Here’s lookin at you kid. Tomorrow is another day. If you build it he will come. I love lamp.

They work their way into our lives and our vocabulary without us even realizing it. We use them in everyday conversations, and in trivial pursuit, and at bar trivia.  We use them to prove points, and to disprove points, and sometimes we use them when we just don’t know what else to say. (“Uh…I’m going streaking?”) We use them over and over and over again. We use them so often that eventually, they will end up on a list just like this one.

10. Leave the gun, take the cannoli. The Godfather. Why is every male obsessed with this movie, and this line in particular? I mean, sure, the cannoli is way more appealing than the gun, but if you were in this situation wouldn’t it make more sense to take care of the murder weapon?

9. You talkin’ to me? Oh, Robert De Niro. Oh, Taxi Driver. I’ve never seen this movie, but even I know this line. I think that alone is enough to prove that it is seriously overused.

8. I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. Normally I’m a sucker for anything Julia Roberts, and it’s not the movie itself that I find to be such a cliché. It’s the line itself. I’m just a girl asking a boy to love me. Ew. Gag me.

7. Going to the mattresses. Also from The Godfather. I hear this one all the time too. But I’ll be honest, the only reason I know that, and probably the only reason I notice it at all, is because they mention this line, specifically, in You’ve Got Mail.

6. There’s no place like home. It’s true. I’ll give them that. There is no place like home. But for some people that’s a good thing, a very good thing.

5. Go ahead, make my day! You can’t see me but I’m rolling my eyes as I remember every time anyone has ever used this phrase on me. (I always accept the challenge.)

4. Nobody puts baby in the corner. Not even Patrick Swayze could save this one from making the top five. I mean, if the phrase itself isn’t enough to induce eye rolling and gagging noises putting it into the context in the scene sure is.

3. May the force be with you. Confession: Stars Wars is my pop culture blind spot. This line is the only thing I even know about the franchise and, no offense to any fans, it’s more than enough information for me.

2. Bond, James Bond. It’s not so much the phrase itself that makes this one completely overused and ridiculous so much as it is the setup. I mean, what if every time someone asked me where I was interning I was all I write for Candy, College Candy?

1. I’ll be back. Okay. Fine. I admit it. This one takes the top spot more for the terrible accents that always accompany the use of this phrase rather than for the phrase itself. Come on – can even read this phrase without trying to impersonate the governor of California. You can’t, can you?

Your turn. Give me some other overused movie catchphrases. 

So let’s be real, we all cried a little bit when we found out Brad and Jen were splitting, and some of us are still sticking pins in our Angelina Jolie voodoo dolls not over it. In fact, thanks to our obsession with celebrities, faux-lebrities and TV/movies, we often find ourselves more invested in Hollywood/fictional couples than we do in our own relationships.

But who can blame us? It doesn’t take a Patti Stanger to know that our hot-wings-eating, HALO-playing, Edward-40-hands-lovin’ boy toys pale in comparison to the romantic, doting, sexy Prince Charmings we see in our weekly tabloids and primetime TV shows.

What girl wouldn’t yearn for her very own vampire (think True Blood, not Twilight)? Or an Upper East Side romance? The picture perfect couples are everywhere we look, and even if we aren’t half of one, it’s the holiday of looooove (duh, Valentine’s Day, people) so let’s melt, ooze and swoon over some of our favorite duos.

It is rare to find a good sequel (think Grease 2)…let alone one that rivals the original film in quality. And that’s where I come in. I’m about to tell you seven sequels that are worth watching.

Click on any movie to begin

What’s your favorite movie sequel? Which of these do you agree with and which of these do you completely disagree with?

For those not in the know, the San Diego Convention Center becomes a mecca every summer for fans of comics, science fiction, fantasy, and a lot of stuff in between. But even if you’re not a fan of any of those things (or a self-proclaimed geek like me!), Comic-Con has expanded over the years to encompass whatever’s hot in pop culture.

So if you’re going to be in SoCal from July 23-26 and can get yourself a pass, here are some reasons why you should check out Comic-Con (and if you can’t go this year, definitely mark your calendars for 2010):

1.   Check out upcoming films way before they’re released and hear from the filmmakers and cast.
The movie panels are a big hit each year, and 2009 isn’t going to be any different. Dozens of movies are going to be previewed at Comic-Con, but here’s just a sampling of what’s on the schedule next week: Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Avatar, Zombieland, 2012, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (Heath Ledger’s last film), Astro Boy…and, of course, Twilight. Yes, the cast is going to be there. Including RPattz.

Cue fangirl screams.

2.    Sit in on discussions and upcoming season previews with the cast and crew of your favorite TV shows.
Get the scoop on TV’s most popular shows from the writers themselves (and the hott-with-a-double-“t” cast members!). Shows that will be represented include Smallville, True Blood, Heroes, Dollhouse, Family Guy, Chuck, Lost, 24, and Dexter. If I could just see Stephen Moyer, Milo Ventimiglia, Joss Whedon, and Kiefer Sutherland, I would be able to die a happy, happy woman.

3.   It’s not just about the shows, movies, and comics – there’s intellectual discussion to be found!
Comic-Con will be hosting several discussion panels with college professors, writers, and other experts on everything from parody in art to the anthropology of Star Trek. There are a number of panels relating to women in pop culture and comics specifically, so put your thinking caps on, ladies!

4.    Did you dream about being a filmmaker as a kid? Well, now you can learn how to make your own movie, from pre-production to DVD!
Comic-Con is sponsoring a four-day film school seminar taught by professional filmmakers and screenwriters. They’ll walk you through the film-making process and show you how to make your dream a reality at a low cost. It may not be as comprehensive as film school, but for you aspiring screenwriters and directors out there, it’s not a bad way to spend your time at Comic-Con.

5.    It’s like Halloween in the summertime.
Many hardcore fans dress up in costumes at Comic-Con to show their dedication to what they love. Regardless of whether or not you choose to dress up, it’s fun to see all the different costumes, especially the ornate ones. After all, it’s not every day that you see a real-life Hellboy walking around!

6.   Free stuff!
Need I say more?

7.   Three words: Hot. Geeky. Guys.
And no, I don’t just mean the gorgeous actors who will be there to talk with fans and sign autographs. You won’t find more nerds anywhere else, so if you’re like me and love a geeky guy, you’d better high-tail it to San Diego (and take me with you, please!).

Or, I don’t know…knowing he has a girlfriend?

I found myself in that precarious situation this past weekend. I was hangin’ out when I was approached by a fine specimen of a man. He was tall, dressed really well and his smile made me melt. We totally hit it off and soon found ourselves making out in the bar like we were Freshmen at a frat party.

He invited me back to his place and, eagerly, I obliged.

When we arrived back at his place – which was a far cab ride from my own abode – he went to the kitchen to get some much needed water and I started to look around. And I began to notice a recurring theme: cute kissy photos of him and a very adorable looking girl. Tons of them. Everywhere.

Clearly, this boy had a girlfriend.

He came back out of the kitchen, pushed me against a wall and began grabbing at my dress. I didn’t know what to do. I mean – he had a freaking GIRLFRIEND. What if that was me? What if my boyfriend was out picking up girls? But at the same time, he hit on me. He pursued me. This was his choice, not mine.

And he was such a good kisser.

In my drunken haste I rationalized with myself: my dress was already halfway down around my legs, so there was nothing I could do now. I was way too far away from home to walk. And not knowing the girlfriend made it all OK. This was the boy’s choice, so how could any of this be my fault?

Now that the Amstel Light has left my system, though, I am not quite sure how I feel. I fear the evil wrath of Karma coming back to haunt me and a sleazy cheating boyfriend in my future. I fear that there is no hope for monogamy. And I feel incredibly guilty for waking up in some other girl’s spot the next morning.

I know that this guy is old enough to make his own mistakes, but being the guilt ridden Jewish girl that I am I can’t stop wondering if stopping this sex train was my responsibility. Should I have walked away?

[See what our friends at Lemondrop think!]

When guys tell me that they think Natalie Portman is the hottest girl alive, I secretly jump for joy. I’ve been crushing hard on Natalie Portman for.e.ver, because on top of being a great actress, she also seems like a real person — the type of girl you’d want to be best friends with.

For starters she’s beautiful and brainy. I mean the girl is a Harvard grad! And brainiacs (OK, nerds) around the globe fell head over heels for her for her role as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. She continued to be loved by guys everywhere for her role in V for Vendetta. And I’m sure many guys fled to the theatres to see her naked in Hotel Chevalier.

But she isn’t just for the boys. She’s appeared in chick flicks such as Where the Heart Is, Anywhere But Here, The Other Boleyn Girl and Closer. Not to mention everyone’s favorite indie flicks, Garden State and My Blueberry Nights. Her roles have greatly varied, showing that she’s a versatile actress.

And, come on, Natalie Portman is absolutely gorgeous as well. She’s the muse of Zac Posen; guest-judged on Project Runway; posed as Audrey Hepburn on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar; and very few ladies can pull off a shaved head, but Natalie rocked it, along with some super cute boyish hairstyles while her hair grew back.

