NOTE: In a revival of this "classic" Friday feature, Courier-News reporter Mike Danahey guesses how much beer (or other beverage of choice) it might take him to pay money to see a recently-released movie. His opinions are based on trailers, ads and advance hype.

Here are some of the movies playing this weekend...

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas

You could call a movie like this a crime, a guilty pleasure, but really it's more like a misdemeanor, provided you only get caught watching a little bit of it at any one time.

Beer rating: Six Red Stripe.

Tower Heist, after the jump.

Community Unit School District 300 is pretty hip with the kids.

The Carpentersville-area school district joined Twitter on August 31, 2009, and Facebook, on April 30, 2010. Last week, it also launched its own YouTube channel.

"This is the latest installment in our ongoing use of social media," District 300 spokesperson Allison Strupeck said. "Video speaks to many people in a way that written words, and even photographs, cannot."

District 300's debut is a video by high school students on the new District 300 Superintendent's Student Advisory Council. In the video -- which the students endearingly, continually refer to as "this five-minute video," despite its 12-plus minute running time -- council members address addressing questions about the district's proposal to lengthen its high school day next school year.

In the future, Strupeck said, "We will occasionally post video clips from events and activities -- some produced by staff and some produced by students."

"For example, we will soon be posting excerpts from last month's Staff Rally. There were so many memorable moments at the Staff Rally that our employees would love to see again and would amaze the broader community. It will be a great forum for showing first grader Jeffrey Wojnarwoski's adorable dance moves, personal reflections by Dundee Middle School's Marla Kotesky and Dundee-Crown graduate Korvell Branch, and especially the performance of "Born this Way" by Jacobs sophomore Colin Bokowy that inspired a tearful, lengthy standing ovation. Who knows, maybe the Staff rally video of Colin will go viral and finally all of America will discover what we already know - that we have some of the very best, brightest and most talented students right here in D300!"

In a December 2010 article in the Courier about the district solidifying a social media policy, Strupeck had said, "We think social media sites are a good thing, and we're using them at the district level."

District 300 now has 1,108 Twitter followers and 1,798 Facebook like-ers.

That's a marked difference from other area school districts. Elgin School District U46, for one, has only a Facebook group.

What do you think? Is it a good idea for school districts to have a presence on social networks? Do you use social networks to keep tabs on your district? Will you watch the District 300 channel?

Additional resources:

• @CUSD300 on Twitter
• CUSD300 on Facebook
• D300Video on YouTube
• "D300 policies encourage social media use and safety" (December 2010 article about the launch of the school district's social media policy)
• "Longer school day means more money and teachers in Dist. 300" (Latest article about the proposed longer high school day)
• "D300 educators rally behind new school year" (Article about D300 Staff Rally, mentioned by Strupeck)

-- Emily McFarlan, Readers' Reporter

(Follow Emily, the Courier's education reporter, on Twitter at @mcemilywrites for updates about districts U46 and 300.)

NOTE: In a revival of this "classic" Friday feature, Courier-News reporter Mike Danahey guesses how much beer (or other beverage of choice) it might take him to pay money to see a recently-released movie. His opinions are based on trailers, ads and advance hype.

Here are some of the movies playing this weekend...

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

THIS IS A MICHAEL BAY FLICK SO I AM TYPING IN CAPS AS THERE IS NOTHING SUBTLE IN ANY OF HIS WORK IN FACT I AM NOT EVEN GOING TO USE PUNCTUATION BECAUSE WELL WHY BOTHER ITS JUST LIKE BAY DOESNT BOTHER WITH ANYTHING LIKE A COMPREHENSIBLE PLOT WHICH WOULD JUST GET IN THE WAY OF ALL THE SPECIAL EFFECTS LOUD NOISE AND EXPLOSIONS I DON'T EVEN CARE THAT THIS WAS SHOT IN CHICAGO SO WERE ANY NUMBER OF LAME VINCE VAUGHAN MOVIES NONE OF WHICH I HAVE SEEN EITHER IF I WANT A HEADACHE I WILL JUST DRINK A LOT OF LOUSY LIGHT BEER.

Beer rating: Red Bull with a meth chaser.

Larry Crowne, after the jump.

NOTE: In a revival of this "classic" Friday feature, Courier-News reporter Mike Danahey guesses how much beer (or other beverage of choice) it might take him to pay money to see a recently-released movie. His opinions are based on trailers, ads and advance hype.

