One Last Fling, Who’s Got America’s Talent, Paul is An Alien, and Stu Gotz Isn’t Here.

By: The Dude on the Right

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I missed connecting with Stu Gotz, I missed seeing Cathy Richardson and the Macrodots, and I missed staying on my diet, but what I didn’t miss was a weekend, and although late, it’s solo podcast time for our “Weekend Wrap-Up!”

Yup, my mistake caused a missed joint podcast yesterday, Stu got tied up so we didn’t talk today, but I didn’t want to wait any longer to chat about my Labor Day Weekend. Some of it was just plain restful, but a lot of it was some fun running around. I hit Naperville, IL’s, Last Fling carninval, where a super-dog was procurred, and I should have paid more attention because one of my favoritest bands/singers, Cathy Richardson, was performing, but I missed them/her. I did get to catch up with some family time for a birthday where I learned that no matter how much I’ve been walking, well, I’m still out of shape, and I’m not really missing Netflix as My BFF and I watched the movie “Paul.”

I quesiton if fresh-squeezed lemonade can come from a spigot, is Facebook killing family conversations, can I talk up a record, and I’ve got my favorite for “America’s Got Talent” (I’m rooting for the illuminate people, the Sillouette people, and some dude named Landau), how about you?

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Prom

Below is an excerpt from his full review. For “Prom”, The Dude on the Right understands that it’s a Disney film, and that the tween girls might like it, but he really thinks Disney could have made a better movie.  …

… it’s like they took the cookie-cutter, mostly perfect world of Hannah Montana, changed characters, and decided to make a movie about prom.  Yup, the movie is “Prom,” I don’t think there is any school in the world that has a prom like this, and I suppose if you want to shield your pre-teen about high school and give them the “perfect world” version, Disney did its job. …

VMA Talk, The Doctor is Back, Here Comes Beavis & Butthead, and Someone Likes Skinnygirl Sangria.

By: The Dude on the Right

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Stu Gotz and I haven’t gotten together for a couple of weeks for a “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, and maybe that’s why the swear words are a-flyin’. That, or maybe it’s just our way of trying to convince MTV that it’s finally time to really get edgy and not bleep out anything during the VMA’s. Yup, I give Stu my breakdown of wasting a few hours and watching the Video Music Awards, and yes, I did like Lady Gaga’s performance. Stu, meanwhile, has seen a couple of movies on DVD, namely “Cedar Rapids” and “Source Code,” and he gives his analysis. Both of us are looking forward to the return of “Beavis and Butthead,” although TiVo issues might be issues for both of us in maintaining our fix.

Stu is happy that “Doctor Who” is back on the air, I’m very handy, the tee pee is down for the season, and we don’t talk about the Chicago Bears because, well, it’s still preseason and no one really cares. And, oh yea, I like Skinnygirl Sangria. There, I said it.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

A Corn Dog Quest, Good Beer, Free Food, Bad Rubbish, and GWAR is Coming

By: The Dude on the Right

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GWAR in concert.There is nothing like a corn dog from a carnival, festival, or a fair, and as a photo of Michele Bachmann eating a corn dog over the weekend seems to be stealing any corn dog talk I may have, during this episode of our “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, I tell Stu about my and The BFF’s quest for a good corn dog, as well as some funnel cake, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Stu’s weekend, although sans corn dog, was filled with corn difficulties, but with beer goodness, though not necessarily in that order. He relates to me the good times of hanging out with The Mystery Dude and also finding a new, nearly-favorite beer called Dark Horse, where, thanks to Mama Gotz going to some jewelry party, or some crap like that, he got to hang out at Tribes Ale House, partaking knowing he wouldn’t be driving home.

Stu finds out that kids eat for free sometimes at IKEA, I’m not excited about the Chicago Bears yet, Stu saw “The A-Team” movie on TV, most people, in reference to Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs, are saying “Goodbye to bad rubbish!”, I debate busting out of concert review retirement to see GWAR, and both Stu and I lament the end of the summer movie season.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Buh Bye Netflix, Some Salsa (not Seltzer), Revisiting the 80’s, and It’s Not a Full Moon, Yet.

By: The Dude on the Right

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During this episode of our “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, I find out that Stu Gotz has a farm for a back yard, and Stu finds out that I gave up on Netflix. Okay, Stu doesn’t really have a farm for a back yard, but he does have enough stuff growing in his garden to make a mean salsa, and yes, I cancelled my Netflix account. Yup, it took the BFF and me about six weeks to watch “Inception,” and during the podcast I tell you if you should watch it if you haven’t seen it yet. Oddly enough, it really wasn’t their rate increase that finalized my Netflix decision, but Stu and I break it all down. Stu, meanwhile, was enjoying a weekend without the Little Gotz’s, so he and Mama Gotz caught “Cowboys & Aliens” and revisted the 80’s by catching some Cheap Trick and having Mama Gotz doing some tequila shots.

