Thanks Dana, for being me on Equilibrium. No mercy. No quarter. Horrific waste all around. Also? gunkata? Anybody else flash back to the Bart Conner masterpiece GYMkata?

How is it that none of the writers made that connection?

I think I'm having a neurolapse because I keep thinking that Angus Macfadyn is a really good actor. I remember feeling slightly woozie after his 5 minute portrayal of Zeus in the otherwise forgettable Jason and the Argonauts mini. Since then, I've been chasing the dragon, trying to find anything he's good in. No success so far.

I actually watched "A Woman is a Helluva Thing". Holy mother of cats, what a disaster. Except that Ann Margaret got a paycheck.

Also: "you wouldn't understand, it's not a chick flick."

I think you should at that point have pulled the comic geek card to counter the chick flick assumptions. I would have.

Ple--

I definitly went into my whole comic book-action/sci fi movie buff mode but they weren't interested.

They were totally blinded by the idea of Halle in a catsuit.

I suggested Gina Torres in a catsuit but they weren't interested.

Halle's thrall is disturbingly strong.

They were totally blinded by the idea of Halle in a catsuit.

I suggested Gina Torres in a catsuit but they weren't interested.

That is 31 flavours of wrong and then some.

When I saw Spiderman on the weekend we saw a trailer for Michael Mann's new movie Collateral with Tom Cruise. Has there been any buzz about this? It was the first that I'd heard of it.

There's been some buzz to it (and some contraversy - I believe that Mann isn't the first director on the project) and it's supposed to show Tom Cruise portraying a "dark" character - I think he's a hit-man in the picture. I expect the full promotional blitz to be hitting pretty soon.

(Current speculation is that it will be close to the "blockbuster" $100M box office.)

They were totally blinded by the idea of Halle in a catsuit.

Me too, but that's just because I poked my own eyes out as a precaution...

Halle's thrall is disturbingly strong.

Recent conversation with friend, inspired by Catwoman commercial:

Me: OK, I get it. It's an excuse to put Halle Berry in a skimpy costume.

J: And what's wrong with that?

Me: All a matter of perspective.

J's wife then listed the actresses that push J's buttons. Including Charlize Theron. (I didn't quote Harmony's 3some quote about Theron, but only because I wasn't sure if they would get it.)

I would have buckets less derision for someone who admitted she'd done a trashy underpants caper for the money/fame and the goof of it than for someone who insists every step of the way that it's "empowering". Like, Hugh Jackman selling Van Helsing didn't make me go see the movie, but it did make me forgive him for being in it.

I've been seeing ads for Collateral but have heard not a word. I tend to like Michael Mann, just for how he puts a movie together; but he can also go way over the top with a large cast all of whom need to die. (I mean, the cast is usually good people, but the characters are too many and too baroque.) So it's a tossup, but I think I'll probably see it.

Collateral with Tom Cruise. Has there been any buzz about this?

I saw a trailer for it, and all I could think was "What's with his *hair*? Is he *trying* to look like Richard Gere?"

Ah, Collateral makes me crazy. Sounds like a good concept, I like watching Mann's movies (he has the best soundtracks), and I really dislike the two stars.