Bask in the Loveliness of...

Monica Keena

Guilty Pleasures

#1 MAN OF THE HOUSE (2005)

Now guilty pleasures is not going to necessarily mean good films just films I just love for whatever reason. Some might fit into the so bad it's good catergory, some I might feel are just under appreciated and some are just what a 24 year old straight male shouldn't really like. These are not going to be strictly my favourite films either. Man of the House (this one not too be confused with the Chevy Chase/Jonathan Taylor Thomas comedy from 95ish) is far from a good movie.

Tommy Lee Jones stars as a Texas Ranger who is assigned to protect the only witnesses to the murderer of a key figure in the prosecution of a drug kingpin, who just so happen to be a group of cheerleaders from the University of Texas and Jones goes undercover as an assistant cheerleading coach and moves in with the young women.

Doesn't that plot outline just sound like comedy gold to you? Yes! No!. What's odd about this movie is that Tommy Lee Jones as an Executive Producer credit, which might just mean he add some interest in the script and was not just making the movie to pay some bills. And why does the plot sound so familiar to me? Somebody write a comment to tell me if there is a familiar film out there, none come to mind.

Anyways, Jones ends up doing loads of "funny" stuff liking buying tampons for the girls (comedy goldmine right there) and taking there advice when it comes to the ladies and bonding with his daughter. I haven't really mentioned the cheerleading girls that much, but that's what makes the film work...

Kelli Garner plays Babs, and I'm going to be unbiased here. I'm madly in love with this woman. There is just something I love about her and would gladly watch anything with her in, she's my favourite, Monica Keena as Evie is my close second favourite. All the girls are very likeable except really Christinia Milian who plays the leader of the cheerleaders, her character doesn't have the spark the others quite have.

It's really hard to justify what I like about this movie. It's never really that funny, it's very predictable saved by Tommy Lee Jones' role and the spunk of the girls. For those who don't mind to watch a no-brainer every now and then.

Entourage Season One

American Cable channel HBO as consistenly provided quality programming from The Sopranos, Oz, Six Feet Under to The Larry Sanders Show and Curb Your Enthuisasm. There programming as always seemed to different to other American TV shows (maybe cause swearing is allowed as is nudity). Entourage is about Vinct, Chase (Adrien Griener) a rising star in Hollywood, his best friends join his entourage. Meet Eric (Kevin Connelly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrera) and Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon): three guys from Queens dedicated to helping their film-star buddy Vincent navigate the absurdities of modern-day Hollywood--where sex, parties and super-agents rule the town.

It's fair to say Entourage is nothing special in it's genre- Hollywood on TV as been done better before but it's a fairly decent entry into the genre- it really offers nothing new within this first season, which is only eight episodes long, the dilemma's (though there's the use of bad langauge) sometimes seem slight (Vincent doesn't want to go to a High School reunion, going on a talk show etc) and the overall story arc doesn't grab the audience enough.

Jeremy Piven is excellent as Vincent's agent Ari as is Kevin Dillon and some decent guest stars pop up including Mark Wahlberg (who executive produces), Jessica Alba and Larry David, and Monica Keena, Debi Mazar and Samaire Armstrong have memorable recurring roles. Adrien Griener whilst probably easy on the eyes for the girls is pretty bland in the lead role that needs to exuberate charisma. Overall, pretty good I'll probably buy the next series if it comes out on DVD, I like it enough, the acting is pretty much strong and there are some good jokes there.

***

Undeclared: Complete Series

Okay, I'm not gonna aplogize- this is going to be a five star review, like Freaks and Geeks, I believe everything Judd Apatow touches turns to gold and this the natural successor: (which lasted even less episodes then F&G) high school to college, was in the half hour sit-com format (F&G was an hour).

This like F&G, this as such a perfect cast, Seth Rogen, the only Geek regular to become a regular on this- you've got the perfect females Carla Gallo and the ever wonderful Monica Keena (Busy Phillips guest stars along with few F&G alumni), perfect males Timm Sharp, Rogen, Brit Charlie Hunnam and lead Jay Baruchel are also so likeable and Loudon Wainwright as the dad is the best TV dad since Flaherty's Mr. Weir in F&G and Hal in Malcolm in the Middle, the laughs are not punchlined like most american sit-coms (takes the increasingly popular way of no laugh track) and the episode where all the characters spend the entire episode drunk is an automatic stand-out, like F&G there are many wonderful recurring actors and guest stars, it just makes me sad there where only 17 episodes, whilst there is some sit-coms that lasted over 200.

In conclusion, Undeclared is not only the perfect companion piece to Freaks and Geeks, it was one of the best shows of the 2001-02 season and anybody in their mid-20s will guarteneed to love this show.

*****