Quick update and more From The Shelf. . .

Whew it's been a busy week. Working a lot of overtime so that now that I'm caught up with finances I can finally begin to enjoy some of that money. Went out with some friends for coffee last night. Worked til 8 tonight and then came home and watched "The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" DVD I had picked up this week. Funny :)

Just need to make it through tomorrow and then a three day weekend starts! Even with the o.t., though, I've been in a much better mood this week than I've been in months at work. I've just felt more energetic and had more stamina than I've had in a very long time. Today was just the first time I had a hint of wearing out, but I still wasn't reaady to throw in the towel. God's been helping me out there.

Big holiday weekend coming up. Saturday Erin and I are going to check out Arts, Beats, and Eats in Pontiac, which I've heard was fun. Sunday is church and then I don't know what's up. Maybe I'll check out a movie. Labor Day Erin and I are going to the Renaissance Festival. Should be fun stuff!

I'm also going to be at my parents' house this weekend, taking care of the dog while they go camping. I don't know if I'm going to bring my laptop, since it's such a busy weekend already and I hate using dial up now that I've tasted cable internet. So I want to get out some more of my reviews of films on my DVD shelf. . .

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: This was the first movie I ever saw, in a drive-in at the age of 2. When I saw it again during the rerelease two years back, it was such a joy to realize Spielberg's film hadn't lost any of that magic. It should be a required part of growing up to watch this movie, because it's so magic and heartwarming. I still get choked up at the end, I still laugh at E.T. stumbling around drunk, and I still grin like a 10-year old boy when those bikes fly. A truly joyous film.

School of Rock: The two best comedies out last year were notable simply because they had two decidedly adult comedians in family films. While I prefer "Elf" over this film, I do love "School of Rock" simply because it is one of those films that matches an actor perfectly. Could anyone other than Jack Black have been in this film? He's perfect to watch and looks to be having so much fun. The kids aren't annoying or sugary in this; in fact, they get some of the film's best jokes. And Richard Linklater, who made films like Before Sunrise and Sunset and the superb Waking Life, is able to bring comedy and a love for music together in a film that is enjoyable for kids to watch (why is this film PG-13?) and yet even better for grown-ups.

Ocean's Eleven: Again, this could have been a case of a great director and great actors slumming. Steven Soderbergh was hot off of Traffic, Erin Brokovich, and Out of Sight. And he assembled a cast of some of the biggest actors around to make. . . a heist film remake? The idea was almost as big a gamble as the job the cons are trying to pull off. And yet, the film is a blast to watch each time. George Clooney proves that he's the coolest man in the universe and Brad Pitt continues show great taste in picking roles. I love that the movie plays with the audience; it doesn't tell us how the heist is going to go down and leaves us thinking that plot twists are catching Danny Ocean off guard, when really everything's playing into his hands. I can't wait to see the sequel this Christmas.

There's Something About Mary: While the Farrelly Brothers have turned out some comedy classics (Dumb and Dumber is Gone With the Wind of guy movies and Kingpin was very underrated), they never quite returned to their no-holds barred humor after the success of this movie. But this is them at the top of their game. Cameron Diaz is radiant in it, Ben Stiller is always best playing normal guy roles, and Matt Dillon is having fun as a sleazeball. But this is the Farrelly's movie. Watching the infamous "zipper scene" again a few months ago, I'm constantly amazed at their comic timing with the jokes in this. And while it opened the gate for more offensive comedy to walk through (does anyone think of hair gel the same way?), it has a sweetness and sincerity to the love story that makes everything. . . well, that much more funny.

Bruce Almighty: I was going to pass this movie, because I was convinced that no movie starring Jim Carrey playing God could have anything redeeming in it. Then, I heard positive reviews from Christians, so I decided to check it out. While NOT a theologically correct film, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not offensive when dealing with God, but in fact pretty respectful. True, the New Agey-we all just gotta love each other theme was a bit sappy, but the movie thankfully found it's humor in other places. It's funny in places, touching in others and a genuinely sweet, fun movie. Not Carrey's best work (again, Dumb and Dumber), but it's certainly not The Majestic.

Comedian: I have always been fascinated by stand up comedy. The idea of being able to stand up and tell jokes for a living has always struck me as the best job in the world. I've often harbored (and still do have) dreams of being the guy behind the mic. But if this film is any indication, I'd have less stress as a fireman. This documentary follows Jerry Seinfeld as he deals with life after his sitcom, deciding to start his routine from scratch and play at small clubs. It shows him agonizing over flubbed lines and working just to have five minutes of material. It shows that the true joy in the job is standing behind that microphone and making people laugh. A very enlightening documentary.

Remember the Titans: My favorite sports movie of all time and one of the best male tearjerkers around. I love sports movies because they can tackle bigger subjects and this film handles race relations very well. Denzel Washington is great in this and the cast is good at what they do. But the story and heart behind it is what moves it. There's pure joy in the scenes of victory and can there be a dry eye around during that hospital visit?

Signs: M. Night Shyamalan's best film and his scariest. Seeing this in a packed theatre with the sound cranked up was an intense experience. Not seeing, but hearing the aliens is nerve-wracking, which is why the suspense is loosened a bit when we finally get our close up. Mel Gibson is good as the priest struggling with this faith (guess he got it back in time for his next directing gig). The twist at the end is a bit forced, but I liked the overall theme of faith and how Shyamalan mixed in humor and depth with the thrills. The anti-Independence Day proves you don't need to blow up New York to make a good alien invasion flick.

Goodfellas: Not just the best mob movie ever, this film may be one of the best films of the past 25 years. Scorsese is at the top of his game here, with a film that seems to roar across the screen with relentless energy. Of course the acting by Ray Liotta, Robert Deniro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino is superb. The music accompanying the scenes is the best-fitting soundtrack I've ever heard. Yes, the language and violence are explicit and shocking, but that's the point as this movie strips away the allure of the mob by showing us the ugly consequences it entails.

Frailty: Bill Paxton's directorial debut was one whacked-out movie. You know you've succeeded at making a horror film when you get raves from Sam Raimi and Stephen King. Paxton stars as a blue collar man convinced that God has chosen him as his avenging angel and he takes his kids along on his mission. Paxton had the good sense to steer clear of graphic violence and instead focus on atmosphere and mood in this film. It's scary and tense as heck and builds up to one of the bravest, craziest endings I've ever seen. If you like scary movies, you should have seen this one already.

C-Dubbs