Filmthreat.com has a newly released interview with Gary Kurtz, the director of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.

Given the rising tide of fanboyo-fueled rage against the recent works of George Lucas, Kurtz is finally being recognized as one of primary forces behind the quality of the Holy Trilogy.

As it turns out, if old George hadn’t been steering the ship for Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader may have convinced Luke to rule the Empire alongside him. Also, Lando would have (rightfully) perished in the Death Star explosion, and the Ewoks would have all contracted forest ticks and be systematically exterminated by their rebel friends.

Oh well. At least we’ve got Kurtz’s new indie project, ‘77, to look forward to. May the Force be with him.

Master of the hilariously offensive, Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie, Bruno, was found so objectionable by the MPAA that it is going to receive an NC-17 rating. In other words, we have now, as a society, recognized “comic porn” as a form of entertainment.

And so, without further ado, the newly released Bruno trailer.

This is why the MPAA and the RIAA don’t sail on the open seas anymore.

Here is a fascinating, gripping, and yet oddly disturbing lecture by Mythbusters co-host, Adam Savage.

I can’t match the level of obsessiveness it takes to devote one’s life to the fetishizing of these various objects and props. But hey, I’m sure something had to fuel Da Vinci and Newton, and Carrot Top.

actually encouraged patients to fight each other for the sheer pleasure of the staff goaders. Of course, anyone who actually absorbed Fight Club would know that fighting was just an outlet for post-modern male blue-collar angst and should not be the object of violence fetishists.

Via cartoonist Dan Meth’s website.

I wish I could be more excited about the Watchmen debut this weekend. Unfortunately, I saw the movie 300, the only movie of note in director Zach Snyder’s repertoire. And 300 was a steaming pile of mastodon dung.

So, yeah… I won’t be standing in line this weekend. But I’m open to being happily surprised when it hits HBO.

Here’s a fascinating (and long) interview piece with prolific character actor, John Turturo. He talks about his preparations for the Lebowski role six to eight minutes into the piece.

Recent video of Ahnold talking about the need to spice up the way we talk about infrastructure.

To loosely paraphrase, “C’mon! C’mon! We must have the big blockbustah, super powerful, nuclear, gigantic, molecular destructionating of our sewage systems! Get to the choppah! The choppah! I have Supah Powerful bricks with mortah! C’mon! Leesten to me! Leesten!”

Generally, I’m a huge fan of cinema. Then, tonight, I stumbled upon this incredibly captivating amateur video of a camera on a sushi restaurant conveyor belt. No acting, no editing, no production, and yet a remarkably revealing piece. Maybe we’re all just voyeurs who consume anything we’re presented with.

I really get caught up in the relativity of the piece. Are the people moving, or the camera? Yes, we know the actual answer, but functionally either could be true.

Here’s some footage of an unusually jubilant Storm Trooper the day after Lando, Wedge, and company destroyed the second Death Star.