I came late in the game to Monk. I had seen some episodes here and there when there was a marathon on, and I always enjoyed it, but I never really got into it for the first 4 years. But then during its 5th season something changed. USA brought Psych into the world and paired it up with Monk. Since I'd always liked what I'd seen and I wanted to watch Psych it made since to watch it's lead-in series as well, and like that I was hooked.

For the last 4 years I've followed Mr. Monk (Tony Shalhoub) and Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard) as they solved murders and slowly began to help Monk work out a few of his issues. But the driving storyline behind the series has always been the mystery of who murdered Trudy, Monk's beloved wife. And it's a storyline that begins to come to an end tonight, as does the series.

Tonight's Monk is part one of the Series Finale of Monk, something that honestly makes me a little sad. I'm not sure what I'll do on Friday nights without Monk and his tight knit group of friends/colleagues. From the always reliable Natalie to the bumbling Lt. Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) and of course, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) Monk's oldest friend, and the man whose stood by him throughout everything he's gone through. Each of these characters has a special place in my heart, one that will be a bit vacant next week when the series comes to an end.

On tonight's episode Monk thinks he's finally figured out who killed Trudy but before he can reveal who did it, he must first solve the most difficult murder case of his career - his own. Having seen the promo for this week's episode, there's a part of me that's worried Monk might actually bite the dust, reuniting him with Trudy at last. All I know for sure is that I'll be rooting for Monk until the very end, and holding out hope that one day we might get to see him again in a tv movie or two.

Part 1 of the Monk Series Finale air tonight at 9/8 c on USA.

On December 2 you can partake in an event that could prove to be very significant in the healing of America. I'm sure you'll agree that America has become a very divided country in the last few years, gone are the days of Governmental leaders from both parties singing together on the steps of Congress, now everyone seems to be fighting, be it over politics, race, creed, sex, any anything else you can imagine, our country is at odds with itself. But the USA network is trying to do something about it, bringing together a wide range of distinguished leaders to try and find common ground on today's complex social issues, with Characters United.

Characters Unite is a multimedia platform spearheaded by the network to combat prejudice and intolerance while promoting acceptance and understanding. As part of the campaign, USA Network and Tom Brokaw will host the first-ever Characters Unite National Town Hall, a ground-breaking high-level discussion on how America’s increasingly diverse and divided population can find common ground on today’s complex social issues. This event will bring together a diverse panel of distinguished leaders to generate fresh ideas for actions by individuals, communities and government to overcome social injustices and bridge cultural divides. Tom Brokaw, NBC News Special Correspondent, will moderate the panel at the Newseum in Washington, DC, on December 2. The event will be webcast live for free, and viewers may register in advance at www.passtheball.com

You can see a video and the full press release with more information on the event below.

USA NETWORK AND TOM BROKAW TO CO-HOST FIRST-EVER

CHARACTERS UNITE NATIONAL TOWN HALL

ON HEALING AMERICA’S DIVISIONS

Brokaw to Moderate Panel of Prominent National Leaders from Government, Academia, Business,
Media, the Arts and Non-Governmental Organizations

Jon Bon Jovi, DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Syndicated Columnist Kathleen Parker,
Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Rep. Xavier Becerra, and Senator Max Cleland Among Those Participating

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – November 10, 2009 – USA Network and Tom Brokaw announced today the first-ever Characters Unite National Town Hall, a ground-breaking high-level discussion on how America’s increasingly diverse and divided population can find common ground on today’s complex social issues. Inspired by USA Network’s community affairs campaign – Characters Unite -- this event will bring together a diverse panel of distinguished leaders to generate fresh ideas for actions by individuals, communities and government to overcome social injustices and bridge cultural divides. Tom Brokaw, NBC News Special Correspondent, will moderate the panel at the Newseum in Washington, DC, on December 2.

Confirmed Town Hall participants include:

· Mike Allen, Chief White House Correspondent, Politico

· The Honorable Xavier Becerra, Representative, California

· The Honorable Cory Booker, Mayor, Newark, NJ

· The Honorable Max Cleland, Secretary, American Battle Monuments Commission

· Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Professor of Sociology, Georgetown University

· Wade Henderson, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

· Jon Bon Jovi, Singer, Songwriter, Philanthropist

· David Mixner, Writer and Civil Rights Activist

· Kathleen Parker, Syndicated Columnist

· Chancellor Michelle Rhee, DC Public Schools

· Dr. Christine Sierra, Professor of Political Science, University of New Mexico

Actor Dulé Hill, co-star of USA Network’s “Psych” will also be a special guest in attendance.

"It's time to get past the labeling. We're all different, and we all bring something unique to the table," said Bonnie Hammer, president, NBCU Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions. "We need our differences to unite us, not drive us apart."

"People across the country are making tough decisions every day and working to maintain their own unique American character. Too often, instead of coming together to address conflicts, groups demonize each other because of their different beliefs and opinions," said Tom Brokaw, NBC News Special Correspondent.

During the Characters Unite Town Hall, Brokaw will preview his new documentary, American Character Along Highway 50, produced by Peacock Productions, set to premiere on USA Network on Martin Luther King Day, January 18, 2010. The film follows Brokaw’s journey at a pivotal point in our country’s history as he travels across legendary US Highway 50 discovering how Americans are fairing during these extraordinary times, immersing himself in the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people to reveal uniquely American stories of hardship, survival and hope.

“Tom Brokaw’s upcoming documentary makes him the ideal moderator for this conversation,” said Hammer. “We’re confident that he will steer the Town Hall toward fresh ideas for individual and collective actions aimed at bringing all of us, with the combined strength of our diversity, together.”

In conjunction with the Town Hall, USA Network will announce the results of a new Characters Unite national opinion poll, the United or Divided Survey, which will provide an in-depth profile of American attitudes on prejudice, discrimination and intolerance. The nationally representative poll is being conducted by two of America's leading public opinion research firms representing both sides of the political aisle -- Hart Research Associates (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R). The survey will examine how Americans view the social trends that are transforming the nation, and will look across generations, race, ethnicity and gender at how change is affecting our country’s social fabric.

In partnership with Charter and Comcast, high schools across the country will have the opportunity to submit questions for the panel and five students will win a trip to Washington, DC, to attend the Town Hall event.

Cisco Webex Solutions will serve as the technology partner for the Characters Unite National Town Hall. The event will be webcast live for free, and viewers may register in advance at www.passtheball.com.

Following the Town Hall, the first Characters Unite Award will be presented to an individual who has made a significant and lasting difference in efforts to fight discrimination, champion civil rights and promote respect. The honoree will be profiled on charactersunite.com and receive a $10,000 grant to support his/her project or nonprofit organization. Nominations for the award are being made by the Characters Unite campaign’s 20 non-governmental partners, which include the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the National Parent Teacher Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Council of La Raza, GLAAD, National Council of Women’s Organizations, American Federation of Teachers, Anti-Defamation League, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Asian American Justice Center, Children’s Defense Fund, General Board of Church & Society of The United Methodist Church, Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights First, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Association of Counties, National Congress of American Indians, National Education Association and Southern Poverty Law Center.

There are a lot of things I love about Blu-ray, the great sound, the incredible picture, but I think possibly my favorite thing about it is it's ability to connect to the internet, thus enabling the studios, creators, etc to give us more and more features.  While this feature has been used in the past to some extent, it seems that studios are putting more and more thought into the content released online.  And I really feel that we've just seen the tip of the iceberg as far as what can be done with this.

One new release that's really using this feature to the fullest is the new CSI: Season 9 set.  By connecting to BD-Live via your Blu-ray player you can now access some really amazing sounding content.  Currently using the BD disc you can gain access to exclusive footage from two recent forensic conferences, a chance to see CSI through the lens of real professionals. The footage includes crime scene re-enactments, CSI gear demonstrations, and investigator interviews.  Personally I think it's great that we can dive deeper into what real CSI's are doing in their day to day careers, and learn what really goes on during a crime scene investigation.

I haven't had a chance to explore these features, but I'm hoping to have that chance soon, and if I do get to check them out, I will be sure to let you know what I think about it.  For now you can check out the full press release below:

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This past August there was one movie I was really excited to see, but that I just didn't have a chance to see before it left theaters.  That movie, you might be able to guess from the title of this blog post, was Jennifer's Body.  I had actually been anticipating this movie for over a year having gotten my hands on a copy of the script, besides it was written by Diablo Cody.  Cody, you may remember, was the mind behind Juno, and the thought of her writing a horror-comedy mad me giddy with anticipation.  And I'd be lying if I wasn't a fan of the cast, yes Megan Fox is in it, and yes she's beautiful, but I was really excited about Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody.

I've been a fan of Seyfried since her days on Veronica Mars and Mean Girls, and I think she's proven over the last few years that she's an amazing actress.  Add in Johnny Simmons, who is the cousin of a good friend of mine, and one of the nicest guys you'll meet,  and Adam Brody, the guy who made geeks cool on The O.C, and you've got one killer cast.  And the story, about a girl whose possessed by a demon and start hunting the boys in her high school, sounds like it turns the conventional horror story on it's head a bit.  Plus I've been a fan of horror comedies since the days of Scream.

But, as I said, I never got the chance to see the film, mainly because I just haven't had the time or money to do so.  But luckily the DVD is coming out relatively quickly hitting shelves just 4ish months after premiering in theaters.  The Blu-Ray looks like it will be packed full of some great special features as well as two versions of the film, with the extended version being "too sexy and gruesome for theaters!"  Even though the movie didn't get the best reviews or have a huge box office presence, I still think it looks like one that will be fun to sit and watch in the comfort and safety of your own home, just make sure there's no cheerleaders around! 

You can see the full press release below:

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You may have noticed the new banner towards the top of the page, or maybe the new column on the right hand side which says "USA's Game of the Week" both of which should take you to the USA Network's redesigned and reintroduced Character Arcade.  There's a slue of new games, most of which I haven't even had time to check out.  But there's also some great new features that help to incorporate your friends and make it all a more social experience.  What are those features you ask?  Well I'm glad you did ask, because there listed right below:

Character Arcade now features:

-Facebook Connect Integration; sign in with your Facebook account & challenge friends

-Game of the Week promotion featuring weekly prize give-aways

-Point System to buy accessories and upgrade avatars [redeemable for physical rewards coming soon]

-New virtual trophy case

-New Games including MMO and downloadable PC Games

-A new gaming blog: http://theclik.characterarcade.com/

-A new Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/CharacterArcade

One of the few games I had time to check out was the Psych Food Fight, featuring Little Shaun and Gus.  The game reminds me of the game a few years ago where you see how far you can throw the cat and it hits bombs and other explosives to make it go further, that one was a favorite of mine in Law School.  Here instead of a cat you fling food across the cafeteria hitting other kids and their lunches, seeing how far you can fling it.  It's a blast!

Overall I really like the new look and feel of the Character Arcade and will be spending some time exploring it in the near future.  In fact I'm hoping to run a new column every week or so spotlighting a new game or two, so look for that.  Overall I think the new features really add something to it and make it more of a community experience.  I for one can't wait to spend some more time there.

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This week sees the release of two very different romances on blu-ray.  One is a classic 80s romance that is beloved by many and features one of the most iconic film images of the 80s.  The other is a new comedy that is packed full of laughs, despite the unceremonious way it was dumped into theaters with hardly any publicity.  Both are great flicks that should be on your list to at least rent, if not to own.

The movie also has some great (and quotable) lines and as I said one of the most iconic images of 80s film.  One of these lines, featured on the box, is one I love so much that my AIM screenname is derived from it: "I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen."  And if anyone doesn't immediately recognize the image of Cusack holding the boombox over his head, then they probably weren't alive in 1989.  That scene alone, with Dobler professing his love for Diane, by allowing Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" to say everything he can't is worth the purchase of this movie.  

I highly recommend you get out there and grab yourself a copy of the film.  Although I will say if you already own the previous DVD release, it's probably not worth double-dipping, as this one has all the old features, with the only new addition being the inclusion of a retrospective of the film.

I Love You, Beth Cooper couldn't be further apart from Say Anything, it's slapstick and whimsy as opposed to emotional and romantic, but it's still a good film.  In fact I'd say it's one of the most overlooked films of 2009.  The movie was unfairly dumped into theaters with hardly any promotion, do you remember seeing ads for it, and barely had a chance at the box office, despite decent reviews.  While the movie is not as good as the excellent book by Larry Doyle, it is still quite funny, and just plain fun.

Paul Rust (Inglorious Basterds) stars as Denis Cooverman, a nerdy, nervous sweaty senior who uses his valedictorian speech to profess his love for the head cheerleader, Beth Cooper, who barely knows who he is.  What follows is a typical "one night in the life" of a bunch of partying high schoolers.  As the night goes on the extremely nerdy Denis actually gets to know the real Beth Cooper and discovers that she's not who he thought she was, and although she's not what he expected, she's actually better, she's a full-fledged person.  The movie really touches on some great issues that comes with graduating high school, and might even take you back to your own high school days.  It's definitely worth renting.

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