﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:spout="http://www.spout.com/schemas/rss/core/2006" xmlns:cf="http://www.microsoft.com/schemas/rss/core/2005">
  <channel>
    <cf:treatAs>list</cf:treatAs>
    <cf:listinfo>
      <cf:group element="type" label="Type" ns="http://www.spout.com/schemas/rss/core/2006" data-type="text" />
    </cf:listinfo>
    <title>Smart People's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
    <link>http://www.spout.com/</link>
    <description>Recent community activity around Smart People on Spout</description>
    <copyright>Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC</copyright>
    <generator>Spout RSS</generator>
    <image>
      <url>http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg</url>
      <title>Smart People's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/</link>
      <width>136</width>
      <height>30</height>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Film:Smart People</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Smart_People/292248/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
<td>
<strong>Title:</strong> Smart People<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 2008<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Noam Murro<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> Commercial director <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___381249/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Noam Murro</a> makes the leap to feature films with this drama concerning an aging professor-turned-bitter eccentric due to the death of his longtime wife. Ever since his wife passed away, Lawrence Wetherhold (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____58161/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dennis Quaid</a>) has become overly acerbic and self-absorbed. He's alienated his son (Ashton Holmes), and transformed his daughter (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___360080/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ellen Page</a>) into a friendless overachiever. Now, at the precise moment Lawrence thought he had finally figured it all out, his life comes crashing down all around him as he falls for a former student (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____55134/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Sarah Jessica Parker</a>) and his shiftless adopted brother (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___195520/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Thomas Haden Church</a>) comes knocking on the door in search of a place to stay. Though Lawrence always relied on his intelligence to get him out of life's little jams in the past, it's going to take quite a bit more than intellectual thinking to move past this sticky stage in his suddenly chaotic life. David Denman and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____40020/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christine Lahti</a> co-star in this romantic comedy drama, which serves as the screenwriting debut of Goats and Modern Ranch Living author Mark Jude Poirier. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 21<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 14<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 6<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:26:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Smart People</spout:Title><spout:Year>2008</spout:Year><spout:Director>Noam Murro</spout:Director><spout:Plot>Commercial director &lt;a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___381249/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Noam Murro&lt;/a&gt; makes the leap to feature films with this drama concerning an aging professor-turned-bitter eccentric due to the death of his longtime wife. Ever since his wife passed away, Lawrence Wetherhold (&lt;a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____58161/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Dennis Quaid&lt;/a&gt;) has become overly acerbic and self-absorbed. He's alienated his son (Ashton Holmes), and transformed his daughter (&lt;a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___360080/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Ellen Page&lt;/a&gt;) into a friendless overachiever. Now, at the precise moment Lawrence thought he had finally figured it all out, his life comes crashing down all around him as he falls for a former student (&lt;a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____55134/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Sarah Jessica Parker&lt;/a&gt;) and his shiftless adopted brother (&lt;a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___195520/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Thomas Haden Church&lt;/a&gt;) comes knocking on the door in search of a place to stay. Though Lawrence always relied on his intelligence to get him out of life's little jams in the past, it's going to take quite a bit more than intellectual thinking to move past this sticky stage in his suddenly chaotic life. David Denman and &lt;a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____40020/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Christine Lahti&lt;/a&gt; co-star in this romantic comedy drama, which serves as the screenwriting debut of Goats and Modern Ranch Living author Mark Jude Poirier. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>21</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Tag Target (&gt;10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>14</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>6</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Smart_People/292248/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: The Problem With Spring</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/archive/2008/10/8/36031.