Explains Sarah Palin doesn't it.

@Jason Heller
I often find them unconvincing too, but those simplistic visions of the future are endemic to science fiction, because science fiction is allegorical. I think what is really annoying is that certain allegories of the future have been so often repeated that they've become trite. But think of Phillip K.…

Nothing to do with this subject, but it is bothering me — how is it that his last name doesn't have an "e" on the end? Didn't it have one at some point?

That picture …
Makes me think how much better Elf might have been if it had starred Bobcat Goldthwait and was directed by, I don't know, Jim Jarmusch? I mean, maybe not … but that picture offers a thousand possibilities.

It has to be some kind of meta-joke to refer to Patton Oswalt around these parts as the star of King of Queens and Ratatouille. I am meta-laughing.

Apparently his mom made him go to bed early.

I guess I'll just go ahead and admit that I'm insanely envious of this guy's life. I already was before reading this, and now to find out that he is a total mensch. Too much.

Mexican Blade Runner, that was a paragon of incoherence.

I say slash away. How many worthwhile movies could be made at lower risk and greater reward for $75 million?

Hmm … got a reference for that, Cone? Dictionary.com says it means "any business venture, operation, or product that is a dependable source of income or profit."

pedantic comment
Sean, you have used the phrase "loss leader" incorrectly. A loss leader is a product sold cheaply in order to lure the buyer in, so you can sell him a higher ticket item — not a loss that augurs greater losses to come. Just thought you'd want to know.

Pekar is of Eastern European Jewish descent — his family came from Poland, and he talks about having relatives in Russia. His wonderful book The Quitter covers this background in some detail.

Actually, I'm pretty sure it was the AVC boards where I first heard about the Sideways commentary, probably a year ago. It is like the circle of life around here.

Could not tolerate John Adams although it might just be my taste — one of those historical dramas that is very heavy on the artificial explication school of dialogue. American Splendor I need to try again. I should have loved it. The subject is a gimme. I remember finding it a bit unconvincing and thin, though. More…

Seconded — Sideways commentary track with Giamatti and Haden Church is awesome and highly recommended.

red band, my friend

Where the hell is that guy anyhow? I only clicked on the link to see him go apeshit.

Hey Darth, do you feel like explaining "short periods of monopoly profit through copyright"? I never set foot in an economics class but would like to know.

This is why I got rid of all my books and do nothing but watch TV, eat twinkies, and read Us. Just getting prepared for the inevitable.

This site does a good job of laying out U.S. copyright terms: