SHADOWS ON THE WALL

Tomorrow I once again brave the wilds of Birmingham, Michigan (where my best pal Jeff Sherwood first sprouted man hair) to catch the screening for Captain Sugartit's... er... Mel Gibson's Mayan epic, Apocalypto. I'm actually looking foward to this because I haven't yet figured out whether Mel's a genius or stark raving loopy. Whatever the verdict, he's a helluva filmmaker. When the paper runs my review I'll be sure to link to it.

Of the films I've reviewed recently, Borat, The Departed, and Flushed Away are worth your time. The Fountain is interesting for the brave at heart and though some will disagree, I enjoyed The Prestige and Stranger Than Fiction. Stay away from Bobby and For Your Consideration. Both are major disappointments.

So, in celebration of my favorite medium, this issue of rustedeye is dedicated to the wonderful world of movies!

1. My good buddy and writing partner in LA, Brian Robinson, has started a series of films called CONTRARY. I think they're damn nifty. Check out Branding (my favorite) and Hair Badge.
2. George Lucas once again intend to work his update magic and bring new life to a classic piece of musical cinema: Singin' In The Rain: The Special Edition.
3. This is a particularly disturbing take on Calvin And Hobbs thanks to the sickos at Robot Chicken.
4. Ditto for It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
5. And this is my absolute favorite Robot Chicken skit.
6. Hearts and Minds. Watch as America's finest torment Iraqi youngsters with a bottle of fresh water. Are these the troops we should be honoring? Shameful.
7. Daredevil lives! This TV news magazine story is truly amazing.
8. And finally, Patrick Stewart was here in Ann Arbor for the last three weeks performing in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Anthony And Cleopatra and The Tempest... neither of which I could get a ticket for. So, as payback, I offer up this moment of performance gold.