Political writer, book and film reviewer. Nerd.
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‘Room 237’: Gruber and Kottke vs. Sandwich

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Yours truly, on Twitter a few nights ago:

Broke down and watched “Room 237”. It was bad. Really bad. Boring bad. Crazy people.

Just watch “The Shining” again instead.

(Sidenote: I’m thinking “single-tweet movie reviews” is an interesting idea.)

Jason Kottke:

I agree. I watched it earlier this year and disliked the film so much, I didn’t even finish it, which is rare for me. As I hinted at on Twitter, I’m exposed to enough anti-vaccine, anti-evolution, anti-anthropogenic climate change, anti-science, and religious fundamentalist “theories” in my day-to-day reading that are genuinely harmful to humanity that an examination of how the minds of conspiracy theory crackpots take the smallest little details and weave them into fantastical stories that make no sense is not how I want to spend my time.

On the other side, Adam Lisagor:

Now, what I suspect has happened here is that both he and our friend John Gruber, whose tweet spurred Jason’s post, sort of missed the point. Which is that the film’s ambition was not to cast light on the conspiracy theories around their beloved Kubrick film (“The Shining”, in case you’re coming to this late), it was not to document further context around the film or to disclose any of its master filmmaker’s process or intentions, but rather to paint an artful picture — a media collage if you will-of obsession, and mania.

But “Room 237” isn’t about “The Shining” or about Kubrick, it’s about a small assortment of unrelated film scholars(?) who have selected “The Shining” as their thing. It’s about the degree of their obsessions, the intricacies of their fixations.

(Second sidenote: Whole front page of Kottke.org today is a nice birthday tribute to Jason.)

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paulconstant
4087 days ago
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Everyone is being too literal about this. It's a fun documentary about the risks of obsessive fandom.
Seattle
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ChrisDL
4087 days ago
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I enjoyed watching it. Doesn't mean I believed it. But just the parts of the weird layout of the building (whether it was intentional or not) are worth it.
New York
islandzero
4087 days ago
I think a few of the theories were interesting. The weird architecture one in particular. It's equally likely, to my mind, they it's either an artifact of how movies are shot (kubrick trying to get the best shots and not concerned about the physical geometry of the hotel) as it is him trying to create a labyrinth out of the hotel to subtlety unsettle the viewer.

Idris Elba Discusses His Background with a Reporter

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The Gif Shop Luther Idris Elba hot guys The Gif Shop Luther Idris Elba hot guys The Gif Shop Luther Idris Elba hot guys

The post Idris Elba Discusses His Background with a Reporter appeared first on World of Wonder.

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paulconstant
4108 days ago
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Oh, Idris.
Seattle
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On Occasion, I Write Pretty Well

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Via 92nd Street Y.

 

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paulconstant
4139 days ago
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I've read a lot of Vonnegut biographies, but I didn't know about this letter. It makes me like Vonnegut more, which I didn't know was possible.
Seattle
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Michdevilish
4139 days ago
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a letter
Canada

First two stills from David O. Russell's American Hustle feature 80's facial hair and Amy Adams' cleavage

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David O. Russell's AMERICAN HUSTLE (previously AMERICAN BULLSHIT) has had several set photos leaked showcasing the glorious facial hair and coifs on stars Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, and Jeremy Renner. But, it truly didn't hit me how amazing these actors would look until this official photos hit the Internet. Courtesy of USA Today, behold Bradley Cooper's disturbingly dark beard and... Read More...
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paulconstant
4147 days ago
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This already looks like a lot of fun to me. I hope so, because Christian Bale has gotten a little too dour for my tastes.
Seattle
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Dennis Farina, 1944-2013

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paulconstant
4154 days ago
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Such a great scene to demonstrate his talent. I love the way Farina smiles his way through it.
Seattle
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It's A 1980's Newscast

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paulconstant
4158 days ago
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I'm not a fan of the overuse of the word "epic," but this intro is pretty great.
Seattle
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