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/49792/default.aspx'>Tenenbaums</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/default.aspx'>Tenenbaums Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 10/8/2008 12:09:05 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> I've recently watched a string of bad movies.They're not bad as in they never should have been made. It's more disappointing than that. They're bad because a good idea and often talent was wasted on poor execution.I should have known better than to throw away my time on them. They were all released in the dumping ground casually referred to as the Spring Season. Few decent U.S. films debut during this time. It's home for stupid family fare featuring Martin Lawrence (College Road Trip and Wild Hogs) and now random offerings from this year's unexpected double-dipper, Dennis Quaid.  2007 was a rare exception to the rule with Zodiac, Grindhouse, and the widely liked but personally loathed 300.  Typically, it's an overall mess.The films that I ignored post-Oscar rush and pre-Summer Blockbuster are now on DVD and at the library. Since now I don't have to pay to see them, the slightest bit of interest that I suppressed in March and April by staying home now looks at me every day at work and has, in several cases, followed me home.The results have not been pretty.Smart People looked like another potential Wonder Boys. It was not. Thomas Hayden Church's performance was the only bright spot, but Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Ellen Page were wasted. The trailer for  Vantage Point looked great. The actual thing was far from it. The movie makes you wonder what kind of dirt the director had on Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Forrest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, and, yes, Quaid.Then there's Stop-Loss, which holds a special place in my heart.  It's the first movie that I've watched alone and couldn't get through.*I won't see just any movie. Pass the Grey Poupon. Since there are so many new releases in addition to the monstrous back-log of DVDs and videos, I can only see so many and the ones I choose to see must meet a certain criteria to even be considered. So, if I'm watching a film, it's certifiably special.Of the films I see, I like 95% of them. Of the sour 5%, I'll watch them to their completion because, up until now, my hope in them has been rewarded by enough imagination and intrigue on their part to keep me away from the Eject button. When the credits roll, I may not have liked what I've seen overall (see above titles), but, as was expected when the film became personally desirable, it had its moments. I wouldn't recommend these films, but they're not total disasters.Stop-Loss, however, is a class-5 hurricane hitting Cape Cod. It's hard to imagine a more heavy-handed approach to the Iraq war, and that's saying a lot. Give credit to co-writer/director Kimberly Peirce (who guided Hilary Swank to her first Oscar in Boys Don't Cry) for bluntly stating the opinions of returning (and subsequently departing) soldiers that aren't always voiced. These thoughts are genuine and I agree with them. They are also the same thing that Mr. Bullhorn is spouting in front of the White House.The ridiculously wooden dialogue and Ryan Phillippe at his unexpected worst (did they tape him when he was working out his Texas accent in rehearsals?) combined with a hokey plot to ruin a great concept. The hardships of this generation of soldiers' home lives had yet to be explored in a major film, but Stop-Loss does no justice to our military. The film adds to the pile of recent failed attempts to translate the current conflict to the screen, and had me skipping scenes by the half-hour mark. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my free time), the beginning of each new DVD chapter began with the same dumb talk or events that plagued the film's start. When the credits showed up, I was glad to be done. It's doubly disappointing that I was forced to skim through the rest because the opening Iraq combat scenes were done so well. Peirce does a fantastic job of depicting the mammoth tension of Baghdad roadblocks and of putting the audience amidst the squad as they fall under attack. She should have stayed in the Middle East and taken most of the Spring releases with her.But it's not all a pile of poo.Drillbit Taylor was awful on most fronts, but there was enough charm and general Owen-Wilsonness to elicit a positive feeling. Most surprising was In Bruges, a.k.a. Colin Farrell's Coming Out Party. Witty dialogue: check. Great acting: check. Expert direction and cinematography: check, check. Everything I could want from a film is found in this sleepy Belgium town. Plus, Mr. Consistency (Ralph Fiennes) is there in a role that rivals his Voldemort, Tooth Fairy (Red Dragon), and Amon Goeth (Schindler's List) for Most Menacing.  The guy can play bad and play it very well.But these two bright spots (one, really) don't excuse the regularity of stinkers during this time of the year. Spring should be left for Oscar-nominated films that were given little or no release to be screened at the national level. Often, excellent foreign films will trickle in during this time, and they're welcome, too. Studios are cheating audiences and themselves by putting out sub-par material Spring after Spring. Filmgoers deserve more. Spring is an opportunity for catching up on the under-appreciated foreign, indie, documentary, and short films. We should continually be celebrating the best, not being fed soggy leftovers. Anything less is not good enough.Are you with me?