THE LEFT LANE
'Star Wars' mutiny
Advertiser Staff and News Services
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| George Lucas |
The petition asks Lucas "to allow complete control of all necessary story lines and dialogue for Peter Jackson to make a film as he sees fit." It also suggests that Lucas's relinquishing of the franchise would "move the 'Star Wars' universe in a way where everyone can fully appreciate it with the smallest of complaints." With 'Star Wars' devotees "in our most desperate hour of need," the petition promises that if Jackson is allowed to direct, fans would "see the movie repeatedly and buy many action figures." Agree, you do? Sign the petition at www.petitiononline.com/dgkomxpq/petition.html.
Romeo and his hotty
Romeo: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
(Translation: "Juliet is a hotty!")
The idle scrawlings of a hormone-addled ninth-grader? Dude! The comments are by a Shakespeare scholar — and they're printed in the margins of a new series of classic literary works featuring teen-friendly annotations and unorthodox asides.
The puckish Red Reader series, which debuted this fall, promises to leaven the weighty world of high-school English class, giving teachers a little snicker or, in some cases, a groan. "Romeo & Juliet" — or "R&J," as it's called by publisher Teacher's Discovery, of Auburn Hills, Mich. — debuted in the fall. The books present the original text but take extreme liberties in marginal comments. In "Romeo & Juliet," for example, the cast members, or "Dramatis Personae," are parenthetically called "Shakespeare's Peeps." Benvolio ("Benny") is described as "Romeo's cousin and homey," and Lord Capulet is "Juliet's pop and a straight-up control freak." Lady Capulet is "Juliet's mom and a woman who doesn't understand teenagers — who does?"
The face of sales
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| Russell Crowe |
Newer examples: "The Hours," Michael Cunningham's novel inspired by Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway," has been re-released with Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore, with Nicole Kidman as Woolf. A new edition of "Catch Me If You Can," Frank Abagnale's memoir of a con man, carries a cover that copies the movie poster with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
