When Harry Met Sally 2

Friends, this is going to be the first (and probably only) Daily Shill post that has complete spoilers. So, avoid that disappointment and begin this review by watching Billy Crystal’s Funny or Die video: When Harry Met Sally 2.

Seriously, watch it now because I’m going to spoil it for you if you don’t.


To be honest, I would have been satisfied with the funny sequel to When Harry Met Sally without the twist. But when “Grampires” popped up on the screen, I burst into laughter. The idea of senior citizen vampires is funny enough—pepper it with When Harry Met Sally references, and I am on board. Throw in “Grombies” at the end (with the iconic shot of a couple talking over “It had to be you”) and I couldn’t ask for any more.


Billy Crystal and Helen Mirren completely committed to the bit; sometimes I forget how much I love Crystal, but When Harry Met Sally 2 brought it all back. It did get a little too bloody at times (and there was one too many eating scenes), but still hilarious and worth the watch. It gets a 4/5.


Since the video was available to all with internet, and only 4.5 minutes, I asked my Facebook/Twitter followers to submit ratings of their own.


My mom gives it a 3/5, saying it would have gotten a 4 if it weren’t so “gross” UPDATE: My mom has asked to upgrade her score to a 4/5, and I'm letting her because, well, she's my mom. Here's the reason it went up: "I just watched it again and looked away at the extra-gross parts and caught more funny lines this time. (Kumadin... Ha Ha)"

Jeremy W. also gives it a 3/5, saying “I like the twist, but think it would have been funnier if they'd cut a majority of the feasting sequences.”

Renjie S. didn’t give it a rating, but said, “OMG!!! I can't imagine what Sally would think if she knew this!!! Haha”

Brodie B. gives it a 4/5


Watch Jon Stewart’s interview with Billy Crystal


Last week was an exciting week for the Daily Shill. Jonathan Eig (who wrote Get Capone, the book I reviewed last week) read the review and commented on the Shill’s Facebook page, saying “Thanks for the great review! I think you hit on all the key points. I'm honored.” Let me tell you, I flipped out when I got that notification. This project can get frustrating at times—to tell the truth, I can’t wait until I can go back to reading whatever I want. Hearing that anyone has read a review keeps me going—hearing that the author read one reinvigorates me.


So thanks, everyone, for reading the blog. And let me know if you have any suggestions (or have anything featured in the 2011 season that you’d like me to review. I take requests!)

Get Capone

Back when I read Daniel Okrent’s book Last Call, I wished it had “less politics and more parties, less Al Smith and more Al Capone.” Though Jonathan Eig’s book Get Capone: The Secret Plot that Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster didn’t show me the party scene of the 1920s, it certainly satisfied my curiosity about Capone. In the book, Eig follows Capone’s rise and fall as one of the best known (if not the best known) gangsters in the world.

Though Get Capone is filled with facts worthy of a research paper, Eig writes in an engaging and exciting style (that the subject matter of drinking, gambling, and shooting lends to nicely). Even though I knew what happened to Capone in the end (time at Alcatraz for tax evasion), I was still curious about what happened along the way, and the book sure told me. Get Capone didn’t pull me to read like a good novel does, but whenever I did take the time to read a few chapters, I was interested.

What I found most satisfying about Get Capone was that Capone is presented as neither a mostly good man who was wronged, nor an evil man who deserved his fate. Instead, Eig reported Capone’s virtues (like his soup kitchens for the poor) alongside his many faults (the murders, for one). In the end, while reading of his trial for tax evasion, I almost wanted Capone to get off easier—even though I believed he deserved a harsh sentence for the crimes (read murders) related to his bootlegging business. But then I’d realize I was ridiculous, and that the man belonged in jail. (And then I’d flip-flop back… it was an ongoing process).

Additionally, Get Capone gave me a new point of view of two historical figures: Herbert Hoover and Eliot Ness. I’ll admit, most of my opinion of Hoover comes from the musical Annie (and its sarcastic song “I’d like to thank you, Herbert Hoover”); not a good source, and one that portrays him in a negative light. However, though Hoover was unable to push America out of the Great Depression, his political life was not really all that bad. Turns out, Hoover was devoted to making government work more efficiently and did not seem to be in it for the power. Though Eig points out that Hoover was probably better suited to be Commerce Secretary (a position he held) than president, Hoover was apparently rather successful in his attempt to increase the government's efficiency. As far as Ness goes, I’d always heard that he was largely responsible for the capture of Capone and I never doubted it. Turns out, much of the credit belongs to George E. Q. Johnson and Frank Wilson. However, when Ness sold his life story to Oscar Fraley, Fraley inflated Ness’s role and his book, The Untouchables, became accepted by many as the true story.

All in all, I recommend Get Capone, and I give it a 4/5. Though it got a bit slow toward the end, it is still worth reading—especially if you’re interested in the subject. My dad was also reading Get Capone and will have a rating for The Shill as well within the next week or so. His rating will be posted on The Daily Shill’s Twitter (@dailyshill).

Yes, The Daily Shill now has a Twitter account. In addition to posting links to new reviews, I’ll also post commentary on the project, mostly consisting of facts from what I’m currently reading.

Watch Jon Stewart’s Interview with Jonathan Eig

Buy the Book