I found people crazy on Saturday, Stu won some cool stuff in a SCUBA raffle, I’m looking forward to the return of Millionaire Matchmaker, and both Stu and I think “30 Minutes or Less” might be funny. It’s another weekend, and we talk about it.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

A Tee Pee, the Chicago Bears, Cowboys & Aliens, a Carnival, and Shooting Up in a Theater!

By: The Dude on the Right

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We don’t have time to talk about no stupid debt ceiling, nope, we’ve got tee pees, bungholes, and Cowboys & Aliens! It must be another “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast!

Yup, Stu Gotz built a tee pee in his backyard, as he had threatened to do during last week’s episode, and a little skimping on his work ethic caused some smokiness when the Little Gotz’s decided they needed a bigger fire. And speaking of tee pees, I saw “Cowboys & Aliens,” a movie that had Indians in it, too, and if I recall, a couple of tee pees, and I let you know if you should see it (Here’s a hint: If you like westerns and aliens, you should.). And with movie talk, we also have some “Going to the movie talk” with wondering if it’s okay to pull out the insulin and needle in the movie theater.

The Gotz family went to a carnival, I worked on my old iPhone app called Make Me Smile, Stu did some diving at Haigh Quarry, and I begin my excitement for a crappy season of Chicago Bears’ football. It’s a weekend wrap-up, it’s a podcast, and it’s so much more!

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Source Code

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:33 Long
A Review by:
The Dude on the Right

Source Code
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Kiddie Movie: Not too young, they may never ride a train again.
Date Movie: It’s a good movie for you to snuggle on the couch.
Gratuitous Sex: Nah.
Gratuitous Violence: There is some killing and, well, the train does blow up a number of times.
Action: There is some chasing, but nothing crazy.
Laughs: A chuckle here and there.
Memorable Scene: The ending e-mail.
Memorable Quote: Nothing stood out.
Directed By: Duncan Jones

As the credits started to roll when my wife and I were watching “Source Code,” she simply said, “Is there some extra special feature on there that will explain what the fuck they meant?” Happily, on the “Source Code” Blu-ray, there is, but sadly it’s embedded in the “Access: Source Code” feature, which pretty much makes you watch the entire movie, again.  She didn’t have time for that and relied on my infinite knowledge of the space-time continuum for an explanation, which, in transposing space and time, I basically shifted the conversation to “Did you like the movie?” She did. And so did I.

Here’s the basics…

Jake Gyllenhaal is a soldier, Captain Colter Stevens, and he finds himself transported into the body of a man on a commuter train.  It seems that this train gets blown up, and through the magic of a government program, he can “infiltrate” the last eight minutes of a person’s life.  So, his new mission is to find out who blows up the train, or at least gather enough intel to prevent the second attack that is coming soon.  The problem is that Colter has to pretty much re-live this explosion over and over again, each time going back to his mission-control capsule to report on his findings.  The other problem is that, along the way, he finds himself falling for a train passenger, Christina (Michelle Monaghan – and who wouldn’t?), and also learns that in conjunction with re-living the last eight minutes of this mystery dude’s life, he can also manipulate the events happening along the way.

So, for our multiple train rides, we get Captain Stevens learning from each trip, falling in love, learning the true value of the “Source Code,” and hopefully saving Chicago from being blown-up.

You want the key to why I really liked “Source Code?” Well, the movie people didn’t get too crazy with stuff, and by that I mean that we don’t get a lot of back-story about Captain Stevens, just enough to pretty much know he is a good soldier and misses his father, we also don’t get too crazy in the back-story of Christina, and we also don’t get too crazy into the total science of the story.  Nope, like an action-packed version of the movie “Groundhog Day,” instead of Bill Murray continuing to go back until he learns about love, we get a mission of saving humanity, with a touch of love.  And I’ve got to say, as the movie was ending, I almost got a little weepy knowing the fate of Captain Stevens, or did I? And even better? The movie clocks in at about and hour and half, just long enough to give you a great movie, and not one of those movies where you get antsy thinking it’s about 15 minutes too long!

I don’t want to give too much of the movie away because the joy of this film is the journey Captain Stevens takes from his first infiltration to his final conclusion, and telling anything more would really ruin the fun.

Your wife might not understand it, hell, you probably won’t understand it either (although you’ll probably try to make something up to satisfy her and make her think you are super-smart), but just sit back, strap it in, and enjoy a movie that takes you on a wild ride, albeit it’s sort of the same ride over and over again, on the same train, for about an hour and half. But it sure is fun!  It’s 4 ½ stars out of 5 for “Source Code,” and not just because the commuter train blows up in front of my college alma mater, Illinois Institute of Technology.  It’s a great rental for the both of you to snuggle, and even the older kids to enjoy with you.

In terms of the extras, for the Blu-ray, most of them are embedded in the “Access: Source Code” feature, which is really cool even if you do have to watch the movie again.  During the movie, you will get pop-ups with movie trivia, interviews with the cast, and most importantly, experts telling you about time travel that might help explain the movie’s ending.

That’s a Lot of Rain, He Says His Wife is Smokin’ Hot, Who is Doctor Who, and Cars, Cars, and More Cars!

