I'm still reading the comments from that last entry, by the way

[cleolinda]

Late again today, because there was MOAR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. Which was fun, so I had that going for me.

Important: I got an email the other day from someone who said that reading The Gift of Fear hours before she attended a seminar helped her realize that the seminar was Bad News; she was able to run away, literally, out of the building, before they got their hooks into her (they immediately started telling people to ignore gut instincts, interestingly enough). Turns out the seminar was the cult Lifespring under a new name--please be aware that variations operate under the names "Mastery In Transformational Training" and "Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness," according to Wikipedia. So basically, I wanted to alert everyone to that before anyone else got sucked in, and also, READ THE GIFT OF FEAR, SERIOUSLY, IT IS ON SALE RIGHT NOW, I AM NOT KIDDING.

Also: in the interest of slimming down the linkspam entries, I've looked into using FriendFeed for the less crucial stuff. Basically, anything I post on Livejournal or Twitter will show up there, and anything I "share" from Google Reader will as well. I won't hit share on anything I intend to use on the linkspam posts--the good and/or movie stuff--so at least that way you're not getting it twice, but if it's just something randomly kind of interesting, I'll throw it up there anyway. (And you'll also see the kind of stuff I initially flag and then don't use.) And you can then add the RSS feed of that to Google Reader if that's what you use. It's a whole recursive tangle of feeds, but you know, whatever. It gives people options. I'll try it for a while, see if it works for people.

Meanwhile, the Twilight sequel trainwreck has gotten EVEN WORSE. THESE PEOPLE ARE OUT OF THEIR MIIIIIIIINDS:

Summit Entertainment has tentatively slated Nov. 20, 2009, as the release date for New Moon, the Twilight sequel, which means any director who signs on to replace Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has to be in Vancouver by Dec. 15 to begin 12 weeks of preproduction before a mid-March start date.

BY THE WAY, THAT IS THIS MONDAY. Which means that a director has to be up in Canada and ready to rumble IN FIVE DAYS.

Reports have speculated that Hardwicke was fired for being difficult on set, but sources close to her suggest Summit's aggressive production schedule turned her off. "She'd love to do the sequel if she could do it better than Twilight,” says one. “It became clear that Summit didn’t have those same priorities."

With or without Hardwicke, Summit faces other snags. Two sources tell EW the studio doesn’t want to rehire baby-faced Taylor Lautner as Jacob, though Lautner’s agent has apparently reached out to the imaging company behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in an attempt to demonstrate to Summit how a digitally bulked-up Lautner could work. (Summit says it won’t make a decision until a new filmmaker is on board.)

Before, I thought that Summit--given how closely they courted the fanbase--wouldn't actually recast Lautner, but now that it's obvious they're cheap insane, I'm starting to think that he really is shit up a creek.

However, here's the bottom line:

“We are in a recession,” reminds one Hollywood insider. “It’s a hit franchise. Whoever steps into it is guaranteed a $100 million gross. Everyone wants this movie.” Adds an exec at another studio, “You’d have to have a very high standard for art, hate the movie business, and hate money to walk off this sequel.”

Meanwhile, the Twilight Lexicon has a Summit Entertainment mailing address for anyone wanting to get their snail-mail protest on; "We've been kicked out of the Twilight editorial, so we're homeless, so please leave your name and number after the tone"; Catherine Hardwicke Still Promoting Twilight in Paris; ‘Twilight’ Star Kellan Lutz Likes Kids, But Doesn’t Want Yours ("NIKKI, YOU GOTTA GIVE THE BABY BACK"); a really interesting look at Bella's agency from a teenage rather than adult point of view; Now You Can Have Your Own Robert Pattinson Doll. I am completely confident that no one will do unspeakable things to that doll, by the way.

(Beedle the Bard, Vampire Slayer. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.)

Prolific character actor Robert Prosky dies at 77.

Mark Ruffalo's brother death: Suspect cleared; Murder Suspect: 'Ruffalo Died In Russian Roulette Game.'

Fond Ties Have Grown Between Chicago and Its Corruption Fighter; Patrick Fitzgerald Is Sexy When He's Steaming Mad [Clips]. I... I kind of wondered if it was just me on that one.

Ploughshares Named Top-Ranked Literary Magazine. Ah, I even have a rejection from them, from way back in high school when I was a Very Srs Writer. Good times.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Wrestling with New Novel.

True Blood's Harris Looks Ahead.

The Daily Routines of Interesting People.

Pearl Jam to remaster, remix, and reissue 'Ten.' This was the soundtrack of my adolescence, by the way. This and way too much Bryan Adams.

Coldplay responds to 'Viva La Vida' lawsuit.

Evan Rachel Wood is Mary Jane in 'Spider-Man' musical.

