So many bands and novelists and others have been crushed and never returned after getting that first contract and being put through the wringer. I remember how talented Nellie McKay was and she totally sabotaged herself because of how much she hated Sony (“should’ve signed with Verve instead of Sony” was a lyric). I’m…

I’m not the least bit qualified to comment on the Assange aspect of this story, but I enjoy listening to Roger Waters ripping into people (and corporations) that he has real contempt for. He still has that fire in him that has sparked so much great art.

We don’t need no algorithm

Welcome to the Machine.

This Poe had BETTER be an absolute dick.

Gotta admit, I never realized that the nerd-mensch from Queens Gambit was also old Duddikins.

I have a great deal of affection for the UK--I’ve been there many times, and if all goes well I’d like to go to grad school there. But damn, every now and then the classism JUMPS out. That censor dude just said “I mean *you’re* smart enough but what if A Poor watched it”

Also coming out of this whole thing was the episode of Father Ted where the priests are forced into protesting a supposed dirty movie (with signs saying such inept slogans as “Down with this sort of thing”), which the theater owner is thrilled about because it just makes people want to see it more.

What an excellent piece!!!

This was a fascinating and thoughtful read. Great article. Also, I have never seen Witch Who Came From the Sea, and it sounds interesting.  I think my weekend plans will need to incorporate watching that.

Great article. I well remember the frustration of reading about all these movies in fangoria that I wasn’t able to see!

I was aware of the ‘video nasties’ scare when I moved from Canada to Britain in 1992, when it was a little past its heyday, perhaps, but still ongoing. However, it made a resurgence in 1993, when a two-year-old from Merseyside, James Bulger, was taken from a shopping mall by two 10-year-old boys and led to a rail…

This is all part and parcel of the longtime overarching conservative political strategy of “create a fake moral panic so the people don’t notice the massive transfer of wealth to the upper class taking place right under their noses.”

Jesus, just when I was about ready to write off this site for good, a thoughtful, insightful long-form piece like this drops at the end of the day.

Photo from sting operation:

My favorite Clueless Gamer bit was a Final Fantasy review he did with Elijah Wood. When he found out one of the boss battles took 72 hours in real time, he left the room to go yell at the programmers from the company who were watching them tape the segment. 

Counterpoint: this douchey show sucked and his using the term PC invalidates his opinion 

He and Tobey were so great in the scene.

He’s absolutely brilliant in it. Chernobyl is an intense watch but rewarding. All the performances but particularly the still underrated Jared Harris are excellent.