The Bounty Hunter (2010)

Directed by Andy Tennant
Starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler

I saw this in the theater and I was alone. So, I sort of followed my own rules. The only problem is the theater didn't sell beer so I had to go with a Coke Zero...or Coke Z...or Z...as I call it. I love Coke Zero (yes, I am going to give it 5 stars). I think there was a total of 6 people in the theater including myself.

So, this is actually the first chick flick I have gone to see in the theater. And, I realized while watching it that actually paying and going to see this movie in theater puts it into a whole new category for judgement. You have to understand that the last movies I have seen in the theater were all great, great experiences (The Ghost Writer, Shutter Island, Sherlock Holmes)...Immediately, I was bored with this one. Cliche writing and characters...stupid locations...unrealistic situations...cheesy lines...all stuff in all the chick flicks I've seen before...and probably rated it lightly and gave it at least 3 stars. The only difference is that seeing it on the big screen just makes the missteps of the movie all the more noticable and hard to ignore.

The concept is simple. Gerard is a bounty hunter. Jennifer is a reporter. She skips court to follow a lead for a story and blah blah blah, Gerard has to bring her in. What's the catch. They are ex-husband and ex-wife. Whoo hoo...let's party.

This movie was bad...I'm actually bored writing this and having nothing else to say. Although, the Coke Z was delicious...but I already knew that.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 4 out of 10 (1 mean he'll hate it, 10 means he'll love it) - Bounty hunting is pretty manly right?

Watched if you liked...Jennifer Aniston doing her thing...although she has done it better before.

Chick Flick: 2 cartons of ice cream (out of 5)-
DVD: 0 pieces of milky chocolate (out of 5)- saw it in the theater
Coke Zero: 5 manly high fives (out of 5) - best diet drink around

Waitress (2007)

Directed by Adrienne Shelly
Starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, and Jeremy Sisto with Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelly and Andy Griffith

So, here is yet another movie, that I would have never subjected myself...and yet...I do again and again. A movie about a waitress who is into making pies..boooriing. She is unhappy in her marriage...booorinng. She wants to start a new life for herself...boooring. She's pregnant...booring again. This thing had chick flick fluff garbage all over it. And, yet, I still sat down to watch it (this time with an Yuengling Original Black and Tan). And, in the end, I actually enjoyed it.

"Waitress" stars Keri Russell (think "Felicity") as Jenna, a Waitress (surprise!) whose desperate plan to leave her controlling husband Earl, played by Jeremy Sisto, is foiled when she discovers she is pregnant with his baby. Not the type of woman who would give up a baby, she decides to keep it which leads her to meet the new Doctor in town, played by Nathan Fillion (think "Two Guys, A Girl, and A Pizza Place"). She is not happy about this pregnancy or her life but still gets tons of support from her co-workers, and Andy Griffith. The only think she really loves in life is making pies, and she is really an artist when it comes to making pies.

That's it. That's the set-up. What do you think will happen? Well, you'll have to watch it. I'm not going to tell you here. I will say this. I do find after watch all these chick flicks with their cookie-cutter characters and plots, etc. that whenever one is made with a writer/director it does make that chick flick a lot more interesting. There are some pretty surreal moments in "Waitress", strange things that wouldn't normally be seen in your average chick flick. I think its for the better. And, I craved pie throughout the entire movie.

"Waitress" is actually very entertaining once you allow yourself time to get into it. This is because the characters are so (should I use the chicky word) "endearing". Although, it took me a little while to get used to non-southern actors using southern accents. And, if you have problems with non-southern actors using southern accents then you know what I'm talking about. These aren't that bad so you get used to them pretty quickly.

The Yuengling's Original Black and Tan. I really recommend this if your a fan of Black and Tan. It's probably the next best thing to getting one in a bar.

This movie is overshadowed by the death of the actor/writer/director Adrienne Shelly who was murdered during post-production on this film. It's actually a very sad and tragic story. If you want to know more check her out on imdb or wiki it.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 7 out of 10 (1 mean he'll hate it, 10 means he'll love it)

Watched if you liked...any chick flick whatsoever.

