The Browser: News & links to raise your eyebrows & furrow your brow.
New headlines will be added as the day goes on. Stay tuned.
VAN DAMME WINNING RAVES?
Opus notes the approach of a Jean-Claude Van Damme film that critics and audience can, and should, take seriously.
… rather than try and shy away from the limelight, and all of the issues and troubles with his life, Van Damme has used them to make art. Art in this case being JCVD, a semi-autobiographical film about Van Damme‚Äôs life as a celebrity, and all of its bumps and bruises.
Think of it as Charlie Kaufman with a black belt: Van Damme plays himself, a washed up action star who is too old for the roles that keep getting offered him. His agent is leeching off his money—which he doesn’t have very much of any more—and his daughter hates his guts. His celebrity, parenting abilities, and financial status are all called into question. And what’s more, he’s the lead suspect in a bank robbery. What does an action star do, when he can’t kick and punch his way out of a threatening situation?
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STEPHANIE MEYER’S TWLIGHT: SHOULD YOU RUN FROM THESE VAMPIRES?
Gina Dalfonzo on “The Twilight of American Fiction”:
It’s not surprising, in the wake of Harry Potter, for a new series to involve teenagers with supernatural powers. The Twilight series has that much in common with J. K. Rowling’s creations. That and huge sales: It was the series’s Eclipse that knocked Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows off the top of the bestseller lists last year. The fourth and final Twilight book, Breaking Dawn, sold 1.3 million copies on its first day of release (August 2). But Rowling’s young wizards have little else in common with Stephenie Meyer’s sparkling vampires. Yes, sparkling vampires. Where Harry and his friends are best known for qualities like courage and loyalty, Meyer’s characters and stories are all about appearances.
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TURN IT UP LOUDON
Loudon Wainwright III’s new album Recovery was produced by Joe Henry. It’s a “best-of” from a singer/songwriter you may have never heard before. But once you hear it, you’ll be hooked. I certainly am.
Here’s David Kennedy’s review, and here’s Josh Hurst’s.
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HOLY JOLIE HOLLAND!
Kennedy also points to an mp3 from the upcoming release from Jolie Holland.
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TERRENCE MALICK OFF TO ICELAND?
According to this page on Flickr, Iceland expects a visit from Terrence Malick!
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SIGNS OF THE APOCALYPSE
What, you think I’m exaggerating? I’ll just leave you with this list to ponder:
- Mean Girls 2
- Road Trip 2
- The Naked Gun _____ (whatever number we’re on now)
- Bad News Bears 2
- Grease (another sequel)
- Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:53 am
I liked Mean Girls…but I think it works best as a stand alone. Sounds like a direct to video with a no name cast.
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Good grief. I have an extremely low opinion of the National Review, but the concerns in that article seem entirely justified. I find Potter’s morality problematic enough (the wizards assault innocent victims’ brains and memories for their own selfish aims), but this sounds downright repugnant.
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
There’s a little bit of hope concerning the teenage girl Twilight obsession: the final book in the series was hated by many. Maybe it will lead fans to reassess their opinion of the series, if it’s really as bad as Gina Dalfanzo made it out to be.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Everything I’ve read about the Twilight series, including Dalfonzo’s review, makes me marvel at their astounding success, which I fear says nothing very encouraging about the books’ fans.