*My fiancee Sarah embraces the attitude that you don't have to finish a book if you don't like it or don't want to. I agree with that, but since I read about 1/10 as many titles as she does in a year, the books I choose meet an even harder criteria than the films I see. If you look at my GoodReads ratings, you won't find anything I read outside of school that I didn't at least like (and, more than likely, loved). She also, according to the frequency in which she conks out on the sofa, believes that you don't have to finish a film. With Stop-Loss, despite my rigorous initial screening process, perhaps I've come to agree with that, too. It's not that I didn't believe you could drop a film; I'd just never been pushed to the point of losing faith in a film ever getting better. Still, since I continue to keep up my guard, I don't expect to repeat the Stop-Loss massacre very often.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:09:05 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Tenenbaums</spout:postby><spout:postto>Tenenbaums Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>10/8/2008 12:09:05 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>I've recently watched a string of bad movies.They're not bad as in they never should have been made. It's more disappointing than that. They're bad because a good idea and often talent was wasted on poor execution.I should have known better than to throw away my time on them. They were all released in the dumping ground casually referred to as the Spring Season. Few decent U.S. films debut during this time. It's home for stupid family fare featuring Martin Lawrence (College Road Trip and Wild Hogs) and now random offerings from this year's unexpected double-dipper, Dennis Quaid.  2007 was a rare exception to the rule with Zodiac, Grindhouse, and the widely liked but personally loathed 300.  Typically, it's an overall mess.The films that I ignored post-Oscar rush and pre-Summer Blockbuster are now on DVD and at the library. Since now I don't have to pay to see them, the slightest bit of interest that I suppressed in March and April by staying home now looks at me every day at work and has, in several cases, followed me home.The results have not been pretty.Smart People looked like another potential Wonder Boys. It was not. Thomas Hayden Church's performance was the only bright spot, but Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Ellen Page were wasted. The trailer for  Vantage Point looked great. The actual thing was far from it. The movie makes you wonder what kind of dirt the director had on Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Forrest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, and, yes, Quaid.Then there's Stop-Loss, which holds a special place in my heart.  It's the first movie that I've watched alone and couldn't get through.*I won't see just any movie. Pass the Grey Poupon. Since there are so many new releases in addition to the monstrous back-log of DVDs and videos, I can only see so many and the ones I choose to see must meet a certain criteria to even be considered. So, if I'm watching a film, it's certifiably special.Of the films I see, I like 95% of them. Of the sour 5%, I'll watch them to their completion because, up until now, my hope in them has been rewarded by enough imagination and intrigue on their part to keep me away from the Eject button. When the credits roll, I may not have liked what I've seen overall (see above titles), but, as was expected when the film became personally desirable, it had its moments. I wouldn't recommend these films, but they're not total disasters.Stop-Loss, however, is a class-5 hurricane hitting Cape Cod. It's hard to imagine a more heavy-handed approach to the Iraq war, and that's saying a lot. Give credit to co-writer/director Kimberly Peirce (who guided Hilary Swank to her first Oscar in Boys Don't Cry) for bluntly stating the opinions of returning (and subsequently departing) soldiers that aren't always voiced. These thoughts are genuine and I agree with them. They are also the same thing that Mr. Bullhorn is spouting in front of the White House.The ridiculously wooden dialogue and Ryan Phillippe at his unexpected worst (did they tape him when he was working out his Texas accent in rehearsals?) combined with a hokey plot to ruin a great concept. The hardships of this generation of soldiers' home lives had yet to be explored in a major film, but Stop-Loss does no justice to our military. The film adds to the pile of recent failed attempts to translate the current conflict to the screen, and had me skipping scenes by the half-hour mark. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my free time), the beginning of each new DVD chapter began with the same dumb talk or events that plagued the film's start. When the credits showed up, I was glad to be done. It's doubly disappointing that I was forced to skim through the rest because the opening Iraq combat scenes were done so well. Peirce does a fantastic job of depicting the mammoth tension of Baghdad roadblocks and of putting the audience amidst the squad as they fall under attack. She should have stayed in the Middle East and taken most of the Spring releases with her.But it's not all a pile of poo.Drillbit Taylor was awful on most fronts, but there was enough charm and general Owen-Wilsonness to elicit a positive feeling. Most surprising was In Bruges, a.k.a. Colin Farrell's Coming Out Party. Witty dialogue: check. Great acting: check. Expert direction and cinematography: check, check. Everything I could want from a film is found in this sleepy Belgium town. Plus, Mr. Consistency (Ralph Fiennes) is there in a role that rivals his Voldemort, Tooth Fairy (Red Dragon), and Amon Goeth (Schindler's List) for Most Menacing.  