Welcome to the latest installment of Flickchart Road Trip, in which I’m starting in Los Angeles and “driving” across country, watching one movie from each state and posting about it once a week. The new movie I watch will go up against five movies from that state I’ve already seen, chosen from five distinct spots on my own Flickchart. Although I won’t tell you where the new movie actually lands in my chart (I don’t like to add new movies until I’ve had a month to think about them), I’ll let you know how it fared among the five I’ve chosen. Thanks for riding shotgun!

I’ve reached New Jersey, the armpit of America.

At least, that’s the reputation this state has among those who don’t live here. I grew up a couple states away in Massachusetts, and all anyone could talk about when New Jersey came up was factories and toxic waste and rude people who went to the mall too much and wore too much hairspray. I don’t suppose unofficial Jersey ambassadors Snooki and The Situation have done a lot to change that impression. Anyone who’s seen the Saturday Night Live skits where Fred Armisen plays former New York governor David Paterson, and every joke ends with the punchline “New Jersey!”, knows the place don’t get no respect.

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