@GhaleonQ:disqus I felt the same way about early Maddow (the "absurdity artist" reference) and found her largely unwatchable because of it.  But I think current Maddow has matured and has become better at constructing arguments.

@avclub-22eda830d1051274a2581d6466c06e6c:disqus You ever read Dan Savage's column?

Any discussion of kids gone wild cinema begins and ends with "Hot Rods to Hell."

I think the writers really blew it, having Boyd trust the hookers to watch Quarles.  Boyd's a lot smarter than that.  And then leaving his wheel-chair bound (though well-armed) cousin to guard Dickie and Errol?  Come on.

The story that Welles' broadcast of War of the Worlds induced mass hysteria is a myth (encouraged to some extent by Welles himself).  Didn't happen.  Look up "The Hyped Panic Over War of the Worlds"  for an interesting dissection of how this legend grew.

If HP Lovecraft were alive today and making a funny animal cartoon, that show would be Regular Show.

@avclub-c1bac1d55ebcc415d61552acbfbb219d:disqus  Yes, I was thinking the same thing.  It's entirely possible that Quarles was lying, using the story to knock his would-be killer off balance with a story he figured the kid could identify with.  The ploy reminds me of the Joker's shifting origin stories in "The Dark…

Come on now, it worked for Highlander II, didn't it?  Well, didn't it?

You could be right, bding7.  Still, with all his superness, couldn't Superman have just zipped in and pulled out the Joker at the last second?

Several Batman episodes feature out hero (or sometimes Robin or Batgirl) subduing a villain and then standing over him/her with a "job well done" smirk on his face while the villain's partner or henchman (whom Batman is well aware is hanging around the room) casually strolls up behind him and clonks him over the head…

And to be able to reach behind his back and identify them merely by touch

Yeah, but Burroughs' Mars was always a romantic fantasy anyway.  Science Fiction isn't really the proper term for this genre.  It's planetary romance.  No one in 1912 expected to find red skinned super babes or four-armed green skinned giants on Mars any more than we assume that somewhere out there in a galaxy far,…

Not briliant, but pretty enjoyable.  It was a bit convoluted.  Maybe they should have stuck a bit closer to Burroughs' storyline.  But I hate 3-D beyond words.  Paying extra for the privelage of watching a movie through a dirty windshield is not my idea of a good deal.

That's not quite accurate, George Liquor.  Those old cartoons were meant for everyone.  They were shown during Saturday afternoon matinees, along with the adventure serials and other kid-friendly (for the time) fare. The same is true of the Our Gang comedies (which frequently featured kids engaging in pretty risky…

@avclub-ec26fc2eb2b75aece19c70392dc744c2:disqus :  Yeah, that mid 70s to mid 80s period was a real drought (with occassional gems like Thundarr—yes, the animation was crap, but many of the stories were decent, to say nothing of the Jack Kirby character designs).  But the no violence mandate really ruled the day, so…

Stereotypes not withstanding,  the Indian gophers always outwitted the, uh, white Colonel Coyote.

St. Brigid's Day, Feb. 1.

I'm not really getting all the comments holding Maher up as the liberal analog to Limbaugh.  He identifies himself as a libertarian.  Agreed though, he's a smug asshole.

I was thinking "Cal" should have been on the list.  Of course, the misery is somewhat mitigated by the presence of a naked Helen Mirren

I think the Celtic Tiger had as much to do with the Church's diminishing power in Ireland as the scandals did.  Of course, the Tiger is now dead, while the fallout from the scandals goes on.