Saw the Whedon Much Ado About Nothing [2013, USA] today – it did what it promised. The plot is ridiculous and the wheezing contrivances weigh it down in its back half, but despite this it absolutely sings when blessed with committed performances thanks to the sheer delightful energy of the Beatrice/Benedick relationship. Whedon finds a darker kernel to the business than Branagh did in his lush ’93 film, and his presentation is nearly claustrophobic compared with Branagh’s expansive staging, but the two films share a gleeful, inclusive energy that makes for good moods all ’round. Like everyone’s been saying, Amy Acker is just phenomenal. Everyone else is at least good (which trumps Branagh’s version!), special mention to Nathan Fillion who deftly finds the laughs in a particularly difficult Shakespearean clown. It’s a good watch, and if there’s any sanity in the world it’ll be back on general release soon.
Anyway, some linky.
Explore Afrika Bambaata’s record collection
Japan’s giant Godzilla crotch entrance (via Pearce)
What would a nuke do to your home town? 70s/80s kids can revisit their childhood nightmares and find out here. (via Nate)
10 years since The O.C. debuted. Interesting interview with the showrunner – I enjoyed watching this for a season or so, mostly because of its good gags and dementedly overcranked pacing. There’s some real insight into what made this show what it was in this chat, well worth a look for TV writing peeps.
How advertisers convinced Americans they smelled bad
How Pacific Rim got kaiju wrong (written by someone who loved Pacific Rim)
Blimey, I knew there were four writers in Stephen King’s family; but turns out there’s actually five. Lovely interview with the whole clan.
xkcd’s updating comic “Time” finally finished. It’s kind of an amazing project. Get the scoop here. (via fraser)
Sweden runs out of garbage (via Sarah E)
Cookie Monster recreates a famous poem on Twitter. Yeah, you’ve guessed the poem correctly.
Jedi Parkour
Those who were around for the discussion about Richmastery on this blog will perhaps appreciate this, but probably not as much as I did. (News report spotted by David R, former Pope of this parish.)
Also via David R: the sublime cluelessness of throwing lavish Gatsby parties. (Reminds me a little of all the veneration of the space marines in my favourite film, Aliens.)
Scans of a 1956 Martin Luther King comic book that was widely distributed through the south in protest at segregation.
1880s fashion catalogue (via Giffy)
And finally, Benedict Cumberbatch hates liquid