
Super Troopers 2
This sequel isn't just more of the same from Broken Lizard—it's a lot more, and for no good reason.
This sequel isn't just more of the same from Broken Lizard—it's a lot more, and for no good reason.
William Friedkin, the director of "The Exorcist," documents what might be a real-life exorcism.
Roger Ebert on James Ivory's "Howards End".
"The Ballad of Narayama" is a Japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. What a space it opens…
A closer look at the 13 reviews by Roger Ebert chosen for the front page today to mark the anniversary of Roger's passing and the…
A collection of memories from fans of Roger Ebert.
A new video essay explores the uncanny durability of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
Starring Dwayne Johnson and other giant creatures.
Some directors are all about the visual symbolism, but Forman was more of a people-watcher.
After all these years it’s hard for me to say if “Earthquake” is either a guilty pleasure or a movie so bad that it’s good.
A table of contents for all of our Ebertfest 2018 coverage.
Ebert Fellow Tyler Panlilio reports from Ebertfest on the Q&A panel for "Columbus."
Named after the David Cronenberg film, this is the blog of former RogerEbert.com editor Jim Emerson, where he has chronicled his enthusiasms and indulged his whims since 2005. Favorite subjects include evidence-based movie criticism, cinematic form and style, comedy, logical reasoning, language, journalism, technology, epistemology and fun. No topic is off-limits, but critical thinking is required.
Update on "Teaching the Controversy: Why won't he deny raping and killing?:
Rather than try to fight a First Amendment case (which they would be destined to lose), Glenn Beck's lawyers have filed a complaint (.pdf here) with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a "specialized agency of the United Nations" based in the neutral country of Switzerland, claiming that the satirical domain name glenn beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990.com is: 1) a form of cybersquatting, 2) defamatory and 3) an infringement on his trademarked name. (The irony here is that the United Nations and socialist Switzerland are two things Beck does not believe in.)
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(The site itself is called "Did Glenn Beck Rape and Murder a Young Girl in 1990: The Official Parody Website About the Controversy" -- after a 2008 Gilbert Gottfried comedy routine spreading heretofore nonexistent rumors about Bob Saget in a televised Comedy Central roast. Gottfried also claimed that Saget seduced the Olsen twins with chocolate milkshakes.)
In response (.pdf here, lawyers for the site contend that Beck's defamation complaints are outside the scope WIPO's own decision-making powers, and that the satire is "not unlike the fame Campari ad in Hustler v. Falwell." Beck's people simply don't understand what an Intertubes Internet meme is:
"The term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet, much like an esoteric inside joke." See Internet For Beginners (Annex B)
From "Mr. Spock Ate My Balls," (defunct) to ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US to "Leeroy Jenkins" to a slew of sub-memes based on the movie "300", internet memes are as old as the internet itself, and almost as ubiquitous as actual cybersquatters. See Squidoo "Top 10 Internet Memes" (Annex C). Memes are often puzzling to those who have never encountered them before, and they are similarly puzzling to the subjects of the memes when they involve real people.
Attorney Marc Randazza then offers a formula to explain how these things work:
(Outrageous Accusation) + (Celebrity) + (Question Why the Celebrity Does Not Deny the Accusation) = (Confirmation of the Falsity of the Accusation + Laughter)
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A new video essay explores the uncanny durability of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
This message came to me from a reader named Peter Svensland. He and a fr...
A tribute to the singular presence and innumerable characters of the late R. Lee Ermey.