“Blades of Glory”

Will Ferrell adds another character to his Mount Rushmore that already includes such greats as Ron Burgundy and Ricky Bobby. In “Blades of Glory” Ferrell is Chazz Michael Michaels, the boozing, sex-addicted bad boy at the top of the figure-skating heap. When he and his prissy archrival Jimmy MacElroy played by Jon Heder, are banned from men’s figure skating for fighting on an awards platform, they find a loophole in the rules that allows them to enter the pairs competition as the first all-male team. Despite a bumpy start, they manage to put the bad blood behind them and forge a bond as Chazz, the clueless, self-centered clod, ends of having a heart while Jimmy, a regimented germophobe, learns to loosen up and grow in more Chazz-like ways. Now the only thing that can stop them from getting the gold medal is the Van Waldenbergs, a creepy brother/sister team played by real-life married couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler. And, oh yeah, a potentially fatal skating move called the Iron Lotus. My 140-character review on Twitter: Blades of Glory-Will Ferrell & Jon Heder bring their special brand of grace & elegance to the world of competitive figure skating. 7.5 (out of 10)

“Blades of Glory”

Released: 2007

Rating: PG-13

Length: 93 minutes

Cast: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler

Director: Will Speck, Josh Gordon

Genre(s): Comedy, Sports

Christmas in July - Part 1

Every block has one guy who does it up at Christmas. In “Deck the Halls,” Matthew Broderick is not only that guy, he wears it as a badge of honor. So when Danny DeVito moves in across the street and threatens his standing, it’s war. And they practically go nuclear when Danny articulates his Christmas wish – to have his house be visible from space. “Deck the Halls” isn’t a great movie. But it’s goofy fun, especially if you have kids. And just might cool you off during the dog days of summer. Unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case, the winter motif will fit right in. My review from Twitter: Danny DeVito & Matthew Broderick try to outdo each other's Xmas displays & unwittingly save the local electric utility. 6

"Deck the Halls"

Released: 2006

Rating: PG

Length: 93 minutes

Cast: Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis

Director: John P. Whitesell

Genre(s): Comedy, Holiday

"Employee of the Month" (And it's not Dane Cook)

My Twitter review of "Employee of the Month," Matt Dillon gets fired from his bank job, so he pulls one. More unexpected plot twists than the Wall Street bailout. 8 (out of 10) If you like movies that keep you guessing, 2004’s “Employee of the Month” is a thoroughly enjoyable black comedy/heist film. Matt Dillion’s life looks as if it’s on a perfect trajectory until he’s fired from his job at a bank. That sets a series of events in motion. Or were they planned all along? Just when you think you have it all figured out, you don’t.

“Employee of the Month”

Released: 2004

Rating: R

Length: 97 minutes

Cast: Matt Dillon, Steve Zahn, Christina Applegate, Peter Jason, Andrea Bendewald

Director: Mitch Rouse

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy