Sad and scary linkspam

[cleolinda]

Brad Renfro, 25, found dead at LA home. Sometimes this kind of early, breaking news turns out to be false. I'm kind of thinking this is not one of those times.

One Dead, One Injured, One Arrested After Roger Avary DUI Accident [Tragedies] (his friend, his wife, and himself, respectively); 'Pulp' writer apologizes after fatal crash.

The Tom Cruise Indoctrination Video Scientologists Don't Want You To See; Defamer's Top Five Creeptastic Moments From The Tom Cruise Scientology Video (You Know The One); Web Video Reignites Tom Cruise Storm.

Writer Paul Tolme, author of Defender Magazine article on ferrets, responds in Newsweek to allegations that Cassie Edwards plagiarized him: "[T]hat is some bad dialogue. It stands out as clunky and awkward even by the standards of romance novels. That’s because Edwards didn’t write it. I did."

Also on SBTB today: Embrace Your Bad Taste. "Come on. You do it, too. 'I love this particular book despite how bad it is. Shit, I love it because of how bad it is.' Say it out loud, you got no taste and you’re proud." (I'll go: The musical stylings of Samantha Fox. Shut up.) I find this particularly interesting because this kind of indignation is what I got hit with in the early days of m15m, from people who hadn't quite grasped that you can be snarky and affectionate at the same time, or even if you're snarking wholeheartedly on something, that doesn't mean you think less of anyone else for liking it (although you might think more of them for saying, "Well, yes, it is bad, but I like it anyway"). The girl who was angry that I did Van Helsing comes to mind, for example...

From aelfsciene: An explanation of Britney Spears' descent into madness that I only wish could be true.
Writers’ strike may take down Grammys next.

Dozens in Texas town report seeing UFO.

Plushy Vulcan struts stuff at Birmingham City Council meeting. Not the Vulcan you're thinking.

Youth Culture To Blame For Mid-Life Crises, Says Middle-Aged Man.

Keep it down! I'm on the phone!; AWWWWW.

No More Big Budgets for Uwe Boll.

9 Foreign Language Films Advance in Oscar Race; Oscar longshots we love; Oscar bloggers' predictions! And still, I cannot bring myself to care. It's a really weird, inexplicable departure for me.

Diablo Cody, She's Just Like Us! [Honest To Blog.]

Atonement Dress Named Best Movie Costume Ever. Okay, I love that dress, but that doesn't even make any sense.

Cloverfield Interviews & Articles; More Free Cloverfield Screenings; 1-18-08 - Photo # 9 - Night Vision; Tagruato - Ganu Coming To America.

Golden Compass Passes $300M Worldwide.

New 'Indiana Jones' Image of Shia, Older Gentleman with Whip; New Indiana Jones Wallpapers and Icons.

Theron Joins Viggo on 'The Road.'

Harvey Dent is the Backbone of Dark Knight.

Daniel Craig on Bond 22; Roger Moore pens memoir, 'My Word Is My Bond.'

Two New Iron Man Photos.

Jaden Smith to Star in 'The Day the Earth Stood Still.'

Sarah Connor Terminates Competitors.

Russell To Voice Wonder Woman?

Dominic West is Destro in 'G.I. Joe'?

Josh Brolin On ‘No Country’ Ending: ‘It Was Supposed To Piss You Off.’

Comments

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

All that I know about Renfro is from Tomato Nation's Girl's Bike Club series, so I can't say it's a huge surprise, but it's sad nonetheless.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

"[T]hat is some bad dialogue. It stands out as clunky and awkward even by the standards of romance novels. That’s because Edwards didn’t write it. I did."
Ha! That's awesome.

Oh my God, the actual article is even funnier. I can't believe that shit is actually in a romance novel.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

I hope Paul Tolme, who's got a nice sense of humour and an even nicer sense of proportion, earns himself a regular gig in Newsweek thanks to Edwards!

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

I'm still in shock about Renfro. Sadly it would not surprise me if it was true but - damn. Poor kid.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Poor Brad Renfro.

Keira Knightley's ATONEMENT dress? You might as well wrap a swath of fabric around a stick insect. My vote for best dress ever- Grace Kelly's gown in REAR WINDOW. Best male costume- Chris Evan's Banana Split Suit in NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE *g*

How about no more budgets *period* for Uwe Boll. The world would be a much better place!

[camisado.livejournal.com]

Seriously. I think the dress would be quite beautiful if she had more than a 15 BMI maybe...

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Poor Renfro. Though it doesn't surprise me all that much. He'd been self destructing for so long, but when I last heard he was sort of better. Poor kid.

[megmatthews20.livejournal.com]

As someone on imdb said...I'm not surprised, but I am shocked about Renfro's death...

