Skillet Seal of Approval: Kick-Ass

This film is violent, graphic, bloody, cringe-inducing, darkly humorous, full of jaw-dropping moments and you know what, I loved every minute of it. There have been a barrage of comic book films as of late and it's been a mixed bag. The good ("The Dark Knight"), the bad ("The Spirit"), and the mediocre ("Hulk"). "Kick-Ass" is a refreshing change in direction for comic book based films in that it's actually good (because I needed something to wash out the taste of "Wolverine"). I found myself becoming completely involved with all of the characters and invested in their plight. I laughed at every joke, cringed at most of the stabbings, and laughed at some of the stabbings too. Each action piece was wonderfully choreographed and are used to help move the film along, it is not dependent on action scenes alone. The writing and the acting are great and are the real stars of the film. You believe in these characters and what they are going through instead of just going through the motions until the next major plot point.


"Kick-Ass" surprisingly has a strong message on societies reluctance to take action on crimes or misdeeds. Many times in the film a person is attacked and people just stand around watching instead of taking any action. This aspect of our society is what sets off our hero on his journey to be the comic book-like hero the people need. Many of the films crucial scenes revolve around this and it's quite alarming how people become frozen at the sight of a wrongdoing to the extent that they treat it like theatre. It's an aspect of our society that is commonplace today and serves as a great jumping off point for the film. In Kick Ass' first real fight he is called out by a knife-wielding criminal for being crazy and sick. To which he responds that what's crazy is that people stand and watch, taking video, while one guy gets is ass kicked. It's a strong statement on society, but one that is unfortunately true. The more people around watching the less likely someone is to step up and help out. But enough analyzing let's get to the good stuff.


This film excels in the hyper-realistic violence department. Within that violence, as well as the film as a whole, it blends a lot of the things effortlessly: humor, violence, and blood. Oh yes, the blood. Blood gushes and oozes as bullets and knives fly through flesh and air and, it's awesome. I don't remember the last time I was laughing while cringing during a fight scene. It's a union about as perfect as milk & cereal. The film moves along at a nice pace and I never once felt bored or if it were on a scene for too long. The soundtrack never overpowers a scene, instead, it serves as its compliment. It's the collection of violence, action, music, blood, humor, profanity, and everything else in this film that really made it work for me. This film is not for the faint of heart, so if you have a strong stomach and are not put off by people getting their legs chopped off and repeatedly shot and stabbed then this is the film for you.

Fresh Meat II - "Well-Oiled Machine"

The game, up to this point, has been about two alliances: Kenny's and Wes'. Kenny's alliance members keep dropping after every exile. Wes is becoming more and more arrogant about how he is running the game because his group controls the votes. He keeps going on and on about how his alliance is like a "well-oiled machine". He even says it right in front of Kenny as he is talking to Danny. Wes was drunk, but still, he said it. Kenny & Laurel keep winning challenges, throwing a wrench into the cogs that run his machine.

In the "King of the Wall" challenge, the teams jumped off a dock into the water, swam 30 yards and climbed up a slanted and slick wall to a platform where they had to ring a bell to signal their completion of the challenge. Kenny & Laurel obliterated the competition with e blistering time of 36 seconds. The next closest was 53 seconds by, who else, Wes & Mandi. During the challenge Katelyn & Brandon struggled to finish, as Katelyn fell down the face of the wall and badly bruised her fibula, knee, and possibly tore her ACL. Not a great omen for this team.

Back at the house, it was revealed that Evelyn was using Ryan as a double agent to get him to vote in CJ & Sydney. The seed was planted in Kenny's mind that Ryan & Theresa would be the next ones to go in, but that wouldn't be the case. Ryan would say to Kenny that he would feel comfortable going against CJ & Sydney - Kenny would vote them in, then Wes' alliance would vote in Pete & Jillian to go against CJ & Sydney, thus removing one of Kenny's alliance members. Only the first part of this happened.

Katelyn came back from the hospital, and everyone saw that she was injured and most likely could not compete in any more challenges. The group decides to vote them in (to eliminate the weaker competition) because most of them thought it was the right and fair thing to do.

