What's Up Chuck

On the ties that bind.

By Chuck Nice

I was away from home this weekend performing stand-up, so my wife and daughter indulged their tradition of movie night. My absence gives them the perfect opportunity to have a girl's night in and hopefully makes my absence a little more bearable for my daughter. I say hopefully because I'd like to believe that my daughter misses me desperately when I travel and I don't want her to start looking forward to my departures so that she and her mother can have their party time. Since I feel as though I'm competing with my wife for my children's affections, I normally watch the movie with my daughter upon my return.

Continue reading "Pass the Jeans " »

A lot of Cinematherapy footage doesn't make it on-air. Watch crazy, funny web-only outtakes from this season of Cinematherapy.

As WE tv's resident cinematherapist, Chuck Nice has had a lot of fun "treating" women and watching great movies on Cinematherapy. Here are some of his favorite moments.

What's your favorite chick flick? Chuck asks the Cinematherapy women about their favorites and reveals his own.

On sensible feasting during the holidays.

By Chuck Nice

In honor of Thanksgiving and the holidays I decided to watch and blog about the movie Soul Food. This is one of my mother's favorite movies and I understand why; I'm sure it takes her back to our family's Sunday dinners. As I was growing up my parents were very adamant about the family sitting down to dinner as a family every night; but Sunday dinner was special. Often my grandparents, my great grandmother and possibly some family friends would be found around the table laughing, telling stories, poking fun or just gobbling up my mother's scrumptious bounty of food for the soul. Soul Food the movie revolves around a family and their tradition of Sunday dinners. The food served in the movie is very similar to the food I had on Sundays as child. There was fried chicken - yes it's true Black people love fried chicken, hell most everybody loves fried chicken!

Continue reading "Soul Food" »

On fatherhood and "Billy Elliott."

By Chuck Nice

I just purchased tickets to see the Broadway production of Billy Elliot. I'm not sure if I'll like it as a stage play but I loved the movie so much I watched it again... and I love it even more now. The movie chronicles the journey of the eponymous lead character in his quest to break free from his brutally oppressive life via dance. Instead of entangling myself in the details of Billy's dismal existence, I will just tell you that it's a typical Irish film; if you need more of a description than that, then you've obviously never seen an Irish movie.

Continue reading "Leap of Faith" »

Chuck and family find layers of meaning in Bolt.

By Chuck Nice

I often blog about kids movies because I have children and they force me to take them to see every Pixar creation that gets green lighted. Our last viewing trek was to see Bolt starring John Travolta and Miley Cyrus. Of course these movies are morally heavy handed and with good reason - they're trying to teach children a lesson. The lessons are always universally acceptable, as not to be offensive. It's hard to disapprove of someone telling your child to believe in her self or not to lie or cheat or steal, unless you're a grifter who is training your offspring in the ways of the con. Hey, there's a sucker born every minute. This movie has a very simple message: If you believe that you're a super hero, then you can truly be a super hero. I rather think that if you can shoot laser beams from your eyes and fly, then you're truly a super hero but what do I know? Bolt is a dog that is unaware that his life as a super dog is really a carefully orchestrated television show designed to make him think that his incredible powers are authentic, so that he might deliver a believable performance. It's kind of like the Truman Show with CGI. While under the impression that his beloved owner has been abducted by his arch villain, he leaves the protective surroundings of the television set to carry out a rescue, but instead finds that he himself may be in need of saving. I don't think I'm playing spoiler by telling you that during his journey he discovers that the true hero is the person (or dog) that rises above his limitations to triumph over any obstacle.

Continue reading "A Bolt of Inspiration" »

For Chuck, chick flicks come in all shapes and sizes.

By Chuck Nice

During the Cinematherapy interviews I occasionally ask women for their favorite chick flick, so I figured it was time for me to reveal my own. So what's my favorite chick flick? Brave Heart starring Mel Gibson. Now I know what you're thinking: How typically male of me to choose a violent, gory, and blood drenched war movie as chick flick.

Continue reading "A Chick Flick for the Brave of Heart" »

Chuck discusses the challenges of aging gracefully.

By Chuck Nice

This week our Cinematherapy movie was Death Becomes Her starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis. I watched the film with a gnawing discomfort, the source of which I couldn't quite identify. The movie is about two aging Hollywood starlets who despise one another and harbor mutual feelings of schadenfreude.  The two women are obsessed with staying young, motivated not only by vanity but also by their bitter rivalry and the need to out shine one another. Their lives are seemingly a continual preparation for a thirty year class reunion that never comes. Without each others knowledge, they both purchase a potion from a sorceress (played by Isabella Rossellini) that offers them eternal life. The only problem is that they actually become the living dead, kind of like really attractive zombies. By the way, one of the reasons I like this movie is because it's nothing more than a sexy zombie flick. In the end, as with all deals made with the devil, they would have been better off growing old gracefully. I won't spoil the end with details but it cracked me up (very bad pun).

Continue reading "Turn Back Time?" »

Exploring the mind of a stand-up comedian.

By Chuck Nice

I was scrolling through my menu of On Demand movies when my eyes were perked to see an unusual title: Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World. Being a stand-up comic I had no choice but to order the movie. It's not as if I truly wanted to see it, more like I was compelled to watch -- the way an oncologist would have to watch a show titled The Cure for Cancer. 

Continue reading "Know Your Audience" »