Tennant out of 'Hamlet' for Surgery.

Entertainment Earth: Weird Gifts For The Freaks & Geeks On Your List. Man, I love those catalogs.

Cloverfield Monster Toy Arrives.

What is the Jejune Institute and Why Are They Recording Your Thoughts? [ARG]

Broadcast Critics Show Some Love for "Milk" and "Benjamin Button"; 'Wall-E' Named Best Picture By LAFCA; The 'Wall-E' Bandwagon Begins; 2009 Writers Guild Awards Nominees Announced; Oscar smackdown: Nixon vs. Batman?; MTV News’ Tim Kash Reflects On Golden Globes Vs. Oscars; Potential Actor Strike/Boycott Threatens Oscar Broadcast.

Images: First Look: Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist in 'Kick-Ass'; 'Bride Wars' Posters; First Look: 'Julia & Julia', 'Stepfather', 'Armored,' 'Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs,' 'Angels and Demons'; New stills from My Bloody Valentine - 3D; Who Cracked Lena Headey's Head? ['The Broken']; New Batch of Stills for 'Friday the 13th'; The Thundercats Are In Good Hands... And Evil Claws [Concept Art].

Trailers and clips: Watchmen Comic-Con Footage Free on iTunes!; Jessica Biel’s Stripper Debut in the Trailer for ‘Powder Blue’; I Do Not Accept This 'Proposal' (Trailer); EXCLUSIVE: Check Out ‘Twilight’ Star Cam Gigandet’s Spooky New Film ‘The Unborn'; The Unborn exclusive clip (different? I guess? I didn't watch either one? I like sleeping at night?); Official Trailer For 'Ink.'

trailer_spot: Terminator Salvation, Watchmen, Proposal, $9.99, Joy Division.

Must Watch: Brand New 'Terminator Salvation' Trailer - Updated!; New ‘Terminator Salvation’ Trailer Debuts - Japanese Style; Shot-By-Shot Breakdown Of Terminator Trailer's Mayhem; Another 'Terminator Salvation' Photo + Interesting T4 Poster; Bale, 'Terminator Salvation' featured in 'Total Film'; EXCLUSIVE: Common Writing ‘Terminator’-Inspired Song For ‘Salvation’ Soundtrack.

First Look: The Cast of The Last Airbender, featuring... Jesse McCartney, Jackson Rathbone, and some unknown kid. Oh, and lots of fan wank.

Connelly, Reeves, Hamm and Derrickson Talk ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’; Klaatu Movie Shot Into Space, Director Washes His Hands Of Eventual Invasion [Exclusive]; Digging into the Production Design of ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’; "Earth Stood Still" Science Advisor Reveals All; Klaatu Is a Sex Toy - Literally; Ray Bradbury’s Bizarre "Earth Stood Still" Christmas Sequel [The Day The Earth Stood Still].

First Day Of 'Dark Knight' DVD Sales Break 2008 Record: Certain To Smash All DVD Records; Site of the Day: Christopher Nolan analyzes his favorite scene in 'Dark Knight';
Dark Knight Fans Want Angie & Depp for Sequel; Watch This: Make Your Own 'Dark Knight' Commentary!

Universal Moves Wolfman, Nottingham and Fast & Furious; Universal Pulls 'Fast and Furious' From Their Summer Line-Up!; Does The Wolfman's Delay Mean He's Getting Neutered?

Anne Hathaway’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’ White Queen: ‘Cute But Psycho.’

Review: Holocaust too messy for the sterile ‘Reader’; An unsettling tale lies between the lines of 'The Reader'; Moviefone Interview With Kate Winslet.

Interview: Writer-Director John Patrick Shanley of 'Doubt'; Meryl Streep had doubts about 'Doubt.'

'Dorian Gray' Goes Wilde, 'may upset purists.'

'Inkheart' -- hisdarkmaterials.org's review.

Brad Pitt Heads To South America, Will Search For ‘The Lost City Of Z.’

Jennifer Aniston Prepares To Sing Poorly For Prison Musical ‘Goree Girls.’

Marisa Tomei, John C. Reilly, and Jonah Hill Become a Dysfunctional Family.

Tobey Maguire Cranks It To Eleven For ‘Rock Of Ages’ Adaptation.

‘Yes Man 2′ Already Getting Greenlight?

Another Uwe Boll Slot battle royale, woohoo!

Report: 'Hot Tub Time Machine' now stupidest movie title ever; 'Hot Tub Time Machine' Writer Comes Forward, Explains Himself.

Dragonball: Evolution Posters; Another Horrible Trailer for Fox's 'Dragonball Evolution.'

Thank Goodness! They Found a Director for the 'Chipmunks' Sequel!

