Since I first heard the casting news late last year, I have been over the moon with excitement about “30 Minutes or Less”. Coupling my absolute favorite funnyguy/writer Danny McBride with Jesse Eisenberg (nerdswoon!) and Aziz Ansari is inspired casting at its best.

The premise: A pizza delivery guy is forced to rob a bank by hillbillies who need the money to hire a hit-man to kill their father for their inheritance. That big mouthful of plot sounds like an amazing set up for big laughs at every corner. I’ve already watched the trailer 9 billion times and I shall watch it a few more times as I impatiently wait for its August 12th release date.I love you McBride!

http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/41384

Matt and Trey are my heroes and after watching tonight’s mid-season premiere of “South Park” I’m ready to get a shirt made that says just that.The premiere episode entitled, “Dead Celebrities” focuses on Kyle’s little Canadian brother Ike, who is being haunted by the ghost of television infomercial demigod, Billy Mays.

But wait! There’s more!! This episode was entirely devoted to showcasing EVERY celebrity that died this summer, and because they create the episodes so quickly no one is exempt, David Carradine with a noose around his neck wearing fishnets, Natasha Richardson in ski gear, not even “Point Break’s” own freshly laid to rest Patrick Swayze or MTV’s DJ. AM. Alas, it was the ghost of Michael Jackson and his shrill cries of “you’re ignorant” and “tee hees” that made my eyes rain.

With a brilliant subplot tying together ‘mexican food to-go superking’s’ Chipotle and Billy Mays’  newest product “Chipotl-Away“, and a child’s beauty pageant ,they took no prisoners. I cried with laughter at the absurdity of  the lady from Poltergeist being thrown out of a hospital window and exploding on the ground after the ghost of Michael Jackson  calls her ignorant, possesses the EKG machine, and with a sonic boom, puts an end to her story line.

It is always an amazing treat tuning in week after week to see how far Matt and Trey are willing to take things. The pop culture commentary is hit on the nose in ways that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will never be able to replicate. It’s so perfectly gauche, witty,  tasteless and  perfectly executed. Enough of me polishing their knobs. Do yourself a favor and head over to southparkstudios.com and see what you’re missing.

According to IMDB.com “Whip It” is the story of a young misfit from Bodeen, Texas finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin. This movie was actually one of the few that Hollywood has offered up in recent years where a group of women are not completely obsessed with clothes or boys, a movie empowering girls to be independent and stand up for themselves.

Drew Barrymore, in her directorial debut, shows promise as a filmmaker relishing the opportunity to tell a coming of age story with varying elements of action. It’s as cheesy as any coming of age flick inevitably will be, but the star studded female cast do a great job of taking the reins of their characters and living it up. Kristen Wiig shows sincerity in her role as Ellen Page’s “guardian angel, “Maggie Mayhem”. Juliette Lewis does a great job as the fiery “Iron Maven”, Page’s antagonist rival Derby skating competition. Marcia Gay Harden performance as the bitchy strict mom had me intears for the last 45 minutes of the movie. Daniel Stern, in one of his better performances since Home Alone, serves up a genuine performance as Page’s caring and supportive father.

Arrested Development alum, Alia Shawkat, is all kinds of sass and charm, playing the quintessential best friend, I hope that this gives her the much needed showcase to get her some more roles because she deserves her own movie. But it is Ellen Page as Bliss Cavender that steals the show. With a mix of her Juno charm and her heartfelt performance from “An American Crime”, Page is the catalyst from which my coming of age tears were flowing. Support Whip It because it dares to defy the standard archetype and because it is possible for women to want to succeed on their own accord. One can only hope that Whip it will be the first of many.

Just as I had given up all hope that Hollywood would ever produce another original movie in walks “Zombieland”. The buzz was small but impressive, and as I arrived at the theater my excitement became wiley. After the audience did a thorough job at laughing at the extended New Moon trailer, the movie started off with a cinematic bang and I barely had time to catch my breath.

A beautiful slow motion action sequence bled into the introduction of the narrator, played to perfection by Jesse Eisenberg. One can almost always expect to be slightly mocked by movie narration. Most writers can’t figure out how to use this plot device to explain their story to the audience without making them feel like they are dumbasses but that is where Zombieland differs. The writing is modern, witty, sharp and accessible. After spending some alone time we make our way over to meet Woody Harrelson’s character, “Tallahassee” and then the real fun begins.

A friendship is created amidst the post apocalyptic world these unlikely chums are forced to inhabit, where a deadly disease is turning everyone into the flesh eating undead. There are certain rules you must always follow in order to survive and sometimes you may be forced to break a few.

Harrelson demonstrates the lunatic charm we all love to see from him. While Eisenberg usurps Michael Cera’s every nerd crown and succeeds in places where Cera has never been cuz remember that Eisenberg was on the scene first. The zombie journey continues and we are introduced to a pair of ass kicking sisters, played by Emma Stone (Superbad) and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)  hellbent on familial survival. The story takes a shift at this point but t’s not for the worse. Twists, turns and a brilliant cameo ensue and I left that theater with a giant smile on my undead face.

I can confidently say that Zombieland is now my favorite movie of 2009 so far. Beautifully shot, written and acted, I was so overwhelmingly entertained that it was jarring. I suggest that if you are heading out to the cinema that you give this movie your box office dollar. You will not regret it.

Ryan Reynolds is hosting Saturday Night Live later on tonight and I can’t wait to give them my viewership. Unlike  last Saturday’s hopeless Megan Fox led episode this one will be funny. Doesn’t hurt that we get to stare at Ryan for an hour and a half.  And then there’s this:

Lady Gaga, icon, chanteuse, and fashionable weirdo, is the musical guest and that translates to a very unboring episode of late night sketch comedy. How will she followup the VMA’s ? Singing “Paparazzi” from a vat of petroleum jelly while wearing red long johns with a missing ass perhaps? What will Samberg do? Possibilities are endless. Thanks Gaga.

James Franco, star of Pineapple Express and the aboved pictured delicious Gucci ad campaign, is taking a brief foray into the world of daytime television with a small arc on General Hospital. After years of laughing at my mother for her addiction to soap operas, I shall now become the victim to my mom’s jeers on November 23rd, the date of Franco’s first scheduled appearance.

People are talking madness about Franco’s decision to take a step backwards in a career that has been steadily progressing since his turn as a boy hooker in 2002′s “Sonny”. Franco has never been a conventional actor, mostly choosing roles in extremely offbeat movies.Please watch, “An American Crime” a.s.a.p. and join me in the hole of sadness I fell into after viewing the aforementioned movie. Franco is amazing and I look forward to seeing him invade General Hospital and turn it on it’s ass. Enjoy a Franco pic for the road.

Zooey Deschanel, star of 500 Days of Summer,  married Ben Gibbard, lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie, in a small ceremony this weekend. Hipster boys around the world hold hands in despair while the girls can’t wait to see what kind of dress she adorned on her most special day.

I, on the other hand, am overjoyed by the news of her blessed union. Now I am free to have insane Joseph Gordon Levitt and Shia Labeouf fantasies without having to worry about the cute quirky and impeccably dressed Zooey stepping in on my men. My delusions shall live to see another day.

Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey as Sid and Nancy

Happy Tuesday morning to my vampire lusting America. Just a reminder November 20 2009  is less than 2 months away. That means only 56 days until the phenomenon that is New Moon, takes over the world. Ladies around the globe prepare to have your hearts melted at the hands of the ravenous vampiric love beast that is Edward Cullen. Swoon.

Thank God for the fall tv season. Just as we were all preparing the noose from having to endure  a summer of “Wipeout”, “VH1′s Daisy of Love” and whatever vile MTV had going, premium television has interceded with yet another fantastic series. Enter HBO’s newest comedy half hour series , “Bored to Death”. Written for the screen by Jonathan Ames (author of several funny novels you should have read already), “Bored..” tells the semi-autobiographical story of a  writer named Jonathan Ames, who fresh off a break up, decides to use Craigslist.org as a comedic plot device to cure himself of writer’s block and a broken heart.

With a maybe minor addiction to pot and white wine Ames manages to get himself into one hilarious ordeal after another. Schwartzman makes a magnificent transition from the big screen with the help of his supporting cast. Zach Galifianakis plays Ray, Jonathan’s comic book illustrating pal who’s comprised of endless quirks and quotables. In case you hadn’t noticed we are living in the year of Zach Galifianakis and this show is no exception. Ted Danson is another wonderful addition to the cast, playing Ames’magazine editor who has a penchant for pot and Viagra. Snark, witticisms, and a little of the morose allowed me to thoroughly enjoyed  29 and a half minutes of this show.  It’ s becoming increasingly clear that the execs of premium cable have their fingers on the pulse. They deal in edginess, something that none of these “reality tv” shows can replicate. A round of applause for Showtime and HBO for keeping it real.