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When going in, my expectations were neither high nor low. I guess I figured that, to use Will Ferrell movies as my metrics, it could not possibly be as good as Anchorman but it had to be better than Talladega Nights (Yes, Talladega Nights was THAT bad).

Sidenote: It's true. I basically set two extremes and figured it would fall in between. If you didn't happen to catch my common sense approach and think me a genius, you have fantastic taste in geniuses.

Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) is the by-the-book, media-darling for the sport of figure skating. Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) is the exact opposite, though his bad-boy, sex-object image still allows him to post scores comparable to those of MacElroy. One day they end up in a fight that gets them banned from competition until they come across a loophole. They can compete again, but under the circumstances they must compete in pairs...together. Basically, like Napoleon Dynamite, if you are looking for a plot to this movie you'll never find one. If you want a movie with a decent balance of physical comedy and Will Ferrell making crude jokes, Blades of Glory may surprise you.

As long as you take the movie at face value and remember that you are not seeing a movie that is geared towards providing any entertainment other than cheap laughs for dirty jokes, this is a movie you should enjoy. Any time you try to go beyond that and search for something more you will be disappointed.

If I may be so bold, it might have been the worst career move ever for Jon Heder to use his own voice in his role as the title character in the love-it-or-hate-it comedy Napoleon Dynamite. The popularity he gained by his part in that movie has given him new opportunities, but they have been small parts because, well, when Jon Heder is in a movie, you have Napoleon Dynamite in that movie. He may continue to fight the up-hill battle of shrugging that stigma, or he can accept his fate. Blades of Glory may have been the first step towards that acceptance. Rather than trying to play support in a cheesy RomCom, he took a "starring" role as the patsy in a slapstick comedy. I can describe his character by saying that he is a tortured soul who was adopted by a billionnaire sports fan who gives him every advantage to succeed in the sport of figure skating, but it is probably easier to put it in terms which are a little easier to understand: In Blades of Glory, Jon Heder is the butt of just about every joke. As that guy, Heder succeeds.

I never got hooked on "Arrested Development," but since its demise Will Arnett's name has popped up more and more. I expected that his part in Blades of Glory would be bigger than it was, but it was certainly big enough to see why his popularity is rising.

As long as Will Ferrell makes a movie like this every few years, I will forgive him for however many attempts he wants to make to break into "serious" roles. A few of his comedic roles since Anchorman have seemed forced. In Blades of Glory, like in Anchorman, Ferrell seemed really at home in the character. It was a part that just let him do what he does best. Maybe what I am saying is that when Will Ferrell is womanizing, it makes me laugh hysterically. There. I broke it down to the common denomenator.

p.s. Jenna Fischer is fun to look at.

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1. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

2. Trainspotting

3. Half Baked

4. Layer Cake

5. Requiem for a Dream

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Bruce Banner: But you know what scares me the most? When I can't fight it anymore, when it takes over, when I totally lose control...I like it.

The Coral - In The Morning

I like recommendations as much as the next guy - maybe even more - but not when they crawl into my brain and won't leave. I guess I will offer my thanks to Ace, who had the poor taste to tell me about this little ditty. I cannot really say much about the song except that I like it and I feel the need to hear it over and over again. The video is ok, but nothing you've never seen before, though it does provide you with a way to sample the entire song and listen to it over and over and over...and over. I looked into a few other songs by The Coral and none did anything for me, but this one and it's catchy keyboarding won't let go. I am hooked.

Academy Award Winner, Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro, a man who never let the dreams of youth fade.

In the late 1960's, after a lifetime of perfecting his classic INDIAN MOTORCYCLE, Burt sets off from the bottom of the world, Invercargill, New Zealand, to clock his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With all odds against him, Burt puts his irresponsible "kiwi" spirit to the test, braving the New World on a shoestring budget. Burt's quest culminates in an unlikely conclusion and remains legendary within the motorcycle community to this day.

I consistently enjoy Anthony Hopkins's work; he is one of however few actors today who is a box-office draw for me. I admittedly have not made the decision to familiarize myself with his entire body of work. I haven't necessarily enjoyed his movies as much as him IN them. The World's Fastest Indian is one of the instances where I definitely enjoyed the performance put on by Mr. Hopkins and the movie as well, though it was largely because of him that I liked the movie so much (if that makes sense).

This is at least a semi-factual recounting of a stubborn old man who refuses to take "no" for an answer. He shrugs off criticism and he fights for his dream. One day he is given a chance and proves everyone wrong when he breaks a land-speed record, which still stands today.

