I've been known to laugh at Family Guy, but I always feel kinda dirty about it. TV Heresy: It's totally time to cancel "The Simpsons". Makes me sad to say so because I used to love it so much. But things end, and it's a shadow of its former...everything.

but loved sensationalists like Fellini and Kurowasawa

Kurosawa yes, but she had little-to-no use for Fellini from La Dolce Vita onward (IOW, pretty much what we think of when we think of Fellini).

from La Dolce Vita onward (IOW, pretty much what we think of when we think of Fellini).

La Strada is pre-La Dolce. And that's pretty definitive Fellini for me.

La Strada is pre-La Dolce. And that's pretty definitive Fellini for me.

So is I Vitteloni (also pre-La Dolce), but neither really gets into the freak-show, stream of consciousness surrealism that pretty much became Fellini's signature (despite La Strada's circus milieu).

Since we're on the subject, do you want to rate your favorite Fellini parodies?

I'd rate the Gilda Radner one on SNL at the top. (Which has the "sad clown of life" line.)

But there's a good one on Northern Exposure too, and considering that it's down to a couple of "Ciao" I also love the Spike and Dru homage.

Can you think of any others? I guess all of Stardust Memories counts.

The end of the series run of The Newsroom.

as much as I like the actor, casting Nestor Carbonell as the Mayor was a mistake. There is just no way to make casting Batmanuel in a Batman movie not funny.

Heh. You're not wrong. (Er, not that I've seen TDK yet, and by the way, I'm BLIND with jealousy of you right now.)

TV heresy-related: I love Family Guy. I should find it puerile and ridiculous, but I love it.

She would have made a good Jane in Coupling.

More TV heresy: British Jane? I LOATHE HER. Every moment she's on screen I want to rip my eyeballs out and shove them in my ears.

British Patrick? Not, in any way, attractive. It must be a British thing.

British Patrick? Not, in any way, attractive. It must be a British thing.

American Patrick = much better looking.

British Jeff still = The Hot One.

I don't think it was populism exactly. Kael wrote a long essay on the pleasures of trash, but she doesn't ever claim it's not trash:

There is talk now about von Sternberg’s technique—his use of light and décor and detail—and he is, of course, a kitsch master in these areas, a master of studied artfulness and pretty excess. Unfortunately, some students take this technique as proof that his films are works of art, once again, I think, falsifying what they really respond to—the satisfying romantic glamour of his very pretty trash. “Morocco” is great trash, and movies are so rarely great art, that if we cannot appreciate great trash, we have very little reason to be interested in them.

British Jeff still = The Hot One.

You're not wrong.

(Though my heart goes pitter pat over Jack Davenport, because....yum. I think it's his voice as much as his appearance.)