It Ain't Cool

Watched: "P.S." -- Dylan Kidd's followup to "Roger Dodger," a sharp little film about the end of male pigheaded-ness. Laura Linney plays a just-turned-forty admissions officer at Columbia University who comes across an art applicant who resembles, acts like, talks like, and has the same name as her high school boyfriend, who died in a car accident when he was 17. Topher Grace is the applicant. The movie plays out in ways I wasn't expecting, but it never crystalizes into anything special. Linney is friggin awesome in this, and she's what holds it together. Grace is good too, but check out his more recent work in "In Good Company" first. Marcia Gay Harden plays yet another unlikeable character. I can't tell if it's her I hate, or just the characters she plays. I couldn't stand her in "Mystic River," and she's nails-on-a-chalkboard in this too. 3/5.

Ain't It Cool News has a new site design, and it hurts my eyes. I don't understand why big fat Harry Knowles can't catch up with the rest of the online community and put together a decent layout. I mean, AICN is supposedly the first-in-line for any breaking movie news; they have all these "spies" and "sources" that can infiltrate the fortresses of studio offices. Yet they can't hire a $5/hr web designer? Come on! And don't tell me that's their appeal...that it's a reflection of the "underground" and "rebellious" spirit of the site. That might've worked in like 1996 or something, but a lot has changed since then. The internet isn't the new kid on the block, it isn't the secret weapon mere citizens can use against the big bad studios. And AICN ain't alone anymore. There are literally hundreds of movie news sites out there. What's so great about AICN, then? NOTHING. Maybe it's just me. I've lost my interest in the rumor mill and frankly only give a film my attention when the trailer comes out. What do I care what Michael Bay says on the set of "The Island"? Unless it's "I'm retiring," I'm not interested. Plus, AICN is increasingly geared towards geekdom. And while yes, I'm a geek, I'm not a geek about Anime, crazy kung fu movies, Godzilla, King Kong, or Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (especially that one). At least CHUD.com gives good commentary and reports on a wider range of film developments. Plus their layout doesn't make me want to barf.

The point is, Harry Knowles deserves a swift kick in the balls.