Chick Flick: 4 cartons of ice cream (out of 5)
DVD: 3 pieces of milky chocolate (out of 5)-a nice homage to director Adrienne Shelly
Beer: 5 manly high fives (out of 5)- but then again, I love Black and Tans

Love Happens (2009)

Directed by Brandon Camp
Starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston with Dan Fogler, John Carroll Lynch, Martin Sheen and Judy Greer

I really wanted this movie to be really bad so I could play with the wording of the title a little bit. You know...instead of "Love Happens" I say "Sh!t Happens". Wouldn't that be a lot of fun. I think it would. I also think it's clever and original to use the term "Sh!t Happens" because well, sometimes it does happen. That's what I think and I'm sticking to it. Problem is, the movie wasn't sooo bad that I can slam it and say that the title should have been "Sh!t Happens". But, I will ask...Where in this movie does love happen? Specifically, between the two leads.

Aaron Eckhart plays Burke Ryan, a motivational speaker whose most recent best-selling book helps people deal with the loss of a loved one. Burke himself is a widower and he bases much in his book in dealing with his death of his wife. He travels to her hometown (Seattle)for a seminar and meets a flower shop owner named Eloise, played by Jennifer Aniston. They're intro is rocky but they soon hit it off and are spending time together. The catch is that Burke is hiding a lot of frustration and guilt (you know...feelings) concerning his wife's passing.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN IT READ THIS: If you haven't seen the film then watch it and continue down to the next paragraph.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN IT READ THIS: Am I wrong here or would Burke's action throw him right into the "friend zone"? After their second interaction in which he goes of on her and gives her the finger, he turns all mushy and complicated, and doesn't make any moves other than staring at her ackwardly. Is that considered a move nowadays? He does seem like he needs her help but he also is very guarded. Granted Eloise seems like the type of girl who is into guy's that need fixing. But, why would she like him so quickly? He has like 50 oppurtunities to kiss her and then doesn't...I know, I know...they shouldn't really kiss until the end...classic chick flick rule...introduce the characters, split them apart, kiss at the end, roll credits. It just seemed to me that they seemed like better friends. What do you think?

FOR ANYONE: This movie wasn't that bad. It was really more of a movie about Burke than it was Eloise, or them together. In fact, it was sort of a serious subject matter with a rom com thrown into the middle. This made the tone of the film a little shifty. But, the serious scenes were played well. Maybe my problem was the chemistry between Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Anniston. This is the same type of part Anniston has been playing all-the-time recently and it seemed like she really phoned it in.

I had a really good beer for this screening. It was a beer from the great state of Michigan called Bell's Two Hearted Ale. It was a very hoppy, very full flavored beer and it was delicious. I definitely recommend it.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 6 out of 10 (1 mean he'll hate it, 10 means he'll love it)- main character is really a male.

Watched if you liked...any chick flick with Jennifer Aniston.

Chick Flick: 3 cartons of ice cream (out of 5)
DVD: 3 pieces of milky chocolate (out of 5)-for a wierd special feature that showcases how almost every scene was CGI.
Beer: 4 manly high fives (out of 5)

CHICK FLICKS and BEER for VALENTINE'S DAY

Are you single on Valentine's Day? Or, maybe, you're dragging (or being dragged) to see the new movies "Valentine's Day" (2010) or "Dear John" (2010). Which one looks better? Hmmm, I don't know. Take a look for yourself;

Valentine's Day (2010)



Now, Valentine's Day looks "cute" (am I allowed to use that word?) and it has a lot, and I mean a lot of actors and actresses. Julia Robert's is in it...so it has to be good, right? I'm 50/50...with all those actors running on and off and sharing screen time it might be hard to really get into any of the characters. It might be little vignettes where everyone ends up in the same restaurant at the end. This movie looks like it is going to show everyone's faults and teach us we should accept those faults and be happy. Everyone will probably leave smiling. Unless its bad movie. In that case, everyone will just leave.

