That's a cool story. I watched a few interview clips of Norman Wisdom on Youtube after The Square Peg, and it seems like he was a really nice person, genuinely happy to make people laugh.

The Big Bird Cage is definitely worth a look. Anytime you have Jack Hill directing Pam Grier and Sid Haig, you're in for a good time.

Nothing in particular. My girlfriend and I went to a highly entertaining midnight showing of Chained Heat some time ago, and shortly after I noticed that three classic WIP movies were on Netflix. We just finally got around to watching them yesterday.

You're thinking of Chained Heat, which I did not watch this weekend but is indeed awesome.

Bill Cosby live - I had my doubts going in, but this was a pretty incredible show. Cosby did two and a half hours! I can't imagine any comedian doing the amount and depth of material Cosby did in this show. He did an extended (nearly hour-long) bit about his daughter that spanned her entire life, from birth to college…

Oh, and If we expand this to TV - the first episode of Utopia.

Has the AV Club ever done an Inventory on movies featuring disturbing eyeball violence? Because they should. Un Chien Andalou, Zombie, Audition… it writes itself!

Though he's currently fuckin' around with video, which isn't quite as satisfying IMO.

Haha, screw you, James Smith! Your identity's mine now!!!!

@Scrawler2:disqus Yeah, it was really good! It reminded me of a 1940s version of Hey Arnold, which ain't a bad thing at all.

@avclub-b17dd06dc3e1db6768768c56cfcadd40:disqus There is, though I've not seen it.

Ooh, I did not know there was a short film. I may have to seek that out.

My teacher read the whole series to our class in third grade. And then the movie came out that summer, so that's where I had my birthday party that year. I think we were all mildly disappointed. At any rate, not nearly as cool as the birthday where Batman came to my house.

Produced by the legendary Joe D'Amato!

@Scrawler2:disqus I didn't read either of the books you mentioned, but we were assigned In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson in 6th grade, which featured a female Chinese-American protagonist (Shirley Temple Wong) and, as the title implies, was set against the backdrop of the desegregation of major league…

Huzzah!

@Scrawler2:disqus I have no idea how well it holds up, but Lauren Bacall as Basil E. Frankweiler is pretty excellent casting.

@KurtWuffner:disqus makes a good point, which is that this stigma comes much more from peers than from parents or teachers. But that's why @avclub-4caf6aa0375b2499ebfe7e971b36eee3:disqus 's point is so important. Parents need to be more involved in encouraging their sons to read books with female protagonists.

I really loved Homer Price, Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days, the Indian in the Cupboard books, and the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory books. Also, Shel Silverstein, naturally, whose books were perpetually checked out of our school library.

My sister and I both LOVED From the Mixed-Up Files…. Did you ever see the TV-movie version with Lauren Bacall as Basil? It was also a favorite of ours growing up.