Neil Gaiman reports that Stardust was deemed "Very Offensive" per a reviewer utilizing the moral ratings guide of the Christian Spotlight on Entertainment. I was curious to see what the criteria was for this rating, and it looks like it stems from the way women are treated in the film (geez -- classic fairy tale archetypes true to era anyone?) and, of course, the pagan aspects of Faerie.

Also curious to me was the going on and on about the horrible violence for a PG-13 film and the terrors of "fantasy violence," yet the site's sunny review of the excellent PG-13 violence-fest The Bourne Ultimatum doesn't admonish the film at all for its insuitability "for the children" and in fact deems it merely "Offensive."

I just wish Goody Hysteria would have left the Stardust review at problems with the heathens and the presentation of any worldview outside of Christianity, because we all know that's the real stinker. The hypocrisy of padding out the review with the other bits to be more well-rounded in criticism is just laughable.

Anyway, there are bigger fish to fry, heathen-hunters! Can't wait for wild-eyed hysterics over the upcoming PG-13 holiday film The Golden Compass. Never mind the daemons and organized religion-power-trippin' story -- the bits concerning The Authority can't get much more in your face for misguided people who are constantly sniffing around for "threats" to their faith. Won't say more in order to keep y'all who haven't read the series by Philip Pullman in the dark, but let's just say oh glorious impending trainwreck.

Don't hate me for saying this, but I didn't care for the book. But check this trailer yo!



Going to hike, laze around, eat caramel apples, get a massage, and see Immortal Technique this Friday and Saturday in Santa Cruz. Can't wait!

I love to come home from a long week at work to a little something something to start my weekend out on a lovely note. Hellboy: Darkness Calls #4 (so sad, almost done!) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5 were waiting on the coffee table, dropped off for me by my honey before he went to work. Sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than curling up on the couch with a cold glass of mugi cha, set on doing nothing else but reading some delicious comic books.

Oy, I must be getting old. No, that's not it. Maybe I'm getting less coarse in my pleasures. That's better.

So of course the Hellboy is an ass-kicker. And Buffy keeps getting better and better. This stand alone is really well done, and a credit to how well Joss Whedon can switch so effortlessly between silly and solemn. I am so chuffed at Joss Whedon's 4-issue story arc/5th issue stand alone/4-issue story arc concept. This is also why he's the man. And guess who the next story arc is about? Whee!