Movie Reviews Archives - Page 38 of 45

The Sound of Music – 45th Anniversary Edition

MPAA Rated – G
It’s 2:55 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Sound of Music Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
MPAA Rated:	G
Released By:	20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Kiddie Movie:	Good for the whole family!
Date Movie:	Unless she likes lots of violence and nudity.
Gratuitous Sex:	Nope.
Gratuitous Violence:	Hinted.
Action:	Nah.
Laughs:	Some chuckles.
Memorable Scene:	Yes, you can sing-a-long to everything.
Memorable Quote:	Nothing stands out.
Directed By:	Roger Wise

Generally I’m not a fan of Blu-ray extras. Why? Because many a time they are useless add-ons, too complicated to play, or just seem like they are put there to make you feel better for spending extra bucks. This is definitely not the case with the 45th Anniversary Edition of “The Sound of Music” because, for a change, I thought they were a great addition, a real reason to upgrade to the Blu-ray generation if you’ve been waiting to do so, and the movie looks great, too.

I don’t know if I really have to explain the story of “The Sound of Music,” but the basic of this classic is simply that it tells the adapted for stage and screen story of the Von Trapp family, living their lives in Austria at the time Hitler is starting his rise. Maria (Julie Andres) ends up out of the convent and at the household to take care of the Von Trapp children while Dad Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) attends to his Captain duties. Meanwhile, the good Captain is sweet on The Baroness (Eleanor Parker). While Maria works on taming the children and helping them learn to sing, she falls for the Captain, the Captain falls for her, the children love Maria, they become a family, and Hitler becomes a monster (though we don’t really see this part).

Torn between his duty and his family, we know how the good Captain wants to live his life, the Von Trapp singers woo a crowd, and freedom is right across the mountains.

Look, everyone knows this classic, even me, now, as for years I had never seen the movie in its entirety until I met my BFF (She loves the movie – and rightly so), and yes, even I think it’s a classic. Any other release of this movie would just lend itself to a “Yup, it’s a classic, go ahead and get the disc so you can watch it whenever the feeling strikes you,” but this Blu-ray release lends itself to, if you are any kind of fan of “The Sound of Music,” to full-blown Blu-rayness. For one, combine the Blu-ray player with your way-cool big screen that you are getting this Christmas, and this movie just looks great. It’s a scenic masterpiece to begin with, so put those aspects together and you’ll love the movie even more.

Along with its looking good-ness, the Blu-ray extras don’t stop there. Nope, you also get a sing-a-long track – adding the lyrics to all of the songs as the movie plays (Sure, you may think you know all of the words, but give it a shot!), a trivia track that gives you lots of little tidbits about the movie and the people involved, and some fun photos from while the movie was being made. Then, if that isn’t enough, there is a second Blu-ray disc with even more, like a very detailed “Making of” which also talks about the stage version, and also a nice feature on the Von Trapp family. Here is also where you will find more stuff about Rodgers and Hammerstein, screen tests, and more.

And yes, I know there is a basic DVD for those of you who still have one of those, so that’s nice, and it does give you some sing-a-long goodness along with some more, but for full 5 star out of 5-ness, the Blu-ray with your widescreen TV is really the way to go for this bundle.

And finally, for the uber-fan, the Collector’s Set gives you all of the DVD’s, but also the soundtrack, a 100 page scrapbook, a reproduction of the 1965 Souvenir program, and a letter of authenticity so you can bag to your “The Sound of Music” friends.

Look, in any case, if you have ever found yourself singing “The hills are alive, with the sound of music,” even in jest, this 45th Anniversary edition finally does a special release right by giving you tons of extras that you might actually watch, but most importantly, giving you a great looking version of the movie that yes, instead of renting, if you are a fan, you should really buy it.

I know I sound like a commercial, but for a change I really like a Blu-ray set, liked all of the extras even if I’m not an uber-fan of the movie, and think this release is really worth it for movie history.

