A night of many italics

[cleolinda]

Finished The Gift of Fear before I went to sleep last night (uh... that'd be Wednesday night now); started A Nervous Splendor, the Vienna book, this morning and... had a hard time getting into it. The first chapter seemed a little precious, what with the verging-on-pretentious repetition about the price of sugar and the Crown Prince's carriage and what have you. Sometimes I just gravitate towards one book instead of another--it took me forever to get past the first chapter of Carter Beats the Devil, and I still don't know why, because it was completely awesome--so I think it's just a mood thing with me. I'm going to give Vienna another chapter and then, if it's still not happening for me, move on to one of the courtesans books. I'm going through all of this with you, by the way, because not immediately finishing a book makes me feel incredibly guilty.

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated in Attack on Rally; Officials: Al Qaeda claims it killed Bhutto; World outraged, fearful over Bhutto assassination; Bhutto attack cuts short an epic life. I don't usually post political items, but... this is bad. So very, very bad.

Barron Hilton to donate bulk of fortune [$1.2 B] to charity foundation. Which is fantastic on so many different levels. (One of them: Why We’re All Going to Hell, Part 54,302.)

China raises 800-year-old sunken ship.

Crack-vs.-powder disparity questioned; Little-known mafia is cocaine 'king.'

Chuck Norris sues, says his tears no cancer cure.

Ur flavr. It hurtz me; invisible champagne.

Michelle Rodriguez begins 6-month jail term.

The eyes have it: Bette Davis stars on stamp.

Countdown! 25 best fansites. You know, one of these days when I have time, I ought to post the fansites I find the most useful, because several of them weren't included.

Envelope, please: Oscar ballots mailed out.

Worst films of ’07: Awful is the new awesome (or at the very least, this article is the new awesome); 2007: The year of big-star movie flops.

How to write a good "bad" song. ("Another of Bern's Dylanesque [Dewey] Cox tunes, 'Royal Jelly,' goes to gibberish as Reilly sings, 'My sense of taste is wasted on the phosphorous and orange peels of San Francisco ax-encrusted frenzy. So let me touch you.' ") While we're here: The 10 best songs of 2007. Supposedly.

The true (?) story of why Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise aren't friends anymore. I mean, we don't have any sources for this, I guess, but it lines up with what the media was reporting circa War of the Worlds about Spielberg getting impatient with Cruise's Scientology recruitment massage tents. If nothing else, it's hilarious ("As Steven Spielberg slowly makes his way over to Tom Cruise, several Spielberg helpers run for cover"; Tom Hanks later shows up to scare Cruise off). P.S. The "lifetime achievement award" mentioned was this; "Mr. Ocean Lover" is probably George Clooney (Ocean's Eleven) and "Mr. Hard to Catch" is probably Leonardo DiCaprio (Catch Me If You Can).

Will Smith: I am ... Scientologist?

Update: Will Smith does not think Hitler was 'good'; Will Smith angry over comment interpretation; Jewish group: Will Smith didn't praise Hitler. Dude, I think I was angry for him. And for the state of reading comprehension in this country, while we're at it.

New 'WALL.E' image + 2 new 'Prince Caspian' stills.

USA Today: "Harry Potter" prevails, wands down; New movie role for Daniel Radcliffe?

Depp’s ‘Sweeney’ singing didn’t worry Burton; Tidbits: Why Johnny Depp will never marry you. While you dry your tears from that last one, let me note that I finally dropped by the official Sweeney Todd site, which was actually pretty interesting--each character page had a 360-degree view of a particular set (and the files are a lot smoother than this kind of feature usually tends to be), and you can watch clips of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter singing in the studio as well, which is fun.

‘Atonement’ takes 5 1/2-minute shot at history.

Yahoo Cloverfield Clip - On The Roof.

The Coen Brothers Directing a Western Next?

'Napoleon Dynamite' Director Will Tackle 'Gentlemen Broncos.'

‘The Incredible Hulk’ Gets Two Brand-Spanking New Photos.

First Look: Angelina Jolie in 'The Changeling.'

'Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day' Poster Demands Fetishism; 'Nim's Island' Poster Accurately Portrays Film's Psychoses.

