The movie begins once Ferrell discovers a way to travel to an alternate universe. He stumbles accross strange creatures, a variety of insects and of course- dinosaurs. While silly yet fun, Ferrelly and his two companions try to find their way home while encountering one strange twist after another.

I would be remiss not to mention the performance of Chaka. Chaka sets the tone for the movie with some slapstick comedy and vulgar innocents. That being said, for those who are not die hard Ferrell fans, this movie should be seen when you are looking to just relax and enjoy a thoughless entertainement film. A glass of wine might help as well.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4196401945/

The movie really gets underway when we are taken to Vegas as four men enjoy a bachelor party. Waking up extremely hungover, only three men are found and the quest to find the fourth and what happened the night before begins to unfold. There is a baby in the closet, a tiger in the bathroom, and Ed Helms tooth is missing. To make matters more exciting, a naked man jumps out of the trunk of their newly acquired police vehicle and the tiger belongs to Miky Tyson, who is less than pleased.

As they slowly try to retrace their steps they bump into people who recognize them from different scenarios and give them clues as to the strange events while other try to attack them. The viewer is taken on this whirlwind of entertainment as the pieces slowly get put back together.

The Hangover is an hour and a half of time well spent that will put a smile on your face. For its genre as a comedy, this is definately an original style that will hopefully catch on with future movies.

The outset of the film reminded me of Devil Wears Prada but quickly changed when introduced to Sandra Bullock’s charachter. Unlike her other movies, Sandra was not a damsel in distress or a tough girl out to prove a point. Her charachter here displayed total composure- and that was something new. While I admit the plot seemed a little unplausible, the excitement was seeing the cool city executive deal with the wacky out of towners.

Ryan Reynolds did a fantastic job of having little or no chemistry with Sandra whatsoever. This essential piece captivates the viewer who can only look on as if seeing a train wreck approaching as Sandra meets Ryan’s family. Fitting the concerned yet happy grandmother beautifully,  Betty White give the movie some added flavor as she humoresly steals every sceen she is in.

With this great cast together the movie unfolds in similar fashion to others of its nature (Sweet Home Alabama) where two people who couldn’t be more opposite find themselves appreciating each other as evets unfold.

This movie was entertaining from start to finish. Some quick one-liners, silly antagonists, and a look at family values, this movie accomplished what it set out to do. Go enjoy the movie and laugh at the silly things we should all take lightly.

By the middle of the movie all twists and turns could be foreseen and the movie took a dramatic turn. As hostage negotiations ensue, some silly events take place. A rat bites a S.W.A.T team sniper which causes him to lose that nerve he spent so much time training for and pulls the trigger. A hostage has his computer linked to his girlfriend who demands he proclaim his love for her as gun wielding thugs walk by without noticing.

The chases are similar to those of any good movie and the real twist at the end is the fact that there is no real twist. However, if you are looking for an enjoyable two hours to sit back and relax this movie will do just that. The acting by the main charachters is captivating and the major fault lies in the plot.

First of all, as unfortunate as this mortgage situation and economic crisis is, let’s not forget that ultimately, the individuals taking out huge loans that they could not service is responsible for inflating housing prices. At the end of the day, these individuals are the ones that signed on the dotted line and took on the responsibility. Not to say they are the solely responsible ones, but they are not be completely absolved either.

Additionally, with a number of banks paying back the TARP money, the taxpayers are actually receiving a nice return on their investment. In a recent article by the Associated Press, it has been reported that J.P. Morgan alone paid a dividend of over a billion dollars and other banks have paid other large amounts.

The fact is, Michael Moore has made his reputation at taking emotionally charged issues and using them to make money. Someone should make a movie exposing his agenda… and perhaps poking fun at his dress as well.

Traveling down the interstate and needing to use the restroom, I stop at a rest area and head to the restroom.

I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying, “Hi, how are you?”

I’m not the type to start a conversation in the restroom and I don’t know what got into me, but I answered, somewhat embarrassed, “Doin’ just fine!”

And the other person says, “So what are you up to?”

What kind of question is that?

At that point, I’m thinking this is too bizarre so I say, “Uhhh, I’m like you, just traveling.”

I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question. “Can I come over?”

Okay, this question is just too weird for me, but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation.

I tell him, “No, I’m a little busy right now!!!”

Then I hear the person say nervously…

“Listen, I’ll have to call you back. There’s an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions.

Cell phones, don’t you just love them?

This incredible 7:09 minute demo is worth every second and will give you a whole new perspective. In it David Merrill, an MIT graduate, takes educational innovation to a new level. These small computer blocks have been programmed to recognize each other and allow for a creative interface.

As an example, David shows how the blocks interact when being used for basic mathematical equations. By moving around the blocks and realigning them in any  particular order, the totals change to the correct value. You can already see educators tickled with glee at the chance to make math fun. Who knows, even the kids seem to like it!

But Sifltables can do much much more. Musically inclined, David Merrill build a program that allows the user to “compose” a musical sequence via Bass, Tempo, Reverb, Lead etc. While it might seem to be in its preliminary stages, just imagine what the possibilities will be as Siftables gets fine tuned.

I don’t want to give away all the fun- just click the link below and get your checkbook ready!

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/david_merrill_demos_siftables_the_smart_blocks.html

The movie plot begins with a few medical students on a trip in the mountains where they enjoy the snow capped Norwegian mountains and a little frivolity. They soon discover a hidden treasure box of gold which triggers Nazi zombies to emerge from the mountainside. To say anything else would give away what’s left of the plot- then again, you wouldn’t see this movie for the story line.

Instead, you can expect a zombie bloodbath that successfully stays true to  the genre. The ominous messenger, the girl who wanders to far, and finally the chainsaw- are all loyal to what makes a zombie movie lovable. Compounded by the fact that the zombies are Nazis, the viewer might even enjoy a good fight or decapitation.

All in all, Dead Snow caters to the specific niche of zombie adventure. The ending, while predictable, will have you captivated until the credits roll. The only issue yet to be understood is how zombies, while being dead for years, still have the nice, crimson, juicy, blood flow inside them.

As viewers were introduced to the characters and the plot unfolded a few questions arose which I have yet to see answered. What were the real powers of the Watchmen that made them heroes? Was it just their vigilantism and physical ability? Other than Mr. Manhattan, no other hero displayed extraordinary capabilities. Even the prison fighting scene with Nite Owl and Silk Spectre showed only glorified fist fighting in a 300-esque fashion.

It seemed that the trademark smiley face of the Comedian kept surfacing throughout the movie- either foreshadowing a similar fate or displaying the irony of his mantra. Why it surfaced on Mars is yet to be explained (as well as the elaborate contraption of Mr. Manhattan)

However, the flow of the movie is enjoyable and entertaining. The character Rorschach and his merciless pursuit of justice gives the audience something to think about as the twists unfold.

I have always wondering what it would be like to see the transition of comics taken frame by frame into motion picture. Apparently, Watchmen does exactly that- which leaves the avid comic readers with no surprises but stays true to the comic portrayal of the story. It would be interesting to see a sequel and how that would play out- but until then, all we can really watch is the Watchmen.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4067098649/

And therein lies the hypocrisy. Wall Street traders, quants and executives have been crucified for causing this financial crisis because of their inaccurate models. Whether it be a critique of using the Normal Distribution or the rating agencies, claims against Wall Street have been about using faulty models. But now those same regulators that had been such harsh critics of models have made the same exact mistake.

Perhaps these regulators will have a deeper appreciation for quants and engineers after all of the stress test criticism. While regulators get to entertain the idea of giving their models a second chance, Wall Streeters aren’t as lucky.