Brandon came to terms with the fact that they're the ones going home no matter what so they decide to not even get up and compete. CJ & Sydney lobby for them to just show up just so they can see the course and have a leg up on the other teams. They do this but Brandon, in his infinite wisdom, decides to drink before heading out to the challenge. The two teams get to the starting line and TJ Lavin informs them that drinking before a challenge is an automatic disqualification. CJ & Sydney don't get to see the course at all and are sent back to the house. On their way back, CJ decides to cook up a lie that they did in fact compete, but only for a short while, that way they can still have that leg up on the other teams. Their reasoning is that having seen and competed in the Exile challenge they'd know how to win at it the next time around.

Later, CJ felt a little raw about being thrown to the wolves for the sake of his alliance. He doesn't like that his name was being thrown around as a team Ryan "wanted to face" going into Exile and this pisses him off. He and Landon talk it over and agree that Wes is not showing them any respect and they are not happy with the way they are being treated. The episode ends with CJ and Landon hinting at flipping sides to Kenny's alliance.

Social Game Notes:
Danny drinks a lot, insults his partner Sandy and Brandon gets defensive for her. They almost fight before Wes has to reverse piggyback him in order to slow him down and prevent him from fighting. Wes has to calm Danny down and tell him that his actions are screwing everything up for their alliance. Danny calms down a bit, and he and Brandon hug it out because they both understand it was the alcohol talking.

Danny, again, is not the best person to take fashion advice from. He wears the short brim hat that snugly fits his head everywhere he goes. This was made apparent during a conversation he had with Wes, outdoors, in the rain, in the hot tub!

Wes "dumped" Theresa, even though they never were in a relationship. They then become "friends".

"Letters to Juliet" & A Problem with Movie Trailers & Ads

I'm a big trailer guy. Not the kind you live in, the kind you watch before a film. Whether it's in a theatre or in my own home, I like to watch trailers. I, like most people, watch because I want to know what's coming out. I like seeing selections of clips (that are meant to impress me or entice me) that are there to urge me to see the entire product. What I don't like, is being able to deduce what is going to happen throughout the film just by watching the trailer. I like a sense of intrigue and mystification that goes with walking into a film knowing little or nothing about it.

It seems to be that more and more trailers today are giving away crucial plot points/twists. Why should I see your film if you just showed me the entire thing in two and a half minutes? Case-in-point: "Letters to Juliet". I'll let you watch first then give my thoughts.



I think we just saw the entire film. In case you went momentarily deaf and blind and didn't get the message:

• Amanda Seyfried and her fiancée (who's too busy to pack with 12hrs until they depart for Italy) fly to Verona.
• She finds an old love letter - writes a response - meets the old woman who wrote the letter's attractive grandson - meets the old woman - then they all go on a journey to find her lost lover, Lorenzo
• Amanda Seyfried becomes disgruntled with her fiancée (Gael Garcia Bernal, why are you in this film?) because he actually works and can't spend time with her on a frivolous journey
• The chiseled blonde grandson ends up falling for the hot blonde Amanda Seyfried (didn't you see him almost hit that car while driving because he was looking at her? What a klutz!) and she for him because he is giving her attention she's not getting from her fiancée (can you say attention whore?)
• The old woman finds Lorenzo
• The blonde grandson and Amanda Seyfried have share a moment around a dinner table then go their separate ways
• The old woman says for the grandson to go after Amanda Seyfried, they meet up at a wedding and profess their love for each other and live happily ever after.
• Did I forget anything? Yes. The part where I won't be caught within 50 yards of this film.

This trailer is nothing new, nor is the worst of all of the offenders, but it is a part of the problem.

