Plan 10 From Outer Space?

Is it wrong that when I read this article from IMDB.com, the only thing I can think of is Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space?*

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0365842/

Ironically, Johnny Depp played the infamous director in his 1994 biopic. I'm intrigued. Part of me thinks that this can't end well, and another part of me thinks that CGI is amazing these days...

*Widely recognized as the Worst Movie of All Time** because of a lack of continuity (day turns into night into day in the span of 2 minutes in the same scene), stiff dialogue, and ridiculous plot, Plan 9 From Outer Space was Bela Lugosi's last film. He died in the middle of filming and, instead of re-shooting the whole movie, Ed Wood, the director, merely replaced Lugosi with a much younger, thinner actor. In order to camouflage that Lugosi was no longer in the film, Wood directed the replacement actor to hold his cape over his face throughout the movie. It did nothing to disguise that Lugosi was no longer in the movie.

**I think Plan 9 is not the worst movie of all time, but the most awesomely bad. It's a laugh riot and I heartily recommend it. Just don't see My Father the Hero, that is an unmitigated piece of crap. (Sorry Gerard Depardieu!)

A Number You Can Count on One Hand...

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0256948/

Protesters Targeting Edgier Network Programming

7 July 2008 10:36 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Network executives trying to attract younger viewers with edgier fare have been stymied by protests directed at the show's advertisers, Advertising Age observed today (Monday), pointing out that North American Philips recently withdrew ads for Norelco products from CBS's Swingtown after receiving five complaints from viewers. "It is a shame," one media buyer told the trade publication. "When the networks try to push the envelope a little and try to be more like HBO, the advertisers run away." The Parents Television Council, which takes credit for the FCC's crackdown on allegedly indecent broadcasts, is urging CBS affiliates not to air the drama. All of which, according to AdAge, has forced CBS to use time on the program for "make-goods" and "bonus units" -- essentially free ads that the network gives away when one of its programs does not deliver a guaranteed number of viewers or when it enhances a sales package with extra ads to attract advertisers.

I would just like to point out that in this age of mass technology, of worldwide media culture, of the INTERNET, that Norelco bowed to peer pressure after only five complaints. I don't think there's anything wrong with Swingtown, I think the problem lies with Norelco in listening to five complaints. That's not even a blip on the radar in my law school class of 250. The entire population of television watching America (disregarding the people around the world who will watch it on the internet) is many, many times larger. I'd like to know who these five complaints came from. I cannot imagine any five complaints that threatened lawful and Constitutional action that should have that much power. Can you?

Seriously?

So, I was perusing IMDB news and I came upon this gem (copied and pasted below, link in case you wanted to see it in situ).

Castle-Hughes: "Media Made Me Feel Ashamed of Pregnancy"

Australian actress Keisha Castle-Hughes was forced to hide her bump while she was pregnant last year, because the heavy criticism she encountered in the press made her feel ashamed of becoming a young mother. The Whale Rider star was just 16 when she fell pregnant with 19-year-old boyfriend Bradley Hull's baby, and because of the media furor surrounding her age, she felt she was doing wrong by celebrating her impending motherhood. She says, "It hurt at the time because it's supposed to be a huge celebration. I was supposed to be able to go, 'Wow, I'm having a baby and this is amazing'. I felt like that I had to hide. I felt like it was bad for me to be happy about it." And she admits the constant presence of paparazzi outside her house in New Zealand was a "scary" experience. She adds, "I felt scared in my own home and it was horrible. I should be entitled to walk around my front yard without worrying that these people are watching me."

Um...Keisha Castle-Hughes, I understand that you are excited about being a mother, but the fact that you are an Academy Award nominated actress doesn't mean you aren't a part of the teenage pregnancy statistic. You are 16...if you went to my high school (when I was there), you would be friends with that crazy pregnant freshman who was so proud of being pregnant that she talked loudly and a lot about her baby shower, only to disappear in the middle of March to have her baby, never to return again. And while you are a successful actress and so won't be worrying about which McDonald's is hiring, you are still like that girl -- hopelessly naive.

You are a teenage mother, and while you shouldn't be ashamed of that if you don't want to be, the fact that you can't recognize why people are criticizing you is EXACTLY the reason why you are being criticized. It's not just naivete, but a teenage ignorance of the world around you. While you think you're special because you're an actress, you don't realize that most people aren't actresses and see things through a real world lens. That lens tells them you are throwing away opportunities to enjoy yourself and be young. Now you might interpret that as good, as in a baby will keep you from being Paris Hilton, and that's a good thing. But, if you don't have that self-control in the first place, don't have a baby. Secondly, being young is about going to clubs with no underwear on, drinking, dancing, being spontaneous, and making mistakes (all in moderation of course). You can't do that with a baby, and that's a shame for you.

Basically, Keisha Castle-Hughes, be excited, be a good mother, and enjoy yourself, but most of all, see where everyone else is coming from and stop complaining about it. You made your bed, but society has made theirs first. So you have to lie in both.

...

or something.

And just for fun...

And you think American TV is bad...

Variety.com - C4 cautious after 'Big Brother' Spat

Found Art

So I read Television Without Pity recaps frequently. Usually they are a fun diversion to remind me of what happened on my favorite shows (or those shows I hate but can't seem to quit watching) and give me a good laugh, but today I found more than I expected.

I just finished reading the most recent recap for The Apprentice and I have to say it's pretty amazing. It contains some social commentary and queer theory and is a very entertaining read. It really doesn't matter if you don't currently watch The Apprentice, the good parts just require you to know what's going on in the recap.

It's long, but it's definitely worth it.

The Apprentice Recap - 6.2