This past weekend, I did the inevitable. I forked over $11.25 to go see Snakes on a Plane. At midnight. Let me assure you, in case you had any doubt: this movie delivers on every level that you hope it will. Yes, it’s horrible–but in all the ways that B movies are supposed to be horrible. The plot is hokey, and so simple that it could’ve been written by a 5th grader. Nearly all of the secondary characters are throwaway stereotypes. There’s a gratuitous sex scene. And there’s more corny horror-style violence than you can shake a stick at. But that’s what you paid for, right?

The best part is, you get a little more than you bargained for. Samuel L. Jackson really anchors the film, with both his toughness and his sense of comic timing. He makes you believe that he’s in command of this ridiculous situation, and in so doing, makes it all seem a little less ridiculous. There are some genuinely hilarious lines, and there’s some real suspense. Jackson also gets surprisingly good support from Julianna Marguiles (as Claire, the flight attendant with a heart of gold), pilot David Koechner, who you will recognize as the cowboy hat-wearing sportscaster from Anchorman, and the underappreciated Todd Louiso, who played the shy record store geek in all of us in High Fidelity.
I could wax poetic about some of the unexpected places snakes will show up on this plane, but that would only spoil some delightful moments of squealing for you. Do you need to see this movie? Probably not. It’s an in-joke, and you’re already in on it. But if you want to practice a little escapism this weekend, go for it. You should see it in a packed theater, where the collective excitement of the audience will only add to your enjoyment. For once, you won’t have to care about the rowdy people yelling at the screen. Heck–you might even be one of them.

–Melanie Shrawder

See Samuel L. Jackson talking to Jon Stewart about Snakes on a Plane on The Daily Show. His unadulterated joy is infectious.

Check out Slate’s review of Snakes on a Plane, which takes the bold slant that it’s allegory for attitudes toward terrorism and air travel in a post-9/11 world.

Wednesday at 10:00pm, it’s the next edition of Project Runway on Bravo. It’s impossible not to become addicted to TV’s best show on fashion. I was thrilled to see Michael take the cake again last week, and very sad to see Alison go. She was one of my favorite designers from any season (and she was just so darned nice!). So, what unlucky aspiring designer will be declared “out” by Heidi Klum this week?  Vincent’s insanity is surely going to get him the boot sometime soon, but it’s nice to have him around for some comic relief (especially now that Bradley’s gone). It seems like Jeffrey is stirring up trouble–he was none too happy about not winning with his fabulous paint-on-paper dress this past week. I don’t expect him to stick around much longer. As for the winner? I expect Laura to get props sometime soon, though her dresses sure are boring me.

Check out some live guitar wizardry courtesy of Derek Trucks and his band tonight on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

I really enjoyed this movie with Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear and a terrific ensemble cast. Best of all is Alan Arkin as the crazy grandfather who is forced on a cross country trip with the rest of his nutty, dysfunctional family. It’s not giving away too much to say that they are heading to a beauty/talent contest for the young daughter, Olive (Abigail Breslin). Recent news reports have brought back the story of JonBenet Ramsey and, in the final scenes of Little Miss Sunshine, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the photo of that poor child made up to look like a sexy, adult woman. At the time, it looked like child abuse to me, and it surely contributed to her parents being prime suspects in the minds of many. Of course, nowadays, what family doesn’t score moderately well on the dysfunction meter? It’s this realization that makes the performances in this movie so funny, poignant, maddening and ultimately delicious.

–Sean Coakley

The Fray will rock a few more worlds on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Friday night.

The Minneapolis band reunited recently for their first record in eight years, and tonight, they’ll take the stage on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

This appearance will be special, with Norman on turntables and Lateef on vocals, backed by a full band and a choir. You might even see that juggler from the video…

California crooner Chris Isaak performs on Leno on Wednesday. How much bling can one suit carry? Tune in to find out.

Wednesday at 10:00pm, it’s the next edition of Project Runway on Bravo. It’s impossible not to become addicted to TV’s best show on fashion. What unlucky aspiring designer will be declared “out” by Heidi Klum this week? My guess is that Angela won’t find a way stick around much longer, but she impressed us all two weeks ago with her teamwork, and again in episode 4 with her gorgeous Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress. As I predicted, Bradley got the boot on the last episode. I was so happy to see Michael win! What do you postulate for this episode? I’m guessing that Robert will get it together and realize that it’s now or never. He’ll be a contender. And Alison always turns out quality work.

Brooklyn’s finest substitute for the Talking Heads will grace the stage on Conan tonight.