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

The Accidental Husband

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s?:?? Long
A Preview by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Accidental Husband Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Sam Shepard, Isabella Rossellini, Lindsay Sloane, Justina Machado
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Yari Film Group
Directed By:	Griffin Dunne
Produced By:	Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd, Jason Blum, Uma Thurman, Bob Yari, Anthony Katagas

I guess this might be a slightly more original take on the marriage movie genre, but in the end I’ll guess will have to wait and see. Anyway, the basic premise of “The Accidental Husband” has Emma (Uma Thurman) as a radio host who gives relationship advice. Patrick (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is ready to marry, only his fiancé breaks it off after listening to Emma’s advice. Pissed at Emma, and wanting to get some payback, and with Emma about to marry her Mr. Perfect, Richard (Coling Firth), Patrick concocts already being married to Emma to mess with her life. Yup, you can guess it, and the trailer shows it, that what starts as simple payback turns into Patrick falling for Emma and Emma falling for Patrick. We know that eventually the truth has to come out, Emma will probably be furious with Patrick, and the only thing to find out is if the movie ends in romantic comedy fashion with Patrick being able to win Emma back.

I’m an Uma Thurman fan, I like a decent romantic comedy, and this one does look to have at least a slightly different twist, so I’ll probably do my best to catch it.

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

Accepted

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s1:30 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Accepted Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Justin Long, Lewis Black, Johah Hill, Blake Lively, Maria Thayer, Columbus Short
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Universal Pictures
Kiddie Movie:	Lots of use of the SHIT moniker.
Date Movie:	Only if she enjoys childish humor.
Gratuitous Sex:	Lots of skimpy outfits.
Gratuitous Violence:	Nah.
Action:	Nah.
Laughs:	A few.
Memorable Scene:	Uncle Ben as the college Dean in front of Bartleby’s parents.
Memorable Quote:	Uncle Ben: “What’s wrong with saying ‘Nice tits.’?”
Directed By:	Steve Pink
Produced By:	Michael Bostick, Tom Shadyac

I suppose I’ll just hit you with the story for “Accepted” and then give more a commentary rather than if the movie is any good. Here’s the story…

Justin Long is Bartleby, or as his friends call him, “B.” He’s graduating high school, where he comes across as one of those “too smart for their own good but doesn’t pay enough attention in class to get the grades” students. Sadly for Bartleby, he applies for eight colleges and gets rejected by all of them. His parents now feel he is a loser, some of his friends are in the same predicament, and to appease his folks for a spell he creates the fictional “South Harmon Institute of Technology.” Yup, SHIT. He gets his buddy Sherman (Johah Hill) to build a fake website so his dad will actually think he got into college, dad buys it, even giving him the $10,000 tuition. Bartleby thinks he has duped his dad, but now mom and dad want to drop him off at school and meet the Dean. What to do? Well Bartleby, with the help of his friends who have also found themselves accepted to SHIT, lease an old psychiatric hospital, clean it up a little bit, and even convince Sherman’s wacky Uncle Ben (Lewis Black), to pretend he is the Dean. With his parent’s fully duped, Bartleby and his friends think they have the next few months to figure out what to do next, that is until it turns out Sherman made the website a little too functional, and a slew of loser-type folks show up at the doors of SHIT, with checks for tuition in hand. Not wanting to turn them away, Bartleby, after do some investigating at the real Harmon College, decides that if you are going to SHIT, you will decide what you want to learn, and how you want to learn it.

And college life is going well for our loser-types, especially at this school, but things can never be that easy as the bullies at Harmon College want to close down SHIT, and they figure out a way. But the SHITheads band together, and all live happily ever after.

Pretty much the movie tries to pit the loser-type folks against the hoity-toity folks at Harmon (which wants really to be Harvard), and tests the long-term friendships developed since who knows when.

“Accepted” had a great premise, creating a college where you can major in anything you want, even if that is a class that might be about how to be a good kisser, or another titled “Wingman-ing 101.” So pretty much you are spending tuition dollars to find yourself rather than have someone else tell you what you should be. And you have a killer time. The problem with the movie, and maybe there will be the unrated version when it hits the DVD market, but here is a movie about maybe the greatest college ever, but it’s a PG-13 college. Your target market is pretty much the 17 to 22 year old crowd, and yet no one gets naked. And you are stuck with the PG-13 rule of only dropping the f-bomb once, complete with the second occurrence by Uncle Ben being bleeped out. Sure, by keeping it PG-13, now the younger ones can see the film, but I’m guessing most high-school freshmen and sophomores can’t relate yet where there are going to spend their post high-school time partying. The movie just couldn’t push the envelope of being a college movie near-classic, on par with a “Revenge of the Nerds,” “Road Trip,” or even “EuroTrip,” first off simply because it got lost in PG-13 muck, and I would have actually preferred they show what some of the more creative classes like “Wingman-ing 101” were actually like. That would have had more potential than the typical “us versus the frat boys” story.

I did laugh a few times during “Accepted,” especially during a lot of Uncle Ben’s rants, but man, I think the movie folks really dropped the ball on this one by leaving it for the younger teen crowd. Personally I think they should have “R”’d it up, opened it in September when the college kids are back, and publicize the hell out of it to them.

Oh well, I’ll just wrap it up by saying “Accepted” as a PG-13 movie gets 2 stars out of 5. If they had ramped it up to the R side, it could have easily gotten 3 ½ or more.

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

Across the Universe

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s ?;?? Long
A Preview by:
– The Dude on the Right

Across the Universe Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Revolution Studios
Directed By:	Julie Taymor
Produced By:	Matthew Gross, Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd

When The Dude on the Left and I were at a movie one of the trailers for “Across the Universe” came on, pretty much the artsy and dancing one that didn’t tell a damn thing about the story. He leaned over and pretty much said “There is no way in hell I’m seeing that movie.” Sure, even if he had seen the trailer that sort of tells the story, he still wouldn’t have any interest, but I might catch it depending what else opens.

From the better trailer we see “Across the Universe” is a musical, psychedelic kind of film set in the 1960’s. Jude (Jim Sturgess) comes to the good old United States and what else will make a dude crazy? Well, love of course. He falls for Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), but it’s the time of Vietnam so what better way to introduce a musical than by being peace activists.

The movie does look interesting, I suppose, but not really my (and definitely not The Dude on the Left’s) cup of tea. Watch the trailer and you will probably know if it might be your cup of tea.

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

About a Boy

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:42 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

About a Boy Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Victoria Smurfit
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Universal Pictures
Kiddie Movie:	It’s really an adult story although rated PG-13. There’s some swearing too.
Date Movie:	She’ll make you come along, but you might actually like it.
Gratuitous Sex:	Nah.
Gratuitous Violence:	Some adult themes, but only the kid gets picked on.
Action:	Nah.
Laughs:	Funny pokes at the life of a bachelor-man.
Memorable Scene:	None totally stand out.
Memorable Quote:	Too many to list.
Directed By:	Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz
Produced By:	Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Brad Epstein, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner

Sometimes a movie that is, well, just enjoyable comes along. For me that movie is “About a Boy.”

In this one you get Hugh Grant playing Will, the consummate bachelor. He stays away from any long-term relationship but is always up for the short-term, sex but no commitment type of pairing. He doesn’t have to work because of royalties from his father’s goofy Christmas song, although he isn’t particularly fond of this fact, but his friends think it is time for Will to commit to someone.

Oddly enough, Will hooks up with a divorced woman, with child, and by pretending to actually like the kid, and the mom, she falls hook, line, and sinker. Then she realizes Will isn’t her marrying material and breaks up with Will. For Will this is heaven – he has now found a way to hook up with women, pretend to like their kids, sleep with mom, and mom will break up with him instead of the awkward Will having to break up with the woman. Thinking this is an easy thing, he goes to a support group of divorced moms with kids, pretending to be a divorced dad who can’t see his kid, and hooks up with Suzie (Victoria Smurfit), who brings along Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), the son of Fiona (Toni Collette), who has some depression problems.

But Marcus is looking for a father-figure, and with Will pretending to be one, Marcus hooks on to him, thinking that if he can get Will together with his mom, well, mom won’t cry anymore.

Alright, this is starting to get a little to complicated, and I don’t want to give anymore of the story away, so let’s just say Will opens himself up to actually having feelings for a woman, enough so that he wants to be with her and not just for sex.

What’s great about this movie is the transformation of Will, from the “using” women kind of bachelor to a dude who has the potential to be a good dad and actually be a husband – and Hugh Grant does a great job at showing this transformation. Also great in this movie is Nicholas Hoult as Marcus. He is the kid at school who gets picked on, mostly because he just loves his mom, and is looking for a role-model to teach him how to be accepted by the rest of his schoolmates. Mom doesn’t have a clue, Will does, and Will realizes he is the last hope for Marcus to be accepted in an environment filled with putting people down – high school.

“About a Boy” was advertised as almost a romantic comedy, but that doesn’t do this movie justice because it isn’t one. Sure, Will wants to hook up with Rachel (Rachel Weisz), and who wouldn’t? Marcus teaches Will as much as Will teaches Marcus, and it’s just a fun movie of a bachelor man infused into a relationship with a boy looking for something of a dad. I laughed, I didn’t really cry, but I left enjoying this movie as much more than a romantic comedy. It’s 4 stars out of 5 for “About a Boy.”

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

Abandon

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:39 Long
A Preview by:
– The Dude on the Right

Abandon Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Katie Holmes, Benjamin Bratt, Charlie Hunnam
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	Paramount Pictures
Directed By:	Stephen Gaghan
Produced By:	Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Lynda Obst, Edward Zwick

Katie Holmes plays a dudette whose boyfriend disappeared a couple of years ago. Now the detective, Benjamin Bratt, is investigating another disappearance but somehow the boyfriend comes up. Katie thinks she keeps seeing her old boyfriend, Benjamin starts to have his eyes set on Katie (and who wouldn’t?), Katie starts to have her eyes set on Benjamin (I suppose dudettes would), and this is shaping up to be your typical, suspense-type movie.

There’s nothing fascinating about the story, and the fact that it is rated PG-13 means that the filmmakers are hoping to draw the high-schoolers in to see Katie Holmes and Benjamin Bratt and don’t care about making things really gory or add at least some nudity. I’ll catch it if I can.

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

Unstoppable

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:39 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Unstoppable Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson
MPAA Rated:	PG-13
Released By:	20th Century Fox
Release Date:	11/12/2010
Kiddie Movie:	Not too you, they might not like trains anymore.
Date Movie:	She might get suspenseful and snuggle.
Gratuitous Sex:	None.
Gratuitous Violence:	Things get run over by the train.
Action:	It’s mostly a thriller and suspense film rather than action, although it still is action.
Laughs:	There are a couple of one-liners to make you chuckle.
Memorable Scene:	Frank and Will getting to know each other in the train.
Memorable Quote:	Oh my God! Galvin, you asshole!
Directed By:	Tony Scott
Produced By:	Julie Yorn, Tony Scott, Mimi Rogers, Eric McLeod, Alex Young

I saw the trailer for “Unstoppable.” Yup, there he was, Denzel, in all of his Denzellness, as a train engineer, and there it was, a train, with no one at the controls, set on a collision course for releasing toxic stuff into a large town. Yup, I also get it, there’s a newbie involved, in this case Captain Kirk, I mean Chris Pine, and somehow they will save the town, and maybe one of them might die. And finally, yup, I thought, “How exciting can this movie be? “ As it would be, I had no desire to really see this movie, but when my BFF had something to do and I had some free time, the choice was “Unstoppable” and Denzel or “Morning Glory” and Harrison (Ford that is). I can’t really say anything about the romantic comedy movie, but I will say that “Unstoppable” was a thrilling movie, my fingernails are bitten, and simply, “Who knew?”

The plot is simple: Two oafs in the rail yard don’t follow protocol and one of the trains ends up rolling down the track with no one in the cab to stop it, and, oh yea, the safety mechanism off because of our oafs. As Rosario Dawson tries to figure out what is going on (she plays the rail yard manager), she also finds out that there is volatile liquid being transported and a rather large Pennsylvania town in its path. Meanwhile, Will (Pine) and Frank (Washington), find themselves on a different train, with Will being the newbie, being trained by Frank (Who knew there was so much to learn about driving a train, but the movie shows that a hell of a lot goes into being an engineer instead of just hanging out in that cab, tooting the horn, and waving at traffic stopped at the crossing?). As luck would have it for the town, Frank’s train is on the same track as the rogue train, and, oh why am I bothering telling you any of the plot?

Look, for a fun time at the movie, and a movie that is pretty much non-stop in thrilldom and excitement, you can fare a lot worse than “Unstoppable.” Tony Scott keeps the action going at a nice pace, and in a weird way, what really makes this movie work is the cinematography, which nicely builds the suspense of the movie from start to finish. I mean, we pretty much know how things are going to turn out from the minute our oafs screw up by not hitching the air brakes, about the only question would be if any of our stars bite the dust. There is enough back-story to make you interested in the characters just enough, you can find yourself despising the corporate morons, and sure, there is some unbelievability and over-the-top-ed-ness about the film, but in the end you can sit back, relax, and know that the town is safe because Denzel is at the helm!

So, for a nice thrill ride during an evening at the theater, and I know this sounds weird, but go ahead and see a movie about a train. “Unstoppable was fun, Denzel and Chris had great rapport, I nibbled my fingernails off even though I knew the basic ending, and it’s 4 stars out of 5 for “Unstoppable.” Yes, I couldn’t believe it myself that it was that much fun.

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

Due Date

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:40 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Due Date Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis
MPAA Rated:	R
Released By:	Warner Bros.
Release Date:	November 5, 2010
Kiddie Movie:	Oh no, please leave them at home.
Date Movie:	My BFF liked it – yours might, too.
Gratuitous Sex:	“Sort of” is probably the best way to put it.
Gratuitous Violence:	Slapstick, and a gunshot.
Action:	There’s some chasing by the Mexican border police.
Laughs:	Lots of them, and many that hit you out of thin air.
Memorable Scene:	I would say either the scene with the little kid, or the scene with the dog.
Memorable Quote:	Too many to list.
Directed By:	Todd Phillips
Produced By:	XXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was an instant comparison to “The Hangover” when “Due Date” was going to be released, mostly because the commercials for the movie stated something like “From the people who brought you ‘The Hangover,” but let me say this, even thought “Due Date” is a funny movie, unlike “The Hangover,” which, in the stretches of your mind you can actually, almost believe, most everything that happened could happen, there are a number of scenes in “Due Date” where even I couldn’t suspend reality, and for that “Due Date” is no “The Hangover.”

That said, it is funny.

Let’s get to the story…

Robert Downey Jr. is Peter. He’s a business traveler with the good looking wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), and they live in Los Angeles. There he is, away on a trip to Atlanta, or somewhere thereabouts, and Sarah is pregnant, ready to pop as it would be, and he’s looking forward to coming home to be there at the birth of their child. He makes his way to the airport when who does he run in to? Well, it’s Ethan (Zach Galifianakis). Ethan is quite the character, on his way to Hollywood, and through a comedy of errors, yup, Peter is booted from his flight, has no ID, and who comes to his aid? Well, it’s Ethan, again. Yup, it’s part Ethan’s fault for Peter’s trouble, Ethan feels a tad guilty (or maybe he just wants a friend), and our two polar opposites are now on a cross-country drive to the wonderful west coast.

So, sure, along the way, since this is a comedy after all, there are a lot of hilarities ensuing, maybe some drug use, and Mexican cops who are anything but clean. We find out a lot about Ethan, especially since in the world of Chatty Charlie’s he’s right up there with the best of them, and Peter really just wants to get to L.A. and sometimes his temper gets in the way.

Yup, it’s a buddy movie, and the other comparison people are making is to “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” only this movie doesn’t have any pillows (Thinking about it, it almost would have been a nice little tribute by the movie makers to make a nod to that scene, but hey, that’s just me), instead we get Jamie Foxx as Darryl, who may or may not be the father of Sarah’s child, we get Juliette Lewis who is a pretty funny pot dealer, and we get a scene where probably each and every one of us would like to “discipline” a child in the manner Peter does, only we know we would probably end up in jail.

I really liked “Due Date,” and really don’t want to give away any of the jokes because when they hit they usually come out of left field, and are better left to be served up in the moment, but the one scene I will ruin, and it’s the scene that took me out of the movie, was when Peter gets arrested by some Mexican border police dudes, and then Ethan steals not only the border police vehicle, but also is able to hitch up the trailer the police are keeping Peter in, and bring Peter along for the ride. This is the scene that, for me, took all plausibility of the movie out of reality (Okay, it wasn’t the only scene,) although, I will state, that a number of people in the theater did find the ensuing police chase funny.

In the end “Due Date” made me laugh, and made me laugh hard at times. There were some slow moments, maybe things got a little too serious at times, but for the scenes where Peter disciplines the child, and that dog, I have to recommend “Due Date.” And mucho credit to the duo of Downey Jr and Galifianakis because they really pulled off the “buddy” comedy well, thus putting Robert Downey Jr. up there, in my book, as the world’s second greatest actor. (Michael Keaton will always be the first). I liked it, my BFF liked it, and for a fun, adult trip to the movies, I says it’s a 3 1/2 star flick out of 5.

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

I’m Married, Seeing RED, Riding Gators, Bye Bye Walkman, Are Naked Men the Devil, and The Bears. Still. Suck.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

This episode of Stu & The Dude’s "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast opens with my introducing Stu Gotz to a new tune brought to light with some of the current scandals going on in Chicago and Cook County, IL. Yup, we have corruption, and we also have good music! Another place that had good music was my wedding where Stu got to meet our biggest fan, and she didn’t even slap him! Yup, that’s right, I married my BFF, and now the debate is whether I should refer to her as my BFF or my wife. The debate rages on!

As other things go, though, it was a weekend and it was time to wrap up, and Stu gives tales of taking his kids to shoot pumpkins and happily didn’t have the decision to make if the Little Gotz’s should ride an alligator while I’m still watching the Chicago Bears even though I don’t really know why. Stu is teaching his kids to read about wizards, I tell Stu a news story about a case of nude, mistaken identity causing a bunch of people to leap to their deaths, and who knew the Walkman was still being made? Well, it isn’t any more as Sony has officially retired the cassette player, but I bring the podcast full circle explaining to Stu how I owe my marriage to a Walkman! And, oh yea, Stu seems upset that Microsoft won’t be making Windows XP anymore, and I can’t figure out why. I mean, I know why Microsoft is stopping their stuff, but I still don’t know why Stu seems sad.

There’s a World Series with the Giants and Rangers that most no one cares about, I went to another Confirmation, Stu saw the movie "Red" and liked it, and I’m still basking in the glow of marriage-ness!

Thanks for listening! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

RIP Stephen Cannell, Goodbye Jimmy Johnson, The Karate Kid, and Organized Chaos!

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and Listen

As this podcast episode of our “Weekend Wrap-Up!” kicks off, I play “Name That TV Theme Song” with Stu Gotz in homage to the passing of Stephen Cannell, TV series creator extraordinaire. And as I start with some TV talk, Stu kicks right into his wondering more about “The Event” and its likeness to “Flash Forward,” and not liking “Nikita” that much. Me, I’m sad that Jimmy Johnson got booted from “Survivor: Nicaragua,” but I’ll get over it as “The Real Housewives of D.C.” is finishing up and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” comes back.

On the movie front, Stu, for reasons I still don’t understand, watched the original “Karate Kid” via Netflix, while I give a 5 star rating to “The Social Network” and agree with all of the Oscar buzz that is beginning to float around for the movie. The Gotz Children learned about fire safety, I learned the value of organized chaos at Nordstrom’s shoe department, Stu questions the proper way to pay for a magazine subscription, and with the Chicago Bears’ loss, Stu is laughing his ass off while I’m just wondering why anyone would want to take a snap with that offense sucking so bad.

Thanks for listening! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!