"Oh, good for you. It's a growth industry."

The soundtrack to GPB alone is worthy of the gods! The Pogues, Clash, English Beat .... The story was great and the acting - even Akroyd (the ass face) was not too bad.

I'm there openning day! It does look like Lord of War but I'm sure it will be better.

I'm sure you're actually being facetious with your comment, Darth, but just the thought of that even happening is enough to disgust me. Talk about throwing up a little in my own mouth....

but here's how I really look at it as such-Martin Blank was a guy who could never grow up because he was holding onto so much from his past that his 10 y/o reunion was like his graduation day (which he missed)

it even fits the rules of the JC coming of age movie: his char. is quirky check, quirky best friend check, quirky but hot girlfriend check, one quirky parent check, a bully (Dan Ankroyd) check, a scene in a convience store check, a dance check, gets the girl in the end check--but he takes these conventions and messes with them blows them up, coupled with some great dialog and quoteable quotes--like I said, the last JC coming of age movie

that said War, Inc could very well be a GPB se/prequel

The clues are all over the place. First off, Lloyd's dinner conversarion during Say Anything with Mr. Cort. His father is a colonell in the army. Wants him to join. But he'd rather kickbox. You can see how well that training pays off in Martin/Lloyd's locker fight with the former KGB assassin in GPB.

And speaking of that fight, odd how quickly he thought of a pen as a death-blow delivering device, isn't it? Painful memories associated with that writing implement.

The old teacher in GPB is amazed that he went nowhere with all the potential he had, buut we knew from Say Anything that what he lacked was direction...a purpose in life. Diane gave it to him, but without her it's easy to see how he would've ended up doing what his father wanted him to do and how he would be open to the sort of epiphany of meaninglessness Martin experiences on the oil fields (especially as hurt and embittered as he was after his dumping).

It even makes sense that Martin/Lloyd would hire a woman -- the only woman he would let himself trust -- who reminded him so much of his sister.

Yeah, it's a whole Donnie Darko-esque alternate reality for Lloyd that hinges on Diane's dad not going to jail. After all, she didn't realize she needed Lloyd until her father was arrested.

Don't believe me? Watch Say Anything up until the phone call Lloyd makes to his sister in the rain. Stop the movie after he says "I gave her my heart...she gave me a pen." Now put in Grosse Point Blank. It's almost seamless (right down to Jeremy Piven's character being essentially the same guy).

So there's no reason this new one couldn't be yet another alternate reality sequel...a sort of "What if...?" Martin had gone through with the hit on Debbie's dad?

Cusack's interactions with the convenience store clerk (and interim interactions with Alan Arkman's answering machine) are pure comedy gold.

""What are you doing here?!?!"

Cusak always pulls some good movies, ahem, except that UTTER SHIT that is "Like Dogs" and "Serendipshit" .... 2 of which my girlfriend enjoys. It's about time he got that bad taste out of her mouth. HAHAHA

And I kind of enjoyed Identity, although I figured it out too soon and ruined it for the four people I watched it with (a movie doesn't have to shock or surprise me to be good, that one was watchable even withtout the mystery).

I agree, Serendipity was awful.

I rather enjoyed Max, though.