Mr. Besilly

This Hairspray Lost It's Hold

More absurd than being willing to watch the remake of "Hairspray" at the 10:20 PM showing on a Sunday night in my sleepy little suburb, was the fact that I was even willing to pay any money at all to watch "Hairspray" one more time. Being dragged to this misadventure by my seventeen year old daughter made the experience more bearable than I had planned, because she loved it. I did not share her enthusiasm.

I was quite happy with the memory of Divine, Ricki Lake and Debbie Harry in the John Waters film version back in 1988. I was content with the great seats I had watching "Hairspray" performed on Broadway when my daughter turned sweet sixteen in 2006. Both occasions are still vivid in my mind and bring back a smile. By comparison "Hairspray" 2007 fell flat.

Pirate Saga Finishes in Grand Swashbuckling Style

What's better than Johnny Depp playing the lead role in your movie as Captain Jack Sparrow? How about three or four Johnny Depps on screen all at once in your movie? That's the best way to define The Magic of Disney in this final episode. If you create a character that helps rake in millions, a character that everyone adores, why not multiply him to play scenes with himself? That's a rhetorical question, but it's exactly what Jerry Bruckheimer did in more than one scene. Johnny Depp, guys want to be him, while girls want to shave his head and carry him around like a bowling ball by his mouth and nostrils. You get the idea.

10 Life Lessons from The Princess Bride

"Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all." William Goldman  

In September of 1987 I watched a little known movie called The Princess Bride, written by William Goldman who adapted the novel for the big screen. It had a huge impact on me then and as a result I shared that film with many, many people. Almost twenty years later, now a cinema cult classic, it still lingers in my heart.

I make a point to watch it again every few years to be reminded of a few key life lessons I gleaned from it along the way. I present to you my personal top ten list of life lessons learned from The Princess Bride.

300 Spartans Submit A History Lesson

Director Zack Snyder's new film 300 is a man-size modern classic filled with raw testosterone and originality. The ancient battle of Thermopylae comes to life in this new-fashioned version of an esteemed epic. Much like the first time I watched Braveheart, I walked out of the cinema today profoundly moved and deeply inspired. I found myself  completely mesmerized by the enormous intensity of this movie based on Frank Miller’s (of Sin City fame) illustrated novelette. The battle sequences were orchestrated like a stylishly muscular ballet carved out in several acts.

Comedy Central brings "Reno 911 Miami" to Theaters February 23rd

Reno 911 is a brilliant show with ridiculous writing. Popular enough with core fans to make the movie. The officers of the Reno police department visit a national police convention in Miami Beach. When the convention center is bio-attacked, it's up to Reno's "finest" to save the day. The trailer is perfectly dumb and so worth viewing. It's Cops meets Revenge of The Nerds. I Love it!

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