In the book, it’s a test forced on a kid with death as the penalty. When you fail some hazing ritual in college they don’t kill you. It’s supposed to prove he’s not an “animal” - although he was talking a wearing pants which should have been enough. It is never explained.

Yeah, if you think Dune was “smart”. Did they ever bother to explain the Gom Jabbar or was it just blather like so much of Herbert’s work?

Volunteers was a god awful not funny movie, except for two scenes that practically overlapped that were some of the funniest comedy ever. Tom Hanks with the local blackmarketeer and John Candy brainwashed by the Red army. You can find them on YouTube and ignore the rest of the movie.

What worries me is that while the original was often accused of being everything from abuse to rape, I doubt any suffering the male lead in the new gender reversed version will upset anyone. He’s a man and probably has it coming, I think the narrative will be. We’ll just have to see.

Meanwhile the guy with 20 endangered songbirds strapped to his legs sailed through and went on his way. I mean, call it an honest mistake and toss it in the trash. It was an apple, not heroin.

I guess so

So the Israelis should have told Eichmann “Hey, let’s let bygones be bygones and we’re sure you had a rough childhood and an excuse for everything you did, but we’ll rehabilitate you and make you a useful member of society.”? Oh, and Ted Bundy - he’s moving in next door to you.

Please, no tears for Ruby. She was an evil bitch from the get go and deserved everything she got and more. I’m sick of the “We can save the enemy” trope. Save the innocent and then your friends. Kill your enemies, as they would torture and kill you.

For all of his screaming roles, he was surprisingly subtle in Leaving Las Vegas as a man in a bar who was appalled when Elizabeth Shue approached him and revealed she was a prostitute.

It was my impression that no one got the Andrew Cunanan reference.

Damned if I know

The opening of Once Upon a Time in the West covers the same ground as most of the movie High Noon three gunmen waiting for a train. Yet High Noon is incredibly tense and the opening of OUATITW is boring. It’s
like Waiting for Godot in the Old West.

Isn’t that the situation in every household? Chores, homework, the iron rule over the TV and meals by the parents. Other than the family in House of Yes, or on the island in Lord of the Flies, that’s a kid’s life.

Near the end of the run of 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin talks about the trashy shows on Bravo and then says wistfully, I remember when they showed operas. Too true. I have a recording I made of Diane Keaton’s documentary “Heaven” on Bravo. It was introduced by E.G. Marshall and they showed scenes of the original productions,…

After years of Mad Max movies, it’s a little late for Australia to complain about anything.

Wasn’t there an episode of The Big Bang Theory in which a wealthy woman (Jessica Walters) will fund some science research if Leonard has sex with her? Talk about win-win.

I mentioned three books, so please tell me which one you’re commenting on. Thanks.

Does Nick Fury appear?

Nice to know there’s somewhere to work when you hit bottom

Seriously never understood Andromeda. Who was who and what they wanted and all. Just watched it for the fanservice