Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away three copies of The Cult of Cartman on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 15, 2008, which means you have until October 14, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
A two disc set of Eric Cartman’s finest moment. Episodes include “Scott Tenorman Must Die,” “Ginger Kids,” “Cartmanland,” “Up the Down Steroid,” “Super Fun Time,” “Awesom-O,” “Le Petit Tourette,” “The Death of Eric Cartman,” and other hilarious episodes all wrapped up on two DVDs.

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Tonight’s Gossip Girl was smoking hot, as usual. Fashion week in Manhattan always has a way of making things interesting. Of course, there are some people that aren’t enjoying the excitement of all that is interesting. Two of those people are the dethroned queen, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), and her brooding, evil ex Chuck (Ed Westwick). Blair’s week just isn’t going as planned. It’s bad enough that Serena (Blake Lively) has taken over her place as Queen Bee to the ferocious little drones that once served Blair, but when Jenny (Taylor Momsen) switches her fashion show seating chart Blair naturally goes off the hook in true Waldorf fashion.

It seems that Serena has been hanging out with the right socialites, namely a hot brunette named Poppy. This is what leads to the upheaval of Blair’s seating chart. Eleanor Waldorf (Margaret Colin) has to make sure that she has a bang up fashion show. Unfortunately, the hottest of the hot usually go to the competitor’s show. After Jenny hears this, she mentions to Eleanor that Serena and her new friend Poppy might want front row seats. Problem is, Blair and Serena have a tradition of watching the show backstage. With that, the war is on!

First, Blair learns from mommy that Jenny is the only sophomore at the school that is lucky enough to be able to have independent study. Naturally, Blair knows this couldn’t be the case, so after a talk with the headmistress she heads to Jenny’s house to clear up the matter with Jenny’s dad, Rufus (Matthew Settle). She takes Jenny some chicken soup (non-existing mono and all) and informs Rufus that Jenny has not been in school for the last ten days!

Rufus is able to get Jenny a meeting with the headmistress, and on the Saturday of the fashion show no less. He only reams her for a little bit before sending her off to the meeting, too. Too bad for him that right after the meeting Jenny is right back at fashion central. And boy does she have a lot to clear up.

Blair decides to change the seating chart back and leaves Poppy in place, but moves Serena to the third row. Blair tries to trump Jenny by pulling Waldorf rank, but that doesn’t work when Eleanor steps in to take care of things on her own, allowing Jenny’s chart to stand. Poor Jenny! You almost have to feel sorry for her considering she didn’t know it was Blair’s chart that she was changing in the first place.

Blair, never one to be outdone, sends home the models (Jenny suggests that Serena and the socialites take their place), and ends up giving Serena a Jenny Humphrey original to wear on the runway as the finale dress instead of her mother’s design. All the while, Jenny’s dad is calling and trying to get in to the fashion show to deal with his daughter.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Mark Bomback
Director: Marcel Langenegger
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Williams, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Maggie Q, Natasha Henstridge, Charlotte Rampling
Rating: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info: April 25, 2008
Theatrical Release:
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

I tend to like movies that Ewan McGregor is in. I thought he was the best part of the Star Wars prequels, he was excellent in Moulin Rouge and he gave a stand out performance in Trainspotting. Every once in a while, Ewan makes a doozy of a movie, like Eye of the Beholder. That movie just absolutely sucked. Then there are movies that the general public isn’t overly thrilled with, but for the most part, I truly enjoy these movies. The Island is one of these films and Deception seems to fit more in this category.

Of course, when it comes to Deception I must say I find one thing highly disappointing and that is the end of the film. I was into this film up until nearly the end and then it got quite ridiculous. Some might use the word trite. Ultimately, the ending ruined a perfectly good film otherwise. I don’t want to say I can see why other critics hated this movie, because I find that many critics are quite prudish when it comes to these types of films, but I can see why those who aren’t overly offended by such dark, sexually-thrilling films are disappointed with it; because none of the thrills can make up for the crappy ending!

All things considered, I could watch this movie over again, merely because the majority of the film is absolutely thrilling. The actors do a nice job. Ewan is Ewan, Hugh Jackman is good in nearly everything he’s in and Michelle Williams is incredibly alluring. I don’t usually go for blondes (yes I know it’s not real), but she puts the sex in sex appeal. Seriously, when did Michelle Williams become so hot? She has excellent chemistry with both men and Ewan proves he could have good chemistry with a paper bag if he had to pretend it was his lover, because he connects with nearly every woman he interacts with, on screen. I’m even talking about Charlotte Rampling, who is getting up there in years.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Mario Puzo
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, Rudy Bond, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D’Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $62.99

This is probably one of the hardest reviews that I have ever had to write. What does one say about The Godfather that hasn’t already been said in the past? This is one of the best movies of all time and is certainly the best movie series of all time. The story is addicting, the acting is engaging, and the direction is flawless. I shy away from calling any movie perfect, but I fail to see how these movies could have been any better than they are.