The guy can play bad and play it very well.But these two bright spots (one, really) don't excuse the regularity of stinkers during this time of the year. Spring should be left for Oscar-nominated films that were given little or no release to be screened at the national level. Often, excellent foreign films will trickle in during this time, and they're welcome, too. Studios are cheating audiences and themselves by putting out sub-par material Spring after Spring. Filmgoers deserve more. Spring is an opportunity for catching up on the under-appreciated foreign, indie, documentary, and short films. We should continually be celebrating the best, not being fed soggy leftovers. Anything less is not good enough.Are you with me?*My fiancee Sarah embraces the attitude that you don't have to finish a book if you don't like it or don't want to. I agree with that, but since I read about 1/10 as many titles as she does in a year, the books I choose meet an even harder criteria than the films I see. If you look at my GoodReads ratings, you won't find anything I read outside of school that I didn't at least like (and, more than likely, loved). She also, according to the frequency in which she conks out on the sofa, believes that you don't have to finish a film. With Stop-Loss, despite my rigorous initial screening process, perhaps I've come to agree with that, too. It's not that I didn't believe you could drop a film; I'd just never been pushed to the point of losing faith in a film ever getting better. Still, since I continue to keep up my guard, I don't expect to repeat the Stop-Loss massacre very often.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Smart Sleuth's Last Andromeda Doomsday Kiss</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/dibot/archive/2008/9/17/35232.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/17539/default.aspx'>dibot</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/dibot/default.aspx'>dibot Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 9/17/2008 1:27:22 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Smart People (2008) is a light dramedy starring Dennis Quaid ("Vantage Point") as a self-absorbed, egotistical professor who begins to change his life after an accident leaves him unable to drive. He's surrounded by quirky family, most notably Thomas Haden Church ("Spider-man 3"), the best part of the film. I thought some of it was trying to hard, but mostly it's entertaining. Something to relax with on a gloomy day.Directed by Kenneth Branagh ("The Magic Flute"), Sleuth brings together both Alfies, Michael Caine ("The Dark Knight") and Jude Law ("My Blueberry Nights"), and allows them to act their pants off. Sometimes literally. Adapted from Anthony Shaffer ("The Wicker Man")'s play, and a remake of 1972 film, in which Caine also starred, the action is all set in Caine's home. But it is an elaborate and beautiful contraption, almost a character itself. Branagh keeps it from being too static with interesting shots. Caine's character has discovered that Law is sleeping with his wife, and this confrontation puts both actors in top form. I was reminded why I once thought Law was a great actor. Definitely check this out.Doomsday is a glorious mess from writer/director Neil Marshall ("The Descent"). Part Escape from New York and part Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Marshall brings in everything from removable spying eyes to medieval knights. The acting and dialogue are over the top, and there are many holes in the plot. But it doesn't really matter. Everyone involved seems to be having a great time, and I went ride along for the ride.I found the original Andromeda Strain to be a bit boring. Made in 1971 by director Robert Wise ("Rooftops"), the plot follows a team of scientists as they investigate a meteor which fell to earth and infected a small town with a deadly virus. The movie is a little heavy on the science, which, though I guess it made it seem more real, slowed the film way down. Still, one of the classic sci-fi stores and worth the watch.I didn't hate The Last Kiss, but I became pretty disgusted with most of the characters by the end of the film. Trying to capitalize on star Zach Braff ("Fast Track")'s success with Garden State, The Last Kiss was marketed as a similar film, but it just isn't. Four male friends try to be adults and either work out their relationship problems, or run from them. Even Casey Affleck ("Gone Baby Gone"), who I love, was worthless. I just wanted to shake all these guys and tell them to stop being so whiny. I can't recommend it.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:27:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>dibot</spout:postby><spout:postto>dibot Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>9/17/2008 1:27:22 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Smart People (2008) is a light dramedy starring Dennis Quaid ("Vantage Point") as a self-absorbed, egotistical professor who begins to change his life after an accident leaves him unable to drive. He's surrounded by quirky family, most notably Thomas Haden Church ("Spider-man 3"), the best part of the film. I thought some of it was trying to hard, but mostly it's entertaining. Something to relax with on a gloomy day.Directed by Kenneth Branagh ("The Magic Flute"), Sleuth brings together both Alfies, Michael Caine ("The Dark Knight") and Jude Law ("My Blueberry Nights"), and allows them to act their pants off. Sometimes literally. Adapted from Anthony Shaffer ("The Wicker Man")'s play, and a remake of 1972 film, in which Caine also starred, the action is all set in Caine's home. But it is an elaborate and beautiful contraption, almost a character itself. Branagh keeps it from being too static with interesting shots. Caine's character has discovered that Law is sleeping with his wife, and this confrontation puts both actors in top form. I was reminded why I once thought Law was