Lions' opponent: Bears want to shake 1st-quarter blues

The Chicago Bears have not been able to get their offense rolling in normal weeks. Now they will try something entirely different.

With only a few days to prepare for today's game at Ford Field, the Bears were trying to find a way to score in a first quarter and start faster than they have in their last six games.

"It's a challenge, but it's something that's universal throughout the league — everybody's playing Thursday night games," coach Marc Trestman said this week.

"We've all had experience in putting game plans together and knowing how much information the guys can handle going into a game without practice time."

Trestman said the thinking behind the game plan will have to be to "... at least keep thinking at a minimum and go out there and play. Everything we're doing today is designed to put a plan in tomorrow that they can handle and function in, get on a plane the next day and go play a game."

The offense has been anything but game-ready much of the season with normal preparation time. On Sunday, the Bears gained 68 yards and three first downs during the first half. They trailed 10-0 before the defense triggered a comeback to beat Tampa Bay and former Bears coach Lovie Smith, 21-13.

"I think it's been disturbing that we haven't been able to move the ball the way we would like to in games; that's a fact," Trestman said.

The Bears have trailed 10-0 or worse in each of the last five games before the offense scored.

"It's hard to get into a rhythm playing like that," quarterback Jay Cutler said after Sunday's win. "It's happened a few times to us. It's unacceptable."

Cutler said Trestman challenged offensive players at halftime Sunday and it could have been a factor in better production.

"Verbally, we questioned guys, made sure everyone was in this for the right reasons, made sure when we left that locker room everyone's mind was right on what we wanted to accomplish," Cutler said.

Tackle Jermon Bushrod called it a situation requiring more than one or two players to step forward and correct.

"We all took our turns messing up, and we had to find a way to come together and that's what we did," he said.

Cutler rarely threw down the field on Sunday and finished with 130 yards.

"We didn't go up the field as much as we would have liked to," Trestman said, blaming penalties for some of the pullback.

Before the win over Tampa Bay, coaches had talked about moving Cutler around in the pocket more, as they had done against Minnesota. It never happened.

"We were so out of sequence in the first half, we didn't get as much opportunity to do that," Trestman said. "We did it a couple times."

Tight end Martellus Bennett caught two passes when Cutler rolled out of the pocket, but the Bears' offense struggled along and had only one long scoring drive: 58 yards for a touchdown to start the second half. The other two TD drives were 13 and 15 yards after Tampa Bay turnovers.

"In the second half we were fortunate we had the short fields because of turnovers and the one drive," Trestman said. "Pretty good field position (Sunday)."

Offensive players know they have to improve because their defense will be challenged more today — and not simply because of Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and the Lions' offense.

"We're just trying to focus on what we can do better and that is to be more consistent on offense and to use opportunities to make plays," Trestman said. "We need to do that from start to finish. We haven't done that the last couple weeks.

"We've finished, but we haven't started the way we'd like."

Movie Review: Horrible Bosses 2

Like many sequels, specifically comedic ones, 'Horrible Bosses 2' has a good amount of laughs and a lot of similarities to the first film. But it also has quite the assortment of ups and downs.

There are some things that work and some things that don't, and from a writing and acting perspective there are a handful of quality scenes. At the same time, there are copious amounts of ridiculousness, sporadic improvisation, and one attempt at comedic bits or chaotic antics after another.

'Horrible Bosses 2' features a likeable cast of old and new characters, and a mixed bag of tricks and plot points that closely mirror the original movie. In the end, it really comes down to whether you liked or disliked the first film and its style of humor.

Following the first film, 'Horrible Bosses 2' once again features three friends, Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day), and their quest to find tolerable careers and take vengeance upon someone who has been unfair to them in the business world.

In this film, the gang has quit their previous jobs and has come up with their own invention, "The Shower Buddy," which acts like a car wash in your shower. After going on TV to try and attract potential investors, they have a run in with a big distributor, operated by CEO Burt Hanson (Christoph Waltz) and his son, Rex (Chris Pine). When a request for a large shipment of units is ordered and eventually canceled by the company for no reason, Nick, Kurt, and Dale decide to come up with a revenge plan to get back at Burt and Rex.

In many ways, the 'Horrible Bosses' franchise is much like 'The Hangover' movies. They both feature a group of guys, coincidentally being three in both cases, who find themselves in absurd, comedic, or dangerous situations and constant trouble. From start to finish, it's as if these guys are on some sort of mission to find something or someone, or in this case, seek payback.

Watching these characters fumble and fool around while on their quest is almost like watching slapstick comedy or major improvisation. Each installment follows a very similar plot and features many of the same characters. From the standpoint of having to recreate the same chemistry and style of humor, the sequels are usually not as good as the original.

But that doesn't mean there isn't good entertainment and quality cinema mixed in with the chaos. As previously mentioned, the comedy is all over the place. Slapstick, improvisation, and a handful of offensive, sexual, and racist humor; there's comedy in all areas. It's basically like watching a modern day version of The Three Stooges trying to pull off a major crime or heist. They get themselves in one sticky situation after another, bantering amongst each other and having conversations that are intended to be funny. Unfortunately, more times than not, the quality of the material feels a bit lazy or downgraded from the first film.

A good amount of credit for the comedy and entertainment is attributed to the cast, Bateman, Sudeikis, Day, Jennifer Aniston as the dirty-mouthed sexual dentist, Jamie Foxx as the unhelpful, want-to-be convict who gives terrible crime advice, Kevin Spacey as one of the mean ex-bosses, the original, who is now in jail, Christoph Waltz as an arrogant head of a large company, Chris Pine as the crazy, trouble causing son, and actor, Jonathan Banks. With a cast like that, there is no shortage of familiar, quality performers. Sometimes it feels as if these characters are used in the wrong ways or underused, but they all have a specific role to play in the make up of this film. Most characters that return from the first film are given more screen time, and their style of humor is very similar to other comedic films of theirs (especially the main cast).

It's an interesting idea to have three known comedic actors get into trouble and attempt to do everything from murder, to stealing, and countless other crimes, yet they are not very good at it. At the same time, these characters are really presented as more of the heroes of the story, or those who have been wronged, all the while breaking the law to seek revenge. The unfortunate and unrealistic situations these characters find themselves in make the audience feel for them and label the slightly more criminal or bad people as antagonists and the true villains of the story.

Overall, 'Horrible Bosses 2' has its share of entertaining, comedic moments, but also has more than a few weak spots. The film gives somewhat of a nostalgic feeling, while also providing new adventures for the characters. Some elements stay the same, and some differ or are taken in a different direction than the original film. Whether audiences like and appreciate what this sequel is going for heavily depends on viewers' desire to sit through something of this nature, or whether or not you saw and/or liked the first one. Either way, the three main characters are intriguing and humorous to watch on some level, and it wouldn't surprise me the least bit if they made a third movie.

This film opens in theaters on Wednesday, Nov. 26 and wouldn't make for the worst Thanksgiving getaway movie for guys, but it's not exactly family friendly.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars.

'Horrible Bosses 2' is rated R for strong crude sexual content and language throughout. Running time is 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Former comedy club manager claims Cosby gave her a Quaalude... and hours later woke up naked in his friend's bed

A former comedy club manager claims she woke up naked next to a friend of Bill Cosby bed after the comediam gave her a sedative after complaining of a migraine.

Joyce Emmons told TMZ that the comedian slipped her Quaalude when she was in his Las Vegas hotel suite in the 1970s. 

Hours later she was in bed with one of the 77-year-old's acquaintances. 

When he gave her the substance, she claims Cosby told her it was a 'little strong', but it it caused her to black out.  

She added that, even though she never saw Cosby drink or take drugs, he had a drawer full of pills.

Emmons, who was born in Brooklyn, said women would sometimes take the drugs 'knowingly or voluntarily' while men partied after taking them. 

She claims Cosby drugged her, but has not accused him of sexual assault.  

Quaalude, which is also referred to as Methaqualone - a sedative-hypnotic substance that acts as a depressant to the central nervous system.

Lisa Bonet's cyrptic tweets may hint at Bill Cosby scandal

“Cosby Show” star Lisa Bonet may have posted a cryptic tweet seemingly aimed at her embattled TV dad — and it wasn’t a smiley face, reports The New York Post.

“According to the karma of past actions, one’s destiny unfolds, even though everyone wants to be so lucky . . . Nothing stays in the dark 4ever!” read a tweet from the 47-year-old actress’ purported Twitter account, which was later deactivated.

Bonet played Denise Huxtable on the hit NBC series starring Bill Cosby.

At least 15 women — including model Janice Dickinson — have come forward to accuse the 77-year-old ¬comedian of being a sexual predator.

For years, bad blood was rumored to have existed between Bonet and Cosby, who was reportedly incensed by her sex scene with Mickey Rourke in “Angel Heart” in 1987 and a nude magazine photo shoot she did a year later.

In 2002, tabloids reported Bonet refused to join the cast for a 10th-anniversary special, quoting an unnamed castmate as saying: “Year after year, we watched Bill throw Lisa one bone after another, and all she did was bite his hand. The rest of us were happy to be on a hit show, but Lisa didn’t seem to appreciate her good fortune.”

Saturday Night Live recap: 'Cameron Diaz and Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars'

Cameron Diaz's monologue wasn't quite a monologue: It was more a, "I'm going to answer dumb audience questions and hope that someone thinks it's funny." Sadly, it was not funny — or even entertaining.

Diaz is quite charming, so it's disappointing to see that charm wasted on a half-hearted monologue that includes her answering questions like, "I think you're hot" and "was working on The Other Woman, like, so much fun?" It's obvious the humor is supposed to be in the ridiculousness of these audience members, but they're not even that ridiculous — they're just bringing up past Diaz projects (Shrek, Gangs of New York) in a way that seems to say, "hey, remember Cameron Diaz was in these movies too?"

But the monologue was only three minutes of the entire episode, which had some bright spots including the night's...

