{"id":1124,"date":"2006-09-29T17:40:13","date_gmt":"2006-09-29T22:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/?p=1124"},"modified":"2006-09-29T18:20:17","modified_gmt":"2006-09-29T23:20:17","slug":"unrequired-reading-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/unrequired-reading-3","title":{"rendered":"Unrequired Reading"},"content":{"rendered":"

No one will pay to see Scarlett Johanson<\/a>. You know your career’s in trouble when you’re being compared to Ben Affleck:<\/p>\n

Years back, it was Eddie Murphy, who went from mega-star to loser when he churned out such bombs as Pluto Nash and I Spy before recovering his stroke. Kevin Costner still seems to be in the penalty box, although his upcoming action film, The Guardian, may change that. And there’s the sad story of Ben Affleck: good-looking, kind-hearted, talented, and death to just about any film he’s in. (Remember 2004’s back-to-back stinkers, Saving Christmas and Jersey Girl?)<\/p>\n

Well, welcome to box-office hell, Scarlett. An intelligent woman with some two dozen films to her credit, Johansson, 21, has everything that Hollywood wants in its starlets. She’s charming and she genuinely can act. Better yet, she’s drop-dead gorgeous. But of late, she seems to inject poison into just about every film that has her name in the credits.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’m very<\/em> disappointed that he didn’t make a comment about Kevin Costner finding his stroke.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Pimp my kippah.<\/a> (thanks, Sirk!)<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

ESPN had the very stupid idea that people would buy cell phones for a network operated by ESPN, rather than Cingular or Verizon or somebody. It failed.<\/a><\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Idiocracy<\/em> will be the next cult classic.<\/a><\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

In grad school, I subscribed to the economy theory of liver destruction: If you’re going to get drunk, drink malt liquor. You can’t get more messed up for $1.99.
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Dubai’s making great strides in its efforts at becoming a free-trade zone.<\/a> Of course, I’ll never be allowed to set foot there, since I’m a Jew.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

When I visit someone’s home, the first thing I look for is the host’s bookshelf. So does Jay Parini<\/a>:<\/p>\n

What interests me about other people’s books is the nature of their collection. A personal library is an X-ray of the owner’s soul. It offers keys to a particular temperament, an intellectual disposition, a way of being in the world. Even how the books are arranged on the shelves deserves notice, even reflection. There is probably no such thing as complete chaos in such arrangements.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thanks to Delicious Library<\/a>, you can check out mine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

And I’ve decided to take Little, Big<\/a> with me to Paris. I’ll letcha know how it goes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No one will pay to see Scarlett Johanson. You know your career’s in trouble when you’re being compared to Ben Affleck: Years back, it was Eddie Murphy, who went from mega-star to loser when he churned out such bombs as Pluto Nash and I Spy before recovering his stroke. Kevin Costner still seems to be … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Unrequired Reading”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-literature","category-religion"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4C7K-i8","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13110,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/covid-check-in-with-ben-model","url_meta":{"origin":1124,"position":0},"title":"COVID Check-In with Ben Model","author":"Gil","date":"April 9, 2020","format":"audio","excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show COVID Check-In: Ben Model Silent-film accompanist Ben Model checks in from the Upper West Side of NYC. We talk about how the pandemic and self-isolation led him and his partner Steve Massa to launch the Silent Comedy Watch Party, a livestream on YouTube that airs every Sunday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "COVID Check-In"","block_context":{"text":"COVID Check-In","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/covid-check-in"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/modelcovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/modelcovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/modelcovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/modelcovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/modelcovidcomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9626,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/episode-166-ben-model","url_meta":{"origin":1124,"position":1},"title":"Episode 166 – Ben Model","author":"Gil","date":"May 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show #166: Ben Model \"I'm trying to create music that's pretty enough to listen to but not interesting enough to pay attention to.\" Ben Model has made a career for himself as a silent-film accompanist, playing for audiences throughout the US (and a city in Norway!).\u00a0I was\u00a0thrilled to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Movies"","block_context":{"text":"Movies","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/movies"},"img":{"alt_text":"ben_LoCorgan-boots","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/ben_LoCorgan-boots-440x343.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1210,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/money-gets-flushed-away","url_meta":{"origin":1124,"position":2},"title":"Money gets Flushed Away","author":"Gil","date":"November 16, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"I was reading the Wall Street Journal this morning and saw a piece on how DreamWorks Animation will be writing down its costs on Flushed Away in the 4Q because of its poor box office. ($ only, so no link for you) The film, which chronicles the adventures of a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Big Business"","block_context":{"text":"Big Business","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/big-business"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7405,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/podcast-the-show-must-go-on","url_meta":{"origin":1124,"position":3},"title":"Podcast: The Show Must Go On","author":"Gil","date":"October 26, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Virtual Memories \u2013 season 3 episode 24 - The Show Must Go On \"We have to decide what sort of comics industry we want before we decide what sort of books we're going to work on.\" Roger Langridge\u00a0has\u00a0become the best all-ages cartoonist in the business, despite (or because of) starting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic books & strips"","block_context":{"text":"Comic books & strips","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/literature\/comics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=voyantpublishing&l=as2&o=1&a=1560972955","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14594,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/episode-444-jonathan-baylis","url_meta":{"origin":1124,"position":4},"title":"Episode 444 – Jonathan Baylis","author":"Gil","date":"July 20, 2021","format":"audio","excerpt":"Virtual Memories Show 444: Jonathan Baylis Writer Jonathan Baylis joins the show (in person!) to celebrate the latest issue of his autobio comics series, So Buttons (Tinto Press\/Alchemy Comix). We talk about how he found a home in the Pekar mode, writing scripts for cartoonists to draw, and how he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic books & strips"","block_context":{"text":"Comic books & strips","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/literature\/comics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/bayliscomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/bayliscomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/bayliscomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/bayliscomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-content\/uploads\/bayliscomp.jpg?fit=1200%2C480&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4396,"url":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/inglourious-roi","url_meta":{"origin":1124,"position":5},"title":"Inglourious ROI","author":"Gil","date":"August 24, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"With their \"media empire\" on the verge of collapse, the Weinstein brothers were pulling out all the stops to promote the opening of Inglourious Basterds last week. They've even played the contrition card in explaining to the NYTimes that they lost their focus after leaving Disney and starting their own\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Big Business"","block_context":{"text":"Big Business","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/category\/big-business"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1124\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}