Batman Minus Batman

As has been discussed here and elsewhere ad nauseam, when you are dealing with certain pop-cultural icons, they belong to everyone, regardless of the opinions of their corporate attorneys.  Like any other mythological figure, from Odin to Jesus to Sherlock Holmes, there is no really ‘right’ or ‘correct’ interpretation of the …

You’ll Wonder Where the Humor Went

UNHELPFUL MNEMONICS 1.  Every Grotesque Ballardian Describes Fascism 2.  Malicious Vegetables Elude Motorist Junkers’ Stronghold?  Ultimately, No. 3.  Klonopin Is Salacious, Shalimar 4.  Thirty days hath September, quickly grasp my throbbing member, slide your hand ‘pon thither and yon, then consult this sheet of paper I have written the number of …

The Most Beautiful Fraud: The Master

Modern cinema, from the blockbusting franchise entries of the ‘vulgar auteurs’ to the artsy but profitable realm of the self-contradictory indie giants, has of late become the realm of miniaturists.  From Zack Snyder, the marketing-anointed visionary of hyperrealist action, to Wes Anderson and his delicately crafted chamber pieces, directors have …