Accompanying these trailers are TV spots and other ads that give away more and more of a film. Recently, I remember being bombarded with TV spot after TV spot for "Kick-Ass" a film which I really wanted to see, so every time something came on I either muted the station or changed it entirely. Film studio marketing departments are flooding the market with their product so that people will know that their film is out there. It's not enough now to have a teaser trailer, theatrical trailer, billboards and bus stop posters, and TV commercials. Now there are multiple versions of trailers, red band, green band, extended trailers, character specific trailers. You name it, it probably exists. I used to be one of those guys that would watch any clip I could find on an upcoming film. Then I realized how much of the film was being revealed in each of those ads. Now I just watch the trailer a few times (it's rare that I watch it more than twice), read a review, see a few commercials then make my decision. I enjoy being surprised by plot twists, when I see a film for the first time, and I don't want the film ruined before I see it.

It's one thing when a trailer gives away some of the better jokes in a film ("Rush Hour 3") but I always thought a general rule of thumb for a trailer was to leave an audience wanting more. I guess somewhere down the line that rule became more of a guideline and that guideline was ultimately forgotten. It's a shame really, because if studios have to show your entire film in a trailer to an audience just for them to go see it what does that say about the film? I know what it says to me.

Skillet Seal of Approval: Whitewood Entertainment

I'm introducing something new to the blog today and it deals with things I find to be hilarious and worth your time. The honor of the first recipient of the Skillet Seal of Approval is Whitewood Entertainment.

I think Weird Al has some competition in Whitewood Entertainment. These guys take their time in making content and it shows, because everything I've watched I've laughed and smiled all the way through. I found these guys when I was looking for the Everest College commercials, because it has this guy in them that is so annoying, and they did a series of very funny parody commercials about him. (If you've seen the ads of the guy with the sideways hat talking to you about going to college and getting off your butt and doing something with your life, it's the Everest College guy.) The guys at Whitewood Entertainment use the same format he uses in his commercials and make it very very funny. This search lead me to their "Throw Some D's" parody, "Throw Some Cheese". It's very funny, and one of the reasons I started the Skillet Seal of Approval. If you get a chance search Whitewood Entertainment on YouTube. They also have other hilarious videos such as "I Am Legend...Mock", "National Geographic: Chris Brown", and "Too Much Information". These guys are very funny, I highly suggest you check them out.

Films from 2009

The final year in my decade-in-review saw a lot of great films released, as well as some not so great ones (ahem "Transformers 2"), but as my previous lists would suggest I am focusing on my favorites from the year 2009.

I'd like to think I have just about every type of film on the list: animated/family friendly, action, drama, comedy, science fiction, romantic comedy, horror, and even foreign language. The first two films are my top two of the year and the rest follow in no particular order.

1. Up
2. Up in the Air
3. Star Trek
4. (500) Days of Summer
5. Avatar
6. District 9
7. In the Loop
8. Inglorious Basterds
9. Drag Me To Hell
10. The Hurt Locker
11. The Hangover
12. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
13. I Love You, Man
14. Taken
15. Rudo y Cursi

"Up" is the best film from 2009 (and possibly Pixar's best) because of its heart, humor, rich characters, fantastic writing, and is filled with its share of action and dramatic moments. The first scenes of Carl and Ellie's life together would make for an amazing film in and of itself. Couple that with one of the final scenes, between Carl and Russell at his scouting ceremony, and you have some of the most moving scenes put to film. "Up" is a film that succeeds on all levels and is enjoyable for people of all ages. And remember, "Adventure is out there!"

Fresh Meat II - "Tori Spelling Reject"

The ads for this weeks episode of "The Challenge: Fresh Meat II" focused on one event: Jenn taking it to Mandi. In the past, physical confrontations have been billed as must-see-TV. Not this one. Mandi confronted Jenn about Jenn & Noor continually voting for Wes & Mandi to go into Exile. Mandi got mad at her and the result was Jenn getting angry at Mandi, whom she doesn't like for no other reason than her smug-looking face and how she carries herself (which I buy because that's how I feel about some people). Jenn calls her a whore, slut, horse-face (Sarah Jessica Parker now has company), and a "Tori Spelling reject." Mandi responds by calling Jenn a bitch and Jenn reacts by throwing her drink in Mandi's face, knocking her off a ledge and onto the ground.

