Unyielding Commissioning Is Eating Eggs

I Know Now Why You Cry - I've already touched on the notion of McG directing the fourth Terminator installment is a plan akin to giving Sarah Palin the "nukular" codes, but now we find out that said director has been lying to the press about the background of the project. In interviews, he has claimed that James Cameron has given Terminator: Salvation "his blessing." Cameron has now come out and rejected those claims. Just a reminder, McG's previous direction credits include: Two Charlie's Angels movies and "We Are Marshall." Also, he calls himself McG. I fear the future.

No More Sorry - Jim DeRogatis was at the My Bloody Valentine show at the Aragon and came away feeling loveless. And it looks like most of the commenters agree with his assessment of the show. That was actually my initial expectation for this reunion, though people quickly convinced me that I was wrong. I am sorry to be vindicated.

You Wild, Beautiful Thing - I'm late with a reaction to the death of Paul Newman. It's been hard for me to adequately summarize his career and impact. It doesn't make any sense, but on occasion, people feel like they actually know certain celebrities. I still don't know the reason, but Paul Newman has always been like that for me. Perhaps it's because I saw The Sting when I was six years old. Or maybe it's because a close friend of mine nearly sat on his sandwich at a film screening in New York City. But I think it's because Newman was so at ease when wearing his characters' skin. You never got the sense that he was acting hard.

And when you think of all those wonderful roles, for most of them, you can't imagine anyone else playing the part. There was something accessible about his characters, even though they were often outsiders who preferred to stand on their own. Because of that accessibility, he was different things to many people, as you can see by all the various takes on his passing. He was perhaps the most humble movie star in history, seeming to care more about the world around him than himself or his work. Newman was a wholly unique entity, and I don't think we'll ever see anyone like him again.

Various reactions from Ebert:
Obit
Blog Entry
Retro Column

The Playlist
Maureen Dowd
La Vie En Robe

And finally, Scene-Stealers' Top Ten Paul Newman Movies