Rated R – 1h40 -

Just as much as Mel Gibson knows how to shoot his mouth off in the worst ways…he can also do just the opposite and make a really exciting action-thriller. This is one of them.

In the oddly named Edge Of Darkness, Tom Craven (Gibson) is a Boston Detective, whose adult daughter is murdered on her return home. Craven begins to put the pieces together to uncover a deeper conspiracy that proves to be a challenge to unfold.

High marks go out to our bad guy in this one. I won’t spoil who are what they are, but they are evil. They are double evil. The only way they could be worse is if they were peering out the castle tower window, tenting their fingers and delivering a low-toned bwahh-ha ha ha haaaa.

I wouldn’t justify Gibson’s acting performance here as a justification for his notable harsh words, but he does great work creating likeable characters. Tom Craven is just, honest and vengeful, like you expect a clean Boston cop to be.

Mel Gibson seems to be at his best when he plays a cop hell bent on finding the truth. seasoned few actors such as Clint Eastwood, who can enter their golden years on screen with more style than Georgio Armani.

It’s hard not to think of The Departed while watching this one considering all the similar connections. I think that’s Notably older than his Lethal Weapon mainstay, I wondered while watching this if he’s turning into the OK, because this isn’t trying to copy Martin Scorsese, it’s just got a similar background.

In any case this is probably the best flick in 2010 so far.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Like Homer Simpson loves donuts, I love home improvement projects.

Now, I’ll admit that some of the love might be for the conceptualizing of the project, the tools of the project, and the Home Depot and Menards trips for the project. In fact, even if I don’t have a home improvement project going,  I feel a regular need to wander the aisles just looking for stuff that I forgot that I kinda needed.

So when I saw this video I thought, “I need a better tape measure. I need one that will do that.”

See you wandering the aisles this weekend….

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     So, as I prepare to watch the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night, I realize I’ve got a lot more preparin’ to do.  Take the Best New Artist category.  I don’t know a single artist…even after I googled and youtubed ‘em.  For what its worth, nominee and R&B artist Keri Hilson certainly can sing and has had a number of hits this year.

     For the big three (Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year), I’ll go along with what everyone else is saying.  Taylor Swift should sweep.  She’s super talented–not a lot of country artists write their own songs, you know.  And she’s super sweet and nice–the “awshucks” thing she’s got going hasn’t gotten old yet.  And I get the feeling she’ll be super grateful as well.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Sometimes the stars align and things go right.

Ever since I heard of the new Jeff Bridges- Maggie Gyllenhaal movie Crazy Heart sometime last year, I’ve been patiently waiting.

Jeff Bridges is one of my all time favorite actors.  Not just because he’s starred in one of my favorite movies ever (The Big Lebowski,) but also because I respect the choices he’s made as an actor.   He’s more than just The Dude character and I think he’ll prove that in Crazy Heart and his upcoming remake of True Grit.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is another favorite of mine too.  I think she’s intelligent, creative and is one of the actresses who believes her work is art and always improves on her craft.  She’s also drop dead gorgeous!

That being said, I’ll have my review right here on Monday.  Happy movie watching!

Popularity: 3% [?]

In my opinion, the scariest movie ever made was Poltergeist.

Part of the reason I thought it was so scary is because of Zelda Rubenstein.  She played the psychic who came to the haunted house, tried to channel the spirits and came up with the plan to save the daughter.

Check her out in action…

Her chanting into the spirit world and saying “this house is clean” were able to run more shivers up and down my spine than any of the Saw movies combined.

Here’s her obit….remember her from Sixteen Candles?

The 4ft 3in  actress died in a Los Angeles hospital on Wednesday after recently suffering a heart attack.  Eccentric medium Tangina Barrons was her first major role and one she reprised in two Poltergeist sequels.

More recently, Rubinstein appeared in Southland Tales and TV’s Picket Fences.  She also appeared in a high-profile Aids public awareness campaign in the 1980s and was an outspoken activist for the rights of people of restricted height.

Born in Pittsburgh in 1933, the former lab technician was almost 50 when she made her big-screen debut as a woman playing a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz in 1982’s Under the Rainbow. Poltergeist followed, in which her character came to the assistance of a suburban family living in a haunted house.

Fans will remember her child-like voice exhorting spirits to “go into the light” before declaring “this house is clean”.

She went on to appear with Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, before returning as Tangina in Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III.

Rubinstein was sent to hospital at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center two months ago, after suffering a mild heart attack.  “She had ongoing health issues and unfortunately they finally overtook her,” her agent Eric Stevens said.

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Kinda fascinating to observe the Vikings tire blow-out/Saints miracle through the eyes of others.

Beware, a couple of these videos include some saucy language.

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When it’s tea time, dip with your own Yellow Submarine tea infuser. Pass the crumpets.

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     Quick, who is your favorite movie star?  Guy or girl–dead or alive, doesn’t matter to the Harris Poll.  Their annual survey is out and a new name tops the list.  Okay–maybe he’s new to the top of the poll but he’s certainly not new to the big screen! 

     Here’s the final tally from ten to one…#10–Julia Roberts, #9–Morgan Freeman, #8–Meryl Streep, #7–John Wayne, #6–George Clooney, #5–Tom Hanks, #4–Sandra Bullock, #3–Denzel Washington, #2–Johnny Depp and at #1–Clint Eastwood!

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I can understand the excitement that you might feel if you’re name is called to “Come On Down.”

Check out the video of this poor lady from The Price Is Right. A trip to the Mall of America wouldn’t be enough to put me over the top…but hey a new car????

Woman Faints On Price Is Right – Watch more Funny Videos

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Been there. Felt that. Feel for ya, Vikings fan.

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