I never understood why John Grisham became much more successful than Turow. They were both lawyers-turned-novelists who had movie adaptions of their works in the early 1990s which introduced them to a wider audience, but Grisham is one who enjoyed greater fame and success even though I think Turow had more talent.

You’re right. My Christmas carol credentials are hereby revoked.

“Actually, the Ewoks are more the Viet Cong because the Empire came to their home and they defeat them using low tech methods”

“The Rebels in Star Wars are basically terrorists conducting asymmetric warfare against a superpower!”

And after all, you clearly managed to get your doctorate after the experience of being “trapped” with your lover when it was cold outside, so it couldn’t have been *that* traumatic.

Also, the couple in “Let It Snow” must be on dangerous hallucinogenic drugs that make them think snowmen are members of the clergy and have the power to conduct marriages.

Back before streaming, shows had to take commercial breaks into account

It’s like the story that Mark Hamill tells about how when he was questioning why Luke’s hair was ckean and dry in the scene after they were in the trash compactor in Star Wars.when he was pulled under wster by the trash monster.  Harrison Ford reportedly said “Kid, it ain’t that kind of picture. If people are looking…

“M. Night” is basically his stage name. He was born Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan. So M. from Manoj, but I guess Nelliyattu just seemed too Indian or something? I think it might be Ishana’s actual middle name though (which isn’t uncommon for celebrities to name their kids using their stage names).

Lynch, meanwhile, gave basically the perfect response: “I don’t understand what this is. I’m working on new art and I have to keep my eye on the donut.”

That’s a good point. No doubt she works hard and deserves credit. That said, I think Americans overestimate how difficult it is to stay fit.

When I was younger and a big Jeopardy! fan, I too made fun of Wheel of Fortune and its fans, which I assumed were stupid in comparison to those of my chosen show. As I grow older, I realize the attraction of any game show is basically the same -- looking at cases where the players miss an obvious answer and saying “I…

But the meat of these songs is her own insecurity

That the truth was out there? Or maybe it is, but Mulder & Scully are just terrible at actually getting to it.

Yeah, those exist now. A friend had one last Halloween. The pixel resolution was awfully low, but I can see how in a few years they might become the standard kind of mask -- you can reuse it again and again because you can send different faces to it and even do animations.

Don’t they have to read the play in high school any more?

I remember in the 1980s there was a segment on TV (it may have been a local thing) called “Wednesday’s Child” which was about the Big Brother/Big Sister program in which people would serve as mentors for troubled youth and hopefully make a positive influence on their life, and the title was presumably a reference to…

I love that movie, for its depiction of 1980s computer nerd culture (which I experienced in real life), for its turn to weirdness (which I won’t give away), and for introducing me to the works of 1970s folk singer Collie Ryan, whose songs feature on the soundtrack.

J.J. has said that he was always more of a Star Wars fan than a Star Trek one. I’m sure his Star Wars movies will be great!

Okay, the four are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and what? Ottawa? That’s giving the typical US a bit too much credit for knowing that’s the capital, I think.