Balls of Boredom!

For some reason, over the past couple of weeks, I'd been going out on Thursday nights. Last night I decided to stay in (not that anyone called me. But still.). Since the writer's strike has killed TV for now, I was stuck flipping from the top of the dial to the bottom, and back around again. I love flipping through the channels, but that only entertained me for about an hour (the fact that it entertained me for a full hour speaks to just how short my attention span really is). I eventually landed on "Balls of Fury" (Yep, that's how bad it was.) on one of my mystery channels, and (shamefully) watched the entire thing. The lead character is Randy Daytona, and he...I'll just let IMDB explain this one:

In the unsanctioned, underground, and unhinged world of extreme Ping-Pong, the competition is brutal and the stakes are deadly. Down-and-out former professional Ping-Pong phenom Randy Daytona is sucked into this maelstrom when FBI Agent Rodriguez recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and recapture his former glory, and to smoke out his father's killer - one of the FBI's Most Wanted, arch-fiend Feng. But, after two decades out of the game, Randy can't turn his life around and avenge his father's murder without a team of his own. He calls upon the spiritual guidance of blind Ping-Pong sage and restaurateur Wong, and the training expertise of Master Wong's wildly sexy niece Maggie, both of whom also have a dark history with Feng. All roads lead to Feng's mysterious jungle compound and the most unique Ping-Pong tournaments ever staged. There, Randy faces such formidable players as his long-ago Olympics opponent, the still-vicious Karl Wolfschtagg. Can Randy keep his eye on the ball? Will he achieve the redemption he craves while wielding a paddle? Is his backhand strong enough to triumph over rampant wickedness?

To give you an idea of the movie's general approach, within 30 seconds, a man is punched in the crotch and then a blind man falls down an elevator shaft. And I did laugh a few times, but most of those guffaws were followed with a "my god, this movie is so stupid!" Dan Fogler (who plays Daytona), spends the whole movie impersonating Jack Black. Granted, it's a good Jack Black, but still. He moves like Jack Black, does some air guitar stuff like Jack Black, falls down like Jack Black...

Although I have to say "Dan Fogler as Jack Black" is a thousand times easier to stomach than "Andy Samberg as Will Ferrell." I saw fifteen seconds of "Hot Rod" before shaking my head and changing the channel. (side note: has Saturday Night Live had a less funny cast member in the past twenty years than this guy? His digital shorts are okay - they're salvaged by the guest musicians, if anything - but what else does he bring to the table? I don't know. At least Dan Fogler has won a Tony Award - for Best Featured Actor in a musical(!) for "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Go figure.). Anyway.

I'm not sure what the weekend holds. The weather is supposed to be nice, so at least I won't be stuck inside watching Balls of Fury again. Let's kick the weekend off right. With an abbreviated mailblog!

Have you been watching the Biggest Loser? Would love to hear what you think about this season. Especially with your new health focus. I'm extra-obsessed with this season and have no one to talk about it with! I know you watch, right?
Leigh B.
New York, NY

In the irony of ironies, I haven't been able to watch Biggest Loser because it comes on when I'm at the gym. I never was a big fan of the "Couples" versions of Biggest Loser in the past, because for the most part, they were "mini-seasons." But having caught a few episodes this season, and now realizing that this is a full-on, full-length season (thanks, writer's strike!), I'm regretting not following it since the beginning.

From what I've seen, the Blue Team is absolutely murdering the Black Team. The Blue Team is four athletic(ish), focused, confident guys and the Black Team looks like they spend their free time stealing bracelets from Hot Topic. It's no contest. The one question I have: where the hell is Kim?! Was she so discouraged after being bounced last season that she's never coming back?!