Desai's career choice
That article says he was pursuing grad coursework in folklore. So, he probably does have about an equal chance of a profitable career in music as he did in school.

Dumbo should never be seen by children. I refuse to watch it ever, ever, ever again. Fuck bambi, lion king, whatever - Dumbo is the saddest ever.

Sadder than cowboys? Indians. About four different points in Last of the Mohicans, but mostly when Alice just steps backwards off the cliff, after Uncas has been killed. Damn.

Movies that always get me
As I was mentally going through which movies really got me, I noticed a disturbing theme of suicide attempts, but really, it was the figuring out how to go on living afterwards parts of these movies that got me: Ordinary People, The Royal Tenenbaums scene mentioned, and Splendor in the Grass.

Didn't the accountant actually say a little "crunch" as pressed whatever button on his computer that they thought would magically change their business from tanking to profitable?

That's who she reminded me of, too, but apparently she is Allison Becker.

I thought Snake Plissken had taught us (via the magic of films) that both NY and LA were post-apocalyptic hell-holes from which people are trying desperately to escape.

Only as long as you don't do more drugs once you get there.

I think you meant "thank you."

In freaky-coincidence news, I was over on wikipedia b/c I wanted to find links to old clips of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. And apparently after the lemming suicide story broke, Marlin Perkins punched an interviewer in the face for suggesting that he faked animal footage:

:: headbutt::

I'm pretty sure that Woody and McConaughey share the same "method" for getting into character. If only more actors were so brave.

Most "superdelicious" as Doug in Flight of the Conchords.

Mortality's cruel hand
Between the photo at the top of this article and the one of Gene Wilder and Charles Grodin over on the blog it seems like this is the harsh reality of aging week at the A.V. Club. Thanks for making me think about how all the things that I enjoy are going to wither and die.

yeah, I noticed that later. thanks, dvr.

That is one acid trip mindfuck of a movie. The snake man creeps me out.

Fireman's #4 is a good one, but for my money I prefer Live Oak's Big Bark Amber.

Dinosaurs
My dad used to blast Metallica and speed down the highway with me riding in the back seat in order to frighten me when I was a little kid.

ATM
FEED ME A STRAY CAT

I was programmed at a (fairly) young age to expect the lady one to be a practical, no-nonsense sceptic, and the guy (whose dad has a mysterious past) to be the looney alternate reality one.