I’m really upset that I missed an early screening of this film Religulous in Chicago last Thursday. A blog writer from Chicago who goes by the name Capone for the website Aintitcoolnews.com was offering to give out fifty free tickets if you emailed him what you think is the most ridiculous religion and why. This task is a pretty hard one to take on. Who’s to say which one religion is the most ridiculous. Religion is so touchy of a subject that it’s pretty much considered taboo to question the actual origin and meanings of some of the largest ones in the world. This documentary deals with confronting the odd customs and superstitions that are considered natural to each specified religion, focusing mainly on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Religion is such a hard topic for people to talk about just because there are so many hypotheses to the big questions in this world, creation, god, etc, but nobody is able to agree on one basic explanation. Everyone thinks they are right in what they and their fellow congregation believes in. Religion has spawned wars both small and large, and nobody really knows what the hell they’re really fighting for. I’m excited to see Bill Maher’s take on the whole topic because he’s not afraid of being an asshole to get answers to questions, even if they have to do with controversial topics. This film may only appeal to the non-religious type person, but hey if you’re religious and can take a comedic look at what you believe in, then bless your soul. The film hits limited theaters tomorrow and will go wider on Friday. Have fun!

As the presidential debates start with a bang, this only marks the beginning of the end of the Bush presidency. George W. Bush has had a handful to deal with in his eight years as the commander in chief, but how did he actually get to that position to begin with? Was it because he had the last name Bush? How come his brother Jeb wasn’t running for the job? Whether you’ve liked what he’s done to our country or are embarassed to call him your leader, the movie W from filmmaker Oliver Stone, is sure to present a very biased version of the story of the president’s road to victory. Whether all the information’s accurate or not, it’s sure to raise debate from both the democrats and republicans of this great country. I’m going to see it just because I think it’ll be funny to see a depiction of Bush’s college years as a cheerleader at Yale.

This film The Bank Job came out earlier this year in March. I never got around to watching it though I heard pretty good things. All I expected was just another bank robbery movie where everything is pretty easily predicted beforehand. Since the film didn’t reach much acclaim in America, I thought it had to be pretty bad. But was I wrong. Starring John Statham from films like Snatch andThe Transporter films, this movie is based on true events from 1971 in London, England. It involves an intricate bank robbery set around blackmail and deceit set forth by royal officials.

The actual story that takes place seems way too hard to believe, and had me questioning how much of it actually occurred. It’s similar to Denzel Washington’s American Gangster where criminals are used to turn the tables on the authorities and change things up a bit. The actual bank robbers are shown as good guy amateurs who are just in it because it sounds like a fool-proof scheme. But of course, things aren’t always what they seem. Check it out if not for a mostly true and exciting plot then for the utter coolness of Statham.

Go see Burn After Reading as soon as you stop reading reading this entry. Or even, leave halfway through the entry because I won’t be offended. The new movie from recent Oscar winners Ethan and Joel Coen, and filled with an all-star cast lineup, is a send back to their cult classic The Big Lebowski. Much of the story is carried with brilliant acting by the likes of John Malkovich, expect to hear him drop the f-bomb in every scene, the moronic gym trainer played by Brad Pitt, and brilliant characters acted out by George Clooney and Frances McDormand. I haven’t laughed so hard in a movie in a long time, and the Coen brothers are always able to take a story and flip it around so that sometimes the viewer has no idea what’s going on. The climactic ending to this movie is too good to miss up so make sure you get to the theater as soon as possible.

The Wackness is the story of Luke Shapiro, a weed dealer in 1994 who just graduated high school and is lost as to where he’s going to go from there. A psychiatrist would seem like a good place to start for someone like him, except for the fact that his therapist is one of his best clients. I was apprehensive about seeing this film from the first previews just because I saw this new generation Nickelodeon star, and I felt like this kid didn’t have much acting potential in a dramatic role. The actor, Josh Peck, was on some show called Drake and Josh which I knew nothing about besides the fact that new Nickelodeon shows can’t even compare to classics like Pete & Pete. But, Peck ended up surprising me. Along with great acting from Ben Kingsley, he played Ghandi once, and Juno’s Olivia Thirlby, I found myself thoroughly enjoying a coming of age story set when I was just a little tike. If you’re in the Champaign area, check it out at Beverly movie theater if it’s still there.