I normally shy away from biopics to avoid any cheap excuses to not enjoy a movie, but I felt compelled to see The World's Fastest Indian. I know many people like to see accuracy in biopics, but I cannot speak to how well Hopkins portrayed Munro. That is probably one of the reasons I even watched this movie.

And if I did not see it, I probably would have never heard the story of Burt Munro. In the annals of history, Munro will not be listed amongst the most influential or the most powerful, but his story is an endearing and inspirational one. And that is what you can expect from The World's Fastest Indian.

I understand and respect your reservations about watching a movie based on a legend in the world of motorcycles. If, however, you are able to see that the movie is about the man, and not his motorcycle, maybe you will give it a try and find the heart-warming story about a man who never gave up.

I had never heard of Burt Munro. I wondered, "What makes him so special? Why is there a movie based on his life rather than that of someone else who may have done something extraordinary?" Those are questions that I cannot necessarily answer, but I no longer wonder. I learned about Burt Munro, I felt for him, and I enjoyed the movie.

This is a good movie to watch with people you care about. You don't have to, of course, but you can cozy up to the story of Burt Munro together. I really liked The World's Fastest Indian (even though I watched it alone).

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Bullitt

His new assignment seems routine: protecting a star witness for an important trial. But before the night is out, the witness lies dying and cool, no-nonsense Detective Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) won't rest until the shooters and the kingpin pulling their strings are nailed. From opening shot to closing shootout, Bullitt crackles with authenticity: San Francisco locations, crisp dialogue and to-the-letter police, hospital and morgue procedures. An Oscar winner for Best Film Editing (1968), this razor-edged thriller features one of cinema history's most memorable car chases. Buckle up and brace for unbeatable action.

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For One More Day by Mitch Albom

This is the story of Charley, a child of divorce who is always forced to choose between his mother and his father. He grows into a man and starts a family of his own. But one fateful weekend, he leaves his mother to secretly be with his father - and she dies while he is gone. This haunts him for years. It unravels his own young family. It leads him to depression and drunkenness. One night, he decides to take his life. But somewhere between this world and the next, he encounters his mother again, in their hometown, and gets to spend one last day with her - the day he missed and always wished he'd had. He asks the questions many of us yearn to ask, the questions we never ask while our parents are alive. By the end of this magical day, Charley discovers how little he really knew about his mother, the secret of how her love saved their family, and how deeply he wants the second chance to save his own.

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Well if your first thought is anything like mine, let me calm your nerves - this album features neither DJ Jazzy Jeff nor the Fresh Prince. What? No love for a He's the DJ, I'm The Rapper joke? You're right. That was bad. Ok, so rather than that actually being my first thought, I have been excited for this EP since I heard it was being made. Josh Rouse and Paz Suay are back at it...musically. After what I consider a successful first collaboration on Josh's latest album Subtitulo, the two teamed up for five more songs. This is a great EP.

01. Car Crash I love the jazzy beat to this song. It is a little higher tempo than material Josh has done before and despite the morbid lyrics about wanting to die in a car crash, it makes for a very refreshing sound.

02. Jon Jon They waste no time before jumping right into the second track. Everyone has a friend named Jon Jon who seems to always be in trouble and can't find his way out of a bottle right? Me neither, but this is another optimistic tune with less-than-optimistic lyrics. It is probably a theme we should get used to on this short album, especially since we're two for two on songs I like. Paz handles this one alone vocally.

03. The Ocean Always Wins A little backstory here is that Josh Rouse and Paz Suay were living in two separate places on separate continents and had agreed to move to New York City together. Before she had a chance to leave to meet him, he surprised her by moving to live with her in Spain. This song is either an accurate or fictional account of someone who is about to cross the ocean to be with the one she loves. It is beautifully sung and could put Paz Suay on your list of favorite female vocalists.

04. These Long Summer Days Josh Rouse re-enters the album vocally here. I like this song a lot. As we approach the comfort of the warmer months this is a gentle reminder of the carefree feeling summer brings.

05. Answers Josh Rouse has a very delicate and comforting voice. He showcases it very well here. I like this song, too, but just not as much as the other four on the disc. He gets a little more experimental with the sound on this track and it doesn't do much for me.

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If I told you things I did before, told you how I used to be, would you go along with someone like me?

1. The Jackal

2. Last Man Standing

3. Mercury Rising

4. Bandits

5. Lucky Number Slevin

(Honorable Mention: The Fifth Element)

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Frankie Wilde: I can confidently say Ibiza is dot dot dot.

