Are You There, Krod? It's Me, Mandoon.

I'm not a fan of cheesy fantasy series like Xena and Hercules, mostly because they ask me to take their storylines seriously. (Well, mostly seriously.) Comedy Central's Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire asks me to do no such thing, and I find that refreshing. Also, I like saying the title. It's like if Mel Brooks turned Robin Hood: Men In Tights into a halfway decent TV show, and if that doesn't completely sell you on the idea, check out my full review over at TelevisionWithoutPity.com!

With a Name Like "Krod Mandoon," It Has to be Good

I Came, I Observed, I Laughed My Ass Off

Do not let the recent Paul Blart: Mall Cop turn you off to the vast genre of mall cop movies. Seth Rogen's latest -- which was written and directed by Foot Fist Way and Eastbound & Down helmer Jody Hill -- is hysterical, if slightly disturbing, incredibly violent and pretty raunchy. But it's got one of the funniest casts I've ever seen, plus Ray Liotta, who is funny in his own way. Read my review at MoviesWithoutPity.com, either before or after you see the movie, depending on your preference.

Observe & Report: Paul Blart Can Kiss Seth Rogen's Sizable Ass

It's Like an Outdoor 'Office'

So last night was the premiere of the new Office-esque series Parks & Recreation, starring Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari and Rashida Jones, and it was pretty great. I watched the whole thing, and recapped it for TelevisionWithoutPity.com, so if you're dying to read a five-page document instead of (or in addition to) watching a half-hour sitcom, feel free. Only the document contains my inimitable commentary.

Spring Pilot Season: Parks & Recreation

'The Spirit' Has Broken My Spirit

I used to love Will Eisner's The Spirit. I had all of these Warren magazine-sized comics from back in the '70s, plus some of the Kitchen Sink reprints, and even the new DC stuff by Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone wasn't so bad. Frank Miller's The Spirit, however, is a train wreck. Just watching the trailers depressed me so much that I never saw it in theaters, only recently watching the DVD. And it's awful. My brother got me a Spirit T-shirt for Christmas, and I will wear it like a brand, like a scarlet letter that will remind me to never let anything that horrible happen ever again. I've written about my five big problems with the movie, and what could have been done to make it better -- mediocre, even -- over at MoviesWithoutPity.com.

The Spirit: What Could Have Been Done to Save It

Defy Death, Tivo Life

I love Life, both the abstract sum of my existence and the TV show of the same name. Sadly, one may end tonight -- although I'd rather both went on for a very, very long time. While I plan on driving safely, tonight's season finale of Life on NBC may be the series finale, if NBC ever makes up their minds about whether they want to cancel it or not. I interviewed the awesome Damian Lewis ("Charlie Crews") and creator Rand Ravich about the finale, Gabrielle Union vs. Sarah Shahi and elevensies. ...Actually, I only asked one of the questions -- try and guess which one over at TelevisionWithoutPity.com.

Life Sentence: Damian Lewis Talks About Tonight's (Series?) Finale

Faster, Vin Diesel! Kill! Kill!

I haven't seen Fast & Furious yet, but it seems everybody else did, since it made mad bank this weekend. Thanks to this, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker just experienced career do-overs, and Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster are along for the ride. I run down three-step plans to keep all four of them on top of the game over at MoviesWithoutPity.com -- here's hoping they take my advice.

Fast & Furious: We Jump-Start Four Careers

Ooh, Right in the Dragonballs!

I'm not a hardcore Dragon Ball fan or anything (although I like it enough to know that I prefer the wacky adventures of the young Goku to the endless combat of Dragon Ball Z), but I know that this movie looks nothing like the Dragon Ball manga I found endlessly entertaining, or the DBZ anime my friend Rob made me watch. Using my limited knowledge and the overheard rantings of my friends, I broke down exactly why anime fans are unhappy with this film over at MoviesWithoutPity.com. Give it a read.

Dragonball Evolution: Why Anime Fans Hate It

I've Got to Keep on Tamblyn

I was excited to watch the new cop dramedy The Unusuals for cast members Harold Perrineau (Lost) and Adam Goldberg (The Hebrew Hammer), but did they offer me interviews with either of them? No. I got Amber Tamblyn. I have to admit that Tamblyn was an unknown quantity for me, since I never watched Joan of Arcadia, but I think she did a good job in the pilot episode, and she was a friendly interview subject. Read my Q & A with her over at TelevisionWithoutPity.com.

Joan of Narcadia: The Amber Tamblyn Interview

Adventureland: Not Just Another Teen Movie

Saw Adventureland on Tuesday. Loved it. It's not at all what I was expecting, but in a good way -- the movie has a real indie vibe, and is more of a dramedy than a true comedy. Mismarketed? Maybe, but that "From the director of Superbad" tag was just so tempting, I'm sure. Hopefully, people won't be disappointed, but rather pleasantly surprised like me. Check out my review at MoviesWithoutPity.com.

Adventureland: This Isn't the Sex Comedy You're Looking For

Fast, Furious and Unnecessary

Is any sequel really "necessary"? Yes. Some are. In fact, I would say a lot are. But just as many are not. Take the new Vin Diesel movie Fast & Furious, the third (!) sequel to The Fast and the Furious. I haven't seen it yet, but I can promise you that it is as unnecessary as the last two sequels. I ran down ten of the most unnecessary sequels ever made at MoviesWithoutPity.com, and you may be surprised to see what's up there.

Fast & Furious: Another Unnecessary Sequel