Quote of the Day

Drew Curtis' FARK.com: "Missing non-white woman covered on CNN. In other news, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria"

The World Is Still Round

The World Is Still Round

Pain, Agony, Despair: Flying With Children - New York Times

Pain, Agony, Despair: Flying With Children - New York Times: "Anybody who thinks it takes a village to raise a child has never sat near a crying baby in first class."

War of the Worlds

A solid B+ effort. It's visually compelling, and Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning shine. It's perversely enjoyable to watch Mr. Cruise act like a total jackass. The effects are top notch and the music works in that it neither overpowers the action a la Star Wars. Tim Robbins shows up as the token nutcase, effective as a man who's totally vacant and with nothing to lose. Speaking of Star Wars, it's nice to see that someone watched the Empire Strikes Back with a tripod instead of an AT-AT.

The scene of sheer panic near the Ferry is the films crowding achievement and here Spielburg's direction shines. This moment of random gunfire and pure panic stays with you after the movie.

As far as writing, there are some plot holes big enough to drive a tripod through. If they took the time to bury all the spaceships before anyone was around, why not take over the planet then? Why do the alien's dying cause the machine's to fail? How did Tom Cruise over power Tim Robbins when the latter must have almost a foot and a good 50 lbs on the former?

** 1/2

Late Night Political Jokes

Late Night Political Jokes - Late Night Jokes Updated Daily: "'Vice President Dick Cheney went to George Washington University Hospital and got a colonoscopy. The doctor said his colon is fine, but his esophagus is inflamed. Let me tell you something, if you finish a colonoscopy and you have a sore throat, that is a very thorough exam.' --Jay Leno

'Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has called for an investigation of the video game Grand Theft Auto after finding hidden sex in the game. I don’t know, is Hillary the best one to go looking for hidden sex? If Hillary was any good at finding it, her husband wouldn't have been impeached.' --Jay Leno"

I suppose I'm obligated to link the follow-up as well

MilkandCookies - Stewie Griffin: Rocketman

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Alas it's 2005 and there are still only six.

Oh My God

MilkandCookies - William Shatner: Rocketman

When Fear Stalks, Tune Out - New York Times

When Fear Stalks, Tune Out - New York Times

The almighty dollar - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Op-ed - News

The almighty dollar - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Op-ed - News: "Nobody could have been more wrong than St. Paul (or his posthumously self-appointed amanuensis) when he claimed in the New Testament that ''the love of money is the root of all evil.' On the contrary, most of the evils I can think of are associated with indifference to money. Imagine if Hitler or Stalin or Pol Pot had cared a lot more about making a buck. Would the bodies be piled quite so high if they had behaved more like John D. Rockefeller or Bill Gates? Osama bin Laden doesn't care nearly enough about money to suit my taste. If he did, he'd chose another line of work. ''A man is seldom so innocently employed,' said Samuel Johnson, ''as when he is getting money.'"

Stop the Credit Card Offers

Opt-Out Prescreen Website

Bewitched

A solid mediocre effort. The actors do what they can. Nicole Kidman looks great and does as best she can. Will Ferrell plays the lovable loser fine. Of course there is the obligatory nude seen with Mr. Ferrell but otherwise there are laughs here and there. The ending seems rather tacked on. What exists of a plot just ends and the producers seem to have this bizarre apparition close it off. Better writing could have made this a good film, not just a good popcorn flick. Certainly worth waiting for the DVD.

** 1/2

Batman Begins

This movie restores the good name of Batman. It is far superior to any of the previous films with the exception of 1989's "Batman". On wheather that or this film is better, reasonable people can disagree. Unlike any of those films, this is really Bruce Wayne's story, not Batman's and Christian Bale pulls it off with penache. Katie Holmes in competent but nothing spectacular. Michael Caine steals the show as the butler. Well, perhaps is James Bond retired and became a butler.

The opening part is very different from any other comic movie and aside from Liam Neelson sounding too much like his Qui-Gonn Gin it is an excellent addition that rounds out the character.

***