Here are some of the movies playing this weekend...

Bad Teacher

On the HDTV you can tell cougar Cameron Diaz has collagen lips. And that pretty much sums up this movie: It wants to be naughty, but it's probably just filler. My guess is "South Park" is better at this sort of tastelessness-as-satire in any given episode.

Beer rating: I'm just not thirsty enough this week.

Cars 2, after the jump.

NOTE: In a revival of this "classic" Friday feature, Courier-News reporter Mike Danahey guesses how much beer (or other beverage of choice) it might take him to pay money to see a recently-released movie. His opinions are based on trailers, ads and advance hype.

Here are some of the movies playing this weekend...

Green Lantern

Moratorium on superhero movies, OK? This looks like an ad for an energy drink for guys with all that disco energy and the world's most sexy man in his tight alter-ego outfit and perfect hair. It also looks like a thousand other comic book movies. You can only blow up so much crap before even teenagers notice the lack of a script or anything interesting to say.

Beer rating: All the green beer leftover from St. Pat's Day.

Mr. Popper's Penguins, after the jump.

I've never seen anything like it. Administrators who have been with school districts for more than 30 years said they'd never seen anything like the crowd at this week's two special school board meetings to consider cutting 363 teachers to clear the way to restructure middle and high schools in Carpentersville area Community Unit School District 300.

In case you didn't get to see it, here's a quick video I nabbed on my smartphone Wednesday, before the board narrowly approved those cuts:

After the vote, students vowed to "continue the riots" every day. And on Thursday, video started popping up on YouTube of student walkouts at all three District 300 high schools: Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville, Jacobs High School in Algonquin and Hampshire High School.

While I can describe to you 1,000-plus students walking out of a school building, chanting and carrying signs, on YouTube, you can see the students in their own video. You can hear them in their own words. So I've started a playlist on YouTube of videos from this week's meetings and protests: http://www.youtube.com/user/mcemilywrites#grid/user/772036A9E73E4A7D

If you have posted or seen other videos, share those here in the comments, so I can add them.

-- Emily McFarlan, Readers' Reporter

NOTE: In a revival of this "classic" Friday feature, Courier-News reporter Mike Danahey guesses how much beer (or other beverage of choice) it might take him to pay money to see a recently-released movie. His opinions are based on trailers, ads and advance hype.

Here are some movies playing this weekend...

Tron

Finally, the sequel to one of original movies made for geeks and gamers. I read Ebert's review. Like him, I am expecting a lot of stoners in Pink Floyd t-shirts at this. Of course, it's in 3D.

Beer rating: A six pack of Red Stripe.

Yogi Bear, How Do You Know, after the jump.

We unearthed a lot of gems while packing up 300 Lake Street last week. But perhaps the gemmiest of all is this stunning piece of video journalism, by Courier alum Matt Baron.

It's an interview with current Courier reporter Dave Gathman, a 30-odd-year journalism veteran and inveterate note-taker. And it REALLY gets good around 1:40 when we learn about all those pens meticulously arranged in Gathman's pocket? There is a method to that pen madness!

Oh, please, let this go viral.

Everybody who works here is SO GREAT.

-- Emily McFarlan, Readers' Reporter

NOTE: In a revival of this "classic" Friday feature, Courier-News reporter Mike Danahey guesses how much beer (or other beverage of choice) it might take him to pay money to see a recently-released movie. His opinions are based on trailers, ads and advance hype.

Here are some movies playing this weekend...

Takers

Oh, Matt Dillon, what has happened to your career? Here you are in a heist movie with a rapper who is in jail (T.I.) and a soul singer who beat his girlfriend (Chris Brown). You got your mind on your money and your money on your mind? Ouch.

Beer rating: I'm giving up drinking this week. No amount of beer could get me to see either of these movies. What a lousy summer it's been at the cinema.

The Last Exorcism, after the jump.

NOTE: In a revival of this "classic" Friday feature, Courier-News reporter Mike Danahey guesses how much beer (or other beverage of choice) it might take him to pay money to see a recently-released movie. His opinions are based on trailers, ads and advance hype.

Here are some movies playing this weekend...

Nanny McPhee

A sequel to a movie that looks like a rip-off of Mary Poppins and that brought in $100 million.

Beer rating: Bass Ale and my fuzzy slippers while I stay home for my own personal Julie Andrews film festival.


Piranha 3D, Vampires Suck, Lottery Ticket, The Switch, after the jump.