Go see Elf.
I've seen it twice now.
It's wonderful.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Elf-1127234/

I share your opinion of Cat. It's probably worse than Grinch, which I could only stand a few minutes of.

Hey!

How about Troy?

I liked Radio better when it was The Waterboy.

Heh heh heh.

did you just (albeit tongue in cheek) just say that haunted mansion was promising? brrrr? cold day in hell, indeed!

Dances With Samurai may end up being a decent flick, but I just know it's going to produce a bunch of whiteboy ronin-poseurs. Haven't seen any ads for the Official Gil Hibben "Last Samurai" Collector's Sword, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Re. the films of Mr. Gooding Jr., I did sit through Men of Honor once, but I had the advantage of being strapped into a DC-10.

I have seen Timeline, and it's completely terrible. The film employs - I kid you not - a ticking countdown to heighten the jeopardy of its' time travelers. See, there's only SIX HOURS to save them - both now, and then. So time and space do mean something, after all!

it's deeply awful. not hateful, just stupid,

So, Cuba Gooding is your Sam Neill, Skot?

Heh. Well, I have to see "Far and Away 2" just on principle as I see any Samarai movie that comes out. But it's just not the same since Mifune died.

P.S. Eventually I'd like to know your thoughts on Val Kilmer.

I saw Looney Tunes: Back in Action this weekend. I know, Branden Fraser, so probably an automatic out for you, but it was a much better movie than Space Jam (though I guess that's not really what one would call an accomplishment). I rather enjoyed it, however.

(I should note for those, unlike Skot, who don't know me: I suffer from a severe lack of critical facilities. Although I was aware enough to realize Legally Blonde 2 was pure swill).

I automatically boycott any movie whose trailer features two people in a car/train/cockpit screaming "Aaaaaaaaa!" as they hurtle towards a chasm/fireball/oncoming train. You'd be amazed how many pictures this rules out.

Miel, if you take a look at Real Genius, you realize that there isn't much to do any more but write the eulogy on old Val's career. It's a little horrifying to say that--it's kind of mean to sum up an actor's best work by pointing to a limp-dick 80s teen comedy--but there you go. What else can you do? You certainly can't watch baffling debacles like The Doors or Red Planet. The line on the man is that he has an ego the size of an asteroid, but if you take a look at his IMDB listings . . . holy moly. It's kind of shocking if he gets a cheese commercial any more.

Hey Rob--the wife attended college with Mr. Fraser, so we have a soft spot. Probably in our skulls. He can be forgiven for many crimes after his really nice work in Gods and Monsters.

Weirdly, you're the second person I've heard say that they have a soft spot for the ol' Encino Man because they attended post-secondary with him -- and the first one claimed to have attended school with him in Calgary. Now that I think about it, that person was obviously slightly veracity-challenged, but that's still weird. (As for me, I just like the way Mr Fraser rocks a loincloth.) As for efficient film-screening, I avoid like Ebola anything that is described as "zany," "wacky," or "fun for the whole family!" and I think I'm the better for it.

So you don't like Billy Connolly? Ever see any of his stand-up? Didn't you like him in "Mrs. Brown"(with dame Judy Dench)?

Skot has hated Billy Connolly ever since he replaced Doctor Johnny Fever in Head of the Class. Those poor genius kids, forced to suffer through an unrelenting Scottish schtick when they should have been learning history!!

So you don't like Billy Connolly?

No.

Ever see any of his stand-up?

No.

Didn't you like him in "Mrs. Brown"(with dame Judy Dench)?

Bees are on the what now?

Skot has hated Billy Connolly ever since he replaced Doctor Johnny Fever in Head of the Class.

As usual, Snark cuts right to the heart of things.