I consider Jack Johnson to be the most popular "first name last name" singer/songwriter over the past few years. It might be because of that loosely-based criteria or because Mat Kearney's voice reminds me a little of Jack that I compare the two. The album bounces back and forth a few times with Mat singing or speaking his lyrics; songs in the latter category would certainly be more similar to Gym Class Heroes. And if I may step back in time only a few years to make another comparison, Mat Kearney's voice reminds me a little of Everlast. Sometimes I even hear some Counting Crows in his voice. I hate to say it, but the more I listen to this, the most all of the songs start to sound the same. This album would be much better if he stuck to singing; he has a good voice, even if it isn't the most original. There are some good songs, but the album itself is not great. This is a situation when it is great to be able to buy the songs individually.

01. Undeniable I hesitate to call it "rap" and it certainly isn't singing so I will just say that Mat speaks his lyrics in this song to begin the album. I like this song a lot, but it is due more to the chorus, which he actually sings, than the spoken verses. And the song is a nice tribute to a special person.

02. Nothing Left To Lose This title track was the single which put Mat Kearney on my list of artists to research and I believe it has finally made it to the local radio stations (I heard it first on satelite radio). I like the vocal range he shows here. I cannot come close to the high notes, but it is sometimes more fun to sing along with songs like this. Even though I could definitely see this song playing while the credits roll at the end of a bad television drama, I do like it.

03. Crashing Down I like this song, but I feel that it has been done before. I hear what might be a strong Vertical Horizon influence.

04. Girl America Just like Undeniable this is a spoken-word track where the highlight is Mat singing the chorus. I can't say for sure, but this might be a patriotic effort talking about this generation's view of the country.

05. In The Middle The chorus here is probably my favorite part of the entire album. I can just picture the energy at a live show when the whole audience sings along.

06. Can't Break Her Fall Unfortunately there is nothing to say about this song that hasn't already been said about the other songs where he only sings the chorus.

07. What's A Boy To Do This is an oasis in the desert. Just as you are ready to give up on Mat Kearney he makes a good effort with this one. I like this song. In a blind taste test I would probably guess this was Counting Crows, but I still like it.

08. Wait At parts this sounds almost exactly like Undeniable. While I liked Undeniable, I really only think it should be on this album once. Almost three minutes into the song there was a short verse that is worth listening to and well, worth being longer. So much for that brief attempt at a different sound on the album.

09. Bullet We all have our own ways of showing how much we care for our loved ones. I could imagine that this song might make some girl some where swoon...maybe. So here it is - that niche love song you've been looking for all this time if your girl is that girl.

10. All I Need This is the strangest compilation of slow grooves and love jams I have ever come across. Here is another song about that special someone which now has the album begging for some energy. The album started out with a beat and will start to put you to sleep.

11. Renaissance This is a song I have heard before. There is nothing new here.

12. Where We Gonna Go From Here We have found another bright spot on the album. While there isn't anything overly remarkable about this song, I still like it. It didn't bring any of the energy the album needed, but he got away with one here. It didn't bother me.

13. Won't Back Down This is one of the better songs on the album. It is a shame it is hidden at the end, but the disc certainly finishes strongly. His voice with the piano gives almost a John Legend sound. I like this song.

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I saw it in IMAX. I had to. And you should see it that way, too, if you have the chance. If not, watch it at your friend's house - the one with the awesome home theater system. You might wonder why seeing it in IMAX was such a big deal when there were intentional cinematic techniques used to blur the screen - why do we need to see that more clearly in IMAX? You don't. But IMAX also offers superior sound. And if you really want to experience this movie, you need to be able to get lost in the sound.

As far as epic war-movies are concerned, this is not the most original. If you try to make the comparisons to the great movies in this genre, you will be off base. 300 was not made to compete with the storylines of Braveheart or Gladiator. There were even many things borrowed from those two movies. Ignore that. 300 was a set of books, well a set of graphic novels (there is an important distinction), by Frank Miller which he wrote as his adaptation of the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC. His adaptation. That means if you try to analyze the movie from a historical standpoint...again, you've missed the mark.

Frank Miller's Sin City was popular enough that it would seem movie makers became interested in his other work. And comic book movies have been so popular lately, why not try graphic novels?

Here is where I draw the line between comic books and graphic novels: In comic books, people die. In graphic novels, often times you watch it happen. The word "graphic" was not chosen by accident. I am generalizing, but I think my point can be summed up that way. And it is not always violence, but there is a greater degree of grown-up content. If comic books are PG or even PG-13, Graphic Novels are R or sometimes NC-17.

Without that understanding, more people will want to see 300 than maybe should - ladies, I'm looking in your direction (and again, I am generalizing). It looks like an exciting movie about a few battles with 300 men in peak physical condition. Oh, and there is an incredible amount of (computer-generated) blood shed.