Both girls are restrained and Mandi cries and professes to Wes her hatred of Jenn. Jenn, being a tough girl, continues to drink and moves on. As Wes talks to Mandi, we discover that Wes had employed Jenn to align with Kenny on the outset of the game only to switch after the first two votes went through. During that time Jenn would vote against Wes & Mandi (which made Mandi mad in the first place). Wes hopes to have gained an ally but nothing in this game is certain because alliances on this show are about as strong as a 8-year-olds grip. Has his plan worked? We'll have to wait and see.

This weeks challenge, entitled "Water Logged", saw the partnered teams try to make their way across a series of suspended vertical logs to another platform. If either one of the team members fell into the water, they would be disqualified. Kenny & Laurel were the first team to go, as per Landon & Carley's (last week's challenge winners) choosing, so that they would be at a disadvantage because everyone after them would know how to navigate the course better. Needless to say that plan backfired. Kenny & Laurel won (they were one of three teams to complete the course in front on Jenn & Noor and Evelyn & Luke) and were exempt from Exile, throwing a wrench into Wes' alliance's plan (to vote Kenny & Laurel in to Exile).

Kenny & Laurel knew that Paula & Jeff, from their alliance, would be sent to Exile so they selected a team who they thought they could beat, Evelyn & Luke. Paula & Jeff put up a good effort in the exile challenge, but ultimately fell short and were eliminated. With Kenny's alliance dwindling in numbers he is forced to look at who's left. He trusts Pete & Jillian, sees Ryan & Theresa as useless, and is unsure about Jenn & Noor. His only option is to keep winning challenges so he doesn't get sent it to Exile, or that someone will flip to his side. Either way, Kenny's hope is bleeding out as he treads water in a pool of sharks.

Kylie ¤ Aphrodite

Many of you know my affinity for all things Kylie Minogue and today was a day that made me look forward to the future involving Kylie. June 28th 2010 and July 5th 2010 to be exact. That's becasue Ms. Minogue will be releasing her first single, "All The Lovers", off her 11th studio album entitled "Aphrodite" on those respective dates.

The album's July 5th debut marks the end of a 3-year gap from her last release 2007's "X" (a fantastic album). Most people here in the States seem to have forgotten all about her since she exploded onto American shores with the Platinum album "Fever", which is a shame. She has consistently put out great songs and albums and seems to be a smash success everywhere but here. I love her work and what she has accomplished and look forward to this single and album because I know it will be something interesting, dynamic, and an all around good time. For a crash course on Kylie, listen to "The One", "Red Blooded Woman", "Love Affair", "Under the Influence of Love", "Cowboy Style" and "Confide in Me".

If you're inclined to do so, click here for the announcement video.

The Challenge: Fresh Meat II

As I've said earlier, I'm a big fan of the MTV challenge shows. That is, the old ones. I got suckered into watching "The Duel II" for no reason other than to watch a train wreck take place. That's what drew me back to the network this time as well, this time for "The Challenge: Fresh Meat II".

The concept is simple: take veteran players and mix them with the "Fresh Meat" (noobs) because the higher ups at MTV deleted "Road Rules" so the pipeline for the challenges was cut in half. Now they need fresh blood and they cast specifically for the challenge shows. The problem is that most of these guys are grade-a meat heads. Their muscles are bigger than J-Lo's butt and they all seem obsessed with being the alpha male in the house.

The house. Oh God, the house. We've all seen the ridiculous houses MTV provides to their casts but this one is, I'm sure The Situation would agree with me here, is sick. A log cabin style house in the mountains of beautiful, and looks to be fairly cold given the snow on the mountains, British Columbia. Why do they continue to give them nice houses when they just end up trashing them? Did they see CT destroy, and I mean destroy, a door and wall in New Zealand on "The Duel II"? But I digress.

