Weekend Watching

Tonight I'm parting with 10 bucks to catch Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell's NASCAR parody. In mocking the NASCAR industry, the film also pokes fun at its corporate sponsorships -- but not at the expense of such sponsors. In fact the movie is being touted as the best example of product placement and brand integration in a film -- ever.

From what I've seen on billboards, the Web, and in Ferrell's TV appearances and film previews, I'm thinking it just might be a little brand overkill -- but I'm not committed to that opinion just yet.