BY GREGORY JONES

A New Year, a New Diary...

I would like to consider myself a guy in touch with his feminine side; secure enough in his masculinity that he fears no "chick flick". That's why, when asked to review "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason", I said: "Bring it on!". Before going on, I'd like to quantify my sheer strength in enduring the average "estrogen powered" film. I have survived the girl talk of "Circle of Friends", the gossiping of "Steel Magnolias", and the man bashing of "Thelma and Louise". At times, I may have even shed a tear - I did say *may* have. Nevertheless, my near-perfect record has been broken by the crazy mishaps of an arguably crazy English girl of my namesake. Now, being that none of my male cohorts will be reading this, I feel safe enough to say that I didn't hate "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason". I enjoyed the British humor and plain-old slapstick comedy that seemed to be recurring themes throughout. What guy doesn't like a cute girl falling into mud, or mention of "shagging" every 8 minutes - after all, that's what runs though a man's mind almost that often, anyway, right? Bridget is in such disrepair this time around, the title, "The Edge of Reason", is a perfect description of her almost unbelievable, outlandish story.

But, enough about the movie - you girls have probably seen it 5 times in the theatre already, right? You're here to read the juicy gossip entailing the DVD. From the insertion of the DVD, I was given a choice - Watch the Movie, or Watch the Movie with the Quiz. Now, if you're anything like me (see above), you'll want to choose the movie-only option. But... if you swear by the "Redbook: are you a good kisser?" or "Cosmo: How Hot Are You in the Sack?" quizzes, you'll definitely want to select the movie-with-quiz. Sorry, ladies, I'm not going to tell you what the quiz is about, but I will say, even *I* was entertained. The questions would pop up periodically throughout the film, asking you personal questions that ("sorta") relate to the scene - as a side-note, this is the perfect opportunity for a 'fridge run or bathroom break while the girlfriend is pondering her answer, getting you back to the couch before you miss any of the action - Put away those pens, though; at the end of the movie, the DVD miraculously tallies up your score and gives you the result of your quiz. Thankfully, I had female help in reviewing this film and wasn't forced to endure the quiz alone. I also must say that the results were quite accurate!

Overall, I'd say that this is probably one of the better interactive DVD's I've seen, "chick flick" or not. If there are actually any guys reading this, you'll win points with the girl by bringing this DVD home to her (you have to watch it with her too). Who knows, you may just find something in it you'll like, if at least ammo to tease your other half with the hilarious, maybe even somewhat true, outcome of her quiz.

Gregory Jones, CDPI