What is one to do after a hockey game when you need to have something playing in the background whilst you piddle around online? I'd say its time to pop in a few movies. If for no other reason than it allows you to claim you saw it and still return it to Netflix as soon as possible.

So last night, I popped in the two comedies I got: Shallow Hal and Night at the Roxbury. Roxbury, I've seen before and can review blindfolded (although I make no claims as to what my typing skills would be). Shallow Hal, I've missed out on till now. And in fairness, I'm really relieved that I never paid $7.50 to see this pile of crap. I mean I had more fun watching Dude, Where's My Car on the big screen than this. The obvious draw in this for me, was Jack Black. He fails to deliver. Something incredibly unbelievable about him as a shallow egomaniac that can get any woman he wants. Then again, I know full well that this was an extension of his Tenacious D character. To me, that doesn't help ... I hate his Tenacious D character.

Anyways, back to the real highlight: Molly Shannon. The former SNL comedienne is really a sidenote in this movie as she only plays an uncredited role as young Hal's mom when young Hal goes to see his dad die. If you blink, you'll miss her. The rest of the movie is all downhill. The crap hits the fan when you realize that the obvious take on this movie is that all fat people are pure at heart and wonderful people. Bullcrank, I say. I know loads of fat people that aren't happy wonderful people. Just go to a trailer park & you'll see plenty. It was all a bit much. When Hal goes through his phase of seeing everyone for what they are on the inside, he tags along with Paltrow while she does volunteer work at a children's burn ward in the hospital. Irony being that all the kids look perfect in the first scene. But when Jack has his moment of reflection and hunts down the plumpy Paltrow at the same hospital, Hal gets greeted by a kid by name, sees the burns, and then REALLY realizes what just happened to him. I gotta admit, for Jack Black flix, its a pretty touching scene. Not enough to make a grown man cry, but still a really nice scene. Oh and Tony Robbins is in it ... there's a guy that would make the world a better place by offing himself.

OK, after that load of drivel, I needed a surefire laugh, so I pop in Roxbury. Golden! This movie has no deep meaning and if your not familiar with the SNL characters, don't bother. But if you are, I would surmise that this is perhaps one of the better SNL movies to come down the pike as of late. I mean, what's the competition? This movie at least warrants laughter here and there. And Molly Shannon's character is a laugh riot, complete with significant screen time. She wins me over trying to entice Will Farrel's character by enumerating what a real slut she can be (dunno why, but this REALLY has an effect on me for some reason). She also has a scene in which she has an orgasm discussing furniture. That's more funny than sexy. In digging up info on Molly, I realize she's 3 years older than me, and still very doable. Also learned that she was involved in a car wreck as a kid and lost a parent and/or some other family members in it, and that that's been a motivating force for her career. That's pretty interesting and I hadn't known that before.

Nevertheless, there's no grand point to all of this. I have the hots for Molly Shannon and hereby begin the Houston chapter of her fan club. Ironically, that Mary Elizabeth (or whatever it was) catholic schoolgirl character has never done anything for me, and the movie Superstar was a complete waste of my time way back when I rented it.