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Free Movies During Valentine's Week

Vicki Briganti – CW50 Writer / Producer / Editor

I don't know about you, but I've had enough of the snow and cold. Some people love snow. They rush up north to ski and snowboard. Bah! Bad driving conditions. Winter is the time to stay home in front of a fire and watch movies. Free movies? Even better.

When the CW sent a memo saying it scheduled the broadcast premieres of two romantic films during Valentine's week -- "When in Rome" and "Paper Heart" -- I jotted down the dates and times.

"When in Rome" stars Kristen Bell ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), Josh Duhamel ("Safe Haven"), and Kristen Bell's real-life fiancé, Dax Shepard ("Employee of the Month"). For you local trivia buffs, Dax Shepard grew up in Milford and graduated from Walled Lake Central High School. Kristen Bell lived in Huntington Woods and went to Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak.

According to imdb.com, Kristen Bell plays Beth, a young, ambitious New Yorker who is completely unlucky in love. On a whirlwind trip to Rome, she impulsively steals some coins from a reputed fountain of love and is then aggressively pursued by a band of suitors.

This chick flick received mixed reviews. While it doesn't sound like an earth-shattering plotline, my expectations are low. My bowl of popcorn will add flavor as needed.

Paper Heart
Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi in "Paper Heart" (credit: imdb.com)

How Do You Define Love?

The other movie I took note of is "Paper Heart" starring Michael Cera ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist") and…no one else I recognize. Seth Rogen ("Superbad") is listed in the credits as "himself." Seth's most recent appearance on my radar was his witty repartee with Paul Rudd in the Super Bowl commercial for Samsung.

Michael Cera proved his comedic talent as George-Michael Bluth in the TV series "Arrested Development." In "Paper Heart," he appears as himself. He doesn't list this movie on his imdb.com credits, so maybe he appeared in it as a favor to Charlyne Yi, who also plays herself.

This indie movie is about Charlyne Yi who embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn't fully understand: Love. Michael Cera becomes the object of her affection. Weaving together reality and fantasy, "Paper Heart" combines elements of documentary and traditional storytelling to get at modern romance.

I remember seeing the trailers for these two films when they debuted in theatres. I forgot about them until now. I figure "free on TV" during the winter is the best way to see them. If you haven't seen them either, now's your chance.

"When in Rome" airs Tuesday, February 12 at 8:00pm. "Paper Heart" airs Friday, February 15 at 8:00pm, only on CW50.

>> More Motor City Musing With Vicki Briganti

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