Does it bother anyone, at least a little bit, that when Warren Beatty co-starred wth Elizabeth Taylor in George Stevens‘ The Only Game in Town (’69) his character was called Joe Grady, and when he starred in The Parallax View five years later his character was called Joe Frady? Stevens’ final film, written by Frank (father of Tony) Gilroy, was a critical and commercial dud. It’s talky, flat, dull as dishwater. It was so inert and unfulfilling, in fact, that Stevens’ son, George Stevens, Jr., didn’t even mention it in his documentary, George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey. The limited edition Game Bluray is out via Twilight Time.

Last night some Guardian reader (“Loopy Tunes”) bitched about the comic-book superhero movies and reboots in…I was going to say “the usual way” but this guy was on fire. Grammatical and spelling issues aside, he spells it out plain as pie.

My younger brother is a bit of a reckless asshole, which may be due to his having a screw loose. I can’t change or save him. He is who he is and has to deal with his issues…or not. He went to Iraq on his own steam. Did he come back a little fucked up? Yeah, and I’m sorry. My father was a little fucked up also after Vietnam. Life is hard, man, but you have to sink or swim. But now that my no-account brother is missing, probably taken out by his bad-guy colleagues, I have to do the old “avenge the death (or the harming) of my brother” routine. Jesus.

Russell Brand, now embarking on his “Messiah Complex” tour, has been officially and completely forgiven for Arthur. He’s 100% redeemed and then some. Plus I’ve been waiting for someone to take Morning Joe‘s Mika Brzezinski down for her conservative-mannered smugness…zing! Brzezinski and her also-not-hip-enough co-hosts Katty Kay and Brian Shactman were, of course, speaking to Brand in a glib, patronizing way. “Is this what you all do for a living?,” Brand asked. “Thank you for your casual objectification.”

The fun starts around 4:45.

“Funny” if you’re from Bakersfield or Tucumcari or East Hartford and you recognize these smug, clueless smoothies because you know them from work or whatever. The behaviors are too easy, too broad. For me anyway. But if you’re not that hip and you’re an easy lay in terms of comedy, great.