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Conjuring up Political, Cinematic, Cultural, and Athletic Arcana since the Final Days of the Last Century

6/4/00 - Many possible Episode II spoilers. They're pretty big plot points to be given away if they're true. Among the more minor revelations is that Jimmy Smits is out and Gabriel Byrne is in.

Mmmm...Classy new theaters. It's about time we got more services for the eight-fitty we throw down.

Say WHAT?!? We've broken the speed of light!?! How can this be possible? This must be a Cold Fusion-type scenario, right? Can the Warp Drive be far behind?

Well, while the Blazers didn't help their case by squandering a fifteen point lead in the final twelve minutes, it's a terrible gaffe for the league to have the Lakers benefit from such an obviously blown non-call in the final 90 seconds of a Game 7. Shaq clearly hacked the hell out of Smitty under the basket. While I know I railed against ref-blaming after the Knicks-Heat series, it is exactly this type of game-deciding ineptitude that foments large market conspiracy theories.

So now we have Kobe vs. Reggie in the NBA Finals: two of the handful of six or seven players that I truly despise. I don't think I'm even going to watch the games, although for Dumbmonkey's sake I'll root for the Lake Show.

6/3/00 - Arianna Huffington rails against the drug war. I usually disagree with her 8 times out of 10, but she's on the money this time.

Actor (3 Kings) and Director (Malkovich) Spike Jonez will appear in Hannibal as a gun show redneck and hors d'oeuvre for the eponymous Mr. Lecter.

D.C. tries to get tourists off the mall. Just don't take them below.

60 Minutes strikes back.

Al Gore, Slumlord (but teachers just love him.)

6/2/00 - Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar. You're gonna go far...

I could (sniff) really (whimper) go for some (sob) Grape Nuts right about now.

Democrats: the Animal Control party? I really doubt this is the type of press our party wants to cultivate for the L.A. Convention.

Rod Thorn, David Stern's Iron Hand, leaves the league office for the Nets.

Neale has a fresh new design.

It seems Fox is going all-out to promote the June 6th DVD release of the most underappreciated film of 1999 (narrowly edging out Three Kings), Fight Club. Deleted scenes, alternate endings, all kinds of commentary...I've been waiting to get my hands on this puppy for some time. By the way, the UK Site linked above offers a great exclusive Dust Brothers-style MP3 of film sound bites and atmospheric beats.

The third and final trailer for The X-Men is now online.

Elaine and I caught Rent last night at the National Theater in DC. Although consistently sidetracked by one of the lead (Mark)'s complete and utter likeness to Scott Evil, I found the production very enjoyable. I definitely liked it better than any Andrew Lloyd Webber work that comes to mind.

More fundraising shenanigans for Al Gore.

6/1/00 - Salon and Sylvia Plath, Part Deux.

Today's Episode II rumor: Jimmy Smits joins the cast.

Is Harvard responsible for the Unabomber? My sense while being there is that the University is so hands-off with its undergrads that its only sin may be one of neglect. It's much more likely the school functionaries just missed the initial warning signs of Ted's mental dysfunction than they did actively propel him down the road to nihilism. But perhaps young Mr. Kaczynski was just an impressionable sort.

The Elian mess gets one step closer to over. Boo-yah.

The Christian Science Monitor is the most recent paper of note to examine the surprising Nader surge in the West. Meanwhile, environmental hero David Brower joins the ranks of Sierra Club members calling for a Nader endorsement.

I must admit, Elaine and I do this all the time (via Bird on a Wire.)

I really don't want to talk about Game 5, other than to say that I tuned in at the end of the first quarter when New York was up fifteen, so I only got to see the collapse. Grrrr.

Twernt and Q blog this Nike soccer ad, which is admittedly very badass.

In their new sports column, Slate examines the internal economics of the NBA.

Darren Aronofsky's Batman: Year One project may be getting off the ground. If it's anything like Pi, it should be grand. Early casting rumors include Josh Hartnett as Bruce Wayne, Norman Reedus as The Joker, and Vin Diesel as a Schumacher-less Victor Fries.

Blurb passes along the Sports Cliche List. Thanks.

5/31/00 - "Dr. Crash" Dudley gets somes love from the Times, while Spree loves the Garden fans.

Portland pushes it to six. But, will they be able to protect their home floor?

Slate has issues with the election prognostication bandied about the Post last week.

5/30/00 - Newsweek on Napster.

The official site is trying to play it off, but Mark Hamill clearly said "Carrie!"

Man, what a bunch of losers. I'm sorry, Donnie Walsh, but Spike Lee is the least of your worries.

An internal Sierra Club e-mail lambasts Al Gore's environmental record.

The trailer for The Specials, another take on a Justice League-type comedy, is now online. It doesn't have to be very good to be better than Mystery Men.

Wouldn't you know it, Harry absolutely loved Center Stage. I'm definitely biased on the matter, given my family connections to the material, but I'd recommend it over Mission: Implausible 2 (and no doubt, Battlefield False,) particularly if you enjoy Fame-esque teen flicks.

My weblog rating is 57%, which means I can continue blogging for the time being. (Via Hit or Miss and Lots of Co.) Similarly, this site is 270% Bullshit (via Terabithia.)

Lazio eats pavement.

After two Ewing-less wins, the debate heats up in New York once again about whether the Knicks are a better squad with or without the big fella. Personally, I'd rather have him around, even if he does tend to clog the lane. Anyone remember the end of Games 6 and 7 in the Miami series?

Senator Moynihan, one of the great ones, writes on Social Security.

The Post profiles Dubya's band of merrymen.

Why, yes, I am living the personal home page stereotype. As such, here's the new page for Berkeley. I apologize in advance to the design purists.

Here comes the all new and improved Al Gore. Second verse, same as the first.

I forgot to mention in the past two posts that Elaine and I caught Mission: Impossible 2 last Wednesday, which is a pretty good indicator of just how blah it was. Also saw Dogma (peaks early and completely falls apart about the time Jason Lee gets it with a holy golf club: Berkeley was terrified by the Golgothan Excremental), Eye of the Beholder (bad, really bad, barely comprehensible, and bad), and The Thomas Crown Affair (not my cup of tea at all: I had expected better, and give me Steve McQueen any day of the week.)

Despite injuries all over the place and an attempted trip of Spree by the Indiana coaching staff, the New York Knicks take Game 3 and Game 4 at the Garden to tie the Indiana series at two apiece. Elsewhere in the NBA, the Blazers falsify at home, and Shaq is treated like a basketball savant because he (gasp!) managed to go 9 of 9 from the line.

The forthcoming Sci-Fi Channel Dune Miniseries has a teaser trailer ready for your perusal, although it doesn't tell you much other than this won't be Lynch-land. Also, three minutes of the live-action Tick are now available (via Kestrel's Nest.)

If you're going to cast Tom Selleck as Doctor Who, why even bother to make the movie?

Time Magazine's cover story this week examines the facts and myths surrounding the club drug Ecstasy.

Thai scientists have discovered a way to create fuel from human waste. In the words of one George Costanza on a similar cinematic methane factory, "There's no rules, Jerry: it's Thunderdome!"