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Bruce Hall: Why, I'm glad you asked...

MAJOR RELEASES:

Ender's Game - I've read a few Orson Scott Card books but none of the Ender's Game series, so I am officially ambivalent about that part of it. As for the movie, I thought it was confusing and inefficient. Harrison Ford needs to stop taking Valium on set [citation needed].

Thor: The Dark World - You know how Angry Birds is so much fun while you're playing it, and then you look at the clock and realize what you've been doing for the past hour is the intellectual equivalent of staring at an aquarium? Much like the first Thor, this one is like that.

Machete Kills: That he does. Yes, indeed. Find the trailer online. If you like that, you'll probably like the movie. Otherwise, not so much.

OLDER MOVIES:

All of Me: The missus and I revisited this one when a conversation about Lily Tomlin led to a bout of all out nostalgia. All of Me doesn't hold up very well, and it's mostly because just like Goldie Hawn's Overboard, this breezy comedy unwittingly poses some truly horrifying ethical questions that take you right out of the movie.

Man of Steel: Revisited this one since it just dropped on Blu Ray. I still insist that it's a pretty good adaptation all the way up until that last, climactic battle. No, not the FIRST last climactic battle. The SECOND one that looked like a $200 million dollar Tom and Jerry cartoon.

Extract: Mike Judge excels at subtle humor, but his directing style still makes you feel like you're watching a television show. Oh, and the story just kind of fizzles out and walks away from itself at the end. But it's an enjoyable movie, and it's a much better date movie then Bloodsport II.

Hobo With a Shotgun: Holy effing dog poop, Batman. Much like Robert Rodriguez' Machete, Hobo With a Shotgun was a fake trailer made for the movie Grindhouse. The problem with Hobo (and Grindhouse) is that the joke is not sustainable for an entire film. This is a straight up exploitation flick, and if you're one of the dwindling numbers of people who still get into torture porn, Hobo With a Shotgun just might be your Chariots of Fire. I sat through it because I like Rutger Hauer. You'll have to come up with your own reason.

TELEVISION:

This is where it gets sad, but if you could see my schedule every day it's a wonder I even watch THIS much TV.

Sons of Anarchy: We're still catching up with Season five, so nobody tell me what happened to Tara. It's a great ride, and still the most bloody, improbable, chest thumping biker soap opera on television.

The Kids in the Hall: Remember what I said about that nostalgia kick? I’m rewatching the whole series on the rare occasions I have free time. I'm up to season three. Unlike its more self important cousin Saturday Night Live, Kids still holds up really well almost across the board. I still don't get the flying pig though....

Miami Vice: Uh...ditto with the "free time/nostalgia kick" thing. Hey, don't you judge me. It was my favorite show from 1984-1987. It was a simpler time. And you know what? I still love it, and I don't care what anyone says. So in the immortal words of Sonny Crockett: "Can the attitude Jack, and let's blow this pop stand."

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