Marlon Brando was just one of the men considered for the part of Don Vito Corleone. Francis Ford Coppola wanted him or Laurence Olivier, who could not do the role, from the beginning. However, the studios looked at several other options including Ernest Borgnine, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Carlo Ponti, and George C. Scott. Burt Lancaster was never considered, but he did lobby for the role.

And then there was old blue eyes. Frank Sinatra was against both the novel, as a whole, and the idea of a movie being made, but at one point after he had talks with Coppola, he offered himself for the role. Coppola was adamant about Brando though and it’s obvious how that turned out. The studio paid him a paltry sum for the film, but that would not be something that changed the course of the film for the viewers.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey
Director: Randal Kleiser
Cast: Olivia Newton John, John Travolta, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar
Rating: PG
Studio: Magnolia

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 16, 1978
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Letterman Sweater at Amazon for $14.99 - Pink Ladies at Amazon - T-Birds at Amazon

I love Grease. You might be surprised to learn I’m a fan of musicals. As a former actor/singer I have a great respect for the musical genre. Grease is by far, the most fun musical out there. In its movie form, it’s become a true classic and it’s hard to believe that it has been 30 years since the movie first premiered. So much time has passed and this movie only helped to propel Olivia Newton John and John Travolta to super stardom.

Now you can’t watch a movie with Travolta in it, without seeing him get his groove on, on the dance floor, and Grease is just one of the films that showed off how good he is at dancing. Of course, that really doesn’t have anything to do with the legacy of Grease. This movie was bigger than any of the stars in it. It was/is bigger than any of the cast and crew ever could have anticipated. In fact, I truly do not know one person who doesn’t like Grease. It’s just that good of a movie. It’s timeless and the new generation finally has a chance to enjoy this classic.

So, what is it that people like so much about Grease? There are catchy songs. It reflects true high school spirit. It has great actors and excellent acting performances. Grease is the word..truly. I can’t think of a single thing wrong with this movie. Most of all, Grease is fun. I know I’ve said that before, but it really is fun to watch. It’s hard not to be happy while watching this musical.

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Danneel Harris, Lee Norris, Moira Kelly, Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, Barbara Alyn Woods, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Barry Corbin, Chad Michael Murray, Paul Johansson, James Lafferty, Antwon Tanner
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 2003-present
DVD Box Set Release Date: August 26, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $38.99

The choice to review One Tree Hill was partly because someone needed to do it and partly because it was something new and I was feeling adventurous. Alright, I admit it. I also lost a coin toss. I wasn’t expecting to like One Tree Hill for a number of reasons. With the exception of Moira Kelly and a few others, the majority of talent on the show has not been in anything worthwhile. Sure, some are just starting out, but others have been in plenty of things, most of it unknown.

One thing I was excited about seeing was Kevin Federline, as he is a legend in his own right, and other than in Britney videos I have never seen him act. Besides, who would classify a Britney video as dancing anyway? I was surprised to find that this show really isn’t all that bad. Thanks to the switch from high school grads to college grads over a season break, it really wasn’t that hard to pick up who was who and what was what. In a sense, it was like starting things over for the first time with new goals.

The show may have new actors, but the writing is done well and the acting is handled with strength for the most part. I appreciated the growth that the characters went through rather than remaining stagnant and stuck in the same problems throughout the season. Instead, the characters took the time to learn who they are and what they want from life. For some, that means they want a baby and for others it may mean something else. Either way, One Tree Hill is handled with more grace than I expected.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Brooke Smith, Elizabeth Reaser
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: March 27, 2005 – present
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $36.99

In recent years television has just continued to get better and better. There was a time when I barely watched television and now it seems that I cannot get enough. My DVR has a full schedule each week and on some nights its working overtime. I don’t often have time to watch television when it appears and I am somewhat thankful for that because I don’t know how I would schedule all of the shows that I watch. I definitely don’t know which shows I would pick to watch, when they were scheduled, and which to put off for another time with the DVR.

Grey’s Anatomy is one of the shows that I never miss. I have been watching it since the beginning and it never seems to get boring. This was an especially exciting season thanks to the inclusion of Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) half sister and Meredith and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) breaking and making up. I have always watched the medical dramas, I was a big fan of ER for over a decade, and I am keeping my eye on new options such as Private Practice.

The writing on the show is solid, the characters are real and multilayered, and the acting is top notch. The storylines have a way of sucking you in. I have had friends come over to watch Grey’s that were new to the show and would leave afterwards, unable to wait for next week’s episode. I think one of the main reasons for that is that people can relate to the characters.

