This summer has been a long and annoying one for my sinuses. According to the blood test, I’m allergic to dust mites and to walnut trees, although the walnut tree bit isn’t all that worrisome. The dust mites, however, being endemic to an urban lifestyle, suck.

Waking up every morning with itchy eyes and a clogged nose that needs blowing is a new experience. I can at least say that as the days go by it gets better. Were I allergic to a summer related item, this would mean having to deal with it next year… it being dust mites, perhaps my immune system is getting over itself and calming down, however slowly. This week the itchy eyes are less so, and I’ve only had to blow my nose twice, and there wasn’t much to blow at that.

Still. This summer’s mornings did, indeed, suck.

G-rated movies are a rare breed. Well, here’s one and it doesn’t suck. It’s quite low-key, and sure to only really impress Bean afficionados. But from the giggles in the theater, the kids will like it. They won’t love it, but they’ll keep still and watch it. The last bit in Cannes is the tightest and brings everything to a wonderful ending. The trip itself? It passes the time serenely. You know Bean, you can see the gag coming a mile away. That’s the point. You just want to see how he’ll act when it gets there.

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Welcome to the new American Pie, the king is dead, long live the king, etc. etc. etc. In the grand tradition of Porky’s, as the critics would probably say. Anyhow, this one’s funnier than American Pie.

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Is it even possible for a sequel to a sequel to be the best of the trilogy? Apparently, yes. While I like The Bourne Identity’s story, this one packs far more punch by going streamlined and essentially boiling down the story to Bourne came, saw and conquered. The action scenes in this one are tense and the shaky-cam problems of The Bourne Supremacy have calmed down… still there, but not as distracting and more in sync with the mood of the film. This one’s awesome. I’ve seen it twice in the theater, and that’s a rare thing these days.

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Well, it’s bigger, longer and still pretty PG. Not as tremendous a breakout from the tube as South Park, but still a decent enough movie. But yeah, it might as well have been a TV special.

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A gorgeous movie that for 2/3rds of it is supported by a decent story and good acting. The last 1/3rd devolved into a slasher pic and is nowhere close to what preceded it in terms of appeal to me. Still, a wonderfully composed film and worth watching just for the sunscapes.

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