Think back, everyone -- can you remember when you first fell in love with actress Melissa McCarthy? I never saw her TV show, Mike & Molly. So for me it was her role in Bridesmaids. I thought the whole ensemble was hilarious, but Melissa's uttlerly balls-to-the-wall weird and highly original character had me in helpless fits, tears streaming down my face. She stole the show, as far as I'm concerned.

I haven't seen her new movie, Identity Thief, yet. I'll probably read a few reviews first. But one reviewer whose opinion I'm totally disregarding is Rex Reed's. In his New York Observer review, he attacked Melissa for her weight. He actually did that, like that is something a professional film reviewer just does. Wait until you read what he said. It's infuriating.

With all the buzz coming out about the Academy Award nominations, it may get you in the mood to go to the movies this weekend. Perhaps instead of seeing Les Miserables for the 50th time (wait, just me?), you can catch a new release, like Gangster Squad, which seems like a surefire hit since it features Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, hmmm, did I mention Ryan Gosling?

Few things are worse on a Friday night than spending your hard-earned cash to watch that sultry dude kick ass on the big screen. For a little background, the movie's about the LAPD's violent struggle to keep mafia-type guys out of LA in the '40s and '50s. But it's very loosely based on what actually happened during this time period.

Anyway, you may be too high-minded and refined to have Gosling alone sway you to see this flick. (We can't be friends.) So here's what some of the "best" critics are saying about Gangster Squad.

I am not yet 40 -- but OMG -- the new Judd Apatow movie, This Is 40, totally had me crying I was laughing so hard.

The movie also managed to hit a nerve -- because if you're married with kids, you know what it's like to be, well, married with kids. Delicately trying to balance your relationship while trying to spend quality time with the kids and help them become decent human beings -- all while trying to make enough money to pay your bills, maintain relationships with other people in your life, and stay sane. 

The day is finally here! It's here! Breaking Dawn: Part 2 premiered today! You can go get your fill of Edward, Bella, and Jacob and celebrate the final installment in this record-breaking Twilight saga. Twihards, rejoice!

And of course the reviews about the movie have been pouring in. Most likely, if you're a fan of the franchise, these reviews matter very little to you. But if you're on the fence about spending the money on a ticket, you may want to at least see what the experts are saying. Doesn't hurt, especially when movie tickets are getting to be so damn expensive, right?

So, we rounded up some blurbs from top reviewers so you can check out what they think. Behold, those intrigued by the phenomeon that is RPattz and KStew (and TLaut), the Breaking Dawn: Part 2 movie reviews.

It's here, it's finally here! The final installment of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2. We're feeling a little wistful here. It's been a long, crazy journey, and we've enjoyed every last, juicy detail. But enough about us. You want to hear about the movie!

The big picture: They put on a roaring, rollicking show for you fans, and it's not just all high-tech razzle-dazzle. The movie is bursting with CGI wizardry, and I could have done with less of that. But there's still plenty of old-fashioned, white-knuckle suspense, thrills, and excitement. You get just enough smoochy romance between Bella and Edward. It's demented and it's FUN! And overall I think fans will leave slightly buzzed if a little tearful over the series now being over. I should mention -- I'm not a HUGE Twilight fan so I'm not going to have the same perspective as some of you. But I did watch with fans' expectations in mind.

And now: SPOILER ALERT! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! SPOILERS!

Seems like there may be some pretty good movies coming out just in time for all this cold weather, doesn't it? Probably one of the most hyped and anticipated out there is Steven Spielberg's film, Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln.

Produced by DreamWorks, the movie gives us Spielberg's take on Lincoln's final months as President, particularly as the war wraps up and slavery is abolished. It features a star-studded cast, including Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Sounds like an absolute winner, at least on paper, doesn't it?

Many top critics' reviews have been coming in before its limited release today, and it seems that the film will not disappoint in the slightest. Check them out here:

Homeland gets me every week. The twists and wild cards the writers throw at us make make for some ridiculously tense viewing, but I haven't had to close my eyes ... at least, not yet! Though, this week I came close.

"You and me and bars," Carrie says as she meets Brody for the first time in season two, episode four of Homeland. Brody fires back, a little too flirtatiously for a man who's wife has realized he's full of the bullshit and kicked him out that very morning, "Always ends up in an interesting way, doesn't it?"

The word choice: "interesting" is an ominous prediction of the rest of the episode. This series can give you serious heart palpitations with all of the plot-twists ... leaving the viewer on the edge of his or her proverbial seat.

The moral of this episode? Don't bother trying to befriend your ex.

Have y'all heard? J.K. Rowling, the woman who took the literary (and then cinematic) world by storm with the Harry Potter series, is coming out with a brand-spanking new book ... for adults. The Casual Vacancy is being hyped to lure people in with sex, super-graphic language, and rock 'n' roll. Just feels so wrong.

The 512-page book will be Rowling's first ever since she released the last Harry Potter five years ago. The plot is set in the small fictional British village of Pagford. An unexpected death of a town official leaves a vacancy in the town's government, and that sets up some issues with a neighboring town called Fields. There are politics and class warfare involved as well as a look into the personal lives of many of the characters. Sounds about as far from Harry Potter as you can get! And the early reviews for the novel are in. You know you wanna see 'em.