Big Screen, Little Screen

I couldn't figure out why I liked Big Screen, Little Screen so much until today when I realized it is the kottke of film and tv blogs.

Kids Book Club

Stephan has decided that I need internet evidence of our kids' book club so that when it becomes a national phenomenon, I get to go on Oprah or something. Stephan has a lot of weird versions of the future where I go on Oprah. Anyway, it does seem like it's about time that I did a post on children's book club. I don't remember how R and I came up with this--R was this your idea? where did we get this idea from?--but it is incredibly fun. It's pretty much your standard book club, except that you read a kid's book instead of adult books. The title is misleading; there are no kids at kids' book club. Anyway, our ranks have grown from 3 to 7, which isn't bad. We have a very nice group. When A hosted the City of Ember, book club got even better because A came up with the ingenious idea of making food themed to the book. In that case it was The City of Ember, and she provided canned pineapple and potatoes and something else I can't recall. This has been my favorite book club innovation, not least because we got to eat Tostino's pizza bites when we read Coraline. Now there is also a private wiki, care of A as well. It's pretty much great. I highly recommend that you start your own children's book club.

We have read:
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Lost recaps

I love to read Lost recaps and the internet is kind enough to provide me with plenty.
Alan Sepinwall. I go here first for all tv reviews.
Jezebel. A little late coming usually, but full of nice details and often shares my opinion on an episode.
The AV Club. Workingman's reviews in the best sense.
TWOP. TWOP started my tv recap addiction. I always manage the weecap but often skip the longer version nowadays. I think I should pick that back up.
House Next Door. Quick out of the gate. Arty. Insightful. Kind enough to supply the picture for this post.
NYMag. Not quick. Arty.
EW. I don't love Doc Jensen, but they're nice and long.
Televisionary. They're televisionary there. I don't always manage this one, but it's a nice back-up.

And that, my friends, is the depth of my insanity and the length to which I'll go to avoid my dissertation.

Links

Where the Wild Things Are trailer via kottke
Fifi Lapin and LeSportSac together
Cootie catchers and other fortune tellers
Chic Chicago
GQ's slideshow of the 50 most stylish men also via kottke

Dress Season

It's almost dress season. Dress. Dress. Dress. Dress. Dress.

Kermodian nicknames

Ikea Knightley... Keira Knightley
Hugh Jaction.... Hugh Jackman
Matthew Mahogany... Matthew McConaughey
Nicole Kindling... Nicole Kidman

care of Mark Kermode

Posing

These two images happen to be next to each other in a folder, and I think they look nice together.

Harry Potter

The new trailer, up at Yahoo, is so good I gasped aloud. I can't wait. Thanks My New Plaid Pants for the link and the image.