I admit to 100% full hackery with today’s joke. Hence, the brick wall comedy club backdrop at the Ha-Ha Hut.

Can you really be all that mad at me, though – considering I’m taking a pot-shot at The Women?

We talked about this briefly on The Triple Feature Monday night, but The Women looks like someone took a two dozen chick flicks, threw them into a crock pot for 72 hours and served the soppy, boiled reduction as legitimate cinematic nourishment. Like asking for a chicken sandwich and someone serving you a ladle-full of broth between two pieces of bread.

Each one of the characters looks like a cloying stereotype that women can identify with. “I’m the have-it-all career woman! I’m the Earth-mother! I’m the bitchy lesbian!” Whatever floats your boat, I guess. I’ve been pretending I’m Tony Stark going on… 5 months now?

In a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, there is a huge flow chart demonstrating the myriad of different actors, directors, writers and producers attached to The Women over the last 10 years it’s been in production. Think about this for a minute. 10 years? Maybe it’s wrong for me to judge based on first impressions, but this doesn’t look like the kind of product that’s been honed into an insightful commentary about the complicated dynamics of female relationships.

I feel like I’m representing a double-standard, though. Tropic Thunder was in development for a similar length of time due to the controversial aspects of the piece. Personally, I felt like the refinement showed through. There really wasn’t a point in the movie where I was looking at my watch. I thought it was very lean… very efficient. And every joke hit the mark.

So why are my expectations for The Women so low? Gender bias, I suppose. I never read the novel on which the movie is based (why would I?) But as I’ve said in the past, I’m down for a well-made chick flick from time to time. There is something to be said for dependability.

It’s that damn trailer. It sets the bar so low. I just don’t have high hopes. Time will tell, I suppose.

That’s it for me today. Half through the week already? Crazy!

I’ll see you here on Friday! Take care!