NancyLou9

...that it was ever made at all.

Killing time in the afternoon, I turned on this movie in Netflix. I was looking for something light and entertaining, but what I got was the worst acting found anywhere.

The script might have been fine, but it's hard to tell with all the campy acting going on throughout the movie. The speech is stilted, the actors are over-emoting both with their actions and their facial expressions, and I think someone else said it best when they said the Santa Claus came off as a perv, rather than a benevolent old man. And it's not just one actor/character, but all of them! This played like a movie filmed in someone's basement or as a college film school project, a bad one!

Had it been just one or two of the actors, okay, I can live with that, but for it to be everyone was astonishing. I was thinking throughout the entire movie how bad the director must have been to think this was okay.

I gotta say, it's the ex-wife that totally threw me. After being a shrill, screaming, horrific woman who treated the sheriff like crap throughout the movie, calling him awful names at every turn, becomes all sweetness and light as soon as she needs something from him and no one bats an eye.

This is a movie that needs to just go away, never to return, and I'm not recommending it for anyone with any sense.

I usually don't like to give ten stars but this one earned it, in spades.

Pincus (Ricky Gervais) is a quiet, unassuming dentist who seems to be coasting through life without becoming overly involved in the day to day of it all. He also isn't very happy with his life in general and takes it out on the populace without much discretion and no internal filter. To add fuel to the angry fire in his belly, he has a perpetually happy partner, Dr. Prasher (Aasif Mandvi) in his practice who gives the advice of tying a knot and hanging on. Pincus is such a dismal person, when the office staff throw a party for his partner whose wife is having a baby, he manages to sneak out without being seen.

But then along comes a woman (Tia Leoni). And not just any woman but one who laughs at all the right places as he peppers his ordinary speech with observations that are meant to be sarcasm but come out funny. Being put off by his love interest's large dog with an odor problem is one thing, picking up its gargantuan poop is another - it must be love, right? Suddenly the sun is brighter, the sky is more blue and he realizes not just that he's in love but that Dr. Prasher is actually a nice guy.

The message in this movie is a heart-warming one of accepting life as it comes, not hiding your heart and to allow the world in, warts and all. In general, this a nice, feel-good movie that doesn't require a great deal of thought, just feeling. This movie is a good example of, "Life might not be perfect but it's the only one you have so take advantage of it while you can."

My husband, teenage son and I saw this in the theater, initially much to the chagrin of my husband and son, and we all walked out feeling pretty good about the world in general. This is a nice family film and whether you're renting it for the first time or seeing it for the tenth time, it's a good way to spend two hours.

On the surface, "In Plain Sight" looks like just another law enforcement show but once viewers look past the basic premise of it being about WITSEC (Witness Security), it's actually nicely done.

Set in Albuquerque, the main character, Mary McCormack, is a US Marshal responsible for keeping alive important government witnesses placed into the Witness Protection Program and sent to her city.

Mary is a little too brassy for her own good and there aren't many unexpressed thoughts that pass through her head. She also seems to constantly be in hot water with her boss because of it. She's a little too cliché in that she's a LEO with baggage, but it's easy to forgive this one flaw in the script writing. She's got a background that includes a father who did a disappearing act when she was young and the rest of her family has viewers wishing they could give them all a "Gibb's slap".

Her partner, Marshal Marshall Mann (a running joke in the show - Marshal Marshall?), knows her better than anyone and loves her (like a sister) in spite of it. Marshall's pretty much the only person permitted to see the chinks in Mary's armor and Mary allows him to see them because he seems to be the only person in her life who has never let her down in one way or another. Marshall lets Mary get away with working in the gray area of law enforcement and sometimes he goes there with her. It's clear Marshall would walk through broken glass to be there for Mary and she'd do the same for him.

Generally, her problems in the show are clear with regard to her job: keeping her charges in line, usually with some form of intimidation. It's overtly shown, at times, she's not overly fond of the fact she's a babysitter for killers and criminals, with the occasional innocent thrown in for good measure, but she does it anyway. It's also alluded to that her reason for getting into Law Enforcement was really to find out more about her long lost father.

If Mary's life sounds a little too ordinary, let's throw into the mix a somewhat crazy, very narcissistic, alcoholic mother and a sister who couldn't stay out of trouble if her life depended on it and now we've got some entertaining story lines. Given the shenanigans of her family, I'm left wondering each week just how it is Mary was able to get a security clearance in the first place but, it's television so the suspension of reality is permitted.

Calling this a comedy isn't quite right but neither is calling it a drama since there are moments of each throughout the show. The casting for this show was nearly perfect and well-chosen. The charisma amongst the cast members makes it easy to escape for an hour a week, believing you're entering the lives of the US Marshal's office, and the writing is better than average. It's also nice to see a show with strong male/female leads that isn't fraught with sexual tension.

