Two Law Professors Watch "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

Professors of law are among the hordes who have stampeded to the movie theaters this holiday season for their Star Wars fix. You may find their ruminations of some interest: law prof the first and law prof the second.

As for me ... No, I haven't gone yet. No, and however heretical this may sound to some people, I'm not all rarin' to go either. It feels like an obligation. I'm thinking that I'd rather go see La La Land, actually, because the combination of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone was so charming in 2011's Crazy, Stupid, Love.

But! As long as we're on the topic of Star Wars (I've always been more of a Trekkie myself), take a look at this fan's detailed obituary of Leia Organa. Not Carrie Fisher, mind you. Leia Organa.

Friday Fun Video: A New Song From Eric Idle and John Cleese

A Contrarian's View on Star Wars Hype

I guess it does take some nerve to come right out and say this smack in the middle of the hype over the latest Star Wars trailer:

"... allow me the heresy of suggesting that all this craziness is over a movie. A movie that no one has yet seen. A movie based on another movie that was a great deal of fun 38 years ago and certainly stands as a major event in modern pop history, with or without the sequels, but that was — you may now ready the rocks for stoning — hardly a great work of cinema."

The writer then posits "the Footie Pajama Theory," which even though it does make sense, can't help but seem a little ... what's the word? ah, yes, condescending ... because of its very name.

Well, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion about Star Wars and everything else.  I'm going to allow myself the hope that the new movie is better than the abominable prequels and their most egregious error.  I'm hoping that when the new movie premieres we can all have a little fun along the way.  I'll leave you with this:

LOL: JibJab's 2014 Retrospective

Couch Potato Chronicles: 101 Excellently Written TV Shows

The Writers Guild of America East has compiled a list of shows that it considers the best written in American TV history.  This is debate fodder for sure.  Besides, some shows that are critically acclaimed are rubbish (to me, anyway).  Argue away!

Nerd News: Academic Conference on Heavy Metal Music

Bang your head!

2012: JibJab's Year In Review

Film Culture Commentary: the 10 Worst Chick Flicks Ever Made, Or "Turn Off That Slop and Watch Buffy Instead"

Hear, hear!  You're already familiar with my critiques of The Notebook (#10) and Twilight (#1) the book, the actual movie, and also the entire phenomenon.

The Pop Culture War: Hollywood Vs. the Internet

Hint: the Internet is winning.

Couch Potato Chronicles: Fairy Tales on Primetime TV

Here are some interesting thoughts.

How Meta ... !

A new Twitter account makes fun of .... Twitter.

'Tis The Season For Christmas Music Abuse

Yes, yes, I know that it's now officially December, so everyone has the technical right to play as many schmaltzy, cheesy versions of Christmas songs as they please.  I know that every shop and mall in the country is going to be blasting the stuff.  I do object, though, to Christmas music being played in restaurants.  

No, really!  I was just out for a nice meal with friends at a little Italian place, and the air was filled with that musical abuse.  It's a restaurant, people.  Can't I even have a meal in some peace?  Schmaltzy upbeat Christmas pop music is not "ambiance" or "atmosphere."  NOT IN AN ITALIAN PLACE.  NO WAY.  NOT EVER.  "Jingle Bell Rock" is an abomination.  I do NOT want to hear "All I Want for Christmas Is Yoooooooou" sung by some lame celebrity (and why does almost every quasi-celebrity in the entertainment business feel the compulsion to record Christmas songs?  STOP IT!) while I'm trying to eat.

Anyway, this isn't to say that I just Scroogerrifically hate all Christmas music.  I like good Christmas music.  Let me kick off the season with something nicer than craptastic versions of pop holiday ear-poison.   Try this instead -- the traditional first song of the annual Christmas Eve service at King's College, Cambridge. 

Once in Royal David's City

 (Come on, aren't these choir boys much better than Justin Bieber?  And, yes, in the name of fairness and objective research, I did actually attempt to listen to Bieber's Christmas effort.  I lasted about 1 minute.)  

Quote of the Day: the Online Echo Chamber and Its Perils

The ultimate "comfort zone"?  Here is something to consider:

The same progressives who bemoan the way Fox News has polarized political discourse in America, masquerading as news while never troubling its followers with anything that would disturb its most cherished and untested convictions, happily turn to the satellite radio station of their preferred genre or subgenre of music or seek out the support group or message board that fits their demographic, the political site that skews their way. Entering the realm of the other seems done solely to express rage.  

The rigorous division of websites into narrow interests, the attempts of Amazon and Netflix to steer your next purchase based on what you’ve already bought, the ability of Web users to never encounter anything outside of their established political or cultural preferences, and the way technology enables advertisers to identify each potential market and direct advertising to it, all represent the triumph of cultural segregation that is the negation of democracy. It’s the reassurance of never having to face anyone different from ourselves.

See too this recent TED talk:

Too Much Royal Wedding Hoopla

I don't know about you, but I think I've had about enough.  Don't get me wrong -- I wish Wills and Kate all the best as they get hitched; marriage, so married friends tell me, is hard work.  Still, the media frothing over the royal wedding is reaching ridiculous levels, and a certain level of American frenzy is just as ridiculous.  As the Cinema-Mad Sibling emailed me, http://www.whyamericansshouldcareabouttheroyalwedding.com/  I rather like this hilariously piquant little quote of the day:

If George Washington knew you were Tweeting about the British royal wedding, he'd snatch the iPhone from your hand and kick your @$$.

LOL: Kids React to Rebecca Black's "Friday"

Almost everybody in America hates this song and is busy making fun of it, sometimes in spectacular fashion.  Now take a look at some kids responding to this execrable song!

His Name is RoboCop: Statue Update

Remember the grassroots efforts to build a statue of RoboCop in Detroit?  Here's the latest.

Film Culture Commentary: Demographics, Marketing, and the Decline of Creative Storytelling

Read this and then definitely this.  Blurb:

... let's look ahead to what's on the menu for this year: four adaptations of comic books. One prequel to an adaptation of a comic book. One sequel to a sequel to a movie based on a toy. One sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a movie based on an amusement-park ride. One prequel to a remake. Two sequels to cartoons. One sequel to a comedy. An adaptation of a children's book. An adaptation of a Saturday-morning cartoon. One sequel with a 4 in the title. Two sequels with a 5 in the title. One sequel that, if it were inclined to use numbers, would have to have a 7 1/2 in the title.

Save us, Christopher "Inception" Nolan!

Pop Culture Commentary: Has Email Turned Us Into Lab Rats?

Hmmmmm.

Couch Potato Chronicles: Buffy, Joss, and the Idea of Heroism

Read this. Now.  RIGHT NOW.  

Friday Fun Video + Quirky Asia Files: Hilarious Taiwanese News Cartoons Go Viral

I love these cheeky animators and am delighted to see that they're gaining an international audience!  I embed my  absolute favorite cartoon so far.  (All I'm going to say is: lightsaber smackdown between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs!)  Here's the original video, but I figured we could all use some subtitles: