The series as it exists today revolves around the lives of four young boys – Kyle, Kenny, Stan and Cartman. They’re now in 4th grade although they were in 3rd grade for many seasons. Each lives in South Park, Colorado where it almost always snows. Yup. Only one episode called “Summer Sucks” has featured snow.

The animation is as crude as the children on the series who love to curse and discuss disgusting stuff. The topics are full of fart and shit jokes; yet, we watch and laugh. The show has charm. It’s violent at times. Hey, Kenny has died hundreds of times. Just last season, they did him in for good; or so we thought.

South Park is good because it’s so bad. It’s a guilty pleasure. It’s one you wallow in. It’s piggish. Insanely so and deliciously decadent. The show is a real treat. Trey and Matt are NOT afraid to take one anyone – or anything. Here are some of my favorite skewerings by the South Part crew:

• Hay – Lo. “Hennifer” Lopez is a hand puppet, painted onto Cartman’s left hand. She steals Ben Affleck away from the diva and her film career.
• Osama Bin Laden in a Looney Tunes parody. He’s been hunted yet can hide so easily from the United States. Why can’t we find one man in all these caves? Why? Cartman torments him like Bugs Bunny torments Elmer Fudd; he even dresses up like a girl. All Osama can say is “Hadooka Dooka Dooka.”
• Barbra Streisand is an evil monster hell-bent on destroying the world. Only Robert Smith of the Cure can save the world from her.

South Park also makes fun of Canada. They never leave that poor nation alone. In fact, the film South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut had the US invading that nation. In other episodes, the boys have gone to Canada to find Kyle’s adopted brother, Ike. He was taken away from the family due to legislation passed by Canada’s new PM – Saddam Hussein, the Devil’s gay lover.

South Park has touched upon the boys’ growing interest in girls. One episode has the boys becoming enamored with Bebe. She’s the first to develop boobies. It makes her very popular with the boys and hated by the girls. In another episode, Butters, a sweet little boy who’s parents tried to say was kidnapped by some Puerto Rican Guy – the same “some Puerto Rican guy” who killed OJ’s wife, Nicole and JonBenet Ramsey, becomes enamored with a sluttly little girl waitress from “Raisins”, a “Hooters” knockoff.

The show makes no apologies for itself. It is what it is and will remain that way. Trey and Matt don’t cave under network pressure. They’ve poked fun at that too. In one episode they showed how saying SHIT on TV would open up the gates to Hell. That was funny as SHIT y’all.

I could go on and on about the series here. It’s an acquired taste that requires immature maturity and a bit of a mean streak to enjoy. The religious right and many republicans have denounced it and say that it “debases the moral fiber of our great nation.” South Park moons its critics and spits in their faces. It isn’t for everyone; but, it certainly has its place in TV history. I hope there are many more hysterical and crazy episodes to come.

There are funny scenes when Nick teases Kat about her old affection for the Australian pop group, Air Supply, and her ex-boyfriend tries to tell her something but is tongue-tied. Kat’s shock when she sees Nick naked and efforts to make her ex jealous also provide amusing moments.

But the film also has its serious moments as Kat struggles with her developing feelings for Nick, her love for Jeffrey (Jeremy Sheffield) and her step-sister’s doubts about her wedding.

This is a magical and very moving, romantic comedy in which a love affair is sensitively portrayed. Kat’s issues with her family are very easy to identify with and so is her difficulty with trying to get over Jeffrey. Nick’s profession is also dealt with well and Kat, who disapproves at first, gradually grows to respect him as he shows his intelligence and understanding of people.

A great soundtrack including songs by The Corrs and the velvet sound of Michael Buble helps the fast pace of the film and every song is well-chosen for this movie. The beautiful photography of the New York skyline, London and the English countryside makes this movie lovely to look at. The stars who all play the parts well, especially Debra Messing, who plays the shy and sweet Kat with great charm, and the very good-looking Dermot Mulroney. The script is quite cleverly adapted from the book, Asking for Trouble by Elizabeth Young providing good tension between Kat, Nick and Jeffrey.

This movie has everything for lovers of movie romance.

Proud

What should have been a slam-dunk (the story practically tells itself!) becomes almost laughable in the hands of an inexperienced director. Mary Pat Kelly adapts from her book Proudly We Served: The Men of the USS Mason, and handles directorial duties. But even the presence of veteran actor Ossie Davis can’t save a script that is woefully underdeveloped. Scenes lead nowhere, and since most of the real action takes place off-screen, the audience is robbed of any sense of participation. That and copious voiceover narration tells us what we should be seeing onscreen. Skip it.

Cast: Ossie Davis, Stephen Rea, Albert Jones, Erik LaRay Harvey
Director: Mary Pat Kelly
Rating: PG
Runtime: 87 min
Release Company: Lionsgate

Several characters in this film could potentially be identified as heroic. Robert Gould Shaw is an obvious choice in his portrayal of a shy, stubborn hero who struggles to mold his men into a competent fighting unit while overcoming racial prejudice. Denzel Washington’s portrayal of Trip is indeed award worthy and the character becomes an unlikely hero in the end. And Andrew Braugher is extremely convincing as Thomas Searles, an educated and affluent black man who is shocked at the harsh reality of the seemingly endless pain and indignities of his once enthusiastic quest to become a soldier.

A hero may be defined as someone who is moral, respectable, noble, and sacrifices himself for the greater good. While all of the aforementioned characters may fit into that mold, in my eyes, a hero is someone who is not perfect, but makes the most out of the cards he was dealt. A hero realizes his mistakes and misjudgments, and perhaps, even his shortcomings in character. However, a hero does his best to redeem himself and improve his life and the life of others. He is not boastful or arrogant, or acts supreme to others. On the contrary, a hero is someone who earns the respect and admiration of others by letting his true colors shine. The character in Glory that most exemplifies these traits is Rawlins, played by Morgan Freeman.

Rawlins was an unexpected hero. Who would have thought that a gravedigger at the beginning of the movie, who seemed to have been merely an extra, would become a key part in forming the cohesion of the 54th Regiment? Whereas Robert Gould Shaw and Thomas Searles were in the spotlight from the beginning, Rawlins seemed to have nothing more than a cameo appearance.

Rawlins morphs into a hero slowly, and finally earns his stripes when he is promoted to Sergeant. Even with rank as superior, he does not take advantage of the power bestowed upon him, but rather uses his influence to improve the men around him. His gentle manner and quiet intelligence is enough to demand the attention and respect of others. He is a hero because he has nothing to prove, little reason to step up to the plate, and yet he does it regardless, just because he believes in the greater good. He has several compelling scenes and speeches that set him above and beyond the rest of the cast. For example, after he is promoted to Sergeant, Trip (Denzel Washington) tells him that he “ain’t nothin’ but the white man’s dog,” prompting Freeman to slap him in the face. “And who are you? So full of hate that you have to fight everybody, because you’ve been whipped and chased by hounds. Well that might not be living, but it sure as hell ain’t dying. And dying’s been what these white boys have been doing for going on three years now, dying by the thousands — dying for you, fool.” Rawlins makes such a huge, heroic impact with just his words, understated actions and absence of bravado. A true hero does not repeatedly save the day and somehow conquer all evil. A true hero emerges from the background to become a leader, a brother, a father, and an inspiration to all lives he touches. Rawlins accomplished all of this through genuine compassion, strength, and the ultimate sacrifice of laying his own life on the line for the greater good.

This film is a moving examination of the 54th Regiment and its white officers as they struggle to triumph over the obstacles of fighting a war, while overcoming prejudice. At first glance, the film may appear to be a historical take on the Civil War, but mostly this film is about the formation of relationships among men who have everything to lose, as they embark on a journey that changes each and every one of them.

In 480 B.C. there was one lone civilization that stood for freedom, humanity and progress while deeply rooted in the traditions of the past.

That civilization was Sparta, part of the unified collection of states and provinces that formed Greece. Sparta was the first democratic civilization where all men were free under the law, and women were permitted to speak freely among men.

Through many attempts by enemies and warlords to conquer the city over centuries, the people of Sparta knew that their freedom and principles did not come free or easy. Because of this, all Spartan men were taken from their homes at the age of seven to live a fierce and brutal life of training in the wilderness. From this early age the men of Sparta were trained to kill, not fear death, and defend the honor of their beliefs more bravely than any group in history.