Comments

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid The Gift Of Fear will make me super-paranoid.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

You know, it actually made me feel more confident? I started trusting myself to "feel" when something was wrong and not worry (so much) if I didn't.

(Happy belated birthday! I kept meaning to tell you!)

[lsdiamond.livejournal.com]

Just to let you know, Tiffany has been found as of November 8

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Huh--I wonder why I was just sent that the other day, then?

[glenvorian.livejournal.com]

That Twilight news has made my brain explode.

[saramiskismet.livejournal.com]

*clings to Taycob for dear life*

[saramiskismet.livejournal.com]

I'm doing my senior paper for AP English on Garcia-Marquez's work! Love that guy.

Oh, yes, the Avatar: TLAB wank is glorious. But honestly. JACKSON RATHBORNE DNE SOKKA. I don't understand HOW that connection could ever be drawn. Please be a prank.

I haven't read Beedle the Bard yet. I'm waiting to get it for Christmas. Somehow, spoilers have not even thought about crossing my path!

& a Chipmunks what now?

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I'm going to assume that the casting is a cruel prank because that just makes no sense (ok, the unknowns sort of do, but everyone else...no).

[punzerel.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine mailed me the Gift of Fear (unless it was another similar awareness/self-defence book) a few years ago, but I never really took him seriously enough to read it. I should probably correct that.

[honorh.livejournal.com]

It's really good. The author really clues you in to signs you shouldn't ignore and how to distinguish helpful fear from unhelpful. It actually helps you live with less fear, ironically enough.

[skeptiik.livejournal.com]

That "twilight from a teenagers POV" was actually really good. As a teenager myself, I've never really felt the whole "Bella is completely dependant" stuff, and that article really laid it out nicely.

And I just noticed the last piece of linkspam (They found a director for the Chipmunks sequel) and I laughed a little just because, come one, they can find a director for THAT and not for Twilight?? It is a sad world we live in, folks.

I'm convinced that Summit's strategy is to lower everyone's expectations of these movies, so when they come out and are pretty good, they seem to be so much better.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah--I had also argued previously that Bella is actually pretty proactive; she's very codependent on Edward, but she's the one pursuing him (and then running off after Jacob). I think some of her choices are stupid, but they're hers, and her dependence on Edward is often something he tries to discourage.

[conejita-diabla.livejournal.com]

Hey, I can be in Vancouver on Monday. I can has job nao plz?

[ravenofthejade.livejournal.com]

Hell, I'm in Vancouver right now, I'll totally screw it up though.

... Not that they'd notice.

[jharrison19.livejournal.com]

The wank on new moon is gonna entertain me ALL YEAR LONG omg. It's less than a month after the 1st movie came out and shit is already going down. Btw, I just saw clue for the first time in a few years and just now understand "flames on the side of my face!"

[glenvorian.livejournal.com]

Twilight should get an award for most amusing news of the year.

Haha that line is one of the best ever, isn't it?

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

I... I kind of wondered if it was just me on that one.

Nope! When he was on Wait Wait Don't Tell me last year, the commentators were teasing Roxanne Roberts for her crush on him. "What's this Roxanne? Does it say Mrs. Patrick Fitzgerald on your binder?"

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

HEEEEEEEEEEE.

[onlove.livejournal.com]

In case you haven't decided, yes, you want ice cream. Life is too short to pass up ice cream.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I went with cookies instead. : (

[sucrelefey.livejournal.com]

Twilight is coming up here? Aaaaahgh flee!!!

[glenvorian.livejournal.com]

Thank Merlin they don't shoot in Toronto.

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

re: Last Airbender:

WHUT? WHUT? WHAT?!?!?

[greyduck.livejournal.com]

Yeah. That about sums up my reaction, too.

That's what I get for daring to hope that they wouldn't completely screw this up. Urgh.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

*throws up her hands*

If you're going to fire the boy, why even hire him to be Jacob to begin with? Surely they must have realized the potential from the beginning. I mean you already made him go through life with a wig and could (and should) have had a throw down with Tom Cruise's Lestat wig in its prime (we fondly referred to that one as the "muskrat" in my home). Why make life harder for him?

Meanwhile, Kellan Lutz sort of made me adore him in that clip. WILL SOMEONE JUST TAKE THE BABY!?

[harveypenguin.livejournal.com]

Fun fact: one of my profs is friends with the guy writing the book for the Spiderman musical. He announced this as if it was a good thing.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeee. Awesome.

[arvada.livejournal.com]

Oh man, the Avatar: the Last Airbender film is just... You know, I think I prefer that it be a ginormous train-wreck to having it be just some other mediocre movie. Go big or go home. This way, at least there are lots of lulz.

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

I concur. Between this and the clusterfuck that is DBZ, I'm going to have fun watching some of my favourite shows be destroyed, goddamit.