Everyone has had an Izzie (Katherine Heigl) moment where they mean well, but things don’t work out the way they want or a George (TR Knight) moment where they make the wrong decisions for the right reasons. People want to be able to hang with McSteamy (Eric Dane) and have a beer with him. The cast just has a way of making you feel at home. This leads to high ratings and some highly addicted fans.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Dave Annable, Calista Flockhart, Balthazar Getty, Rachel Griffiths, Sarah Jane Morris, Ron Rifkin, Patricia Wettig, Sally Field, Matthew Rhys, Kerris Dorsey, Maxwell Perry Cotton, Rob Lowe, Emily VanCamp
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 24, 2006 - Present
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $36.99

I have been a fan of Brothers & Sisters since I reviewed the show last year when the first season box set was released. I don’t think there is any one thing that makes the show fabulous. Instead, it is the combination of things that all make the show work as well as it does. From great acting to superb writing it seems that Brothers & Sisters has it all. This is one show that rarely, if ever, disappoints. The family dynamic between the actors is believable thanks to good chemistry and the writing is sharp enough to keep you interested and enthralled in the lives of the characters.

Sally Field does a consistently good job as the matriarch of the Walker clan. She is backed up by excellent performances by Calista Flockhart, Matthew Rhys, Rachel Griffiths, Blathazar Getty, and Rob Lowe. The dynamic characters make it hard not to connect with the show and your favorite people.

If you are new to the show it looks at the lives of one family. The Walker family is a wealthy family that lost the patriarch in the first season. The show delves into the lives of the mother and children that have been left behind to keep the family business afloat and the family together. Like most families they have their ups and downs. At the end of the first season, it is learned that William Walker left a secret behind after his death. In the second season another secret is revealed.

I was impressed by this season and was not surprised when Emmy nods were handed out for Brothers and Sisters. This five disc set offers every single episode from the second season along with a smattering of bonus features to keep the interested fan excited for season three and beyond.

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Brooke Smith, Elizabeth Reaser
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Buena Vista/Disney

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: March 27, 2005 – present
DVD Box Set Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $66.95

Television hit a high point when I wasn’t looking. These days, I am afraid to watch a new show, because I watch too many amazing shows as it is. If only I could just be a professional television watcher, life would be good. However, even though there are many shows that I love, there seem to be few that I actually watch in the scheduled time frame that they air on television. With things like DVR and free episodes on the Internet it becomes less and less of a necessity to catch my favorite show on the network that it airs. Of course, there are a few shows that demand prompt attention because I just cannot wait to see them. Grey’s Anatomy is one of these shows. It’s something that I just cannot miss.

I had just started watching Grey’s during the third season, despite my mother nagging me to watch it long before that point. I turned it on one night and it took me just a few minutes to fall in love. Needless to say, I was hooked by the end of the season, and more than ready to welcome the new season as it came on. Things got off to a good start, but as the writer’s strike loomed it was a disappointment to see that all of the excellent shows would be affected. Still, with the following that Grey’s has there was not much to worry about. It was more a waiting game than anything.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Ben Best, Jody Hill, Danny R. McBride
Director: Jody Hill
Cast:
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount

Release Info: June 24, 2006
Theatrical Release:
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Best Buy for $19.99

First, I want to say I’m not knocking indie films. The Foot Fist Way is most definitely an indie flick. It feels it. It looks it. It personifies that indie vibe. There are plenty of indies I like. This indie film just tries too hard and falls flat. Still, it’s easy to see why Will Ferrell would have gotten involved in the project when it came to releasing The Foot Fist Way. It’s also easy to see why the movie is only exclusively being sold at Best Buy. This limited release means limited exposure and limited money loss. In truth, the producers, creators and cast don’t yet know if The Foot Fist Way is going to make it or not. It could really go either way.

In the grand scheme of independent movie making, there are far fewer Clerks and Napoleon Dynamites. That’s just the way it goes! I was expecting something of The Foot Fist Way merely because Danny R. McBride is the main character. He was severely underplayed in the Owen Wilson comedy Drillbit Taylor. He’s also done well in other supporting roles in Hot Rod, Pineapple Express and the heavily controversial Tropic Thunder. But even McBride can’t save The Foot Fist Way. It’s just not in the cards.

While The Foot Fist Way starts out trying valiantly to maintain that independent, “yes, I really rock” movie feel, about halfway through the movie, it loses steam and falls apart. It turns into just another bad comedy and that’s not the vibe these actors seemed to have been going for when they started the movie. What or why the steam is lost is unknown. What is inevitable is the failure of this movie.

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