I found these guys on Pandora; their song 'souls for sale' comes up on my ska/rocksteady channel. Great stuff!

Solid horns, good vocals, sounds a bit poppy but not in a bad way. I'd go see them if they weren't only touring in Ireland right now.

Be prepared to spend half an hour bawling your eyes out.

The first chunk of this movie was the most incredibly bittersweet thing I've ever seen in a cartoon. It was beautiful, expertly and succinctly developing Carl's character into a man you can sympathize with and care about. Which makes it funnier when you realize how deeply rooted his mission is in his psyche - and how frustrated he must be to be continually sidetracked from his quest.

When you get down to it, this is a movie about fulfilling your dreams. Carl's journey is central to the plot, but so is that of his Hero - a long lost adventurer whose dreams have turned into Ahabesque madness. Caught in the middle is Russell, whose only desire is to have a father figure who will bother to show up for him.

Anyway, I felt all the characters were enjoyable in their own way, and I definitely will be watching this film again. Pixar once again has made an incredible movie.

p.s. Whoever was in charge of canine body language & dialogue hit it right on the (wet) nose. The dogs are one of the best parts of an already amazing movie.

Basically, this will be hilarious once the problems this guy caused are being resolved.

This movie definitely portrays GWB as being more or less a man-child with far too many powerful connections, trying to gain the approval of a distant father figure while being manipulated by war-hungry bastards.

Also, someone turned the "Bushisms" knob up to 11 and broke it off.

This was by far the weirdest movie I've seen in a while. The press review has a good synopsis of the plot. Basically, failed actor turned drama teacher tries to save his department from budget cuts with the Worst Idea for a Play Ever. Hilarity ensues.

The heterogenous group of drama students is thrown together because every single other elective at the school had fallen to budget cuts as well, so there's plenty of tension. Especially when the teacher guy tries to go all "Dangerous Minds" on the class. However, the group allows the movie to touch on themes of racism, anti-intellectualism, and high school social stratification, and arguably makes the movie much richer than it could have been.

But don't worry about it getting intellectual - any movie with a musical number called "Raped in the Face" is gonna be mostly fluff. Weird, weird, funny fluff.

To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much from this movie. Mainly I wanted to see Robert Downey Jr. in blackface, and whether or not they could explain it thoroughly enough in the plot for it to not be totally offensive. Well, they did pretty well on that score.

However, they kept bringing back Ben Stiller in his (fictional) role as a retard, from a previous (fictional) movie his character had played. All that kind of wore thin after about the second instance, but they just kept at it.

Despite this, I did find myself laughing throughout the movie, so it wasn't a total loss. All in all, I'd say it's a good rental. But as the final Summer Blockbuster Movie (tm) of 2008, I was a little disappointed. The season seems to have gone out with an "eeeeeh."

I gotta say, I was expecting a lot more silly pot jokes. You know, the standard 'weird hallucinations' and 'Oh Noes I has the munchies' - sort of a "Harold and Kumar Run From The Mob" type of a thing.

Instead, I witnessed a beautifully put together movie dealing with the practical aspects of avoiding a reprisal murder whilst blitzed out of one's mind. Apparently, pot makes you totally unable to miss the bad-guys, even when there's no reason to believe you've ever used a firearm (much less a Kalashnikov).

Touching on universal themes (Including but not limited to: "Drug dealers are kinda your friend, but not really, but sometimes they don't realize that, so it's best to pretend they are", and "High school girls are pretty immature") this film combines equal parts character development and morality play with a healthy dose of excellent writing. It's definitely worth seeing.

(I should probably point out that the aforementioned "equal parts" both equal zero.)

But this was a pretty excellent movie. We get to see an extended appearance by young Hellboy, and there's all kinds of angsty stuff, and character development and such.

And of course, creatures. Awesome, crazy looking creatures. And incredible fight scenes. Really, this movie was pretty epic.

Anyway, it's worth seeing in a theater. I don't think it'd be quite the same on a TV.

It's like the first 20 minutes of X-men, except wolverine can fly, and he's drunker (and black). Then it turns into My Super Ex-Girlfriend, except it hasn't got Eddie Izzard. Michael Bluth puts in a pretty solid performance, but once Hancock sobers up, it's all downhill.

A more entertaining plot would have been to follow some cops around during the first weekend Hancock shows up in L.A. Would've given us far more almost-but-not-quite-heroic deeds to watch.

This movie's a good rental. Otherwise, eh.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite movies was Short Circuit. So I was kinda biased in favor of WALL-E to begin with, since they lifted some basic character design off Johnny Five. However, Pixar definitely took it and made it their own, packing the design with emotive movements and Vitamin Cute.

