Forza Azzurri!

I apologize for my prolonged absence. I've just been enjoying the start of summer and not watching too much TV. I have managed to catch almost all the newest flicks, but instead of a full recap of each, here's my advice if you're looking for a movie.

Iron Man -- Favreau knows how to make a crowd pleaser and Robert Downey Jr. looks amazing. Just goes to show what dirty living can do for you.

What Happens in Vegas should have stayed in Vegas. Though Ashton takes off his shirt, this still sucks.

Indiana Jones had a few cute moments but overall just blew.

Sex and the City had very little sex and waayyy too much melodrama for a summer flick. Stephanie Zacharek of Salon already wrote a review that pretty much encompasses my thoughts. It just makes me sad. Sarah Jessica Parker was, at one time, a great comedic actress. Her gawky coltishness played perfectly with her natural timing. But a big shift happened when she became a diva and I could barely stomach her. Carrie was always a little hard to take with her self-involved angst and lousy qualities as a friend anyhow. But when SJP turned to her over-the-top coquettish mannerisms and became a judgmental priss, Carrie became downright hateful, and still is in this movie. As much as they try to infuse the final scenes with an anti-materialism bent, they can't pull it off because the whole thing with her utterly ugly costumes and the pornish wedding dress spectacle screams otherwise. You can't just brush aside all that shallow materialism with a sigh and a wink after indulging and exploiting it for two full hours. I swear, there are a couple of shots of SJP where you can almost see her thinking "I'm more iconic than Greta Garbo!" She's not. It's all just grotesque. On the upside, there is still Kim Catrall as Samantha and Kristin Davis as Charlotte, who both remember to bring the funny. And they always were the best ones, anyhow. I'd kill for a friend as fiercely loyal and dedicated to fun as Samantha.

And, finally, I've discovered the single greatest benefit to being unemployed. I get to watch every single minute of my beloved Italian National Team in the Euro 2008 Championships. They're the reigning World Cup champs, and even though they've lost Nesta and Totti, and Cannavaro is out with an injury, the rest of the team returns.


I have high hopes. It also doesn't hurt that they're really ridiculously good looking. Azzurri!