If I weren't married, I'd answer that question.

I think putting the word "Sports" in the title worked like a kind of Kryptonite and kept a lot of people who would have loved the show away from the show. Maybe most. Sorkin's credit kept me tuned in. Heck, I'm such a fan I even suffered through all the episodes of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." It was awful; apparently you can't do a show about a super-hip late night comedy show unless you never show the show. Big problem.

You're welcome, Sebastian. I appreciate your appraisal.

I appreciate the validation.

Remember, Ethan, I'm grading on a curve. Having seen a whole lot more drek than most, it's a huge relief to see something that doesn't make me want to gouge my eyes out with a grapefruit spoon. Let me know what you think.

Sherry Coben MovieSmackdown.com Los Angeles 2 seats please

Fortunately, the really good stuff survives still, and we have a huge treasure trove of wonderful films that capture a more civilized time. This cultural moment clearly isn't for me...but I keep searching for those rare instances that touch my heart without offending my sensibilities -- I find what I want mostly in indies and foreign and other outside-the-system flying-below-the radar projects. I'll keep you posted.

Absolutely BRILLIANT, Stephanie. And not only because I happen to agree with every well-chosen word...

Thank you so much. I thoroughly appreciate the appreciation.

Apparently, they shot over spring break at Lake Havasu; many (perhaps most) of those coeds didn't come direct from central casting but from real world college campuses. Girls Gone Wild indeed. Plastic Surgeons Gone Wild more like.

Thanks but no thanks, Hollywood. You can keep your action heroes and caper films. Blow up a little something. Chase your tail. Punch someone in the face. Shoot a gun. Throw a grenade. Drop a bomb. Knock yourselves out. I'll be over there, listening to dialogue and watching characters who act like human beings. Until the fall arrives with all the Oscar bait, I'm going on a strict indie, documentary, classic, estrogen-fueled and foreign language film diet with a little Pixar confection for dessert.

Why not be kind? I think there is an audience for this film and I respect many of the actors and filmmakers involved. It's intended as a cheesefest, a tongue-in-cheek homage to the so-bad-they're-almost-good Roger Corman exploitation films. It's very very difficult to make a really great film...clearly. They're rare. But this old-style summer drive-in movie succeeds on its very vulgar terms, and it'll make a bundle overseas and on DVD where its fans can freeze-frame their favorite soft porn moments in the privacy of their homes. I fully expect a sequel. Brace yourself.

I hadn't heard of Quint's first name either until I found it quite by accident while doublechecking some production specs on IMDb. I figured I'd include it in the review to enhance the educational value.

Go. I'm probably the only person who's seen both and I'd appreciate another opinion.

It's not for you. Don't go.

I hope I haven't overinflated your expectations. Go expecting to fall in love with Jason Bateman. I guarantee a few out-loud laughs. And the kid is kitten-cute. (That's high praise from me if you didn't already know.) And let me know what you think.

Why yes, Brian. There is some romance. The sandrat rescues his good-girl platonic friend with the heart of gold from death and humiliation. You can tell she's a good girl because she has natural breasts and no hair extensions and we don't see her nipples, and you can tell he really loves her in spite of her natural breasts because he dives into piranha-infested waters to save her life. Ah, sweet romance. See? The movie is right in my wheelhouse after all.

I'm really careful not to spill any spoilers, Pablo, so I didn't really go for the critical jugular in my review. Believe it or not, I usually pull my punches. I did prefer "Scott Pilgrim" to "EPL" but I understand that there is an audience out there far more open to spiritual questing and vague feminist unease/dissatisfaction than I am. For me, it's a whole lot of white wine, a most unsavory brew given my particular palate. In my reviews, I usually try very hard to explain my personal bias so that my decision won't deter anyone from seeing a film that's right for them. I'm glad you liked the film; perhaps my review prepared you for the experience by significantly lowering your expectations. I prefer my expectations low and am always delighted when those expectations are confounded.

Tepid indeed. So glad summer's almost over.

Nice attempt at explication, Beau. I enjoyed the film and appreciated the studio's decision to avoid giving much away in all the advance marketing and promotion. The visual effects work beautifully, seamlessly transporting the audience into the world of the film/dream. All the ambiguity and complications don't seem all that impossible to grasp; one need only surrender and pay attention, lay back and enjoy the ride. Leave your linear brain at home and let your subconscious do the work for you. You know it's the very best part of you. Spin that top. Dream within a dream within a dream indeed. As Shakespeare's Prospero put it: Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air: And like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep

FYI: "The September Issue" is already available on Netflix and Netflix Instant. Just in case I've piqued your interest...

Thank you for reading so faithfully. I appreciate the support. It feels good having a platform to promote films worth watching; so many worthy ones fall through the cracks, especially indies and foreign films. That's why I find it so rewarding to recommend rentals like A Very Long Engagement; Micmacs is hard to find in theaters, but audiences may well discover it on DVD in a few months.

Thanks, Josh.

Hmm...this is one of those sticky wickets. I don't want to support it either but I did want my voice included in all the hubbub surrounding the much hyped release. There's so much worth discussing; maybe, Jay, you can justify going to satisfy your purely intellectual curiosity. Then you can join in this fun big time...and maybe you can figure out a way to go for free.

This strikes me as the absolutely least appropriate place for a critical discussion of the relative literary merits of the Bible, but let's agree that its quality is inconsistent. Thank you, Jay. Here's a cyber-Heimlich for you.