My friend told me ahead of time that this promised to be the Cutest Movie of All Time, and I think it came pretty close. When you get down to it, yes, it's a slapstick romantic comedy about robots. But there's also some interesting social commentary, and the detail they went into when they created this universe is pretty incredible.

I'm definitely getting this on DVD.

They're very good for the part too. Not just any kind of Russians, either - crazy para-psychic scientist type Russians, of course! What else would Indie get himself wrapped up in?

Seriously, if you want an overdose of over-the-top action sequences, this is the movie for you. Also, Indie the Second makes his debut! No movie is complete without a fencing sequence where each fighter is standing on a different vehicle traveling at high speed through a jungle...

When you least expect it, BAM he will smile at you so hard your head will explode. Seriously. I've seen it!

You sneak up on him and just when you're about to attack, ZAP "Would you like some tea? What's with the sword?"

This guy will peace you right to your face. No kidding! Watch out, if he teams up with that nun who's trying to hug everyone in the world, they'll be unstoppable. You'll have no choice, grumpy pants.

Especially after a nice drive up skyline boulevard. With pretty good food and a decent beer selection, and apparently live music (never been for it), this is a great establishment. Too bad it's up in the hills...

I just spent two of the most awesome hours of my life in a crappy theater where they turned the lights on mid-movie, and it was STILL f'ing awesome.

As everyone has pointed out, Robert Downey Jr is awesome. He is indeed like Dr. House. With hand lasers. And it really just doesn't get any better.

and unicorns.

WITNESS
the Kafkaesque functioning of our post-9-11 judicial system
WITNESS
the sad paranoia of a nation gone... sad and paranoid
WITNESS
the outwitting of Homeland Security by our brave hero Neil Patrick Harris. On shrooms.

There's also a plot. Sort of. It's definitely worth watching. I'm sure you can imagine what mood you should be in...

These guys, they are indeed awesome. I grew up with this music. It's frickin' sweet.

Ok, it's not actually called honey-awesome but it should be.

Droo's not kidding, he does drag everyone over there and it is well worth the trip over 17.

...and you turned that bag into a movie, you'd get Doomsday.

It basically switches genres every 15 minutes for the entire film. I missed the first part, but as far as I can tell there's a disease that makes people evil zombies, but smarter than zombies, but still evil. To find the cure, some chick decides they need to go on a road trip to scotland; the next twenty minutes are the first half of Aliens and the last ten minutes of the recent Dawn of the Dead remake, combined. After that, it turns into mad max, and then king arthur.

Basically, someone with a budget managed to turn a script written on a cocaine binge into a finished movie.

And they spent quite a bit on special effects - so a lot of the deaths are extra disgusting. It was actually kinda awesome in its own way.

But yeah, this was one stupid movie.

I've never had a bad night coming to this show. Every week, too, it's great. Throw out whatever idea you want, they'll roll with it and take it somewhere you didn't expect.

...two chicks at the same time

... or something. This is a pretty good theater; they haven't got stadium seating though, and the interesting less-huge movies tend to get downgraded to the tiny screens pretty quick. But I've been watching movies here for years, and it's a good location, so I'll keep coming back.

Also, they've got an arcade and a bar nearby for pregaming, if desired :-D

I've only been a few times. There's plenty of spots to grab food before or after the movie, and of course they have the giant snack bar in the movie proper.

Unless you're a very small person, you'll have no problem seeing over the head of the person in front of you here. The stadium seating is also very comfy.

actually, just a fun dive. fuck the bar. seriously, dude.

they have wifi, so I can work from here, which has happened on occasion. they also support local amateur sporting teams. with beer!

anyway, they technically have food, if you like hard boiled eggs. but really this is a bar.

andy points out they have pizza pockets. i still don't think that's food.

end transmission

It's been 3 years and it's still the best meal in recent memory.

The waitstaff is courteous and knowledgeable, and more than willing to recommend a wine pairing and do an informal tasting if you can't decide. My waiter offered two chardonnay options to go with my trout, and since the *really* good one was like 30/glass he gave everyone at the table a taste and I got the other one, which to my palate was still 'ing perfect.

It's a bit pricey, but that's not a problem if you're not paying - this is a good restaurant for any occasion you want to remember. It's like E for French food - you can get the same thing again somewhere else, but it just won't be as good no matter how awesome it is.

Located next to the shoreline century theaters, this place is perfect for killing time before or after a movie. Renting tables by the hour, they've got enough that there's always something available. Combine that with a decent variety of beers and you've got a good place to shoot some pool and/or the breeze.

Just one beef; the google wifi network in Mountain View is spotty at best. It's a good start, but seriously - if I have to go outside, stand under a transmitter, and hold my laptop over my head to get a connection, you guys have some work to do.