Unlike some other Hollywood starlets, though, my BFF Natalie doesn’t spend her days eating fro-yo and buying expensive handbags. This girl’s a do-gooder.  She was named the first Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International. I mean, she visits sick children in the hospital multiple times a week and even designs vegan shoes!

Her taste in men is at times questionable to the outside viewer, but that makes me crush harder. The fact she doesn’t have an apparent “type” is something a lot of us girls can relate to. She’s been linked to Jude Law, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and even Robert Pattinson. So, pretty much a truckload of hot men.

She’s the girl that is so amazing that you almost hate her. And while I’m jealous of how awesome she is (and funny – have you heard the Natalie’s Rap?), I’d rather declare my girl crush than try to shove her in a locker.

Oh, and Natalie? If you’re still considering a relationship with another chick, give me a call. I’d totally switch teams for you.

The first time I’d ever heard of Watchmen was when I went to see The Dark Knight. There was a trailer with an amazing Smashing Pumpkins song, and it looked pretty cool. The trailer mentioned something about being based off of a graphic novel, so when I got home I called the bf since he worked at a comic book store in high school. (Nerdcore, I love it.) He told me that it was really good, and since I’d never read a graphic novel before, it’d be a good one to start off with. So I went and bought a copy.

I FRIGGIN LOVED IT. Here’s why I’m stoked about anything Watchmen; book or movie:

1) Incredibly well written: The entire time, I couldn’t put it down. Without giving anything away, it’s about a group of masked vigilantes who are considered superheroes, but only one of them has an actual power. The world is going down the crapper and they have to save it. But there’s just so much more to it than that. It’s written amazingly and you get everyone’s background history. You really get involved. Plus it’s won a Hugo award and is the only graphic novel on Time magazine’s “Best 100 English Language Novels,” which means it’s not just me who’s thinks it’s amazing.

2) Silk Spectre is badass: For once there’s a woman in a graphic novel who isn’t a total cheeseball. No offense to Wonder Woman or Catwoman, but the Silk Spectre would kick their butts, and look amazing doing it. You go girl.

3) In the film, Jeffery Dean Morgan plays the Comedian: Ever since Denny Duquette, this man has had my heart. I will gladly pay money to see him in anything. I can’t wait.

4) The underlying theme that anyone can be a hero: Like I said, only one of the “super heroes” has any real power. The rest are just normal everyday humans. They take it upon themselves to rescue humanity, whether the general population likes it or not. Yeah, vigilantism can be pretty stupid, but there’s just something about people stepping up for what is right that will always be inspiring, fiction or non-fiction.

5) It’s a graphic novel that men AND WOMEN can enjoy: Trust me, this one isn’t just for the boys. This is the first and only graphic novel that I’ve read, so it’s not like this is coming from one of those kids. Seriously, it reads like a novel, and it has a story that anyone can enjoy. Women can even appreciate the fact that there’s a well written love triangle in the story; it’s almost like watching a soap. It’s not like the horrid love story of Anakin and Padme from Star Wars. “Anni, you’re breaking my heart!” Really George Lucas? REALLY?

So I encourage you: go out and pick up a copy. Hell, put it on your wish list. You won’t regret it.

The 5 BEST places to meet men (According to ME!)

Sporting event- Let’s face it, most men love sports. Men also love women who love sports… and women who wear baseball hats (trust me on this one). And being in a college town, there is no shortage of men or sporting events. So grab a baseball hat and head to the B-ball game!

In line for The Dark Knight (or insert other highly anticipated dude-flick here). Think about how many hours YOU waited in line for the Sex and the City movie, surrounded by all that estrogen (which confused your body so much that you got your period, TWICE). How happy would you have been if there was some man-candy there (gay or dragged along by his girlfriend clearly doesn’t count). Now reverse the sitch. 100 dudes, 1 chick. And a chick who is also waiting to see Batman (in a baseball hat)?! Done aaaand done.

Class: We all have that cute boy in class. The one who comes looking like a disheveled mess who was out partying all night – on a Monday - but is actually smart and eloquent and totally into today’s discussion (but not in the teacher suck-up sort of way). Class is a great time to actually get to know someone – because, lets face it- if you would have met him last night at the bar, chances are nothing would have come of it. So suggest a study date!

Dorm: Living in the dorm is like being at glorified summer camp only better, longer, and includes booze. The best part? You don’t have to bunkhop with a flashlight in the middle of the night to go see your crush.

Vacation: This is PRIME time to meet someone, ladies. Everyone is on the prowl on vacay and it doesn’t hurt that everyone is all about margaritas on vacation too. So take advantage. I can’t tell you how many relationship/marriage stories I know of people who met while on vacation.

So that completes my running list of best places to man hunt. Now ladies, we all could use some help on this one… share below! I’ll see you in line for Star Wars in a few weeks…

[Photo courtesy of Flickr.com]

And they’re surprisingly date-able.

I sat down the other night with two of my geekiest friends, Patrick and Jeff (not their real names), to discuss geek love. I asked them why a girl should date a geeky guy, and they gave me an intricate look at the geek lifestyle and how it translates into relationships.

First, we lay down the definition of a geek. They explain to me the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork. In their opinion, dorks and nerds are both socially awkward beings –– dorks because they’re too dumb and nerds because they’re too smart. A geek, on the other hand, is the perfect specimen.

“How do you approach a girl you have a crush on?” I ask.

“I do that?” Patrick asks back. Jeff explains to me that geeky guys don’t approach girls they like in order to ask them out. Out of a fear of rejection, they try to be friends first. I ask the guys how well this works out, they agree: not well.

Patrick tells me: “In high school [Jeff] pitched to me the idea of Dungeons & Dragons because he said girls would be there.” I ask Patrick if this worked out and he just gives me a what-do-you-think? look.

According to Patrick and Jeff, geeks are the perfect boyfriends for three main reasons: they are sweet, loyal and smart. It only makes sense that the same guy who memorizes a hundred Star War’s alien species will remember every last detail about his girlfriend and her love for all things Gossip Girl. And the imaginative guy that plays games like D & D (Dungeons and Dragons, for all you non-geeks out there) will also be the guy who comes up with adorable date/gift ideas…and maybe some awesome role-playing in the bedroom. Rar.

“God doesn’t give with both hands,” the old cliché goes. I firmly believe this. In my ten-odd years of dating, I’ve learned that the prettier and more charming the boy, the more vapid the boy’s brain. Those of us not blessed with fashion model looks or disarming charm had to develop (gasp!) personalities to compensate.

Geeks have personality in droves, and the coping mechanisms they developed in high school help them considerably in relationships. They weren’t the most popular kids in school (duh), and their after-school activities weren’t considered cool (audio visual club, etc.), so they formed tight cliques with like-minded friends, thus developing their loyalty. Geeky boys also had to rely on humor to survive; who could make fun of them when they were making fun of themselves first?

All the qualities that make a geek a geek also make a geek a good boyfriend. What girl doesn’t want a sweet, loyal, imaginative, romantic, funny guy who can also fix her computer and explain how a supernova forms? So, while you might have been glued to the football field bleachers in high school searching for the perfect boyfriend, now that you’re out of school it’s time to move away from the jocks and towards the geeks.

The relationship will be far more rewarding.

[Photo courtesy of hollywoodjesus.com]

If you answered yes to any of these questions and still can’t seem to find the perfect holiday present for the techie in your life, here’s a list of gifts that are sure to tickle their flash drive.

• AnnoyATron – ($9.99) – If you know someone who gets a kick out of watching people squirm, buy them a cheap and easy way to be the bane of their co-workers’ (or professor’s) existence! The AnnoyATron is a tiny device that once hidden, emits loud beeping sounds without any real rhythm. After a few minutes, most victims will probably go crazy trying to figure out what they’re hearing. A high tech version of the old cell phone prank. Nice.

• Micro Spy Remote – ($8.99) – Another way to piss people off! This tiny universal remote has the ability to change the channel on almost any television set. Whether your nerd is at the doctor’s, in a bar, or just at a friend’s house, stealthily changing the channels is sure to either A) confuse the hell out of people, or B) make them think they have a ghost. And believe me, when people really think there’s a ghost controlling their TV…it’s hilarious.

• Matias Folding Keyboard – ($59.95) – Sometimes you just need to bring your very own personal keyboard with you everywhere you go.

• GelaSkins – (varies) – Plain old laptops and cell phones are boring. Spice up the life of your favorite geek by giving them a way to customize their gadgets with stunning visual art.

• USB Coffee Warmer – ($24.99) – Does your nerd have a hard time drinking all their coffee before it goes skunky and cold? Do they enjoy the cool taste of ice water all day? If so, get them this little device that keeps things either (you guessed it) hot or cold using the power of USB.

• Open It – ($10.99) – In case the geek in your life needs an all-in-one tool for opening lots of packages containing computer parts…or blow up dolls.

• LED Blow on-off candles – ($11.99) – candles are cool, but you know what’s even cooler? Fake candles that you can blow on or off, plus change the color of their flame. Perfect mood lighting for blissful geek love moments.