[viorica8957.livejournal.com]

may upset purists

On the one hand, I read Gyles Brandeth's Oscar Wilde Mysteries, so I'm probably not what you'd call a purist. On the other hand, my first reaction to this news was "STEP OFF MY WILDE, BITCHES." I'm all for feminism, but that's not what Dorian Gray's about, and the fact that they introduce her towards the end of Dorian's downward spiral makes me antsy.

[smu.livejournal.com]

THIS.

The Dragon Ball trailer...

[einahsketch.livejournal.com]

reminds me of those old 80s video game movies. You know, Mortal Kombat and all.

Hell, even a little bit of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles thrown in there.

[iwanttobeasleep.livejournal.com]

I love the Twilight from a teenage perspective article, but while it explains why tweens/teens like the book, I'm pretty sure that Smeyer wasn't intending for any of those things while she was writing it. The book isn't anywhere near that self-aware, or it would be a lot better. Also, it's kind of creepy that Smeyer's fantasy life is so close to a young teen's fantasy life, if it's true that Twilight is Smeyer's fantasy (which I believe and uck).

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

This. (Can you say "arrested development"?)

[laurelin-kit.livejournal.com]

Dorian Gray Goes Wilde

Nnnnnnnnnnnn. Maybeeee....

So the idea is that she's sort of a new woman and quite spirited and a feminist and a photographer.

FUCK NO.

[julian-black.livejournal.com]

I absolutely concur re: The Gift of Fear. I buy half a dozen copies at a time and keep them on hand to give away as needed. I've given away at least 50 copies of it since it first came out.

And HOLY CRAP WTF TWILIGHT. I keep veering between being heartily amused and shouting "You cannot be serious!"

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

And, see, the moment you start saying stuff like that, I start getting creeped out. Speaking of culty! It's like the Secret all over again!

[padawansguide.livejournal.com]

Awesome, I subscribed to your feeds on my googlereader. Whatever makes linkspam easier, I saw do it.

This whole Twilight New Moon thing has really become a clusterf*** hasn't it? The director they haven't yet hired has to be there on Monday? That is all kinds of crazy.

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

“We are in a recession,” reminds one Hollywood insider. “It’s a hit franchise. Whoever steps into it is guaranteed a $100 million gross.

You're right, we are, and as such, that by no means guarentees anything, not even grossing 100mil.


Everyone wants this movie.”

Really? Is that why they aren't beating down the door to get you to hire them as the next director? Could have fooled me.

If I was Hardwicke, I'd drop Twilight like a hot potatoe. Why would you want to promote a movie studio that fired you any way? I sure as hel wouldn't. Let them promote their own damn movie.

Oh gods, that doll is even worse than the first one. I'm going to have nightmares now, thank you.

Spider-man... Broadway Musical... excuse me while I die from laughter.

I love the God of War PS2 games, so I imagine I'll love the Thundercats movie too.

We are so going to see The Day the Earth stood still on Friday.

Inkheart movie reminds me that I still need to go get a copy of Inkdeath.

I'm starting to think the Dragonball Z movie is never coming out.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

High five on the Dragonball movie. It's like the rumor that wont die or something. Only doing early marketing in Japan... I guess that's smart. If JAPAN thinks it's too hokey they proly wont bother spending any cash over here.

[swsa.livejournal.com]

There is nothing but upside in recasting Jacob. The unspeakable could happen and they could manage to find someone good who would actually be believable as a love interest. Or, more likely, they'd hire someone pretty but completely unsuitable...either talentless or very obviously NOT Native American, leading to all kinds of amazing wank. I will be endlessly disappointed if we don't get a chance to drive this fandom even further around the bend.

That said, I think they'll keep him out of sheer laziness.

[manekikoneko.livejournal.com]

The actor who played Rene on True Blood was on Life tonight! It was randomly exciting, but no one on my flist watched True Blood (I know, wtf, right?) (yet), so I'm squeeing over it here. Perhaps there will be drive-by empathy. :)

(Closer to topic, Charlaine Harris sounds like a lovely person. I'm glad True Blood is coming back in the summer, and we don't have to wait until fall.)

[kitaloon.livejournal.com]

Okay, seriously? If Dorian ends up going straight (in any sense) for the Cute Spunky Feminist whose crusty, trouser-clad exterior is only hiding her Passionately Artistic Soul, I will smack a bitch. I will smack TWO bitches, and Oscar Wilde will rise from the damp earth of France and join me, I am fair sure of it.

[gold-tree.livejournal.com]

I really, really can't comprehend why in the name of Wilde they would try to straighten out Dorian Gray at all. Trying to take the gay out of Dorian Gray seems a pointless and fruitless pursuit.

I really didn't mean to make a terrible pun there, it just happened.