has been announced as the official title of Episode III. Y’know, that’s not half bad, and it’d be nice to think George could get at least one of the first three right.
The L Word.
“Conservatives have ‘been working on redefining the word “liberal” for decades, and turning it into a four-letter word…We don’t want to give up the word. We’ve been losing the fight for the definition.’” Sixteen years after Bush I first hammered it into the ground, the Post examines the status of “liberal” as a GOP epithet (and Dem rallying cry.)
Buck Mills Stipe Rieflin?
R.E.M releases some details about their forthcoming album out in October, which features new drummer Bill Rieflin (formerly of Ministry.) According to Stipe in RS, “‘there’s some stuff on here that’s pretty hard-core, and fairly political.’ The political tracks include a fleshed-out version of the Internet-only release ‘Final Straw,’ which was written prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and ‘I’m Gonna DJ,’ about the 1999 World Trade Organization riots in Seattle…[But] R.E.M. dabble in more than just politics, as Stipe characterizes ‘Leaving New York’ as a love song and ‘Wanderlust’ as a pop song.” Sounds grand.
Crom laughs at your Democrats.
“Girlie men?” Don’t mind the Governor…it’s the ‘Roids talking.
The Burglar and the Voyager.
Drop the Kong…it’s looking increasingly likely that Time Warner will beat out Sony in acquiring MGM, meaning that New Line Cinema would finally secure the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. (!) Also in development on the mythical front right now is a version of The Odyssey more family (and Gods) oriented than the recent Troy…No word on if Sean Bean will reprise Odysseus.
Stretching his Chops.
Uh-oh. Ioan Gruffudd remarks on landing Mr. Fantastic of The Fantastic Four, and it sounds like (a) he’s not familiar with the character and (b) he hasn’t read the script. Schweet. Meanwhile, Lancelot’s lord and liege, Clive Owen, talks up his own comic adaptation, Sin City.
It’s not easy being green.
Jack Black as Green Lantern? No, no, no, no, no. Bryan Singer’s team on Superman Returns sounds like a step in the right direction for DC, although I’m annoyed that it means they’re off X3.
I shall become a Bat…
Also in fanboy news (there’ll be a lot this week, what with Comicon,) AICN obtains a description of the Batman Begins teaser. Hope it looks as good as it reads.
Defending the Champ.
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns joins with civil rights leaders, John McCain, and – oddly enough – Orrin Hatch to obtain a retroactive pardon for Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion in history. A hero to black America during the Progressive Era, Johnson was convicted under the 1913 Mann Act for the then-heinous crime of dating a white woman. You’d think Jackson’s story might cause Senator Hatch to reflect on the appropriate role of the State in private relations and persuade him to rethink his support of the pathetic Marriage Amendment. Baby steps, I guess.
Party Crasher.
At least McCain gets the message. The Senator from Arizona came out forcefully against the doomed and ridiculous amendment yesterday, arguing: “The constitutional amendment we’re debating today strikes me as antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans.” Um, have you looked around your own party lately? It’s not the Dems pushing this garbage.