Dear John (2010)



This is Nicholas Sparks so I guarantee someone is going to die? It could be John or it could be the chick. If someone doesn't die in this I would really be surprised. If your a guy I also guarantee that this is a "tear-jerker" so it might bring you closer to your significant other if you know what I mean (wink wink). Then again it might just depress everyone involved.

If your single you might just want to try a new and interesting beer. Perhaps even drown your sorrows in one. Here are some suggestions;

Abita Purple Haze



I know, I know...I've talked about Purple Haze before on this site but I just can't help it. What would be better Valentine that the light and airy aroma of a Purple Haze. There are 2 reasons that this beer is appropriate. First, in case you don't live on the Earth and you haven't heard, the Saints won the Superbowl. Abita is out of Louisiana. So, all you true fans (and new bandwagon/ fairweather fans) can represent. Second, it has Purple in the title. And, purple is the cousin to pink...which is the a Valentine Day's color favorite. It's also truly delicious beer.

Mama's Little Yella Pils



This one is for all you Mama's Boys out there. I tried this the other night for the first time and it's delicious. A very, very good pilsner. It was light like any pilsner but there was something nice and pleasant in the undertone. It is a very, very, very good pilsner. Did I say that already? I know yellow isn't a very Valentiny color. But, you should try it anyways. Alone or with a date. And, if you do have a date she (or he) might be impressed of the interesting location in which it is served because you will have to go off the beaten path to find this one. I don't think serve this one at the Olive Garden.

Made of Honor (2008)

Directed by Paul Weiland
Starring Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan with Sydney Pollack, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan, and Busy Phillips

So, here we have Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey. They call him "McDreamy" because he is apparently pretty "dreamy" and when you put the "mc" in front of things it makes it more than whatever it is. I guess "dreamy" didn't do it enough justice so the powers that be made him "McDreamy" and then America fell in love. Or, it might have something to do with Grey's Anatomy, a show I haven't seen.

In this film, "McDreamy" plays Tom, a womanizing playboy who invented the coffee sleeve or some tiny invention that has made him rich. Michelle Monaghan plays Hannah, his best friend in the whole world. They have been best friends for 10 years since he "accidentally" invaded Hannah's bed in search of her roommate. Hannah goes of to Scotland for work, and Tom discovers that he has true feelings for her. Tom plans to tell her but, as soon as she arrives back to New York, he is immediately introduced her new fiance Colin, a Scottish Duke. Hannah asks Tom to be her maid of honor, he plans to win her back and, as in most chick flicks, hi-jinks ensue.

I've always been a fan of Patrick Dempsey (even before he became "McDreamy") in movies like Can't Buy Me Love and Loverboy. He brings a lot to the character of Tom and plays him well. Michelle Monaghan is also good as Hannah. These two actors have good chemistry and it is believable that they could be longtime best friends. While this wasn't a bad film, I feel like this could have been a much better film if it just took itself just a little more seriously. There were strange comic moments that were interjected within the storyline and seemed out of place. As if the producers were like, this isn't funny enough, let's put some glow-in-the-dark "sex" beads around the Grandma's neck. The fact that Grandma was slighty interested in the beads in the first place was funny. They didn't need to have an ackward out of place shot with her wearing them a week later at the wedding. It was these moments that really detracted from the movie.

The premise of him being the Maid of Honor was a little wacky and it seems that us men get it easy when it comes to weddings. After all, we only have to plan bachelor parties and ask the groom multiple times if he is "sure" that he "wants to go through with this". All you girls have to plan showers and provide "support" etc. Why do they call them showers anyways? I've never really understood that. Is it really that hard to be a bridesmaid? It always seems like it is really dramatic and I hear about bridesmaids getting fired and there being falling outs with the bride and stuff like that? Does that really happen? Why are weddings so crazy?

This film play a trick...in that even though it is obviously a chick flick..it has a male lead and is really about the male character. So...boom.

For Made of Honor I drank an IBC Diet Root Beer. This root beer is delicious and should be consumed icey cold directly from the bottle. If you like root beer and you want to try a diet root beer I suggest this one. It doesn't get much better than this.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 6 out of 10 (1 means he'll hate it, 10 means he'll like it)

Watch if you liked....Grey's Anatomy or wedding movies.