When adult men had completed their training they would return again to live among the people of the city, ready at a moments notice to defend her if the call should go out.

From this environment is where Sparta’s King Leonidas came from. Fulfilling his destiny at only 11 years of age Leonidas slew a giant hungry wolf without fear or hesitation, and wore its fresh skin as he walked through the kingdom’s gates. Leonidas was noble and proud, and by the age of 40 was one of the greatest kings in Sparta’s history.

It is in this time frame that the Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), the king of Persia and self-proclaimed god, began to assemble armies and invade any and all kingdoms in his path, attempting to become the first king to rule over the entire known world.

When a Persian messenger rides to the kingdom to demand Sparta’s surrender he is not only openly defied by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), but by his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) as well.

Sparta’s defiance triggers a full scale invasion by the Persians, who plan to take Sparta by force. King Leonidas intends to show the Persian army the full wrath of Sparta.

Unfortunately for Leonidas the religious figures and politicians of his kingdom are already corrupted and being bribed by the Persians. Receiving vast amounts of Persian gold the policy makers need only to thwart their own king. The advisors of Sparta decree that King Leonidas must not go to war or be in violation of his own laws and be subject to punishment.

With his hands tied Leonidas finds a loop hole by deciding to assemble his own force of armed body guards. The body guards consist of the 300 greatest fighting men of the kingdom of Sparta, and must accompany the king any time he is outside the walls of his kingdom.

The king decides to takes his group, joined by citizen volunteers from another Greek settlement, to a narrow mountain passing near the sea known as the “Hell Gate”. Here the lone king and his band of 300 warrior brothers will make a final stand and hold back the army of no less than 200,000 Persian warriors.

For the most part this movie was incredibly faithful to the graphic novel by Frank Miller which it is based on.

In viewing this film any average moviegoer will be stunned by the sheer beauty of it. 300 is a cinematic marvel that is both visually stunning and breathtaking.

Excellent adaptation and screenwriting by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad brings real humanity to the story and viewers will quickly find themselves emotionally drawn to the character relationships within this film.

Gerard Butler and Lena Headey, as the king and queen of Sparta, give the performance of their careers in this movie. Other cast members such as Rodrigo Santiago, David Wenham (Dilios) and Vincent Regan (Captain) also turn in stellar performances.

The beauty and glory of the ancient civilization of Sparta truly live again in this film.

Although heavy on action the film is not so much short on story as it is providing only what we need to know. There is nothing wrong with that. This movie also breaks the trend of epic battle movies having to have an epic running time. The 117 minute length not only works for this movie, but works in its favor in my books. The creators have mastered the art of leaving the audience wanting more.

This is a film that I will definitely go see again when it is officially released in theatres.

Not to downplay the theatrical success of Frank Miller’s other theatrical adaptations, such as Sin City, but 300 sets a new bar for quality of graphic novel adaptations to film and surpasses its other comic based predecessors by leaps and bounds.

A knock out movie that is sure to set records in the 2007 film season.

The film was released in 1934 and gives you a glimpse of how different the world was back then. Capturing the simple of tale of spoiled brat Ellie Andrews (Cobert) who was run away from her rich father in order to be with her worthless husband-in-name-only, King Wesley (Jameson Thomas). Her rich father has kidnapped her on board his yacht so he can have time to annul the whole affair and stubborn Ellie takes matters into her hands by diving overboard!

Her escape route from Miami to Wesley in New York pairs her up with broken down newspaper man Peter Warne (Gable) who befriends (if not annoys) the run away heiress. They are forced to share a bus seat at the starting leg of the journey and through a series of mad cap events, become partners in travel to get Ellie back to Wesley in New York. Along the way, affairs of the heart must be dealt with and Gable and Cobert give outstanding performances both verbal and non-verbal as their characters grow closer. Of course, nothing works out smoothly and the twists and turns in this ground-breaking film are thrilling even today.

Classic scenes such as Peter teaching Ellie the right way to dunk a doughnut and raising the “Walls of Jericho” so they can sleep properly as two single people of two social classes in one room are exquisite. It is easy to forget there once was a time when morals were strictly adhered to and ladies did all they could to retain their reputation. This film showcases that mentality yet is not without its own tempting scenes for the day- Gable surely made raised a few eyebrows when he whipped off his undershirt to show off his bare chest and Colbert, not to be outdone, does a bewitching scene in only her camisole. The film also addresses the differences in opinion based on financial status and how brutally realistic this was during the Depression.

The acting is top notch and the pairing of Gable with Cobert is reminiscent of the William Powell and Myrna Loy in ‘The Thin Man’. Watch ‘It Happened One Night’ for the clean romance, the screwball dramatic that was just beginning to take shape and for the joy of watching true Hollywood royalty. This film made for a perfect date movie and is one that leaves you understanding it is worth watching over and over again.

Fun Trivia Facts About ‘It Happened One Night’

It was filmed in four weeks and paid Cobert $50,000 for her performance.

Myrna Loy was the first choice for Ellie Andrews and Robert Montgomery was the original pick for Peter Warne.

Gable’s carrot chewing ability was an inspiration for cartoon character Bugs Bunnys rapid fire gnawing.

The film captured five Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Actress, and would hold the record until 1975 when it was toppled by ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’.

Thomas’ portrayal of dour, checked-out King Wesley was the inspiration for cartoon character Pepe LePew.

There is no modern day cursing in the film.

The film takes a political note in scene where a young boy cries on the bus because his mother, who has fainted, has come all this way to look into a rumored job interview. Viewers are taken back to the Depression when people traveled hundreds of miles at even the slightest hint of work.

Smoking, considered chic at the time, is prevalent in the film and even has Gable lighting up a pipe on a public bus. His tough-as-nails character even smokes in bed!

Released in 1934, ‘It Happened One Night’ was based on a 1933 short story by Samuel Hopkins Adams called ‘Night Bus’.

If you’re wondering just where did Steve Carell come from, well you may remember him from last year’s “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”, “The Office” and on television’s “The Daily Show”. Carell isn’t a “newbie” to comedy and he showcases his abilities in The 40 Year Old Virgin like a pro.

The all out plot of a 40-year-old virgin sounds hilarious and it is, in good taste as well. It actually begins when Andy tells his buddies Cal, David (Paul Rudd) and Jay (Romany Malco) his secret and true to human nature, all of Andy’s buddies begin sharing tips on just what it takes to “score” with the opposite sex. You’ll be a little surprised to see that some of these obviously experienced buddies of Andy’s, know less about sex and the opposite sex than they think.

As you would imagine, Andy’s friends are happy to oblige and you’ll laugh until you can’t laugh anymore as you follow through the quest. Trish (Catherine Keener) plays Andy’s girlfriend who is a 40-year-old mother of three and there are a few shockers that come from the initial relationship, one being a no sex policy but you’ll have to see the movie to find out the rest.

This movie brought forth a very adult topic without the usual grossness that comes along with some of the movies from the past dealing with similar topics. It’s very well thought, the audience was definitely kept in mind and the result is a win-win situation for all. All in all, this movie takes its time developing each character to the audience, which is good and bad because avid movie enthusiasts will appreciate the time taken while others may find these moments of the movie to be a bit flat, but the movie does pick up.

The 40 Year Old Virgin has received some good reviews from experts everywhere, audiences are pleased with this comedy, the story line, the actors and with the good taste of bringing such an almost unheard of scenario to the big screen. If you’re up for a good movie, don’t miss The 40 Year Old Virgin this weekend.

I like mindless action adventure fun in my movies and there really doesn’t have to be all that much plot to be satisfying. Take for example “Armageddon”. Really nothing special in the heart and soul and characterization departments but overall it works. And overall this one really doesn’t. It’s more similar to Vin Diesle’s Chronicles of Riddick than Armageddon – great sets, great costumes, pretty good CGI going on and yet, somehow the whole thing just really doesn’t gel. Charlize is in over her head along with Karyn Kusama but she looks really lovely. Pete Postlethwaite on the other hand looks like an ad for a candy bar rather than a serious actor.

The ultimate error in judgment on the parts of everyone involved with this movie is that they assumed that the audience would be familiar with the story line, the characters and the series in general. This assumption leaves anyone entering the theater who is unfamiliar with the series in a state of wonder trying to figure out what the heck is going on and why people are acting the way that they do. If they wanted to appeal only to the people who had seen the show, they accomplished that. Anyone else will be literally left in the dark.