That wheezing sound you hear is the last original idea in Hollywood dying a slow, undignified death. Fox announced a few days ago that it’s developing a TV show based on Texts From Last Night, a website founded a little over six months ago that aggregates embarrassing texts sent in by users (sample: “I woke up in my own vomit, a chunk of cactus in my thigh, shirtless, with jons mom poking at me with a glass of dr pepper and a talk about god….damn alcohol”).

After years of airing reality shows that have been progressively more awful, I shouldn’t be surprised that Fox has yet again proven to be the network most willing to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Still, though, I’m amazed that the Hollywood Reporter claims there was “strong interest from several networks” in a TV show based on TFLN. Don’t get me wrong – TFLN is the second best. site. on earth (this is #1), but how exactly do you write a show about funny text messages? How could anybody have thought this would be a good idea? And isn’t there already a show highlighting embarrassing moments of 20-somethings? I think it’s called The Real World.

Maybe Fox is just trying to compete with whichever network ends up with the inevitably terrible Twitter game show, which promises to “harness Twitter to put players on the trail of celebrities in an interactive, competitive format.” Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing, has also announced that he’s working on a feature film about Facebook. Seriously.

After hearing about movies and TV shows based on web sites, the film adaptations of board games like Monopoly, Candy Land, and Ouija Board that are currently in the works sound positively Oscar-worthy by comparison. What’s next, a movie about Netflix? A miniseries about Wikipedia? A weekly series based on FML?

Actually, what am I talking about? I’d totally watch that.

I am a chronic list-maker, whether I have to make a difficult decision or not.  Lists help me organize my thoughts and remember important facts and details that I need for later.  However, there are some things that I would rather forget and that’s what this week’s showdown concerns.

I’m a fan of movies.  Netflix is my homie and I try to go to the movie theater every week.  Every movie is like a 2-hour escape from reality.  Every movie is also 2-hours that you have to spend with the actors and actresses who are trying to convince you that the movie set they’re running around on is actually another planet instead of a back lot in L.A.  Sometimes, those actors and actresses get a little annoying…and sometimes they get a lot annoying.

Today we’re going to look at two pretty annoying actresses – Megan Fox and Kristen Stewart.  Which one makes the title “actress” more of an irony than a career?  Which one is more ridiculously over-hyped? We shall let the list decide. Read More »

So winter is almost done and over with. Yay!

But we’ve still got a few more weeks of nasty weather ahead. Boo.

Even though we’ll start breaking out the pastels and cute shoes soon (soon being a relative term, as I personally refuse to wear pastels until it’s above 75 degrees), there will still be a host of rainy days and foul weather between now and “running through a field of flowers” weather. And, let’s be honest for a second; warm weather often means a boring desk job, during which time you will need plenty of things to do to pass the time.

So what does one do when they can‘t get out and play? Turn to the internet, of course! Here’s a quick list of ten sites to get you through the end of winter and beyond! Read More »

Now that I’ve been in New York City for two weeks, I’ve had a chance to begin exploring this incredible place, but I’ve also taken quite a hard hit on my bank account. Being a broke college student, I have a very tight budget when it comes to personal luxuries, but I still want to enjoy what the city has to offer, from exotic dining to cultural sites.

As far as eating out goes, I’ll have to tighten my belt a little; I’ve already eaten in a few great places, but I’m keeping my eye on cheap places. Here are a few tips I’ve learned so far about living affordably in ANY city for the summer:

• Always look for a student rate at museums. The Met and other major museums will always have student rates, so bring your college ID; you’ll be able to enjoy a taste of culture at about half price.

• Cook for yourself. It’s great to try new places to eat, but you can’t eat out every day. Restaurants will be a serious blow to your finances, so if you have access to a kitchen, use it! Find your closest grocery store and stock up on easy-to-prepare foods like pasta. Liven up your meals by getting a recipe book and stocking up on fresh vegetables. Read More »

Something Old: The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979)

Something New: Semi-Pro (2008)

The Connection: Both are disco-licious basketball comedies – my favorite genre

I am a cynic by nature. I don’t go to church. I don’t play the lottery. I don’t read books that the general population agrees are good. I don’t watch Extreme Home Makeover. I don’t think Barack Obama can revolutionize America. I don’t believe in procreation. I don’t coo over puppies.

But one of the few things that can consistently penetrate my hard-ass realist exterior is an underdog sports movie. Seriously. I can’t explain it, but ever since Rudy, this cheesiest of movie genres has had the ability to burrow in to my stone-cold heart and leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, and sometimes even a little teary-eyed. It’s embarrassing but true, and I take a special kind of guilty pleasure in indulging this ever-so-sissy aspect of myself.

And while The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh is certainly no Rudy, it does the double-duty of being a satisfying underdog sports film and a campy tribute to the disco age (YESSSS!). Set in, duh, Pittsburgh, the film centers around a pro basketball team called the Pittsburgh Pythons that’s on the brink of extinction due to their horrendous track record. In an attempt to save the team, the young waterboy contacts an astrologer (Stockard Channing) to ask for advice, and she determines that the key to success is to create a team of players born under the sign Pisces – hence, the film’s title. Read More »

Put a “Mork” in it–it’s done! More like Mrs. Doubt-fired! Can’t-”Patch”-up-this-marriage Adams.

I could go on, but I think you get the gist: Robin Williams is ending his 19-year marriage to Marcia Garces Williams, the former nanny of his child with another wife, Valerie Valardi (holy baby mama drama, Batman!). REPORTS cite “irreconcilable differences.”

All I can say is: sad face.

Who cares if his volume of body hair exceeds that of any animal featured alongside him in Jumanji? Robin Williams is a wildly talented and totally hilarious mofo, with a pretty extensive acting range–he was behind the greatest story of forbidden love ever, FernGully, and then went on to win an Oscar for his role in Good Will Hunting.

So, in the wake of this devastating news, I’m going to go back in Robin Williams time and think about all the interesting movies he has done…

#5: Mrs. Doubtfire

Talk about character development! But more importantly, talk about how ADORABLE Matthew Lawrence is!! What’s he up to these days, anyway? Do you think he’s single?…Perhaps looking to mingle? Wait, where was I–Oh, right! Read More »