobody really e-mails anymore, with exceptions for business, birthday e-cards, party e-vites, and forwards of the funny or spammy variety. People like instant response. This is why they use instant messengers, but unfortunately not everyone can decide on the same one. Half our friends prefer one IM client over the other, yet we're the accommadating ones who have every single one. It's just a hassle.

However, almost everybody has a Facebook. This has made Facebook chat a great way for communicating with our friends. They're all in the same place, and we don't have to guess which IM client they'll be using. Sadly, we are stuck in that we must be logged into Facebook in a browser and be paying attention to it when we might have other things we need to do online, like forwarding a funny cat picture or playing online videogames.

Chit Chat for Facebook combines the conveniences of Facebook chat with those of an IM client. Chit Chat for Facebook is an IM client that works over Facebook chat. You don't even need to be logged into the site to use it. Just log into the client! The program alerts you when you get a new message, so you're free to watch the funny videos your cousin sent you. You can save logs of your conversations, just like with other instant messengers. You can alter your font to be bold or underlined, and you can even use emoticons.

However, Chit Chat for Facebook does much more than turn Facebook chat into an IM client. You can use this client to write on your friends' walls, update your status, and even send private messages to your friends without having to log into Facebook. More and more people sign up for Facebook everyday, making Facebook chat an invaluable communication tool. Chit Chat for Facebook just adds practicality and convenience. No longer will we have to worry about which instant messengers our friends use, nor will we be confined to a browser to use Facebook chat.

More information on Chit Chat for Facebook can be found at chitchat.org.uk, and can be downloaded at chitchat.org.uk/download/.

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Chit Chat for Facebook and have not been paid for this review.

Toy Story 3 is Probably the Best Movie Ever

And if it’s not, it’s darn close.

I was 12 when Toy Story came out.  I’m much older than 12 now.  However, I was dedicated to the series.  I loved the first movie, the second one was one of the first ones I saw in theatres… I’ve been impatiently waiting for the third one for forever.

It did not let me down.  I don’t know what I expected in a Toy Story 3 movie, but this was much better.  Toy Story is the only franchise I know of that got progressively better with each movie.  I’ve never cried so much at a movie, either.  Mostly because I don’t cry at movies, but as soon as I saw Andy all grown up, the water works started and just when I got them to stop, something in the movie would make me cry again.  It was brilliant.

And for the evil movie critic who said this movie was more about product placement than whimsy – this is the first Toy Story movie that didn’t make me want to buy a toy.  I wanted a Buzz Lightyear after the first movie, but it was 1995 so it didn’t happen.  I wanted Tour Guide Barbie after the second movie (yes, when I was 17, shut up).  I got it.  This movie really doesn’t make me want a new toy as much as it makes me remember how much fun I had with mine.

Plus, as one child reviewer in the seat behind me pointed out, “This movie is sad.”  There’s enough going on in the movie for kids to notice things besides the toys.

I would see it again like a thousand more times if I didn’t have a budget of shoestring and bubblegum.

Dashingly Deadly Dexter

I have certain visceral pleasures that I can only maintain when they’re imaginary.  I can’t watch them on screen or I get squeamish.  Because of this, I can’t watch the TV show Dexter.  Not without hiding behind my fingers at least three times an episode.  However, it’s a show that everyone seems to think I’ll enjoy, so my compromise was to read the books on which Dexter was based.  So far I have read Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter.

I love these books.  They’re smart, witty, and take the old “detective solves a murder” story and turns it on it’s heels.  I’m already going to put the third one on hold at the library.  For those who aren’t aware, Dexter is a sociopathic serial killer who only kills bad guys and is easy to love.  The first season of the Showtime series was based on the first book, but the series goes in different directions with the second book/second season.  I’ve only seen the pilot of Dexter, so I can’t definitively say which I like better.  But I love the books.  Dexter has a code and only murders bad guys, and he likes kids.  How bad can he be?  In the first book, Dexter has to hunt a serial killer who murders hookers very similarly to how Dexter kills his own victims.  In the second book, Dexter has to hunt a twisted individual chops people’s body parts off in a sadistic game of hangman.  Along the way, he makes sure that murderers – especially the kind that hurts kids – will never murder anyone else again.

Of course, a part of me doesn’t know if the originality of these books are refreshing or disturbing.  The author envisions this stuff, writes it down, and doesn’t seem to be suffering from the mental images he conjures up.    Of course, if it came down to reading the same tired plotlines again and again, or having the pleasure of being able to read Dexter, I choose Dexter.

Pardon My Dust

Right now I’m still working on getting this blog just the way I want it.  In the meanwhile, you can follow me on Twitter or be my fan on Facebook.

Hello!

May as well introduce myself.  I do have a nifty about me page.  I guess everything you need to know is there, but I guess there’s stuff you want to know.  Hm…

Favorite TV Show: The Simpsons.  I know it’s older than dirt, and I remember when it was still on the Tracey Ullman Show (I didn’t like it much then!), but I think it’s a great show with core family values.  Odd family values, but they’ve always got each other’s backs.  Plus, it has longevity.  Every other show that I’ve deemed favorite in the past, with one sole exception, never lasted very long.

Favorite Movie:  Don’t have one.  I have many movies I like.  But, if I had to pick some, Ghostbusters is my favorite franchise, The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney movie, Beetlejuice inspires my imagination, and Casper is one my favorite characters.  This is only a small sampling that does no justice to my taste in films.

Favorite music: I like pretty much everything, but some favorite artists I have are Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Ludo, Metallica, Eminem, etc, etc.  Just like with movies, I could go on all day with music.

Favorite book:  I’m not even going to get started.  The list is much too long.

Favorite comic book character: Harley Quinn.  I also am partial to Spiderman, Wolverine, and Batman.  I don’t like Superman, though.

Favorite color: red

And I think that’s plenty for now.  Feel free to introduce yourself in the comments!