Currently playing on a PPV station near you (as well as on DVD) is the rather lame movie, "Raising Helen." We rented it because we a) like John Corbett b) Occasionally like Garry Marshall movies (why does he some many freakin’ r-s in his name?) c) It was the only thing left at Blockbuster d) We love Joan Cusack. Ha ha, we lose. Movie stinks. Coulda, shoulda watched an old episode of "CYE" since we have Season One in the box, still in the shrink-wrap.

What is it with Kate Hudson? Hello? I get it—she got her talent from her dad, one of the Hudson Brothers ("Re-re-re-rendezvous" was the group’s lone hit song), a poor man’s Flying Karamazov Brothers. Mom refused to share her ditzy wit and charisma, but, hey mom—what about some acting classes for the kid? Biggest mistake was for Kate to get good reviews in her first movie… whatever the heck it was called… about the Rolling Stone journalist kid who went on tour with some doped-out band. I saw it on the plane, and, thank you Lord—it allowed me to instantly fall asleep on a long and bumpy ride. Kate played a groupie, Penny Lane. She’s a less than one-trick pont.

Helen has three, maybe four funny lines. It has the usual Garry Marshall troupe—Larry Miller, all of Garry’s sisters and the guy from Mystery Science 3000 who was in "Princess Diaries." Also, there was that character actress who was in "Runaway Bride" (the waitress in the diner) and in "Frankie & Johnnie" (Yet another waitress).

Garry is the oddball sports franchise who cannot string winning seasons in a row. "Flamingo Kid" (great); "Overboard" (ouch, but did star Kate’s mom); "Exit to Eden: (Rosie O’Donnell in sexy lingerie, ouch); "Runway Bride" (quite good); ‘The Other Sister" (stinker). He needs a) better writers b) a better agent c) to retire. I do see he’s one of the voices in the upcoming animated film, "Chicken Little." Sounds like he’s found his calling.