Amazingly crafted insults and innovative swearing may not be exactly what you seek out in a film, but the hilarious In the Loop might change that. Based on the superb series that I've raved about here, The Thick of It, this British comedy takes the faux cinema verite style and pokes it's cameras into the workings of the corrupt and idiotic governments that rule us.

If you've seen the series and are a fan, you'll be happy to hear that Malcolm is back and as vitriolic as ever. But really, the entire cast is golden, including Steve Coogan whose all too brief appearance as an irate constituent made me forget all his missteps (see Hamlet 2 and having gross sex with Courtney Love).

It will be difficult to find a comedy as intelligent and thought provoking as this one this year. And the best part is that you can watch it at home on IFC on demand while it's playing in theaters.

Oh, AM golden goodness roll over me! What You Won't Do For Love makes me feel like I'm being seduced by penthouse views while wearing Harem pants and accepting a glass of sparkling wine.

The song may sound familiar to you from the many, many songs that sample it. This jazzy number was surely the biggest of his career in the US, but I learned from wikipedia that he has a lasting and devoted fan base in Japan. ?br/>

Oh my, did we have fun watching Road House the other night. I've posted some of my favorite quotes and accompanying images over at Rotating Corpse.. but there was an added thrill, (aside from the stellar script and performances) in re-discovering the hunkiness of one (usually mustached) Sam Elliott. You might most recognize him as a sarsaparilla sipping wise man in Big Lebowski, but he's been in all sorts of great crap.

I can't sit here and pretend that I am thrilled with the direction of Vogue. I turned off when I kept finding Kate Hudson, Renee Zellweger, Sandy Bullock and Jennifer Aniston staring back at me week after week in one tired old bias cut dress after another. Even this year's September issue features Charlize Theron on the cover, when it really should have had a stunning photo of Miss Wintour herself!

After all, with the movie September Issue coming out, for better or worse the somewhat enigmatic icon will be center stage. Few women working in the industry have made such an impact in popular culture. Her bob hair and large sunglasses are known and often feared by all – it will be interesting to see what lies beneath them.

We stumbled across the adorable French pastry shop, St. Honore Patisserie in Queens after seeing it across the street while enjoying another satisfying meal at Taverna Kyclades. I was craving something sweet and was impressed with the selection in the window.

We opted for a passion fruit mousse cake to share as well as a frilly meringue cookie with sprinkles. Both were yummy and the staff was as sweet as their goodies.

I actually missed the memo Spike Lee was hosting a Birthday Bash for Michael Jackson at Prospect Park. From the many flickr photos and the selection of images posted on gothamist, it looks like I missed an Off the Wall good time.

Block Island is flanked by two lovely lighthouses, one to the North and another to the South. The Northern Lighthouse is in Sandy Point and accessible by road, but is a far way to walk from the main port (cars and bikes are easily available to rent).

There is a museum, which was not opened when we went, but the main building is not open to the public, You can get pretty close though along a beautiful New England stretch of beach. Once summer is in full swing, a hot dog stand is parked in the lot.

The Lighthouse to the South is much more dramatic, set above the stunning Mohegan Bluffs. Several points along the cliffs offer amazing photo opportunities of the red brick structure. The building itself is being restored but the grounds and a museum are open for exploring.

I was noticing that the dapper Dominick Dunne was looking a bit ill in the latest episodes of Power Privilege and Justice and I was terribly saddened to hear that he passed away last week. The channel played a thirteen hour marathon of his true crime show and if you missed it, I highly recommend recording repeat episodes.

The show focuses on high profile crimes committed by or against the rich and or famous. Many of the cases made headlines and many of those headlines were written by Dunne. He was an insightful and entertaining correspondent for Vanity Fair and essayist on celebrity crime. He brings his wit and expertise to the show as well as a meticulous fashion sense and a collection of smart and unconventional ties.

Some of the best dishes are the simplest and only require a few great ingredients. Our friend Shaun just returned from Rome with an appetite for their amazing cuisine and was kind enough to share this dish, Bucatini all'amatriciana with us.

Bucatini is the key, a thicker hollow spaghetti that is filling, delicious and cooks quicker than most. Also make sure to not substitute the guanciale, an unsmoked Italian bacon (Shaun found both at the Chelsea Market).

This recipe came from this week's website of the week, Italialicious, where I plan to make many more excellent meals from.