By: The Dude on the Right

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I’m becoming a mall walker, and Stu Gotz is becoming a “Doctor Who” nerd – It’s another “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast episode!

Yup, my weekend was pretty uneventful, as I did some analysis of Woodfield Mall here in Illinois, I cleaned my balls, and I wondered if I should change churches or start following NASCAR again thanks to the rousing Pastor Nelms getting the racers ready for a race over the weekend. And speaking of auto racing, Stu and Mama Gotz are quickly becoming demolition derby aficionados, if one can be a demolition derby aficionado, and on the same note, sort of, Stu breaks down “Cars 2” for everyone.

Neither of us saw “Captain America” yet although a lot of other people did, there were obscene amounts of rain over the weekend in the Chicago area and I was oblivious to it, Stu is building a tee pee, and both of us are looking forward to the return of “Beavis and Butthead” this fall, thanks to a reminder from Comic-Con. And hey, if things go well, I’ll also see “Cowboys and Aliens” this weekend, though I’m not holding my breath.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Take Me Home Tonight

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:37 Long
A Review by:
The Dude on the Right

Take Me Home Tonight
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Kiddie Movie: Send them to bed!
Date Movie: My wife said it was “Cute.”
Gratuitous Sex: It’s got a lot, complete with boobs and some weird voyourism in a bathroom.
Gratuitous Violence: Nothing gratuitous.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Lots of chuckles from start to finish.
Memorable Scene: Nothing totally stood out.
Memorable Quote: Nah.
Directed By: Michael Dowse

Sometimes a movie is perfect for a certain age group, and from the variety of reviews I’ve seen of “Take Me Home Tonight,” you can probably gauge if the reviewer was in high school in the mid-eighties, maybe went to college during that same time period, also could have been a geek during said eighties and always wanted to ask out the hot chick in high school but never had their “in.” That person will probably love “Take Me Home Tonight,” while most everyone else might have a hard time relating and/or laughing.  I am that person who lived the 80’s, and I laughed a lot, but I do understand if you don’t get it.

“Take Me Home Tonight” gives us Topher Grace as Matt, and he’s got a sister, Wendy, played by Anna Faris.  Yup, it’s the eighties, Matt is in love with Tori (Teresa Palmer), but he’s a geek heading to MIT and she’s the cool chick.  Alas, college comes and goes, Matt finds himself still trying to discover his path in life, a path that now includes working at Suncoast Video, but upon seeing Tori again, it’s time for Matt to step up his game, and what better place to step up a game than at a weekend semi-reunion party at the cool kid’s house.  Yup, everyone is old enough to drink legally now, and Matt is on a quest to get Tori’s phone number.

So, sort of like “American Pie,” we have a get-together where lots of people are trying to maybe impress someone else, or just get through it.  On the ride is Matt’s friend, Barry (Dan Fogler), recently fired from his job but finding some cocaine in a car he “borrowed” from his previous employer.  With that we get a movie with drugs, boobs, sex, a look at high finance (It seems Tori made good, finding herself in the finance world which sets the stage for the second part of the movie as the party-goers end up in Beverly Hills), and oddly, something I could kind of relate to, and laughed a lot.

Look, the movie isn’t the funniest thing out there, and Chris Pratt plays a nice version of Stifler ala “American Pie,” but there is enough to keep the movie going that can make you chuckle from start to finish, that is if you can relate to the time-period of the movie.  Seriously, I can see someone being 55 years old thinking this movie is stupid, I can also see the twenty-something’s not really getting it, but for those of us old enough to remember how you always were trying to compete, how sometimes you did stupid stuff but now you grew up and live a little more vicariously through movies, and love classic 80’s music, you’ll probable enjoy “Take Me Home Tonight.”

I nice, little, solid comedy with some romance for people who can relate to graduating in the eighties, I’ll give “Take Me Home Tonight” 3 1/2 stars out of 5, though I can understand if you think it sucks.

As far as the Blu-ray bonus stuff, this isn’t a movie destined for a four disc box set, but the extras are nice enough with some deleted scenes (sure, most were better off deleted), and for music fans, it’s an eighties plethora of memories with quick access to songs during the movie, and a little cast get-together for good measure.

Go ahead, rent the Blu-ray, and put yourself back in the eighties where you sometimes wish you still were.

Soccer is Done, Harry Potter is Done, Netflix is Done (Sort of), and Summer is Here!

By: The Dude on the Right

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With the woman’s USA team losing to Japan for the World Cup, after today’s Weekend Wrap-Up! Podcast Stu Gotz and I don’t have a reason to talk about soccer for a while. And with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II hitting theaters over the weekend, we won’t have a reason to talk about Harry Potter, either. But that won’t stop us from wrapping up our weekends, because there is always something to talk about, because, during this episode, we also talk about other movies, like “Bridesmaids,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” and “Get Him to the Greek.”

We also have some discussions about maybe my possibly cancelling our Netflix account, Stu did some SCUBA diving, I went to Hooters, and neither of us are that excited about “Captain America” opening next weekend. Man, 20 minutes goes by so quickly!

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!