Best SketchAny time the ladies of SNL get together is a good time. Last season they memorably worked together for "Dongs All Over the World" featuring Anna Kendrick and this time around, they used a similar style for a song called "Back Home Ballers" about, well, lady-ballers returning home for the holidays. It's over the top and features Leslie Jones going on for way too long about bowls (yes, bowls) — in other words, it's magical.

Honorable MentionExperimental theater is often — okay, always — weird, and the "Theatre Showcase" captures that weirdness and multiples it by, oh, 100. A group of actors dressed in black moves boxes around between seconds-long scenes, and the camera cuts to parents' reactions every so often to hone in just how strange it all is. "They moved all those boxes for that?" Kenan says at one point. "That scene was like three words!" We don't get it either, Kenan.

Best Commercial for a Strange ProductWhat America has always wanted: A Nespresso machine that incubates chicken eggs. Vanessa Bayer plays the product's saleswoman who knows little to nothing about the actual product. Case in point: Kate McKinnon and Taran Killam ask how the machine works only for Bayer to enthusiastically answer, "I don't know that part!" Bayer's positive energy combined with her ignorance about the very thing she's selling is recognizable — who hasn't asked a salesperson a simple question only for them to stutter in response? — and hilarious.

Funniest Turkey ReferenceThanksgiving's coming up — have you heard? SNL has, and worked in a few turkey mentions. Not all of them quite landed though, including Diaz's line about Rock Center's light-up turkey. But the "Night Murmurs" one was weird and wonderful: McKinnon stars alongside Diaz and Cecily Strong in a commercial trying to sell phone sex, but McKinnon is more focused on selling how bad she is at bets. "I lost a bet so now I have to get videotaped while someone throws a 20-pound turkey at my back," she says with a twinkle in her eye. "That was a bad bet to make. Who knows what I'll do next!"

Erica Mena Responds To Tony Rock’s ‘Full Blown Whore’ Comment

Tony Rock got under Bow Wow’s skin this week when he tweeted that Erica Mena was a “full blown whore.” Replying to the quip by stating that he would see Rock “face to face,” Bow later tweeted that “the homies just dropped the dime” on the comedian, leading to speculation that an altercation occurred.

And in true Erica Mena fashion, the reality star offered her two cents on Rock’s insult, referring to the comedian as "bitch Rock:"

It also turns out Rock did a comedy bit on Wednesday night (Nov. 19) where he addressed his comments about Mena. After asserting that he would never fight Bow Wow, Rock acknowledged the comment as inappropriate, but refused to take it back:

[I said] “Everyone falls in love with a whore at least once in their life. 50 motherfuckers are like, “Yo! That’s crazy funny! Mad funny, mad funny! Fuckin Bow Wow responded, okay? And he was like, “we’ll talk when I see you face to face cuz” which made all my n-ggas fall on the floor laughing. But then everybody kept retweeting it and kept retweeting it.

[…]if he wants to turn it into something else, we can do that. But I’m not fighting Bow Wow, okay? I will fight one of his dudes, but I’m not fighting Bow Wow..AT ALL! In any regard of me and this n-gga like this **does fighting stance.*** That’s not going to happen. But I will say this, he proposed to her, she accepted the proposal. She’s going to be his wife. This is a man marrying a woman. I should’ve respected that, so I’ll say, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that,” but I’m not taking it back. I said it. It’s out there.

Netflix To Premiere Tina Fey & Robert Carlock Comedy Series UNBREAKABLE KELLY SCHMIDT, March 2015

Netflix, the world's leading Internet TV network, has picked up two seasons and will be the exclusive home to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the new comedy series from Universal Television from co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

The series stars Ellie Kemper (The Office) as a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York. The 13-episode first season was originally slated to premiere on NBC and instead will now launch exclusively across all Netflix territories in March 2015.

"The very construct of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt its offbeat premise, hilarious and rich characters and serialized storytelling make it a perfect Netflix comedy series," said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. "Tina and Robert's unique comic voice and sensibility come through in this series and we could not be more excited to present Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt exclusively to Netflixmembers around the world."

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to debutUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt exclusively on Netflix, which has proven to be such an outstanding place for distinctive, original programming," said Fey and Carlock. "Happily, we will still collaborate with our longtime partners at Universal Television to fulfill Netflix's two-season order. We grew up at NBC and will continue to develop broadcast projects with them as well. We found the inspiration for this series in Ellie Kemper's shining all-American face, and we know that she and Kimmy Schmidt have found their best possible home at Netflix."

NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt stated: "When the opportunity arose for Tina Fey and Robert Carlock to premiere their new show on Netflix with a two-season commitment, we decided this was the best possible scenario to launch this captivating new series. While it was originally developed for NBC, we have a very drama-heavy mid-season schedule so we're thrilled about this Netflix opportunity; it's an instant win-win for everyone, including Tina, Robert, and Universal Television. We're already talking to these extraordinary creators about new development for NBC, but meanwhile, everyone here from Universal Television will do everything possible to see that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtbecomes a long-running hit on Netflix."