Bruce Miller previews new weekend films “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Old Dogs” in this week’s Movies in a Minute.

Bruce Miller gets supernatural for New Moon, and Planet 51 and The Blind Side are worth howling about in this week’s Movies in a Minute.

This apocalyptic film starring John Cusack is hardly a thriller at two-and-a-half hours.

Bruce Miller previews “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” “Fourth Kind,” “The Box” and “A Christmas Carol” in this week’s Movies in a Minute.

Michael Irvin and Mark Dacascos are toast, which means we’re getting down to the nitty gritty. That’s good because it’s hard to watch them play those reindeer games with the lights while the dancers pretend to look nervous. I’m betting they let them know in advance who’s leaving.
Aaron Carter was in the bottom three and didn’t deserve to be. Still, he has an attitude that doesn’t wear well. He also has a couple of scars (one on his nose bridge, the other on his lip) that suggests he got in some kind of knife fight (ooooh, dangerous). He can dance all right, but he just needs to quit with the faux humility.
Mya could be challenged by Carter, Donny Osmond or Joanna Krupa. Kelly Osbourne seems the most likely to go next. Osmond could stumble, too, but you can see he just wants to finish higher than his sister.

Weigh-in: One more pound lost.
Workout: One more friend gained.
Fitting old pants: Priceless.

We’re heading toward the end of the “Desperate Measures” program and I’m starting to see results. I know this because a woman stopped me at Hy Vee and said she could see my cheekbones. I didn’t have the heart to ask her which cheeks. I also felt guilty enough to avoid the candy aisle and head over to, gulp, bananaland.
I know the next weeks are going to be difficult. My kitchen remodeling project is almost done and I’m going to start filling my refrigerator with food. Interestingly, food that’s good for you needs refrigeration. Food I love can sit out in bags for months. So, I’m going to try and find food that needs refrigeration. I have an M&M drawer in the new kitchen (no kidding — it was the first thing I wanted) and now I’ve got to think of alternatives for a drawer with a glass front that was designed to hold candy. Don’t even suggest a vegetable drawer.
My fellow “DMers” are making great strides. They look thinner, they complete the exercises and they actually appear to be having fun. Interestingly, I’m still the big whiner. I didn’t lose that. But I did realize if you ask a trainer to “show” you how to do an exercise, you eat up time that could have been spent doing the exercise yourself.
I also learned:
1. I still can’t do situps with my arms crossed.
2. I could have the beginnings of buns of steel. I’m feeling plenty of pain in my “glutes” and I actually think my big butt is smaller than it once was. (I once told that to my sister and she said, “Look behind you. It’s still there.”)
3. There are machines that I swear no one but Desperate Measures people use. There’s one that makes you move like a horse and two that flex muscles I don’t think should be flexed. There’s also one that’s ideal for football players but I never see football players on it.
4. Do people who exercise hurt all the time? If that’s the case, I am now a person who exercises.
5. I don’t think I could have been loyal to the program without the bonding that comes from being with other people in the same situation.

During our last group outing, a Y official (and I’m not naming names, Abigayle) shot footage of us working out. If this turns up somewhere and it’s not favorable to me, just know I was unable to hear the trainers’ commands. If I do look like I know what I’m doing, consider it good editing. I wanted final cut (like Tom Cruise gets) but no one was buying.

Next week: The final weigh-in. OMG.

Bruce Miller reviews this week’s new films.

You know it’s a lame year when the contestants aren’t even getting good illnesses.
Usually, there’s a broken shoulder or a dead relative to pin some bad dancing on. But this year? It’s the flu.
Derek Hough and Mark Ballas were among the sufferers. Ballas carried on; Derek stayed home. That meant Maks had to slip in and dance with Joanna Krupa and, darn, if they didn’t stumble.
Still, they’re not going home. It’s probably going to be Michael Irvin or Louie Vito.
Interestingly, the show couldn’t even attract a good Jackson for its Michael Jackson tribute. La Toya is showing up tomorrow night…LA TOYA! What? Tito was busy?
Donny Osmond, the last star with something of a past, did well… which means he’ll probably be squaring off with Mya for the disco-ball trophy.
Now, could we please hurry along with that final?
Watching them all do the hustle (in a group number) was painful.
Like the flu.

Bruce Miller previews the childrens classic “Where the Wild Things Are,” “The Stepfather” and “Law Abiding Citizen” in this week’s Movies in a Minute.

Dances fell into three categories Monday night: Raunchy, country or campy.

Derek Hough took off his shirt and tried to do his best Gilles Marini impersonation. Natalie Coughlin did so many leg wraps she looked like a pole dancer. And Mya? She was still the best of the bunch, pulling off the sexy Latin dance with style.

Donny Osmond, Kelly Osbourne and Melissa Joan Hart went the camp route (and didn’t do badly).

Louie Vito tried a country two-step and it looks like he’ll be two-stepping home this week.

Michael Irvin wasn’t any good, either.

But at least Aaron Carter didn’t cry after doing some goofy moves that don’t look like they belong on the dance floor.

This week? Take two or three of the contestants. We’re ready for the serious contenders.

In the hunt: Mya, Donny, Kelly and Joanna Krupa.

Ready to go home: Louie, Michael Irvin, Chuck Liddell.

On the bubble: Natalie, Melissa, Mark Dacascos.

BTW: Who’s the biggest star who’s left? Could it actually be Donny Osmond? Oh, dear.