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Soccer mom comedy, there’s a new one for me. I must say, not what I expected. I haven’t spent a lot of time devoted to the life and times of a soccer mom, but after Heather McDonald’s “I don’t mean to brag,” it is clearly more interesting than it seems. In this hour special she lays it all out for you, from breastfeeding (or more accurately non-breastfeeding) to her less-than-romantic sex life with her husband (to husbands everywhere, the expiration date of condoms is not a legitimate come-on). When it starts out, you may be thrown by the less-than-funny skit intro, but I assure you, there are a few things worth seeing.

McDonald’s style is funny; howeve,r the speed of her delivery makes following her act challenging. She is a fast-talking wild woman capable making the most boring things sound quite interesting, such as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, as you know, is a serious affliction; however, under the guise of McDonald who speaks of the things she thinks about during her husband’s snoring fits, you can’t help but chuckle at it. Another anecdote that she wields skillfully is the perils of raising three boys and suffering from what she describes as daughter envy. And she does impressions, too. However, I have to say that her impressions leave something to be desired, meaning that they aren’t very good impressions, but I do believe that is the point; her impersonation of Aniston and Barrymore are more of a mockery rather than actual skill.

So you have a horror fan on your shopping list this year. You're not sure if they like classic or slasher. Do they appreciate the wonderful films of the past, or do they like to go for the jugular? You know there's a ton of horror titles out there, but which ones are any good? You also want this gift to be something special. The guy at the store doesn't know Frankenstein from Jason. You ask for his help, and he looks at you like something out of The Walking Dead. Shopping for a horror title scares you more than a walk at Camp Crystal Lake with a bullseye tattooed on your face. Don't lose your head over this one. Anchor Bay and Shout Factory's Scream Factory have that perfect special gift. It's The Halloween Collection. You get the classic John Carpenter film and all of the slash-fest sequels as well. It's 10 films in one high-definition splatter festival. And it won't cost you an arm and a leg... well maybe a foot.

"I met him fifteen years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding; and even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil." 

Here we have a film that knows all the rules and stereotypes of horror films, but instead of twisting things around and turning the genre on its side, we get a convoluted mess that actually had some real potential.  The film is stacked with some solid B-list actors who actually put in performances that remind the viewer why at one point these actors had relatively successful careers.  Brian Austin Green (90210), Mena Suvari (American Pie  and American Beauty), Zack Ward (A Christmas Story and Postal),  and Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13) are some of the actors that fill this cast, all with solid resumes such that you’d expect at any point they could make the leap to the A-list.

A group of friends decide to plan a trip to a secluded resort where they plan to not just have a little fun, but a few of the characters have some big secrets that they plan to reveal.  This isn’t anything scandalous, but instead we are talking about wedding proposals as well as certain characters becoming parents in the not too distant future.  This should be a happy and memorable trip, but things quickly spiral out of control when the caravan of friends arrive at the resort and discover no one else is around.  All the group can discern is that it appears the guests and employees at the resort must have left in a hurry; after all, meals were left behind, pans still on the stove, as well as baths drawn but never taken.  But what the group finds more ominous is the lack of wildlife to be seen or heard; it’s as though they are the only living souls in the area.

The main thing I look for in a movie is “not the same old thing”. So many movies are retreads into comfortable viewing. If we've seen it a million times, we must like it, right? Why fix it if it isn't broke? Unfortunately, most movies are the same old thing because of laziness and apathy. Hollywood doesn't really welcome new ideas. Are You Here is not “the same old thing”. Some people might not like something new, but I do. I like to be challenged by characters that grow right before your eyes and become people you never expected they'd be. Are You Here is basically a romantic comedy, which makes it even more unusual for it to have such challenging characters.

Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson) seems like a loser when we first meet him, with maxed-out credit cards and multiple dates. It turns out he's not a loser, but we don't know that until we see him visit a real loser who lives in a dilapidated mobile home in the middle of nowhere. The loser is Ben Baker (Zach Galifianakis), who is his friend since childhood. They are comfortable, close and happy together as friends, indicating that they may not be that different. The difference is that Steve is so charming and good looking that nothing ever worries him, and everything comes easy. Ben worries about everything, and even though he nearly got his masters’ degree, he is severely dysfunctional. It should be noted that Steve is fairly shallow and Ben is extremely concerned about major issues, but it all evens out when they smoke pot together.

“It’s been a long time getting from there to here.”

But it's finally arrived. We now have all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise on high-definition Blu-ray collections. On the surface, this was the easiest show to release on Blu-ray. It's the only Trek series already in widescreen format, and it's the only one to have been filmed, at least partially, in high definition to begin with. There was a risk, however. The series has gotten some of the most mixed reviews of any of the shows in the franchise. The truth is, it's been getting kinder buzz in the years since it left the air. In fact, most people, myself included, feel that Enterprise was at its very best when it was taken off the air. But cancelled it was, and for the first time in almost 18 years there was not going to be a Star Trek television series on the air. What started with Star Trek: The Next Generation finally came to an end with the final episode of Enterprise.

"If you want to achieve something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse. And we're all utterly sick of hearing excuses."

There are no excuses when it comes to Cinemax's Strike Back. Finding a way is exactly what this team does and what this series is about. These guys can shoot it out with about 200 terrorists and come out with barely a scratch. We're talking action of the highest order. And that was just season 1. Wait until you find out what these guys are up to in season 2. Regulars won't survive, and a lot of bad guys are going to get killed.

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way. Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D O A. It's like you're always stuck in second gear. When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year. But I'll be there for you..."

And for ten years and 236 episodes, they were there for you. It was part of NBC's famous Must See TV Thursday Night. The show has been a perennial Top 10 placeholder in the Nielsen ratings. Who would have ever imagined that a show about six twenty-something (now thirty-something) friends would cause such a commotion? The show has thrived on a very simplistic premise – a group of six friends hanging out together in New York City and more or less enjoying themselves. The setup immediately connected with Gen X’ers and spread like wildfire. The rest, as they say, is history.

It’s that time of year when the studios enjoy churning out their holiday films to help get people into the holly jolly spirit of things.  Thankfully for us bah-humbuggers out there, studios also release films that kick dirt in the face of the holiday season.  Silent Night isn’t the film to play after a night of caroling while trimming the tree and listening to the fire crackle.  Instead this is the film to watch with a six pack and a group of friends to just blow off some steam.

Imagine if Santa had a list, but instead of it being filled with the names of boys and girls who have been good, it had the names of all those who have been naughty.  Sure we would expect Santa to give lumps of coal to those who have misbehaved, but Silent Night delivers a Santa who punishes the bad by taking their lives.  The film is a very loose remake of  Silent Night,Deadly Night; for me this will always be a holiday classic, and for those who are fans of B cinema but somehow missed this title, it’s one worth hunting down and checking out.  As for the current film, I have to say I was surprised that I actually had fun watching it.