If you’ve been monitoring the internet at all – and if you’re here, that means you’ve nearly reached the end of the line – then you’ve probably seen the myriad of clips out there promoting Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. And, if that’s the case, then you’ve probably picked up on the euphemism that is Dewey’s last name and how it’s used for comedic effect in the film.

I’ve purposefully tried to stay away from the clips that are out there because I’m very fond of Judd Apatow and his band of merry makers and I don’t want to spoil anything for myself. Comedy is hard and if it’s going to hit you between the eyes, you get one chance to do it.

There’s no doubt in my mind that I will find 90% of the jokes in Walk Hard extremely funny. But I would rather be laughing out loud in the theater on first viewing rather than chuckling silently to myself – or worse, speaking the lines out loud before the actors do – after repeated viewings in the comfort of my own home.

I understand this weekend is going to be a crowded marketplace for new films, but I hope at some point the studio reels things in a little bit regarding the promotion. Early reviews are starting to come in and several of them are effusive to the point of embarrassment. At this point, either you’re down with the Apatow love fest or you’re not. But could there be signs of backlash brewing?… (WARNING – Language NSWF)

What’s been most amazing to me is watching the comedic evolution of John C. Reily. I think anyone that watched Boogie Nights know that Reily is more than capable of playing a lovable goofball. But after Talladega Nights, he really sent the message home. And, well, here we are.

What I love about Reily is that he came from a traditional theater background and made a name for himself as a character actor. Typically you don’t see this kind of sidestep into comedy. Usually, it’s the other way around. Comedian starts out in nightclubs, graduates to a sketch comedy television show, does a few movies with his signature bits and then makes a play for legitimacy by trying drama on for size. See Jim Carrey.

Reily, on the other hand, has complete confidence in himself and saunters out of these different world’s easily. It’s not about credibility. For him, it really seems to be about having fun and I think that comes across even in his more “serious” work. He’s an everyman we can relate to. I’ve nothing but good things to say about him.

Switching gears, I hope you guys had a chance to listen to Monday night’s broadcast of The Triple Feature. We had a really good time talking about I Am Legend and the new Dark Knight trailer.

Something else we touched on was the new contest I’m running for a chance to win a free copy of the 2-Disc Collector’s Edition of National Treasure. I didn’t really give you guys much notice because I didn’t know I would be doing the giveaway until the last minute. So I posted news of it on the site late Monday night and tried to make the rounds elsewhere to promote it. But maybe it was too little, too late?

In any case, there’s still a chance to win if you download a copy of Monday night’s broadcast and listen for the first half of a two-part clue. If you’re reading this, you’re ready for the second half of the clue and that is “BELL.” Turns out Gordon guessed correctly. Who knew?

Anyway, send in the completed two-part clue to theaterhopper@hotmail.com with your name, mailing address and “CONTEST” in the subject line. One winner will be chosen at random. I probably won’t be able to ship this one out before the holidays, so don’t get upset if it doesn’t arrive in your mailbox so you can use it to hide away from your family after getting nothing but sweaters and socks for gifts.

Be sure to check back to the site on Thursday. That’s right, I said Thursday. I just finished watching The Bourne Ultimatum on DVD and I’ll be posting a review to the site on Thursday. It was a great movie. I’m really kicking myself right now for not owning The Bourne Identity or The Bourne Supremacy. Both of those films are great and combined with Ultimatum, make a nice little trilogy.

That covers it for now. See you here tomorrow!