I've liked him since Sleepers, and made a point of sort of following his career...if he is dead it's a bummer...

cheers

[viorica8957.livejournal.com]

Did you see the latest in Edwardsgate? (http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2008/01/13/possible-cassie-edwards-bulletin-to-myspace-readers/#comment-121024)

[amberdulen.livejournal.com]

Holy. Crap.

[amberdulen.livejournal.com]

Paul Tolme's article is amazing. This is the news item that just keeps giving and giving.

[gracefallson-me.livejournal.com]

OMG NO! i hope that isn't true about Brad. although i recall a similar story a couple years ago and it turned out to be false.

[gracefallson-me.livejournal.com]

its true. MSNBC says that the coroner has confirmed it. he had just finished wrapping up a film as well.

[firei.livejournal.com]

My sister is going to be devastated about Brad Renfro. As a teen, she had tons of pictures ripped out from Bop! and whatnot...She was upset when Jonathon Brandis died last year or the year before, but Brad Renfro will be much worse.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

Well, shit; I didn't know Jonathan Brandis died.

[xblackrose666x.livejournal.com]

haha, i know that vulcan. oh i miss living in alabama.

[glyphs.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I watched the crazy Tom Cruise video. Now, I don't know what an SP is or a PTSSP or a KSW or LRH or an org or whatever other acronyms were mentioned. To be honest, I don't much care. But, what I really don't like in everything he said...well, three things in particular after just seeing it once: 1) the whole "I will not hesitate to put my ethics on someone else" thing. They're YOUR ethics, not mine. I have my own ethics and I don't want yours. 2) what was with that "If we see an accident we know that we have to stop. Because we're the only ones that can help." Wait, what? If I've been in an accident, I don't want Tom Cruise popping his head into my overturned car saying he can help me. I'd rather see a paramedic, please, thanks. 3) The comment about "We need to get those spectators on the field. Or out of the arena." Wait, WHAT? So either convert everyone to scientology or completely banish them? Is that what he's saying? That's just...not right.

[bluebren.livejournal.com]

And wouldn't they just have to turn around and bring them back INTO the arena?

Don't they have to help?? D:

[quizzicalsphinx.livejournal.com]

That Vulcan costume is going to terrify small children.

Or at least just me. ::cowers::

Paul Tolme rocks!

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

He showed such grace and style to use this mess to draw attention to the plight of the black-footed ferret as well as making fun of Cassie Edwards!

[cpip.livejournal.com]

Dunno. I watched the Tom Cruise video -- not sure it's all that creepy. It looks like typical zealot stuff all the way through... I think really you could, as one of my friends pointed out, swap out LRH with Jesus, SP with unbeliever, and KSW with "Live The Word" -- or with the Goddess, Christians, and 'An it Harm None -- and not change the fundamentals.

Folks who are seriously into their religion can be a bit scary.

More I'm bothered by his rambling style when left without a script.

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

Folks who are seriously into their religion can be a bit scary.

IAWTC.

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

Plushy Vulcan struts stuff at Birmingham City Council meeting. Not the Vulcan you're thinking.

Huh. No, it really wasn't.

THIS is the one I tend to think of first. (http://www.vulcan.com/index.asp?switcher=flash) ;)

(It's an occupational hazard in my town, and having worked for a Paul Allen company in the past, I mean that kind of literally.)

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

I feel bad because I have no idea who Brad Renfro was. I'm 21 - was there something in my youth that I missed?

Tom Cruise is so frightening.

I enjoy my bad taste, too! :D Where would we be without those little gems of awfulness to offset the stuff that's actually good?

Those kitties are too cute.

And regarding the costumes article - the decisions are weird, but I always like seeing the pictures. Mmmmmm. Costumes.

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm 30 and I've never heard of him either.

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

That Meerkat article was HILARIOUS. Also, does a $300M global box office mean there's hope for the Golden Compass trilogy after all?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

God, I hope so.

[evilprodigy.livejournal.com]

So I'm not the only one annoyed by Diablo Cody's uber-super-hipness? That's slightly relieving.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I keep wanting to be interested in Juno enough to see it, but I just... can't manage it.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

That's too damn bad about Renfro.

[ninepointfivemm.livejournal.com]

A tiny part of me died a little when I saw that Brad Renfro died. I'm not surprised that he's dead, knowing his history with drugs, but it's just such a shame. He was so talented. I used to have a Brad fansite way back in the day, like 1996...

[guinevere33.livejournal.com]

I want to know if Plushie Vulcan is bearing his backside to the breezes like the original. And if so, I want pics!

[vampychick.livejournal.com]

Not the Vulcan you're thinking.

Actually, it was. But then, I live in Alabama, so sort of like cheating. :D

[sturmclan.livejournal.com]

Tom Cruise is made of evil. That is all.

[trash-addict.livejournal.com]

About 90% of my media consumption involves embracing my bad taste, so I definitely support that. I don't even bother trying to defend my love of MTV reality shows to anyone. I just have no taste!