Pixar's Up Reworks Quixote?

trailer_spot: The Duchess, Bank Job, Coraline, Hancock, WALL•E, Charlie Wilson's War. By the way, WALL•E, thanks for giving your movie the most typographically inconvenient title ever.

Comments

[kijikun.livejournal.com]

Ack! Will Smith no! Don't go to the dark side.

[brainchild129.livejournal.com]

I know - I'm not even much of a fan of his, but that article just makes me want to drag him and Jada far, far away from the Scientologists and smug ol' CTC.

[kudzita.livejournal.com]

Oooh, icon love - that was one of the best parts of the movie.

[ter369.livejournal.com]

.....because it’s been nonstop DO-NOT-WANT ever since

Best encapsulation of that actor's career -- or any actor whose name now makes you think, "Hey, didn't s/he used to be in good films?"

[stagemanager.livejournal.com]

Was this edited away? To what are you referring? (I'm so lost. Don't mind me.)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It's a line in the article I said was so awesome--referring to Kevin Costner, I think?

[stagemanager.livejournal.com]

Thanks -- I've read the article now, it is great!

[ter369.livejournal.com]

As Cleo says below, the quote is in the awesomely-dubbed article about awful films in 2007, in reference to Kevin Costner. There's a fantastic line about suburbia in the same paragraph. Read, enjoy!.

[stagemanager.livejournal.com]

Thanks -- I've read the article now, it is great!

[sapphires13.livejournal.com]

Aw =( Across the Universe is on the worst films list =(

[stagemanager.livejournal.com]

I just don't know where to put this -- so, Dear Cleolinda, you get it:

Anyone wanna see Nicolette Sheridan's nipple?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=504636&in_page_id=1773

I trust that you'll do whatever needs to be done with this information.

(If for any reason, the nipple pic isn't there when you get there, I've saved it locally. Why? Beats me.)

[wednesday]

Yes, that's a human nipple all right.

[sweet-pessimism.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean. I think there's only ever been two books in my life that I've started reading and not finished.. Even the most crappy ones I give a chance until the very last page, hoping the author is going somewhere with all that. I feel guilty if I don't.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I disagree with SOUTHLAND TALES being an awful movie because a] it hasn't opened here yet and b] Seann William Scott is my Fated Future Spouse, so two Seanns for the price of one is all the better (that Matrix spoof he did for the MTV Awards with Multiple Stiflers was like porn to me *g*). My vote for worst film of the year is skewed by my profession as a Forensic Entomologist- BEE MOVIE. Male bees not immediately killed by the females after the mating flight? Male bees with *stings*? A male mosquito drinking blood? I was throwing things at the screen and cursing like it was a Martin Lawrence/Uwe Boll retrospective...

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

You remember that cartoon with the male cows who went "boy tipping"? I mean, I only know this from the trailer, but I spent the whole preview trying not to shout "IF THEY HAVE UDDERS THEY'RE NOT MALE!!!" in a crowded theater.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Don't even get me started on the "Male Cow" from BARNYARD... I also had trouble restraining my inner grammar police during the trailer for THE PRINCE AND ME and from yelling at the screen some myopic heroine (or hero, in THE HEIGHTS and 24TH DAY) chooses some other guy over James Marsden in...well, every movie Marsden has ever been in...

[brainchild129.livejournal.com]

I take it then that you didn't enjoy Enchanted that much.

Mind you, I don't blame you. Afterwards, I kept thinking "THAT's him? THAT's the infamous McDreamy?" because while Patrick McDempsey isn't that bad looking...he's not all that good looking either. Not to mention kind of dull in that movie. Especially compared to oh-so-lovely and goofy James Marsden, who looked good even in that ridiculous costume.

(also, you're a forensic entomologist? Cool!)

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

ENCHANTED is cool, don't get me wrong, it's just that, if they're all going to swap their intended partners, I would have preferred Jimmy and Patrick to end up together *g*

[angelan.livejournal.com]

The male cow with udders thing is weirdly common. They were on a butter ad in the UK for a while, and because I'm really sad, I wrote to the company and asked what was up with that. They wrote back, and told me they'd recorded two female comedians in the same roles, but the men tested better. The British public in action there.

Boddington's beer used to have a lothario male cow with udders, too.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

I hear you on the books thing. As far as I remember, there are only three (maybe?) books that I just could not finish. Generally, even if I don't like what I'm reading, I force myself to make it to the last page.

