Atouk

I attended a taping of the sixth episode of OUT OF PRACTICE last night. Because the first episode has not aired yet they showed us that one before the taping so we would be familiar with the characters.

Bottom line: This is the show to watch.

I was fairly skeptical, because I find most (if not all) current sitcoms to be completely unbearable. However, this one is the exception. VERY funny AND smart. An interesting sidenote: the first episode that they showed to us last night before the taping did NOT have Jennifer Tilly in it; it had some blonde girl. Apparently once the show actually got picked up they decided to cast Tilly in that role and only recently went and refilmed those scenes with her. Therefore, the version that airs on CBS next week will obviously be different than the one we saw last night in the TV studio.

I don't heap the above praise lightly, but Errol Morris's Thin Blue Line deserves every grain of it. If you have yet to see this film because you think that you have an aversion to documentaries then you best reconsider, because this spellbinding feature is filmmaking at its best. Eschewing traditional techniques, Morris creates a mesmerizing mystery that unravels like a tightly-wound watch spring. The story unfolds with interviews, vivid recreations, chilling music, and the results are hypnotic.

Unfortunately this film is out of print on VHS and Laserdisc, and is not yet available on DVD. Finding copies to rent might be difficult, but if you have yet to see this modern masterpiece then do yourself a favor and make the extra effort to get your hands on a copy.

PIXAR has done the impossible, and significantly improved on their original groundbreaking film Toy Story. Not only is the movie hysterically funny, but every time I thought I knew where the plot was headed something completely new and original was thrown into the mix. One minute I'm laughing hysterically at "Tour Guide" Barbie, the next I'm nearly brought to tears watching a sequence where Emily grows up and leaves Jessie behind.

What more can be said? If you think you're too old to enjoy something like this then I feel sorry for you, because this film has more to say about friendship, loss, loyalty and the value of life itself than any of the so-called "grown up" movies I've seen this year.

I rarely do this, but I'm rating this one a "10".