I spent one stupidly hot summer in Florence, like, that summer when 30,000 people died cause europe hates AC. Gelato was a lifesaver back then, and nowhere comes close to proper gelato but this place. The texture is spot-on, plenty of flavor choices, and the sorbetto is excellent as well.

Just don't order an espresso.

Excellent coffee, quality baked goods, and live music! There's also local art hanging on the walls, and they recently opened up the second floor for more artspace and as a concert venue so you can escape to the espresso bar if you (god forbid) don't like whatever (excellent, unknown) musician they've got up there.

I love going to this place. It's got the standard 'alternative-looking' baristas, and they've got some talent. I've never had a bitter shot of espresso here, they know what a cafe macchiato is, and they're involved in charity work!

Project Rwanda helps coffee growers get specially built cargo bikes to help them get their products to market. How awesome is that? I'll tell you - TASTY awesome.

This place is a nice little family-owned bagel shop near the Safeway. Their bagels are top notch - not too doughy, not too dry. It's not a kosher deli, so you goy's can get your pork on if you so desire.

The service is excellent and personal, and these guys do a good business mornings. As a matter of fact, they close around two. So you cant rely on them for Random Bagel Cravings, but this is a great place to stop for a quick breakfast.

This guy's an excellent ventriloquist. If you've got the chance to see him,do it.

Really the only reason I watch these movies is because I've been waiting for them to come out since I was ten.

That being said, if you want to watch two hours of aliens fighting other aliens, with poor innocent people caught in the middle, this is your movie. If you've ever argued with your friends over who would win in a fight, though, you'll be a bit disappointed. That's probably what the next movie is about.

Anyway, if you want to see slime, claws, more claws, and an entire town getting torn to bits, this is the movie for you! Go nuts! And bring beer. It helps.

Well, not really incredible, they can do a lot with computers these days. But this is an excellent movie. Tim Burton's restrained use of color and impeccable sense of timing make this a dark and hilarious movie. About slitting throats.

Seriously, I've never seen a movie with this many slit throats. The montages are awesome. And drippy.

Having not seen the actual musical, I can't say if this is a good adaptation or not. However, all the actors are excellent, including Sascha Baron Cohen. He's clearly capable of works far beyond his interview-show gag characters like Borat.

Definitely don't let your kids see this one.

Always remember:

Save yourself; shave yourself!

This place has it all: beer, darts, free popcorn, more kinds of beer, pitchers... everything you need from a pub.

The decor is antique, since this place is over 100 years old. The prices are excellent, and the service is quick. I've only been there the one time, but if I lived in the area I suspect I'd never leave.

If you're gonna see this movie, see it for the right reasons. The right reasons include but are not limited to:

*Post-apocalypse stuff fetish
*Zombies!
*Vampires!
*Arguing whether or not those things were zombies or vampires!
*Best Supporting Dog

Reasons not to see this movie include:

*Your group of moviegoers includes some jackass who will never shut up, ever.
*You don't want to hear some jackass arguing with everyone over whether those things were zombies or vampires.
*You like your depressing movies to end depressing.
*Deus Ex Machina.

All told, this was a very excellent First Half Of A Last Guy On Earth movie. The end? Not so much. Too much god, and as someone pointed out it basically, in the end, turned into the plot from the beginning of 28 Days Later. If you want to experience the movie as it should have been made, leave after Will Smith's truck flips over and pretend he dead. Otherwise the ending is far too upbeat.

Bleh. Vermont. I'll take the Zompires over that any day.

As always, the book was better. But this was better than I expected the adaptation to be. If you want to see bears, in shiny armor, kicking each other's asses, this is the movie for you.

Come to think of it, that scene was supposed to be a lot bloodier. And the witches are technically supposed to be nakeder. But, for PG-13 you can't expect much.

I gotta say though, if I had seen this when I was a kid I'd have been blown away. I can't wait for the next two movies.

I saw them a couple days before New Years '07. It was wonderful, they had a new years countdown for us since we weren't gonna be at the new years show, lots of beautiful music, confetti - the works.

Also, the lighting system is a giant UFO, and the lead singer enters the stage in a giant balloon freedom ball thing! They win the universe.

I have to say, this guy is the king of improvisation. He uses samplers to layer himself over himself, combining instruments, sounds and styles to create any kind of jam you can imagine. Nothing throws this guy off - the Blue Angels interrupted the show I saw more than once and he managed to roll with it and put it in the song!

Funk, reggae, bluegrass, more funk - you name it. This guy is the string master.

Their show at the Twisters climbing comp was awesome! These guys headlined and blew the other three bands out of the water! Nothing better than punk rock and an astro-jump.