From the category archives:

Film

The Story of English and LOLcats

Thumbnail image for The Story of English and LOLcats October 1, 2010

Now for a spin on the story of English from the internet age…LOLcats. In particular, the LOLcat Bible Translation Project. Many linguists depend upon the work of Bible translators deployed around the world in remote (to us, at least) regions of the world. I happen to know a man who worked as a Bible translator and created the only existing dictionary in the world for his regional dialect. Concerns about dictionaries (and their purpose) aside, the LOLcats Translation begs a question: is LOLcats a true pidgin English? It has a history, it has its own grammar and rules, and now it has its own Bible.

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100 Chimes at Midnight

Thumbnail image for 100 Chimes at Midnight April 10, 2010

FALSTAFF:
My king! my Jove! I speak to thee, my heart!

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Do Movie Critics Matter?

Thumbnail image for Do Movie Critics Matter? March 25, 2010

Journalistic standards have changed so drastically that, when I took the podium at the film circle’s dinner and quoted Pauline Kael’s 1974 alarm, “Criticism is all that stands between the public and advertising,” the gala’s audience responded with an audible hush—not applause.

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Sometimes when I happy get

Thumbnail image for Sometimes when I happy get March 18, 2010

Sometimes when I happy get I turn on my television set

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that gum you like is going to come back in style

March 10, 2010

With the creation of one of the high achievements of mankind, Twin Peaks, David Lynch made a world so ecstatic it demanded its own reality. I’ve been really thinking about Julee Cruise and Twin Peaks SO MUCH lately. What makes it so good? Where did this music come from? Who is Julee Cruise *really*!?

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Blogging through Grossman, Part 3: Poetic Promiscuity.

Thumbnail image for Blogging through Grossman, Part 3: Poetic Promiscuity. March 2, 2010

We recent poets have two great tools at our disposal: freedom of poetic license, and freedom of publishing. Generally, we can say whatever we want, and get a significant number of people to hear what we have to say. The question is whether this freedom has led to better poetry or degeneration. Perhaps that’s not the best way to put it. The question should be, even if somebody is doing something amazing and new in poetry, would we even see it? Will we travel all this way to find that we really did need the gatekeepers of poetry??

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The Lyric Workshop, Session 1: Theme From Shaft

Thumbnail image for The Lyric Workshop, Session 1: Theme From Shaft February 24, 2010

PROFESSOR: Mary Ann, would you mind reading your poem aloud so that we can hear it in your own voice?

MARY ANN: Absolutely. Ahem.

Who’s the black private dick
That’s a sex machine to all the chicks?
SHAFT!
Ya damn right!

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Scene from Alice in Wonderland by Jan Svankmajer

February 18, 2010

A clip from the terrifying Czech version of Alice in Wonderland.

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