There was a lot of shouting and Spartan pride. Some people feel that this was overly repetative and glossed over the genius of the movie, but many times I even found myself laughing slightly maniacally (out loud) at different action sequences and taunting comments made by the 300.

I could not help the feeling of primitive energy that coursed through my body. Don't blame me. Blame 300. Or better yet, celebrate 300. Go see it and enjoy it as much as I did.

Back when I played high school football, the night before gameday we would meet at one kid's house and either watch the end of Braveheart or The Program to spike our adrenaline. If only 300 had been available then...

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Katsumoto: You believe a man can change his destiny? Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.

I am not sure if any of you have had the privilege yet to watch one of these games, but I saw the Georgia Force v Philadelphia Soul game last night - well part of it anyway. And here was a run down of what I saw.

-Teams owned by Bon Jovi and Ron Jaworski. :hangs head in shame:
-Different rules based on which stadium the two teams are playing in. Stupid. Just stupid.
-Players who don't even break a sweat.
-An overall feel that this is just some guys who got together to play touch football (since you don't have to tackle in this league). There is NO suspense, excitement, drama.
-Interviews with players who take their station in life way too seriously.

I will not watch an AFL game again. Nor should you.

I understand that the management team for the NHL has done a piss-poor job of marketing their product, but it is 100x better than the AFL. I am almost ashamed to live in a country where a major sports network will not option the NHL but they pick up this garbage. (Yes, I am a hockey fan. Yes, I am biased. The AFL is still a joke.)

Comedy superstar Robin Williams (RV, The Birdcage, Mrs. Doubtfire) plays Tom Dobbs, a comedian who made it to the top by telling it like it is. When he decides to run for president to unleash his trademark comic rants on the powers that be, something extraordinary happens -- he wins! From the director of Good Morning, Vietnam and Wag the Dog comes an irreverant comedy hit with a hilarious all-star cast that is sure to win your vote for best comedy of the year!

I really liked the story line of this movie. Well, up to a point anyway. Tom Dobbs is a national television-icon -- imagine if Oprah moved to a prime-time slot and started telling hilarious jokes. A suggestion from an audience member to announce his candidacy for president seemed like a great publicity stunt and next thing Dobbs knew, he was the President Elect.

So far so good.

And then a lonely, out-of-work character played so adorably by Laura Linney comes into his life and we have feelings reminiscent of Michael Douglas and Annette Bening in The American President. Sure the feelings were as much cliché as they were warm and fuzzy, but it was nice.

And then it happened.

Gone were the shadows of Douglas and Bening as the movie began to borrow pages from, of all things, a Ryan Phillippe movie - that I do not recommend to anyone (Antitrust). For awhile I sincerely thought that the story was ruined and there was no hope left, but they surprised me with how well the movie ended.

For as crass and aggressive as Robin Williams has been as a stand-up comedian, he has played some incredibly profound and likeable characters. This role, like many others, really showed how talented he is. I thought he was great, even though the movie was a little less about him and more about the situation in which he finds himself. I would have loved more story about who Tom Dobbs actually was rather than the ridiculous plot turns that the movie featured instead. Let's put it this way, would you rather watch more Robin Williams or some silly side story involving Jeff Goldblum?

Jokes about Jeff Goldblum aside, the movie really had a great cast. Man of the Year starred Robin Williams, Laura Linney, Christopher Walken and Lewis Black. Christopher Walken was Tom Dobbs's manager and he, as always, was wildly entertaining. And Lewis Black was surprisingly subdued, which is a little uncharacteristic for him, but he did very well.

If I could miraculously remove the part of the movie which reminded me of Punch Drunk Love in a way - where the attempt to show true true human tenderness is almost eclipsed by the disturbed nature of the plot and characters - I would recommend this movie to everyone. As it stands, I can only say that the movie certainly has the merit to deserve to be seen, but be warned.

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Gordie: But you didn't miss him. Chris Chambers never misses, does he? Chris: Not even when the ladies leave the seat down.

Each year at the end of the NCAA March Madness tournament, CBS prepares a video montage of the games set to the song that makes it all possible. They are now available to download with archives back 20 years.

1987 - Indiana
1988 - Kansas
1989 - Michigan
1990 - UNLV
1991 - Duke
1992 - Duke
1993 - North Carolina
1994 - Arkansas
1995 - UCLA
1996 - Kentucky
1997 - Arizona
1998 - Kentucky
1999 - Connecticut
2000 - Michigan State
2001 - Duke
2002 - Maryland
2003 - Syracuse
2004 - Connecticut
2005 - North Carolina
2006 - Florida
(Clicking any of the above links will give you the option to download the video from 2007 as well.)