The show is set up with veterans being paired with Fresh Meat, male-female pairs, and they compete in various challenges involving physical and mental strength. So far, the challenges have been, to say the least: meh. One involved getting balls from a mud pit blindfolded while their partner yelled instructions and the other challenge had the teams hold a crate under water at different times (one person had to be submerged, the other treading water) and they would be DQ'd if both players heads were above water. I hope later challenges involve more mental aspects so that the game isn't dominated by muscle-bound meatheads. But, I do like Landon (winner from "The Inferno II: Good Guys v. Bad Asses") and at times, Jenn ("Real World: Denver", she's not a meathead but she's one of the tougher girls) although she can get a bit out of hand.

They've improved the intro from "The Duel II" (where the cast members performed the Haka - the opening ritual dance for the New Zealand All Blacks) and "The Ruins" (which was ridiculous, having them ride in on elephants, come in off boats, and stare at each other on the dirt floor of the ruins battle ground). But it's still not great. The cast members all look too serious and intense for this game where they compete, then drink and party the night away.

The way the teams are eliminated is through "Exile". In Exile, two teams are selected by the group to compete in an elimination challenge involving physical exhaustion and a mild mental challenge (it's the simplest puzzle you've ever seen). The first team to finish stays in the game. It's not great television but this show isn't all about the game. It's about the competitors. Thus far, it's building up to be a showdown between Kenny and Wes. They both hate each other, and it shows. They constantly talk "strategy", when in fact it's all just a popularity contest. I'm waiting for one of them to blow up, my money's on Wes

The main reason I watch is for the meltdowns, drunken behavior, and overall stupidity. The challenge aspect just enhances those things, and I love it. It's pure entertainment. In the initial incarnations of the challenge shows there were people from "Real World" and "Road Rules" that I actually knew and liked, or hated. Now, I only recognize Jenn, Paula, Wes, Darrell (already eliminated), Landon, and I vaguely remember Danny. I almost have nothing invested in this show because I know so little about its participants. But in the end, I keep watching and I'll keep you informed on all of the saucy details.

Films from 2008

This year's list is essentially divided in half. One half being dramatic/critically acclaimed films, the other half being films that were well received but not necessarily awards material - although most earned an award of some kind throughout the year. The first two are my top two, then the rest follow in no particular order.

• The Dark Knight
• Slumdog Millionaire
• The Wrestler
• The Visitor
• In Bruges
• Happy-Go-Lucky
• Frost/Nixon
• Kung Fu Panda
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• Tropic Thunder
• Iron Man
• Pineapple Express
• Hamlet 2
• Role Models
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Normally I would write a little piece about why you should see one of the movies on this list but I find that these titles are fairly well known that I don't need to do that (maybe the exception being "Happy-Go-Lucky", go see it. Sally Hawkins is great.). I also don't feel the need to defend any of the picks because I feel it's complete as is. I wish I had more but I don't, so I will see you all later with my picks for 2009.

The reason for the photo? I just love James Franco's expression.

From the "What the F@*%?!" file

Let me start this off by saying I love Cartoon Network. I enjoy "Adult Swim" (if I don't fall asleep) and I used to tune in to watch "Dexter's Laboratory" , "Dragon Ball Z", "Gundam Wing", "Samurai Jack", "Ed, Edd, and Eddy", and even "The Powerpuff Girls". But something strange has happened to my beloved network. They started putting live action shows on. Doesn't that go against what your network is named for? In other words, I find it to be down right blasphemous.

There is one show in particular that I decided to watch and see what this live action on Cartoon Network was all about. This show was "Dude, What Would Happen?". This show has three "friends" (I assume they just picked three kids randomly out of a casting call because they don't look or act like friends at all) "come up" (I assume the show's producers do this) with ideas for stupid/"scientific"(I assume they've taken a science course) things to do.

This episode in particular had the bros (yes, they act like bros & yes, those are them in the photo) talking about fashion and how they need to get in on the fashion scene. They start discussing what kind of "gear" (yes they said gear) they would need to look "fly" when they went to the beach. They then decided that the guy with the sickest colors around but go no attention for it was the ice cream man. I initially thought "OK, they'll use the colors from the truck to create some clothes." Nope. They show up wearing all white clothes, and sandals to a gravel laden back alley complete with old dumpsters and an old ice cream truck. The ice cream man was sitting on top of the truck with items: soda, milk shakes, and melted ice cream. The bros planned on standing underneath the ice cream man and have him dump whatever item that wanted on their white clothes to get them colored.

