"the conflict of the entire first book is how awful smart people are,
thinking they know what's best when the good old 'selfless' clan just
wants to be the best they can, darnit."

Yep. And of course didn't get it at all until years later. Wallace's reading isn't even that cynical, it's just recognition of disillusionment. She and Skinner are the characters I love more and more as I get older, they're so beaten down but they soldier on. Of all the institutions the show mocks, the public…

Absofuckinglutely. I know people argue that the movie would've been better with just the dread of the first half and no CHUDs and I can see where they're coming from but that scare alone justifies the CHUDs. Never not had people scream there when I've shown them the movie.

Yes! It's a funny scene! Glad to see other people think so.

Yep. The lake scene makes pretty much every other movie death look like a joke.

They could use a narrator popping in and out, a la Moonrise Kingdom. Who's Bob Balaban's non-union British equivalent?

Damn, this has me in tears.

Yeah, like how about in dog years?

I've also heard it was an inaccurate reference to Carlos Castenada.

Came here looking for this comment, can now leave satisfied.

@avclub-e57dbebc740250d2c4a370cf6ccb35f0:disqus imagining an outraged Gypsy going off on GOOP has made my day, thank you.

Mr. Registry of Deeds goes to the Secretary of State's Corporate Database.

Drinking_with_Skeletons in case you haven't read it, a long but very interesting (and depressing!) article about the GOP and North Carolina from a few years back, the takeover was several years in the making.
http://www.newyorker.com/re…

The Ringer could use another look, it walks the offensive line perfectly and Knoxville is really good in it. The jokes are on him, not on what he's doing.

I feel like this should be a Raymond Carver story.

It's what I imagine that bizarro Kim Jong-Il movie was like. "Then this thing I like happened! And more people I like did things I like! Yaaaaaaay!"

I would love to see polling data on Favorite Robin Hoods, I think the Disney fox wins in a walk.

The real Gotham? Not in Nottingham.

They made an appearance in Heigl's early-career Lifetime Original Movie, Society's Tumors: One Woman's Battle Against Crust Punks And CancerAIDS.

It's cool that you had such a great teacher. Sorry for your loss.