You know, I initially had a whole paragraph in here about how the real threat in this scene comes from the guns, because we don't know the rules for time-wrestling (mostly just what it involves — sure, there's an exchange protocol for time, but why wouldn't two people pulling time off each other just do it at the same…

I think SOIAF is actually more of an example of how to change rules well over time and use the changes to leave your characters and readers off-kilter. It starts out with very little magic in the world, and fairly mundane real-world rules. Then events gradually become more and more mythic to the point where people…

I never said those examples were cases where writers are punting — they're both cases where the characters (and audience) both think they know exactly what to expect, and they act accordingly, and things turn out differently, and it's a pretty sickening shock for all involved. I think they're both very cleverly…

That isn't even close to the ending of the movie, ryan1. There are still a lot more  action confrontations with foregone endings to get through. But as I said, given that Timberlake explains early in the movie exactly what he's going to do in any wrestling scene and how he's going to win it, it's not like there are…

I don't think Crank 2 asks any questions, it just says "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!" That movie is largely about saying "Fuck it, this makes no sense and we know it and we just don't care and neither should you." Contrast with something like Lost or Heroes or Vanishing On 7th Street, which REALLY REALLY want viewers to be…

Really good point, LB. See also every slasher series ever, but particularly the Nightmare On Elm Street series, where Freddy operates by a new set of rules, and is "destroyed" according to those rules in practically every film. 

There is certainly fiction where the how and why is unnecessary — and I think authors can get away with it as long as it doesn't interfere with the story or overly distract the reader. It really helps if you only have one big change in the world to deal with: Gregor Samsa is now a bug and doesn't know why, but has to…

It's funny, our next inventory will actually feature both Calvinball and Quidditch. It's been in planning for a while, though, and was not inspired by the comments here, I swear.

Ha. Look around on the Internet for stories that make up new rules all the time, and gripes about Superman top the list. This week, he has hypno-vision! And super-ventriloquism, and a memory-erasing kiss!

We talked about "Serious Moonlight" a bunch when planning this inventory — apart from that one, though, can anyone think of any other films where a woman kidnaps a man and he falls for her? I'm really curious.

Ooh, good call. Not exactly a kidnapping, but certainly a variant on these same themes.

Huh. I'm with you here; this is an interesting addition.

Again, the ending of Boxing Helena disqualifies it.

"Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" got debated around here a fair bit,  but the conclusion was eventually that the ending disqualified it.

Yeah, but (spoiler) she doesn't end up in love with Jackson at the end of Black Snake Moan.

I actually don't think that's true here. It looks very much like a deliberate choice, as opposed to the visually confusing multiplanar separation in, say, "The Last Airbender" or "Clash Of The Titans." It's a very crisp, precise multiplanar effect as opposed to a muddy, confusing one. It isn't an approach to 3-D that…

I reviewed it. It's linked above in the review. I took quite a lot of crap for that review, but I stand by it.

Research!

Sigh. Explaining grades is a mug's game. All I can say is, there are a lot of amazing images in this that you aren't going to see anywhere else, in and among the material that looks like "300" and "Titans." Tarsem has a creative ambition that leaks through no matter what he's doing. That still in this case only puts…

Way, way more pecs. Another similarity to "300." On the upside, I guess, you do get to see Freida Pinto's body double naked from behind.