JOSHUAJENKINSis unremarkable

I went into this film apprehensively due to the director and raiting. David Schwimmer did surprisingly well, for the most part the direction of the film was spot on. Film rating is one of my initial metrics of quality and this one is rated PG13. Basically anything not rated R is going to suck. Ratings must be getting looser because there were plenty of asses—man asses, unfortunately—and a good deal of swearing.

The plot is pretty thin, guy (Dennis) runs away from pregnant fiancé (Libby) and five years later vows to run a marathon to win her back. A story we can all relate to. Dennis is not fat at all, he's got a beer belly which I assume wasn't even real. There's some running, some drinking, some spatulas, and some pretty good music.

I've decided to allow Simon Pegg into my favorite actors party now that he's wooed me three times. He is just a straight up hilarious person and he puts so much personality in to his characters (even if they're all essentially the same guy). Thandie Newton, whom I was completely unaware of, was absolutely fantastic. She played her part very well and I instantly fell in love with her. Dylan Moran plays his usual weird part well. Hank Azaria's part I could do with or without, obviously Pegg needs a foil in the film but he was just sort of a wishy-washy asshole. I actually really enjoyed Matthew Fenton's part despite the fact that he is a kid and kids are the worst invention ever.

Watching the movie just made me want to move to London and run a marathon and have a gorgeous fiancé to walk out on. It should be noted that this movie was sponsored by Nike, the London Taxation Authority, and Gorgeous Women, Inc. Coincidence? I think not.

It's a fun couple of hours and if you have any sense of humor you should see it.

••

Let's all bow our heads and say goodbye to my old terrible site design, and welcome the new puppy. I realize there are a few missing images and a couple weird issues to take care of, I'll be working on it.

••

It's hard to say anything about this book and not feel like a failure at writing. It's a damn good book and unbelievably well written.

The story is quick but sharp. It focuses entirely on the struggle of a father and his young son in a post-apocalyptic world. The disaster that apparently ended the world, the father's name, and the son's name is never disclosed, yet it remains personal. The father's struggle to provide for himself and his son years after after the frozen world has produced any fresh food. The way the boy grows in a world everyone he meets can be assumed to want him dead.

Essentially a story examining human nature in the time of crisis, The Road is very real and very powerful. Definitely not the kind of book I normally read but would absolutely recommend this to anyone. Carry a dictionary, McCarthy's vocabulary is daunting at best.

••

I know this show is technically over, but TBS has decided to drop all other programming in favor of a twenty-four hour Ray day.

Let's talk about Debra. Debra is a fucking bitch.

Ray can't say this because she will revoke his yearly sexing and you probably can't say that on network or cable television unless you're the FX channel and you're TOTALLY PUSHING THE BOUNDS. She just sits around all day waxing her unibrow and beating the kids while Ray goes out and busts his hump watching sporting events and occasionally writing about the experience. He gets home from a long day and she just yells at him and buys hideous curtains and couches without reclining footrests.

The show is literally many years of Debra telling Ray how he's wrong. Sometimes he is right and I just want to know why he wrote a show that empowers women that are bitches and the audience claps. Damn it society and Ray and life!

••