Did everyone remember to set their clocks back an hour? Remember, it's that time of year where we "fall back" into fall! Ugh.

It'd been a while since I had done one of these. I thought it would be funny to do something a little more random - especially since I could think of nothing to spoof.

I didn't get a chance to see Scary Movie 3 this weekend, but I guess the producers aren't missing my absence. Did you hear this movie pulled in nearly $50 million this weekend? That's a pretty obscene amount of money for a toss-off film like this one. For what it's worth, I don't think they're lining up around the block for Eddie Griffin.

I was able to sneak in watching both Cube and Identity this weekend - two films I rented last Sunday and needed to put away before I got caught in a situation similar to the second panel of today's comic.

I thought Cube was an interesting premise, but a little thin on plot to stretch out over the span of a feature-length movie. There's a lot of math in this movie, too. This is usually a turn off for me (re: A Beautiful Mind). But with all the calculations of prime numbers and permutations, I found myself intrigued. I also liked the "Big Brother is a vapor" overtones of the movie and the suggestion that the creation of the cube was essentially the work of idle hands.

Apparently there is a sequel to Cube called Hypercube and it takes place in another six-sided deathtrap that introduces the 4th dimension into its catalog of lethal traps. Sounds complicated. I guess they're working on a prequel to the series called Cube-Zero, which explains the origins of the cube. Bad idea. Half the fun of the original was just trying to figure out what the hell is going on!

Identity was a good flick. It had a very fun twist at the end. Not as violent or scary as I thought. It was really more suspenseful - a good mystery. The ending wraps things up fairly quickly, but it's a fun ride. If you like John Cusack in the rain, this movie features him dry in maybe one or two scenes.

I forgot to mention last week that Jared and I watched a bootleg copy of the Japanese film Battle Royale. He picked up his copy at the Minnesota FallCon we attended not long ago. What a screwed up movie.

I guess the popular myth is that this film was banned in America due to its extreme violence and residual Columbine wariness due to the film's concept - kids killing kids on a deserted island until only one is left. In truth, the production company, Toei, refuses to license the movie for North American distribution and has already rejected offers from several North American companies. Thanks, Toei.

The movie's violence really isn't that shocking. Well, at least it's not any more graphic than anything you would see in Kill Bill. I think what's disturbing about it is trying to figure out how you would react in that situation. Would you try to survive? Would you freak out and commit suicide like some of the students in the film? What are your odds of making it? It's like looking at a room of your friends and trying to figure out if you could take them in a fight.

Anyway, that's been my movie-watching schedule as of late.

Say, have you noticed Theater Hopper's latest feature - The Walk of Fame? It's a brand new donation system I devised that will allow those of you with PayPal access and opportunity to help support the site, while immortalizing you name for all to see.

The concept is simple. Donate to the site any amount you think is fair. It could be a dollar. It could be twenty dollars. Once I receive your donation, I place your name on The Walk of Fame! Exclusive content like wallpaper or portraits commissioned in the Theater Hopper style are possibilities for the future. But for now, you can feel confident that your donation will help Theater Hopper operating in the face of a growing need for bandwidth and fending off the cost of hosting. Certainly you aren't obligated to donate, but if you can find it in your heart to do so, it would be most appreciated!

Thanks to everyone who continues to support Theater Hopper. I haven't stopped to take stock of how lucky I am in a little while. I'm still amazed that you guys keep coming back here week after week and I appreciate it.

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