Chick Flick: 3 cartons of ice cream (out of 5)
DVD: 1 pieces of milky chocolate (out of 5)
Beer: 5 manly high fives (out of 5)

The Ugly Truth (2009)

Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler

“The Ugly Truth” is that I actually watched this movie about a month ago. At the time I was too lazy to sit down and write a review of it. While I watched it I drank an Abita Purple Haze and The Real Truth is that I love Abita Purple Haze. Whenever I drink an Abita Purple Haze and breath in its flowery aroma I can’t help but think about Super Mario Brothers 2 and Princess Toadstool. I have no idea why but I makes me happy. “The Ugly Truth” is that after a few sips I realized that there was some dark flakes floating around within my frosty mug. I questioned whether this is normal for Abita Purple Haze and whether or not this was affecting the overall flavor of the beer. After all, doesn’t Goldschlager have little bits of flakes in it? And, that’s never killed anyone (at least, not the gold). So, knowing that my friend Tyler would disapprove (he is never one to waste any beer) I poured it out and grabbed a Dos Equis Amber Lager, poured into another frosty mug, and Voila!...no flakes. I don’t blame Abita, it was probably past the freshness date.

Katherine Heigl plays a local new producer and Gerard Butler plays an outspoken if not flat-out rude cable access television show host of a show called (guess what) “The Ugly Truth”. The beginning is slightly ridiculous. She calls in to argue with him one night and the next day (guess what again) he just happens to be hired by her news station manager. And, (guess what for the third time) she is assigned to be his producer. It’s Manly Man versus Modern Women and it looks like we have the perfect setup for a chick flick. If I remember anything about “The Ugly Truth” it was that I wasn’t all that impressed with Katherine Heigl or Gerard Butler. She seems a bit loony and he has that almost annoying “British guy making a scruffy American accent” that all the actors from the UK (or Australia) try to put on (see Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, and Orlando Bloom). But...He sounds so manly with that scruffy voice.

“The Ugly Truth” is that the movie has a weak beginning and ending. But, the middle isn’t really that bad and some pretty funny parts. This movie won’t be bad for a date night and might lead to a little discussion about the opposite sex (male or female) and also, cats. Because don't all single lonely, women have a lot of cats? At least, that's what Gerard thinks.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 6 out of 10 (1 means he'll hate it, 10 means he'll like it)

Watch if you liked.... Grey’s Anatomy or P.S. I Love You

Chick Flick: 3 cartons of ice cream (out of 5)

DVD: 1 pieces of milky chocolate (out of 5)

Beer: 4 manly high fives (out of 5)- for the XX Amber Lager

All About Steve (2009)

Directed by Phil Traill
Starring Sandra Bullock, Thomas Hayden Church, and Bradley Cooper

I’ve got to give it to Sandra Bullock in 2009. She popped up in 3 movies, in 3 completely different characters, and she really did an excellent acting job in all of them. It doesn't really matter if you liked the movie or not, she is good in all of them. So, if you want to continue along these lines, then we can step outside, I'm fine with it. Let's go.

In All About Steve, she plays Mary Magdalene Horowitz, a not-so-simple-know-it-all Jewish Catholic woman who creates crossword puzzles for a living and really can’t seem to shut up. When we meet her she is about to meet Steve, a blind date, that her parents have set her up with. They meet and for some odd reason, mostly looks alone if not horniness, she decides Steve is the one. She jumps him in his Bronco he can pull out of the driveway, and he is game, that is until she begins to talk and talk and talk which, in turn freaks him out and he quickly makes up an excuse and leaves. Somewhere in his quick departure he says he “has to work” and “wishes that she could come with him”. She goes home and writes a crossword puzzle that is “All about Steve”, the taste of his lips, the color of his hair, etc. It is published and she gets fired. She sees her termination as a sign that she should go and me be with Steve and quickly runs off across the country to meet him.

Sandra does an excellent job as Mary, in fact, I really do forget that it is Sandra Bullock about 15 minutes in to the movie. Do not get me wrong, she is not going to win an Academy Award for this. In fact, no one associated with this is going to win an Oscar. It’s has a lot of faults, like most chick flicks. But, it is, in my opinion, refreshingly different. I really couldn’t tell where the movie was going even though I thought I could and can in just about every other chick flick that I have watched. There were some pretty funny moments, and it is a good turn for Thomas Hayden Church who is really always pretty great.

The soundtrack was a little odd to me. It seemed to be right out of 2000. The song that is played at the climax of the movie is by the song Train. You know the one. The one that goes, “did you wish upon....a shooting…star…something…something… something….”. I think I even heard some Sugar Ray, and maybe some that song “Be my butterfly…sugar…baby.” Maybe not. Listen to the songs…you’ll know what I was talking about.

As far as the beer goes…I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I forgot to drink a beer for this one. I even had it all picked out. It was a coffee flavored, or coffee-inspired beer, and I really meant to drink it. I just forgot. Maybe that tells you something about the movie. Maybe not. Oh well, I’ll drink it next.

Final Analysis...Sandra Bullock's acting rises above the rest of the movie...I believed she was the crazy ass character...maybe you will too maybe you want...my guess is...you'll either like this movie or think it sucked.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 5 out of 10 (1 means he'll hate it, 10 means he'll like it)

Watch if you liked....The Proposal or Sandra Bullock.

Chick Flick: 3 cartons of ice cream (out of 5)
DVD: 1 pieces of milky chocolate (out of 5)
Beer: 0 manly high fives (out of 5)

It's Complicated (2009)

Directed by Nancy Meyer  
Starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin

by Tim Rousseau

Having struck a seedy back alley deal with the missus, I found myself sitting down in the theater to watch "It's Complicated." This is the newest film modern menopause cinema has to offer and who better to bring it to us than Nancy Meyer, the poster girl of the movement. With her last outing "Something's Got to Give", I was surprised by the humor and relieved by its wit. By the end of the movie I was sold into wanting for these characters. Not the case with this one. The setting is similar, beautiful home and countryside, swap east coast for west coast, everyone walks around eating pastries and drinking white wine. Money doesn't seem to be a problem. In fact, there aren't really any problems with these people.......and that's when things get COMPLICATED.

Meryl Streep is the cougar with the heart of gold and Alec Baldwin is the douche bag, absent, full of sh!t father who somehow isn't responsible for any selfish thing he does. Steve Martin is the nice guy doormat. Well, you can see where I'm going with this, it's time for a fifty-something love triangle! They've been divorced for 10 years. He's remarried to the mistress, she's lonely but oh so brave and independent. They screw, she feels guilty, he doesn't. All sorts of hijinks ensue, and all the while she's kinda sorta dating Steve Martin. Most of the screen time is dedicated to Alec Baldwin bullshitting his way into Meryl Streep's granny panties and it only gets thicker and more absurd. Ladies, imagine your man laying in bed with you on a Sunday morning trying to get some nookie. You know, just laying it on thicker and thicker till you just give it up to shut him up. Well, there's 2 hours worth of it here, just in case you ever wanted to know how divorcee's get down.

This may sound like the ranting of an angry boyfriend forced to watch a chick flick, and well... it is...but it's also the voice of someone trying to reach out. I want to like these films, comrades, I do but the chick flick is a subtle art. When done properly it will persuade and move the male to see more Romcoms, even oddly looking forward to the next one. Characters are everything and this one didn't have any that I even cared about. I have a feeling this film is more realistic than I want to admit. About divorce, about growing older, about re-discovering social rites in a world that has changed. Maybe I judge it too harshly. It wasn't a bad movie by any stretch. There was even a funny marijuana sequence involving Steve Martin being, well, Steve Martin which unlike Alec Baldwin's schtick will never get old.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 6 out of 10 (men will like this more than they think but will grow tired of Alec Baldwin)

Beer Pairing Recommendation
It was so complicated I couldn't chose a specific beer...much like Meryl had a hard time picking a man

For more on this chick flick, visit IMDB