a great actor. Definitely check this out.Doomsday is a glorious mess from writer/director Neil Marshall ("The Descent"). Part Escape from New York and part Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Marshall brings in everything from removable spying eyes to medieval knights. The acting and dialogue are over the top, and there are many holes in the plot. But it doesn't really matter. Everyone involved seems to be having a great time, and I went ride along for the ride.I found the original Andromeda Strain to be a bit boring. Made in 1971 by director Robert Wise ("Rooftops"), the plot follows a team of scientists as they investigate a meteor which fell to earth and infected a small town with a deadly virus. The movie is a little heavy on the science, which, though I guess it made it seem more real, slowed the film way down. Still, one of the classic sci-fi stores and worth the watch.I didn't hate The Last Kiss, but I became pretty disgusted with most of the characters by the end of the film. Trying to capitalize on star Zach Braff ("Fast Track")'s success with Garden State, The Last Kiss was marketed as a similar film, but it just isn't. Four male friends try to be adults and either work out their relationship problems, or run from them. Even Casey Affleck ("Gone Baby Gone"), who I love, was worthless. I just wanted to shake all these guys and tell them to stop being so whiny. I can't recommend it.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Save your time...</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/fitzcarraldo/archive/2008/8/29/34539.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2135/default.aspx'>fitzcarraldo</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/fitzcarraldo/default.aspx'>fitzcarraldo Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 8/29/2008 11:54:45 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> All the emotional and plot depth of an afterschool special, wrapped up in a tidy bow at the end. So what's up with the music video-like soundtrack throughout the film? Bright-shiny-object diversion for the lack of character development? The only redeeming aspect of the film is a funny performance by Thomas Haden Church.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:54:45 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>fitzcarraldo</spout:postby><spout:postto>fitzcarraldo Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>8/29/2008 11:54:45 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>All the emotional and plot depth of an afterschool special, wrapped up in a tidy bow at the end. So what's up with the music video-like soundtrack throughout the film? Bright-shiny-object diversion for the lack of character development? The only redeeming aspect of the film is a funny performance by Thomas Haden Church.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: SMART PEOPLE</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/megcinema/archive/2008/4/25/27810.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/129246/default.aspx'>megcinema</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/megcinema/default.aspx'>megcinema Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 4/25/2008 1:37:36 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Three words Thomas Hayden Church. megcinema thought: Sometimes weird smart people are enough to watch.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:37:36 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>megcinema</spout:postby><spout:postto>megcinema Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>4/25/2008 1:37:36 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Three words Thomas Hayden Church. megcinema thought: Sometimes weird smart people are enough to watch.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Trailer of the Day: Smart People</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/28/24442.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 1/28/2008 1:01:20 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 


If you were even slightly irritated by Ellen Page’s too-precocious performance in Juno, then you might want to avoid the trailer for Noam Murro’s Smart People. In the movie, which screened at Sundance last week, Page plays yet another teen who seems too smart for her own good. In fact, it is obvious that the trailer is trying to make this character appear similar to her Oscar-nominated role. Now, I’m not one of the many Juno haters, and I think Page has talent, but doesn’t it take away from her performance in Juno to show us that she’s doing the exact same thing in her follow-up? Never mind the fact that Smart People seems like The Squid and the Whale meets The Ballad of Jack and Rose — I’ve heard that it is pretty funny and smart despite its familiar territories — I’m more turned off by the fact that it’s like Juno II without our favorite Juno I actors (Cera, Bateman and Simmons, of course).
Not that you can go wrong with Thomas Haden Church, with or without a catfish mustache (I just watched Spider-Man 3 for the first time, and he’s the only good thing about it). Here he plays the adopted brother of a pompous Carnegie Mellon professor played by Dennis Quaid. Page plays Quaid’s Young Republican daughter; Ashton Holmes (A History of Violence) plays his son; and Sarah Jessica Parker is his former student-turned-doctor who becomes his love interest. Apparently Church’s character is more free spirited than the rest, and he probably teaches them all to have more fun in life. This sounds pretty unoriginal, but from what I’ve read the film as a whole works as a satire of academia and specialized knowledge. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re going to enjoy any of those too-intelligent characters while waiting for them to relax.
