I grew up on the East Coast. I lived in Rochester, NY for five years while attending college. This week long funk of May Gray here in LA should not be an issue, but I'm feeling a little under the weather. It makes me want to curl up in a blanket and watch a movie or three, like I did this weekend. Here's the recap:

The most surprising (expectations vs. meeting expectations) on the entertainment scale was "Cloverfield." I was impressed with the effects (given the budget) and the suspense and found myself getting caught up in the drama despite being a bit dizzy at the end. Do not bother with the "alternate" endings on the DVD. I also saw "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," which I sadly missed in the theatre, where I'm sure this cinematic gem sparkles. And while I had issue with the manner of storytelling in moments, I was just compelled to watch it all unfold around the great performances of Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt. My third film was an indulgence and surprising to me in terms of enjoyment: "What Happens In Vegas." Now people are calling it Apatow-lite, etc., which I think discounts some of the witty banter created by screenwriter Dana Fox. Look, you go into it knowing what you're going to get, and despite it all I had fun watching Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher go mano a wo-mano. I saw "Sarah Marshall" and personally I enjoyed this one more.

A new remedy I will employ to overcome the grays is checking the weather in Jackson Hole. For instance, today and Wednesday there will be rain and snow with a high of 42. I hope Melanie and Cevin and the rest of the gang out there are keeping warm - because by this time on Wednesday it will be sunny and in the 80's here. Yes, I suck.

I'll leave you with one random JHFF item: if you haven't voted for your favorite online short at moviehatch.com, do it now! You only have til May 15th to help us decide who will win a chance to screen at the festival!