The first bro got milkshakes, then performed a mock catwalk towards the other bros. The second bro got soda and modeled his colors and then the third bro go ice cream and modeled his new look. They gave each other scores out of ten and commented on how the colors were changing on the ice cream because it was still dripping - and they thought that was cool. There next idea was the burn their clothes to get a singed look - while wearing them. They wore protective suits but just as the flamethrower started burning the clothes I turned it off. I was done.

Not only are they wasting food, drink, and perfectly good clothes, they come off as D-Bags doing it. There is nothing cool about what they were doing. Nor are they cool. I understand Cartoon Network wanting to branch out in their programming, but at what cost? I am done with this show, but I will still watch Cartoon Network in the future to try and cleanse my pallet.

Films from 2007

This year's list has something the other lists do not. They have films that were not seen in American theatres and went straight to DVD. One of which I saw at the Brisbane International Film Festival in August of 2007 during my time abroad and the other was a pick-up at Blockbuster after hearing a positive review on "At the Movies". The first four films on the list are my top four of the year and the rest follow in no particular order.

• There Will Be Blood
• Juno
• No Country for Old Men
• Ratatouille
• Eastern Promises
• Superbad
• Hot Fuzz
• Michael Clayton
• Enchanted
• Paris Je T'aime
• Waitress
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
• The Bourne Ultimatum
• The City of Violence
• I Could Never Be Your Woman

"The City of Violence" is a slick South Korean martial arts/action film based around corruption, crime and cops. The action sequences are some of the best I've ever seen, with one in particular in which our hero battles, among other groups, BMX bandits and a baseball team. It's an amazing sequence The story twists and turns through the back alleys and the world underground crime as our hero seeks answers and revenge.

"I Could Never Be Your Woman" is a film that if I asked roughly 10 people I would bet that maybe 8 or 9 would say that they have never heard of the film. Even though it stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd and is directed by Amy Heckerling ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High", "Clueless"). It's about the relationship between an older TV show producer (Pfeiffer) and the up and coming new star (Rudd). The chemistry between Pfeiffer and Rudd is undeniable as they charmed the pants off me. Had one of them not been casted then this film would have failed (as evidence by Rudd being paired with lifeless/boring/unfunny/uninspiring Lake Bell in the truly atrocious "Over Her Dead Body"). Pfeiffer and Rudd work extremely well together and you cheer for their romance throughout the film.

Miscellany

This is just a couple of things I noticed this week that have either bugged me or intrigued me.

Why I already hate "Miami Medical":

Great. Another show about edgy doctors who don't really follow rules but get the job done nonetheless. They listen to rock and techno music and banter back and forth with each other about nothing while saving the lives of patients. Just what television needs. Nope. This normally wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't see their promo everywhere during the CBS lineup of shows, and during the Men's NCAA "March Madness" Basketball Tournament. And it's not just the promo, actually it is, but it's what happens at the very very end of it. There is one image that sticks out in my head that I just despise. It was the reason why I hate this show without having seen a minute of it (although, judging by it's reviews I think I'm not alone). It's the image you see above of the "sign of the horns" with the hand wearing latex medical gloves! Get it?! They're not your typical doctors because they know how to have fun even in a high pressure situation as trauma doctors! I would say somebody call 911, but this show's already D.O.A.

Vanna White - more than a letter turner:

I'm a big fan of "Wheel of Fortune" and a member of the "Wheel Watcher's Club" so as I was browsing around the "Wheel of Fortune" website last night I came across Vanna White's blog. Some of the items posted were in regards to behind the scenes type stuff of "Wheel" such as knowing the puzzle beforehand so she would know where to press the letters when called. Then there was one item that I just had to try out on my own and it involved two-way mirrors. She says that to determine if a mirror in a public place is two-way or not is to place your finger against the surface of the suspected mirror. If there's a gap between your finger and the image of your finger in the mirror, then it's a genuine mirror. If your fingernail directly touches the image of your nail then beware because it's a two-way mirror! I tested it on a real mirror and it worked but I don't have a two-way mirror but I would take her word for it.