 (more…)
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:01:20 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>1/28/2008 1:01:20 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>


If you were even slightly irritated by Ellen Page’s too-precocious performance in Juno, then you might want to avoid the trailer for Noam Murro’s Smart People. In the movie, which screened at Sundance last week, Page plays yet another teen who seems too smart for her own good. In fact, it is obvious that the trailer is trying to make this character appear similar to her Oscar-nominated role. Now, I’m not one of the many Juno haters, and I think Page has talent, but doesn’t it take away from her performance in Juno to show us that she’s doing the exact same thing in her follow-up? Never mind the fact that Smart People seems like The Squid and the Whale meets The Ballad of Jack and Rose — I’ve heard that it is pretty funny and smart despite its familiar territories — I’m more turned off by the fact that it’s like Juno II without our favorite Juno I actors (Cera, Bateman and Simmons, of course).
Not that you can go wrong with Thomas Haden Church, with or without a catfish mustache (I just watched Spider-Man 3 for the first time, and he’s the only good thing about it). Here he plays the adopted brother of a pompous Carnegie Mellon professor played by Dennis Quaid. Page plays Quaid’s Young Republican daughter; Ashton Holmes (A History of Violence) plays his son; and Sarah Jessica Parker is his former student-turned-doctor who becomes his love interest. Apparently Church’s character is more free spirited than the rest, and he probably teaches them all to have more fun in life. This sounds pretty unoriginal, but from what I’ve read the film as a whole works as a satire of academia and specialized knowledge. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re going to enjoy any of those too-intelligent characters while waiting for them to relax.
 (more…)
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Smart People</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/gothere/archive/2006/11/6/3578.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s292248.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2119/default.aspx'>gothere</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/gothere/default.aspx'>You should go there</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 11/6/2006 9:55:00 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Just got an email from my alma mater, Carnegie Mellon. This new movie starring Dennis Quaid as "an eccentric Carnegie Mellon English professor" and Sarah Jessica Parker. Also filmed there: The Mothman Prophecies, Dogma, and  Flashdance .<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2006 02:55:00 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>gothere</spout:postby><spout:postto>You should go there</spout:postto><spout:postdate>11/6/2006 9:55:00 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Just got an email from my alma mater, Carnegie Mellon. This new movie starring Dennis Quaid as "an eccentric Carnegie Mellon English professor" and Sarah Jessica Parker. Also filmed there: The Mothman Prophecies, Dogma, and  Flashdance .</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:family</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>family</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 6288</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 226</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1138</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:09:21 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>6288</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>226</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1138</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:Quirky</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Quirky/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Quirky/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Quirky</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 131</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 110</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 249</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:54:25 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>131</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>110</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>249</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:school</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/school/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/school/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>school</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1231</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 56</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 130</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:49:18 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1231</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>56</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>130</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:life</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/life/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/life/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>life</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1082</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 52</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 224</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1082</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>52</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>224</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:college</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/college/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/college/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>college</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 854</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 48</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 187</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:40:05 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>854</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>48</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>187</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:clever</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/clever/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/clever/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>clever</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 57</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 40</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 74</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:40:08 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>57</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>40</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>74</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:student</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/student/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/student/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>student</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1420</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 24</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 63</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:35:57 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1420</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>24</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>63</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:professor</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/professor/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/professor/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>professor</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 742</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 22</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 39</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:14 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>742</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>22</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>39</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:grief</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/grief/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/grief/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>grief</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 539</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 20</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 32</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>539</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>20</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>32</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:eccentric</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/eccentric/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/eccentric/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>eccentric</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 382</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 18</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 28</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:04:09 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>382</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>18</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>28</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:wish</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/wish/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/wish/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>wish</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 123</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 14</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 16</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 13:03:58 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>123</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>14</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>16</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:decisions</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/decisions/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/decisions/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>decisions</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 6</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 7</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 8</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:27:16 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>6</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>7</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>8</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:intelligence</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/intelligence/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/intelligence/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>intelligence</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 12</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 6</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 12</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:35:14 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>12</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>6</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>12</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:motivation</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/motivation/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/motivation/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>motivation</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 64</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 5</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 7</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:02:06 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>64</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>5</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>7</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:widowwidower</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/widowwidower/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/widowwidower/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>widowwidower</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1294</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 5</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 5</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1294</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>5</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>5</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
  </channel>
</rss>