USA Network has been coming up with some really nice original programming and this is one of them.

Very good show all around and this one was particularly good, with all it's twists and turns. Another reviewer posted that an error was made in having the police woman step forward in the "a rape is about to happen" scene, that they stepped forward with the statement, "LAPD!" While the captions DOES say "LAPD", in listening to it again, as I was confused about an LAPD officer being in Philadelphia, the officer is plainly saying, "Philly PD".

Listen to it again and it becomes more clear.

Overall, though, "Ravaged" was one of the better shows as it gave us a glimpse into the past life of Nick Vera, who seems to have had a relationship in High School that he kind of walked away from for more personal reasons than are discussed in the show. I prefer shows in this series that give us some insight into what made these people who they are. To be fair, they tend to stay in the stories surrounding Lilly a bit too long, sometimes. I feel Lilly tends to work too hard at being "hard".

It's not often a show has the misfortune of managing the actual death of a cast member, especially one as loved as was John Ritter. There WERE shows in the past that had to change the actor that played a character (see "Roseanne" and "Bewitched") and they handled it by not handling it.

In "8 Simple Rules..." not only was it managed with dignity befitting a man of John Ritter's stature, it wasn't insulting to the viewer.

The best part of "Goodbye Pt. 1, Pt. 2" was when Cate was walking around while the song "In My Life" was playing. Though it is a Beatles song, it was being sung by Judy Collins and I don't know a better song could have been chosen. (Though I have yet to see this part shown again in syndication) Between the two shows, I believe they ran the gauntlet of emotions for each member of the family, with IMHO the most heart-wrenching being Bridgett and her attempting to resolve within herself her last words to her father being, "I hate you." I also feel Cate had the best lines in the entire show, with her standing, staring, at her wedding photograph, talking to Paul. Her anger towards him for breaking his promise to be there forever really got to me. When married, you always expect the other person to be there for you. When they're not, you become angry. And then you get more angry when you come to the realization you'll never have the opportunity to express that anger. Then life becomes much more unfair...

How sad was it when Rory, unthinking, went to make a bowl of cereal before realizing there was no milk (which was the errand Paul was on when he collapsed in the grocery store)and then remembering it was the missing milk that started all this in the first place.

These two shows never fail to start the waterworks for me, no matter how many times I see them. I have seen a number of shows over the years pay tribute to great actors who have died and I can't think of one which affects me as much as this does. The realism of the writing was evident when it came to each family member expressing their grief. It was obvious the writers had each experienced a loss of someone important to them.

These are a must see for anyone who is a John Ritter fan, and even if you aren't when you start watching them, you will be by the time they're done.

I saw a sneak preview of this today at a military installation and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, Vince Vaughn's character can get a little annoying, but I think that's kind of the point.

Throughout the movie, we are shown the brother of Santa Claus who is everyone's favorite and most emphatic love, and his own brother HATES him! Okay,hate is a strong word. When asked, Fred actually says, "No, I don't hate you. I just wish you had never been born." Then we are presented with a mother who's sole reason for being is to adore her son Nicholas while working overtime to make Fred feel like dirt on her shoes. This is very much a guy with self-esteem and family issues. His life is in the toilet and he has no real ambition beyond "get rich quick".

It is through a series in interactions not just with his brother (though he is a big part of it) but with the elves, his parents and his girlfriend that he comes to realize what a waste his life has really been. It is also the same time he realizes he hasn't really been the brother he promised he'd be.

As much as I am trying to avoid saying too much about the movie, I really feel my favorite scene was in the room full of siblings of famous people. Wow, was that funny! "He's not Alec!!!!" Don't go to this looking for any award winning moments, though I will say there were a couple times I got a little emotional. This is Christmas entertainment with a wonderful cast and well-written script. The North Pole sets were beautiful and elves hilarious. As much as I enjoyed "The Santa Clause", I enjoyed "Fred Clause" more.

Go see it and take the kids. There's nothing in it that is too racy. There's a message in there too and everyone will love the movie. In the end, we are left with a good Christmas-y feeling.

The only reason I rated it nine out of ten stars is because for a short time in the beginning, it seemed to drag a little bit, belaboring the point that Fred was a loser who cared for no one but himself.

With films like "Wallace & Gromit" and "Chicken Run" under their belt, the good people from the other side of the pond, Aardman Animation, are now introducing us to a bit of their twisted humor in the form of "Creature Comforts".

Derived from a short done early in their careers, "Creature Comforts" is a slice-of-life show where snippets of conversation are removed from their context and given to an animal of some sort.

Aardman Animation went across the country interviewing people with innocuous questions such as, "Are you a liar?" and then speed things up a bit asking about their sex lives.

The answers, while seeming to be boring and mundane, are actually quite funny, when you understand the dialogs come first and the animals are added later.

How many of these animals look like the person making the statements? One of the characters discussing what he looks for in a woman, "I like them kind of thin." is an insect, the Walking Stick.

There are two dogs discussing odors and smells, while sniffing the behind of a poodle, as they talk about the different smells of a woman.

There are two birds in a cage. As the "wife" tells the litany that is her health, her long suffering husband stands by her, saying nothing.

While it might take some time for "Creature Comforts" to find it's "legs", it should find a place on television for those who are tired of the ordinary. While there are more reality shows than Carter has liver pills, "Creature Comforts" is one of a kind and definitely worth watching.

Some of the humor might seem a little racy, it's the claymation that catches the attention of the children (like the old Batman series of the 60's, the jokes are subtle enough the kids won't get them) and it's the jokes that are there for the adults.

What begins as what seems to be a fish out of water story becomes a tale of tolerance for others and the acceptance of that which we cannot change.

Dr. Meg Laurel (portrayed by Lindsey Wagner) was once one of them, an Appalachian mountains resident (my mother being of the same heritage was never a hillbilly so I resent calling them that) who suffered at the hands of a "healer" while a small child.

Fast forward to Dr. Meg as a medical doctor now living in Boston suffering nightmares of her mistreatment so long ago. Following a discussion with her husband, the decision is made to "exorcise" her demons in the form of returning to the Appalachians in order to render modern medical care to those she thought she had left behind so long ago.

Following a rough beginning, losing much of her possessions over the edge of a ridge, Dr. Meg attempts to incorporate herself into the society that by its very nature refuses to accept her. She is given constant reminders of the life that could have been hers but for the grace of God. She attempts to care for a man who should have died but was somehow saved by Granny (portrayed by Jane Wyman) and has a greater time of convincing these people her knowledge and skill as a medical practitioner is really the best way to go.

Dr. Meg is also witness to a wedding between a middle-aged man to a child who is now responsible for raising children not much younger than herself. The fear and concern she shows of this arrangement is never more evident than when the child tells her that at the tender age of about twelve or thirteen she was becoming concerned she would be an "old maid".

She eventually develops a "friendship" of sorts with Granny who she trusts enough to care for her when she develops a cough. To be sure, the treatments Granny utilizes have always been viable for someone with an understanding of nature and even acupuncture, but as a doctor, Dr. Meg has a difficult time accepting this. However, Granny is witness to some miracles of "modern" science as well and comes to see that her way isn't always the best way either.

So as not to give away any ending, the synopsis should stop here but to say this is definitely a movie worth seeing, if for no other reason than to see the beautiful scenery that is so like the Appalachian Mountains. The best reason to watch it is because it gives a wonderful look inside a society that refuses to change, unless it's kicking and screaming, and refuses to allow outsiders in, unless there's a good reason to allow it.

If you like this movie, watch "Songcatcher" with Aiden Quinn and Janet McTeer. Though the premise is different, the basic lessons are the same.

This is actually a very good play. I watched this movie in order to use it as a source for a school paper and in the re-writing, the person responsible for adapting it to this movie format left out a great deal of dialogue, instances do not come to mind at the moment, but it took something away from the movie.

Anthony Hopkins was wonderful in the movie but by the time I was halfway thru the movie, I wanted to choke Nora, so cloying was she. Her voice became fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

I would recommend, academically, the version with Jane Fonda starring in it. It's a significantly better version and not as boring. When I was finished watching this version, I wanted to sue the production company for the hour and a half of my life I lost.

I can't figure out why everyone's being so hard on this movie. It isn't often I can go to a comedy at the theater and actually laugh out loud. However, when I saw this movie this weekend, I wasn't the only one who was laughing, and I mean often. There were times the audience was laughing so much I had trouble hearing the dialog.

This is, simply put, a movie about three guys, almost over the hill, who decide to play some baseball against real Little League teams in the state. It's not about some grand scheme, it's not about the glory, it's about standing up for those who were always picked last in gym, always called names for not being athletic, it's about the little guy and standing up for the underdog.

I have seen other critiques of this movie and people are complaining about the plot line, the dialog, you name it, there's something wrong with it. Don't go to the movie expecting to see any Oscar moments, they simply aren't there. If all you really want a good laugh though, go see this movie. Bill Romanowski plays a character who makes fun of his "roid rage" while he played football. Jon Heder is "almost" Napolean Dynamite, similar voice, but the character is funnier. David Spade has some issues in his personal life that really steal the show (Think Gir in Invader Zim).

I don't want to say too much more about the movie because it would give away something hilarious. As far as being a waste of my money, I plan to go to a matinée this week so I can see it in a less crowded theater and hear the dialog I missed. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so I can watch it several more times.

At the end of the movie, the theater cut off the credits for some reason and the people in the audience fussed until they turned them back on. Not a single person left until the last line had rolled on the credits (also funny, stay and watch them).

This is one hilarious movie and it's "...freakin' awesome!"