It's April - why is ESPN talking about football (NFL & NCAA)?:

This one is fairly self-explanatory but it boggles my mind how much time ESPN dedicates to football when it's not even in season - or even remotely close. They have specific reporters for this situation but they annoy the hell out of me. Mel Kiper Jr. Todd McShay are some of the biggest D-bags on that network and seeing and hearing them makes he change the channel entirely. Every day they talk about so-and-so's Pro Day and I see a guy throwing a football (not under pressure!) or running sprints (without pads! mainly in his Under Armour) on a practice field with dozens and dozens of people around snapping photos, video and holding stopwatches. I understand that the draft is coming up at the end of this month but why is it so important for me to see how a player reacts in a non-game situation. Ohhh, he improved his mechanics - clap, clap, clap; Ohhh, he can throw to an uncovered receiver - clap, clap, clap. I saw them play when pressured, that should be enough. If you're a GM and you don't know what you need to make your team better by now then your team is doomed.

Now to the NCAA. ESPN ran a clip of Notre Dame head coach Chip "Leave 'em high and dry before the season's even over" Kelly being displeased with his team in Spring practice. Yes, I said Spring practice. He said "I'm not happy with what I see...We're nowhere near where we need to be...If I need to motivate 18-19 year olds to get excited for Notre Dame football" then something's wrong. His team is nowhere where it needs to be? Again, it's April. Firstly, your team won't be very good this year so shut it. Secondly, if you're expecting them to be what you need them to be in the future, now, you're probably going to be disappointed when the season starts because there's been no improvement. Thirdly, your new students won't get there until June - assess your team then. Lastly, IT'S APRIL!

I know that there are people in this world that need to know everything about Colt McCoy, Notre Dame, or if Tim Teabow's going to excel in the NFL but couldn't you do it in a special segment outside of SportsCenter? That way I could avoid the station entirely instead of being interrupted by useless information about a sport that's not even in season.

Films from 2006

It was hard to whittle down all of my choices to just 15 this year. I added, deleted, added again and deleted again. I found myself liking certain aspects about each film, which made it harder to remove and even harder to try and add on. I'm not entirely sure which one on the following list is my "favorite" because I enjoyed them all on some level. In the end I chose the ones that I truly felt were some of the best films of 2006.

• The Departed
• Little Miss Sunshine
• The Prestige
• Half Nelson
• Monster House
• Casino Royale
• Volver
• Borat
• Superman Returns
• Stranger Than Fiction
• Blood Diamond
• The Proposition
• Thank You For Smoking
• Mission: Impossible III
• Find Me Guilty

I'm a big fan of Vin Diesel. That is, when he does good work. In "Find Me Guilty" he really shines. He brings the charisma as Jackie DiNorscio, a convicted mobster who is true to his word and won't rat on his friends during a trial in which he represents himself. Vin Diesel is excellent in this film and there isn't a better scene that depicts this than when he stands up and gives his testimony. This film is more comical than dramatic but it's in those dramatic moments we see what the actor in Vin Diesel is capable of because he's more than just a guy who can race 10-second cars or the guy who can see in the dark while battling aliens. When given the right material, like in "Find Me Guilty", Vin Diesel can display his talent for acting that the public rarely gets to see.

I'm also a big fan of Pedro Almódvar, and he returned in 2006 with "Volver" a fantastic film starring the always sexy Penélope Cruz. Almódvar is at his best when his stories revolve around women, as most of his films do, and nothing is different here. Penélope Cruz gave what I felt to be one of, if not the, best performance of the year as Raimunda. The colors are vibrant as are the characters Raimunda encounters throughout the film. The audience is taken on a journey through her life and we come to know her and the women who helped shape her life. This is another great film in the long history of Spanish cinema.