The Hot Blog

The inmates are about to take over the asylum.

I like how the entry is dated April 1, even though it's still March 31 in most of the world. April Fool's joke?

And I think you're about to discover, for better or worse, just how flat-out deranged some posters can be.

I tried keeping myself out of comments on my blog, initially. Couldn't stick to it.

Seth Rogen IS "D.P." in...

"Banning David Poland"

from the creators of Superbad and the writer of Movie City News.

Oops. Make that "the VISIONARY writer of Movie City News."

what a bummer, i hope that's an april fool's joke. it's not the same without the big kahuna (that would be you, dp) stepping in here and there being all king kamehameha-like and laying down the law

I like how the entry is dated April 1, even though it's still March 31 in most of the world.

It isn't April 1st anywhere in the world. This isn't very subtle :(

If DP did refrain, I suspect the blog would change very little, except in suffering from a major snark deficiency. :p

In my opinion, this act would increase a practice I've always been put off by-- and that's responding to comments with a new blog entry. Its a bully pulpit maneuver that really limits the opportunity for a genuine back-and-forth exchange, and leaves us at the foot of an ivory tower. From my perspective, DP most often engages when he feels attacked, and not as often out of a simple desire to participate. I cannot remember the last time DP participated in any of the 'for the love of movies' discussions (when people wax philosophical on a particular movie/genre/etc).

Dave - If you're serious, I understand. The ol' tactic of personalizing the argument has gotten out of control.

My only advice is that if you cannot post a new thread everyday, not including BYOB's, then maybe have Kim or another MCN'er start injectiing new threads on opposite days. You're going to have to maintain a tighter framework or this place is going to become the Outer Zone. The previous threads, Redbox and Niche, were excellent.

The summer should be a busy enough season to give you some room and with Wolverine, Trannys2 and Trek, there should be enough spilt blood from the peanut gallery.

Martin,

David's self-imposed ban does not include me, so I will be around, and will be commenting here on the Hot Blog more than usual as well as writing in my own space on Film Essent and Twittering those all-important 140-character commentaries (kimvoynar over on Twitter, if you care to follow.)

My crazy-busy travel sched slows down to a crawl post-Dallas, so I'll be posting more frequently to Film Essent over the next several months, and jumping into the fray here more as well.

Totally unrelated and apropos of nothing, but who besides me is pumped about the new Star Trek and hoping like hell it doesn't suck? We've been renting ST:TNG for the kids lately and geeking out to Picard and Co., and they are hopped up to see the new film.

I hope this is a joke. Without you acting as the prevailing personality on the hot blog, the dominant voice will surely be IOIO's or that other guy's...the one with the sticky caps-lock key that always begs to be famous.

Uh oh, I'm starting to see silent guys in black coats who look like David Bowie hanging around, and my cell phone signal is starting to get disrupted....

A whole month, hey?

Dave, I think this is the most emotionally healthy gesture I've seen from you in a while. You're acknowledging that too much blog can be a depressing thing. Good for you.

Just remember... before you step in the Self-Banning Machine, be sure to check the inside for any houseflies. We wouldn't want to have to deal with a Poland-Fly monster in May.

I don't know, kind of reminds me of Captain Nemo - David Poland becomes a mysterious figure, gliding unseen past us and only occasionally surfacing to destroy a ship or otherwise illustrate his contempt for Finke or whoever.

Oh good Kim, I thought you had jumped ship, so much small stuff happening, the RT current beta tv show, Movieline, Pride's photography, GlennK busting Buist, AnneT publishing rounds, and not enough awesome 4.2 paragraph film reviews. Yes, I'm psyched for Trek by a certain fellow in underwear posing candidly mark snake cobra - don't shriek, everyone knows.

Kim - good to hear. That should help since it's not going to be possible to turn your comments until a personal vexing.

Jeff - that's a good analogy. Run Silent, Run Poland.

Re: Trek. The cast is a tad too pretty for me, especially Pine. He feels more James Dean than Horatio, but that has to do with today's Post-Leo standards than much else.

I'll likely catch it, just to see if Abram's has finally figured out scope.

As for ST:TNG. From season three on, it's excellent.

Man up David. I don't think you're attacked THAT harsh or often. You don't take IO's rants seriously?

I can't get pumped up about Star Trek because it doesn't feel like Trek to me. I suppose its because my attachment to ST was due to the original cast of characters. My attachment to the cast of ST:NG is much less, but I still had a chance to get to know them, and there was a period of transition.

This is, to a lesser extent, my attitude toward the Star Wars prequels, but it helped that the Star Wars universe is much more iconic for me.

Count me amongst those who hope this is an April Fool's joke, because if this place just becomes a proxy blog for the caps-lock twins, I don't see much reason to keep reading.

I can just check out a AICN talkback if I need a dose of that shit.

I'm cautiously optimistic about TREK. I'm hardly a fan of Abrams, but he's smart enough to know that he'll be tarred and feathered (figuratively, of course...I hope) if he screws it up. The May release and the announcement that a sequel is already in the planning stages shows that Par is pretty high on the film, so for now I'm hoping to be pleasantly satisfied.

DP, if in fact you're serious, pray for us.

I disagree with the doomsayers regarding this blog's health w/out DP. It might take a more concerted effort to avoid encouraging obnoxious behavior, but that's not hard, is it? It goes 99% unchecked WITH David around. Its just a matter of those easily goaded or those who enjoy a blog skirmish as sport to supress those impulses.

Ultimately, DP would still be there to dole out his flaccid brand of justice, should the situation require. :p

interior shot - Poland stands on table above computer

"This blog is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The threads are extended gutters and the gutters are full of Caps and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their douchebags and boners will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll whisper "no."

That is funny, hcat...

Booo, DP.

Sometimes you expound on your thoughts and ideas in the comments that provide supplement to your posts (especially if something is unclear or beyond us). I think that will be missed.

"I can't get pumped up about Star Trek because it doesn't feel like Trek to me. I suppose its because my attachment to ST was due to the original cast of characters."

That's part of my own disconnect too. Whenever I see the trailers, I feel like I'm looking at the road company versions of Star Trek characters: better looking but less interesting.

What pulls me out of every Star Trek trailer so far is the actors' age. Maybe this is explained somehow in the plot-- I'm not versed in Trek lore-- but I just have a hard time believing that a large spacecraft would be manned seemingly entirely by people in their twenties.

It reminds me of Superman Returns, where somebody casting the movie seemed to be planning for a long-term franchise instead of making the movie itself work.

But why, Hallick? We've had four consecutive BATMANs with different stars. We've had multiple James Bonds and Supermans, Sherlock Holmes and Tarzans, even a new Maxwell Smart. Why should the TREK characters be exempt?

Actors in their 20's?

Karl Urban and Simon Pegg don't look like they're in their 20's.

Chris Pine is the youngest of the bunch, and he's now almost 29, born in August 1980. The guy who plays Chekov is 20, but he's supposed to be baby-faced.
Bill and Lenny were 35 when they did the original series.

Sure, it looks like it's been Abrams-ized for maximum hipness, and how good or bad that is remains to be seen. But honestly, is it really worth bitching about a slicker reboot after the double cock-punch of "Insurrection" and "Nemesis"?

"suspend commenters if I feel it is necessary"

Yes don't wait too long...discussions have been pretty nice since you did the two long-awaited ass-whoopings.

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