The Bhutto assassination is incredibly horrible. It's just...opening a really frightening door.

“The Sound of Music” with blood. LOL. Possibly one of the greatest descriptive quotes ever. Because it's lunatic. Also, your icon makes me deliriously happy. ;)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I don't know what I love more about that scene--the fact that he's so just like "Kill me now," or the fact that she's wearing sunglasses.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

The emo face makes the entire By the Sea sequence, but in this particular shot, it's everything about those costumes. The stripes and her sunglasses and the boots are just perfection.

Is it weird that I envy her wardrobe?!

[metonymy.livejournal.com]

Wait, those are sunglasses? I thought it was just her incredibly dark panda-like eye makeup. (I haven't seen the movie or a full-size picture, just icons. Though the image cracks me up nevertheless.)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they're sunglasses.





Hee.

[metonymy.livejournal.com]

That's awesome. Now I want to see the movie. XD

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, basically the gist of the song is, "I want us to go live by the sea and walk on the beach and I'll wear frilly dresses and we'll get married and it will be AWESOME," and... well, you can see how he feels about this. Heh.

[mercat.livejournal.com]

I feel like it should be a sin that I can't get into Anansi Boys, buuut... I've just been in a very Indiana Jones mood.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way about books. Generally, I "never met a book I didn't like," so when I don't get into one, I'm like, "wait, what's going on here?" But usually it's a mood thing for me, too. And once I get into it then it's like a speeding train and I can't stop reading. Heh.

Gift of Fear

[the-blue-fenix.livejournal.com]

Gavin de Becker rocks unto an infinite degree of rocking-ness. Subtitle should be: How to Survive Being Female without Being a Victim or Going Nuts.

[cosette-esk.livejournal.com]

Ok so I saw Sweeney Todd. I got the soundtrack a few days before and loved it. A Little Priest cracked me up from the start, the ending somewhat vexed me but the costumes were awesome and the music was phenomenal. Other than that Girly Kid irritated me just because he was like "Oh this girl I saw in a window! I'm going to marry her! By the way, what's her name?" plus he was GIRLY.

[syneblue.livejournal.com]

What idiot actually published the Chuck Norris stuff? Don't people realize that just because you can put it on the internet doesn't mean you have a sacred right to make money off it?
*somewhere, hundreds of Harry Potter fanfic writers cannot hear me over their clacking keyboards*

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Actually, just from observing fandom, I'd say that Do Not Profit From Your Fanfic is one of the great unbreakable ground rules (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Selling_fanfics). Someone who tries to profit from fanfic is pretty much classed with plagiarists in fandom--in this case, because profiteers draw negative attention to fanwriters and threaten the live-and-let-live approach many copyright holders have taken towards them. The example that comes to mind is Lori Jareo (http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Buy_My_Non-Commercial%2C_Self-Published_Fanfic%21).

[neveth.livejournal.com]

WALL•E is going to make me bawl like a baby, I just know it. He has such a sad little face!

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

What did you think of Gift of Fear?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I really liked it. I think the most interesting point he makes, and it's a big one, is that human behavior is never "senseless," and that's rarely unpredictable at that. I'm incorrigible in terms of reading everything through an I Will Use This for My Writing lens, but... there you are. More than that, though, it's an extremely comforting idea--people don't just flip out for no reason. Either there are going to be a number of warning signals (which you should listen to), or if it's a situation you just walk into, you have your own intuition on your side.

I do think that something he touched on but could have made more explicit is the idea that women need to learn to not be afraid to be rude. I'd rather be rude (and wrong about someone) than dead, personally. I just feel like female readers could have benefited from some explicit coaching on that point.

(I'm also dying to know who the female star he was trying to protect in the second half of the book was. And I actually laughed out loud when they found two OTHER guys on her property.)

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

Hey Cleo,

I caught that "Gmail Hack" link from you, and thought you might want this link from my friend:
How to not get your gmail hacked like that (http://sanityimpaired.livejournal.com/79004.html#cutid1).

[discogravy.livejournal.com]

someone told Paris about this, apparently: http://www.nickscipio.com/funstuff/archive26/2007-12-29_parisreadingsuntzu.html